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- July 30, 2008
- January 23, 2008
- September 26, 2007
- June 29, 2007
- March 21, 2007
- December 5, 2006
- September 18, 2006
- June 20, 2006
- December 8, 2005
- October 14, 2005
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| Dr. Patricia Coward |
HSPRSN Vision
A high quality, sustainable health system in British Columbia that is grounded in excellent, internationally recognized health services and policy research.
On behalf of the Health Services & Policy Research Support Network Steering Council, I am pleased to provide you with this quarterly report on Network activities.
New CEO to meet with Health Authorities this summer
HSPRSN recommends focus on health human resources research
Opportunity for synergy with the BC Nursing Research Initiative
MSFHR Board approves award extensions for two HSPRSN programs
HSPRSN Steering Council welcomes new members
Thank you and goodbye
Interim leadership of the network
MSFHR welcomed Dr. John Challis as its new president and CEO on July 2. An internationally recognized researcher in the fields of physiology, obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Challis was the founding Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health. His most recent position was Vice-President, Research and Associate Provost at the University of Toronto. As part of his orientation to BC and in particular to the health service system, it will be my pleasure to accompany Dr. Challis in August as he meets with each of the Health Authority CEOs.
This recommendation reflects an extensive consultation process (outlined below). It will go forward for MSFHR Board approval in September 2008.
- In 2007, the HSPRSN Steering Council endorsed a recommendation from a planning task force to discontinue the current HSPRSN operating grants program in favour of a more iterative process to narrow and select priority areas for attention.
- In follow-up, BC Health Authorities and the BC Ministry of Health received a list of priorities that had been developed by the task force and were asked to reference it in identifying their top two priorities by the end of January 2008.
- Five of six Health Authorities chose health human resources as a priority topic. Sub-topics included: scope of practice (particularly innovative roles), inter-professional practice, productivity, change management to implement new ways of providing care, and recruitment and retention.
- In March 2008 Steering Council members reviewed the input and reached consensus that the remaining HSPRSN funds should be focused on:
- identifying and addressing priority health human resources issues as they relate to how care/services are provided (e.g. better employment of existing resources, developing new care models, etc.)
- in ways that more effectively address the needs of patients/populations, improve health outcomes and contribute to improved levels of staff engagement and job satisfaction.
- During April/May 2008, 28 key informants representing professional practice and human resources in the Health Authorities and the Ministry of Health as well as the major health unions were consulted to validate the HSPRSN recommendation. These informants identified three health human resources sub-themes as their priorities:
- ways to better employ existing providers,
- development of new models of staffing and
- development of new models of care.
They also confirmed that research on these sub-themes should be directed at more effectively meeting patient needs and improving staff engagement and productivity.
- In June 2007, the HSPRSN Steering Council endorsed a recommendation to use the remaining HSPRSN funds to address these three health human resources sub-themes.
Following Board approval in September, the HSPRSN will institute a Request For Proposal process to gain further insight into what knowledge and research capacity currently exists in relation to the three priority sub-themes to inform the development of research funding strategies.
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The BC Nursing Research Initiative (BCNRI) has also identified health human resources as a priority for attention, opening up the potential for synergy between this initiative and the HSPRSN. HSPRSN staff has asked the key informants who contributed to the development of the HSPRSN Report (A Synthesis of the Interviews Conducted regarding Health Human Resources Research Priorities) for permission to share the report with the BCNRI Nursing Research Advisory Council. With their permission, MSFHR will also post a summary of the report on its website for the information of the broad health services and policy research community.
A report summarizing the BCNRI recommendations for research and capacity building priorities will go forward for approval to the MSFHR Board on September 26. Thereafter, the report will be posted on the MSFHR website, with phased implementation of the recommendations to begin in fall/winter 2008.
MSFHR is in discussion with government regarding a renewed mandate for the Foundation to be supported by an annualized funding model. To allow time for these discussions, the MSFHR Board decided in June to extend existing infrastructure awards to September 2009. With the endorsement of Steering Council, a similar six-month extension has been approved for the HSPRSN Health Authority Capacity Building and Investigative Teams awards. Read about MSFHR funding extensions (PDF)
- Dr. Josee Lavoie, Associate Professor, Nursing and Community Health Programs, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia.
- Mr. Geoffrey Crampton, Vice President, People and Organizational Development, Fraser Health Authority
- Dr. Gweneth Doane, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, University of Victoria
In welcoming these new appointees, Steering Council also recognizes and thanks the following members who recently stepped down: Dr. Martha McLeod, University of Northern British Columbia, who was a founding member of Steering Council; Dr. Peter Hill, Vice President, Academic Development and Clinical Innovation, Fraser Health Authority; and Dr. Eric Roth, Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria.
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As many of you know, I have made the decision to retire and will be leaving the Foundation and my position as Executive Director of HSPRSN on August 1, 2008. I have really enjoyed my time at MSFHR and the opportunity of working with the health services and academic communities and the Ministry of Health in developing the HSPRSN programs and initiatives.
The five investigative teams have clearly demonstrated the power of linking researchers with decisions makers and taking a provincial approach to planning a research program focused on a priority area that is of importance to both Health Authorities and the Ministry of Health. The operating grant recipients have addressed specific research questions within those priority areas, and partnerships with CIHR and CHSRF have enabled us to leverage HSPRSN funds to launch more research projects and teams. The Health Authority Capacity Building Program has allowed health service delivery organizations to establish or strengthen their ability to address questions on the effectiveness of health service delivery and policy implications. The Network has built and will continue to build a legacy of high quality health services research to improve the health system for all British Columbians. I am proud to have had a part in it.
I have been privileged to work with a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals at MSFHR and I thank my colleagues, especially Cherry Graf, Nancy Mathias and Ashleigh Young for their support, energy and enthusiasm for the work of the Network. I also want to acknowledge all those who have served as members of Steering Council. Your advice and support have been critical to the success of the Network.
MSFHR will be recruiting a new leader for the Network and BC Nursing Research Initiative. In the interim, Cherry Graf will fill in as head, with Nancy Mathias continuing as the primary contact for matters related to HSPRSN awards.
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New Co-Chair and Members for Steering Council
Health Authority Capacity Building Proposals Extended
Operating Grant Lay Summaries to be Posted on MSFHR Website
Determining HSPRSN Research Priorities
Update on BC Nursing Research Initiative
Dr. Anne-Marie Broemeling (PDF), Director of Information Support & Research, Interior Health has accepted the appointment of Co-Chair of Council, replacing Cathy Ulrich, CEO, Northern Health Authority who has been appointed to the Board of MSFHR. Also new to Steering Council are:
- Dr. Kelly Barnard (PDF), Senior Medical Consultant, Knowledge Integration and Development Branch, Ministry of Health
- Dr. Michael Hayes (PDF), Associate Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University
- Ms. Suzanne Johnston (PDF), Vice President, Academic Affairs & Regional Development and Chief Nursing Officer, Northern Health Authority
Last fall the MSFHR Board approved a recommendation from the HSPRSN Steering Council to extend Health Authority Capacity Building awards by fifteen months (January 2008 to March 31, 2009). The decision was taken to align the timelines of the award with the MSFHR timeline for the Institutional awards, in readiness for the proposed integration of these programs during 2008.
At the request of the HSPRSN Steering Council, the six Health Authorities submitted proposals in late October for how they would continue and build on their capacity building activities during the extension period. These were adjudicated in November by an external review panel chaired by Dr Cameron Mustard, President and Senior Scientist, Institute for Work and Health, Ontario. Members of the panel included:
- Mr. Dan Florizone, Chief Executive Officer, Five Hills Health Region, Saskatchewan
- Ms. Janet Lapins, Senior Program Director, Chinook Health Region, Alberta
- Dr. Cathie Scott, Director, Knowledge to Action Department, Calgary Health Region
- Ms. Marianne Stewart, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Capital Health Region, Edmonton.
In addition to specific comments on each proposal, the panel provided a number of general recommendations applicable to all Health Authorities. In particular, they recommended that Health Authorities build on collaborations already developed through this program to increase joint action in areas of common interest such as capacity building evaluation, knowledge transfer and exchange, program evaluation and quality of care and research ethics review.
During concluding remarks, the panel praised the process and the progress of Health Authorities. They commented that the program was unique in Canada - "a bright light that is truly creating capacity" - and recommended that the successes of the program be communicated more broadly.
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Several operating grants funded in 2005/06 are nearing completion. In addition to their final research reports, investigators are submitting a summary of their projects and research findings written in lay language. These summaries will be posted on the MSFHR website for access by researchers, health professionals and members of the public.
In 2007, the HSPRSN Steering Council endorsed a recommendation from a planning task force to discontinue the current HSPRSN operating grants program in favour of a more iterative process to narrow and select priority areas for attention. In follow-up, BC Health Authorities and the Ministry of Health have been provided with a list of priorities developed by the task force and asked to reference it in identifying their top two priorities by the end of January 2008.
Thereafter, the Steering Council will review the submissions, looking for commonalities and opportunities to narrow the list to two or three for attention with the remaining uncommitted HSPRSN funds (about $4 million). Next, HSPRSN will sponsor workshops to bring together researchers, Health Authority decision makers and policy makers from the Ministry of Health to define key topics within the selected areas, assess current knowledge and capacity and develop recommendations for research questions and the strategies and funding mechanisms to address them.
MSFHR is supporting a planning process to develop the vision and strategies for building capacity and undertaking practice-relevant health services research that focuses on nursing practice in the context of the broader practice community. A Nursing Research Advisory Committee (NRAC) was struck to guide the initiative, which is funded with an $8 million grant from the Ministry of Health. In October 2007, NRAC struck two planning Task Forces. The Task Forces met separately during the first week of December, 2007 and held a joint meeting on January 11/08.
At the January meeting, members jointly reviewed the results of their first meetings, then met separately to develop high level recommendations on research and capacity building priorities. Recommendations from the meeting have been circulated for sign-off by task force members. It is anticipated that the recommendations will be ready for posting on the MSFHR website in late January or early February for additional input from the nursing practice and health services research community.
Once this process is complete, the Task Force recommendations will be presented to NRAC for review and endorsement, prior to going to the MSFHR Board for final approval. Thereafter, MSFHR will develop appropriate guidelines and evaluation criteria for approved programs/initiatives. The Foundation will also be responsible for review processes and all other aspects of administering awards or other funding mechanisms, including evaluation.
For more information see: BCNRI.
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MSFHR Board approves HACB and IT award extensions
Acknowledgments & New Appointments
HSPRSN Partnership Program offers matching funds
HSPRSN sponsors workshop on measuring capacity building
Introducing the BC Nursing Research Initiative
HSPRSN Operating Grants update
Investigative Team Leads meet
IHSPR to host Town Hall meeting at UBC
At its meeting September 21, the MSFHR Board approved an HSPRSN Steering Council recommendation to extend Health Authority Capacity Building and Investigative Team awards. The decision was taken to align the timelines of these competitions with the MSFHR competitions for Institutional and Research Unit awards, in readiness for launching integrated programs in the Fall of 2008. The integration was recommended by an external review panel, which reviewed all MSFHR and HSPRSN infrastructure programs in October 2006. The report was approved by the MSFHR Board last February and is now available on the MSFHR website. Read Panel Final Report (PDF).
Current Health Authority Capacity Building Awards will be expended fully by the end of December 2007. Health Authority proposals for extending awards for an additional 15 months (January 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009) will be due October 31, 2007. HSPRSN will convene an external panel to meet in Vancouver in November to undertake a formative review of proposals.
Current Investigative Team Awards are for three years, ending in September 2008. Leaders of Investigative Teams will be required to submit a budget and description of activities that would be undertaken during a six-month extension of the award term (October 1, 2008 - March 31, 2009). These are due August 29, 2008 and must be approved by staff before funds will be released.
HSPRSN Co-chair Cathy Ulrich, CEO of Northern Health and a founding member of the HSPRSN Steering Council, was appointed to the MSFHR Board of Directors at its AGM September 21, 2007. On behalf of members of Steering Council, I would like to congratulate Cathy on her appointment.
I am also pleased to announce that the MSHFR Board has approved Dr. Steven Shechter and Dr. Kelly Barnard as new members of Steering Council. Dr. Shechter is an Assistant Professor in the Sauder School of Business, Operations and Logistics Division and a Faculty Affiliate of the Centre for Health Care Management at UBC. He is the author of a number of refereed papers and was the Chair of a highly successful Operations Research Symposium held at UBC last summer. Dr. Barnard is a Senior Medical Consultant with the Knowledge Integration and Development Branch of the BC Ministry of Health. A family physician with post graduate training in epidemiology, Dr. Barnard's current focus is the development of an integrated data warehouse to support population-based health system analysis.
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HSPRSN Partnership Program offers matching funds HSPRSN has allocated $500,000 to support BC researchers applying to national or international peer-reviewed health services and policy research competitions that require match funding as a condition of award, including the 2007 CIHR Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI) Operating Grants Program and the CHSRF Research, Exchange and Impact for System Support (REISS) competition. The maximum available per award is $100,000 over the award term. The following conditions also apply:
- A BC researcher or decision maker must be the principal or co-principal investigator
- The project must be a priority for the BC Ministry of Health and/or a BC health authority, and preferably more than one health authority
- The matching funds from HSPRSN must be used in BC or demonstrably benefit BC
One BC researcher who qualified for a 2007 CIHR operating grant applied for and received matching funding from HSPRSN under this partnership program. Dr. Francis Lau, working with colleagues in British Columbia and Alberta, received funding for a project on timely access to end-of-life care for patients with life-threatening illnesses.
HSPRSN is holding a workshop on Friday, October 19, 2007 entitled Developing Measures for Research Capacity Building within Health Organizations. Led by Jo Cooke, Director of the Trent Research and Development Support Unit at the University of Sheffield, UK, the workshop is designed for people in health authorities, the Ministry of Health and MSFHR who have an interest in evaluation of research capacity building in health care. Participants are limited to 30 (by invitation) as the sessions will be highly interactive and hands-on. The objectives for the workshop are to:
- describe and review a framework for measuring research capacity building
- explore research capacity building activities in relation to six principles of research capacity building described within the framework
- provide experience in generating indicators to measure capacity building
- introduce a research capacity building measurement tool developed in the UK
- critically appraise and review the tool in the context of the Canadian health care system
The Ministry of Health has provided $8 million to MSFHR to support broad health services research related to the nursing workforce and associated policy initiatives. Terms of reference were approved by the MSFHR Board in March 2007 for a Nursing Research Advisory Council, representative of the nursing research and practice community. Co-chairs are Dr. Lynn Stevenson, Chief of Professional Practice and Nursing at VIHA, and Dr. Pamela Ratner, MSFHR Senior Scholar and UBC Professor of Nursing.
The Council is charged to develop recommendations regarding strategic and funding priorities to build capacity for and to undertake applied research focused on issues related to professional nursing practice environments, nursing education, nursing workforce and related service and program initiatives. Cherry Graf, MSFHR Vice President External Affairs, is executive sponsor for the initiative and Dr. Patricia Coward is serving as the project lead. The initiative will follow a similar process to HSPRSN, utilizing Task Forces to develop recommendations for programs and funding mechanisms for approval by the MSFHR Board. See Provincial Initiatives.
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This fall, final reports are due from the first cohort of HSPRSN Operating Grant award recipients (2005 Operating Grants). Information from these reports will be shared with the community on the HSPRSN section of the MSFHR website. A second cohort of recipients (2006 Operating Grants) has submitted year one reports. Year one reports are used by HSPRSN and MSFHR to monitor progress.
At its June meeting, the HSPRSN Steering Council endorsed a recommendation from the Task Force on Future Directions to discontinue the current operating grants program. The Task Force recommended a more iterative process to narrow and select priority areas for attention. This would be followed by workshops to bring researchers and decision makers together to define key topics within the priority areas, assess current knowledge and capacity and recommend strategies and funding mechanisms for addressing the needs. A small working group will be struck this fall to recommend processes for moving forward.
The Leads of HSPRSN Investigative Teams met at MSFHR on September 24, 2007 to discuss progress and lessons learned over the first two years of their awards. They also discussed the process for extending current award terms by six months, the guidelines for their Year-2 progress reports, and strategies for facilitating and sustaining decision-maker involvement in team activities.
The CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research will hold a Town Hall meeting at UBC on October 9, 2007 from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Hugh Dempster Pavilion (DMP 310), 6245 Agronomy Road. The Town Hall meetings are outreach events designed to provide an opportunity for IHSPR staff, researchers and decision makers to meet, and for the community to learn about IHSPR’s research priorities and upcoming funding opportunities.
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In June 2006, the Steering Council of the Health Services and Policy Research Support Network (HSPRSN) approved the formation of a Task Force to make recommendations on the future directions of Network programs and initiatives. This initiative reflected the HSPRSN commitment to ensuring that its programs are changed or augmented as necessary to build capacity for and undertake health services and policy research that is relevant to the BC Health Authorities and the Ministry of Health.
Terms of reference were approved in December 2006. The Task Force met three times (January 26/07, February 15/07 and April 3/07) and completed a draft report of their recommendations in May 2007.
The Task Force Draft Report was tabled at the June 6/07 meeting of the HSPRSN Steering Council. Following discussion, Steering Council members endorsed a series of recommendations and actions. These are outlined in the Task Force on Future Directions for Research & Capacity Building - Status Update. As noted in the Status Update, recommendations related to program objectives and to the Health Authority Capacity Building and Investigative Teams have been referred to MSFHR to inform the Foundation's planning for closer integration between HSPRSN infrastructure programs and the MSFHR Institutional and Research Unit programs as recommended by the MSFHR Infrastructure Review.
I would like to thank the members of the Task Force for their contributions and the members of the research community who provided feedback.
Download Task Force on Future Directions for Research & Capacity Building - Status Update (PDF)
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Acknowledgments & new appointments
Update on HSPRSN Priorities Task Force
MSRHR Infrastructure Programs Review has implications for HSPRSN
HSPRSN featured in MOH Policy Rounds
Upcoming Activities
After serving more than three years as co-chair and member of the HSPRSN Steering Council, Brian Schmidt has stepped down. Mr. Schmidt is Senior Vice President, Strategic Health Development and Performance Management with the Provincial Health Services Authority, and served as co-chair for both the planning and implementation phases of the Network. At his last meeting with the Council, Mr. Schmidt received a gift and was acknowledged by his Council colleagues and MSFHR for his commitment and many contributions to the Network.
At its February 16/07 meeting, the MSFHR Board of Directors approved the Steering Council's recommendation to appoint Cathy Ulrich and Adrian Levy as the new co-chairs of the Steering Council. Ms. Ulrich is Vice-President, Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer at the Northern Health Authority and Dr. Levy is Associate Professor, UBC Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences at St. Paul's Hospital.
The Steering Council and MSFHR would also like to recognize the contributions of three other Council members who recently resigned: Francis Lau (UVic), Christine Penney (MOH) and Martin Puterman (UBC). The Steering Council has endorsed a slate of nominees to fill these vacancies, which will be taken forward for approval by the MSFHR Board of Directors on March 30, 2007.
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An HSPRSN Task Force is meeting to develop recommendations on current network programs and future directions for health services and policy research and capacity building in British Columbia. The members (PDF) have met twice - once in January and again in February - with a third meeting scheduled for April 3/07. Their task:
- Identify changes/shifting priorities in the BC health services and policy research environment to identify capacity gaps and/or new research themes that are priorities for action and are not currently being addressed
- Review the relevance of current priorities (research themes and funding programs) in light of these changes/new opportunities
- Develop recommendations for future Network research and capacity building priorities and programs to achieve the "legacy of capacity" that is a primary goal of the Network
Next steps: Task Force recommendations will be presented at the next meeting of the HSPRSN Steering Council, after which they will be posted on this website for feedback from the community. The recommendations will also help frame implementation plans arising from the recommendations from MSFHR's recent Infrastructure Programs Review (see below).
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Two HSPRSN infrastructure programs (Health Authority Capacity Building and Investigative Teams) were included in an external review of MSFHR Infrastructure Programs (Institutional, Research Unit and Networking) in October, 2006. The Review Panel Final Report (PDF) was presented to and approved by the MSFHR Board on February 16/07 and is now available on the MSFHR website.
The review produced two recommendations specific to the HSPRSN infrastructure programs:
- For the Health Authority Capacity Building Program, MSFHR should develop mechanisms for heath authorities to work more closely with the academic institutions that relate to them, to ensure that they derive maximum benefit from the full spectrum of infrastructure funding. The CEOs of the Health Authorities should be engaged in this activity.
- MSFHR should develop a mechanism to better integrate the Investigative Teams with Research Units. The rationale is to bring the significant experience and expertise of the Research Units to the Investigative Team program and to instill the investigative team approach into the Research Unit program.
The 14 recommendations that comprise the full report have been grouped under two headings: operational and strategic. Operational issues will be handled internally by MSFHR program staff and strategic issues will be addressed through a Task Force process. An oversight committee will be struck, consisting of the MSFHR Board Executive Committee, the Chair of the Research Advisory Committee (Helen Burt) and the Health Authority Co-chair of the HSPRSN (Cathy Ulrich) to oversee the work of the Task Force.
It is expected that the implementation plan for addressing the recommendations will be phased, with the first elements being presented for approval at the June 22 and September 21/07 meetings of the MSFHR Board.
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HSPRSN activities are being highlighted in a series of presentations at Ministry of Health Policy Rounds. On January 24/07, Executive Director Pat Coward and Cherry Graf, MSFHR VP External Affairs, presented an overview of the Network, including preliminary results of its funding programs. Upcoming presentations will be made by:
- Jean Kozak (HSPRSN Investigative Team - Home and Community Care): March 28
- Janet Joy (results/lessons learned - Vancouver Coastal Health, Health Authority Capacity Building Award): April 12
- Peter Dodek (HSPRSN Investigative Team - Acute Care Redesign): June 12.
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A number of HSPRSN activities are currently being planned for 2007/08. They include:
- Spring/Summer: A meeting of the leads of HSPRSN Investigative Teams.
- Fall: A second HSPRSN Research Day that builds on the success of last December's event.
- Fall: Evaluation of the Health Authority Capacity Building Program. HSPRSN will reconvene the formative review panel that reviewed the original applications to advise on the effectiveness of HA capacity building activities and their proposals for continuing, refining or adding new initiatives in future. Guidelines/funding for the development of new proposals will be confirmed following approval of action plans addressing recommendations from the MSFHR Infrastructure Review and HSPRSN Priorities Task Force.
- Fall/Winter: An external review of the progress of the five HSPRSN Investigative Teams. The purpose of the review is to determine if teams have demonstrated sufficient success in achieving program objectives to be eligible for an additional two years of funding as per program guidelines.
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Chaired by Patricia Coward, HSPRSN Executive Director, the all-day meeting on December 5, 2006 brought together stakeholders from across BC to hear recipients of HSPRSN Investigative Team, Operating Grant and Health Authority Capacity Building grants showcase their accomplishments. The 60 plus attendees included researchers, Health Authority staff, representatives from MSFHR's Health of Population Networks, Ministry of Health personnel and non-profit research-related agencies and associations.
Part of Research Day was a forum for participants to reflect on "learnings" from grant recipient presentations and to provide feedback regarding future research and capacity building priorities for HSPRSN. Attendees broke into five groups comprised of representatives of the various stakeholders to discuss their health services and policy research and capacity building needs and to select their top three priorities for presentation to the larger group.
Next Steps
The priorities identified during the Research Day roundtable discussions are helping to inform the deliberations of an HSPRSN Task Force that was convened in January 2007 to develop recommendations for both short-term and long-term HSPRSN research and capacity building priorities. The Task Force will provide a preliminary report to the HSPRSN Steering Council on March 7, 2007.
For More Information
Research Day Program (PDF)
Research Day Participants (PDF)
Results of Roundtable Discussions re: Priorities (PDF)
PowerPoint Presentations
HSPRSN Research Day: Welcome and Purpose
UNBC and Northern Health
Health Services Research Capacity Enhancement - Interior Health
Practice Experience of Rural GP Surgeons
Research Capacity Building - Vancouver Island Health Authority
Closing the Knowledge Care Gap for Seniors
Actualization: Building Knowledge Capacity - Fraser Health
Issues Related to Ethnicity Data Collection
BC Alliance on Telehealth Policy and Research
Building Capacity for Informed Decision Making - Vancouver Coastal Health
Mental Health and Addiction
Intensive Care Unit Patient Safety Team
HSPRSN Research Day: Roundtable Discussions
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BC Applicants Receive Matching Funds for CIHR Awards
HSPRSN Research Day
Review of Infrastructure Programs
Following Up with 2005 Funding Recipients
Two successful applicants to the CIHR Partnerships for Health System Improvement (Operating Grants) competition will each receive $100,000 in matching funds from HSPRSN under the terms of our partnership agreement with CIHR. The competition required that applicants obtain 1:1 matching funds. Dr. Stuart Peacock (BC Cancer Research Centre) will apply his funding to developing and piloting a novel evidence-based method for priority setting within the context of cancer control and care in British Columbia. In his “Priority setting, health care utilization and outcomes evaluation in seniors’ care in Interior Health”, Dr. Craig Mitton (UBC Okanagan) and his team will simultaneously allow researchers to assist decision makers in the development of an explicit approach to priority setting while facilitating skill building among stakeholders applying a new decision making model.
The Research Day will bring together HSPRSN funding recipients, Health Authority and Ministry of Health staff, the Steering Council and members of the health services and policy research community for a full day of information sharing and networking. Investigative teams, health authority capacity building liaisons and operating grant holders will present their successes and challenges, and discuss next steps. In addition, the Research Day will also provide an opportunity for attendees to provide input and ideas on the future directions of HSPRSN programs.
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Two HSPRSN programs – Investigative Teams and the Health Authority Capacity Building – will be part of the MSFHR Review of Infrastructure Programs. The focus of the review is to examine these programs’ nature and effectiveness and explore ways to better integrate the various infrastructure awards offered by MSFHR, not assess the performance of individual infrastructure award recipients. While HSPRSN teams and capacity building awards are only one and two years old respectively, this review offers an opportunity to get a preliminary assessment of their effectiveness and integration with other MSFHR programs. As part of the review, members of BC’s health research community are invited to provide input through an anonymous 15-minute online survey. The feedback will be submitted to the external review panel.
Over the summer, the HSPRSN Executive Director conducted telephone interviews with the principal investigators of the seven 2005 Operating Grants, and in-person visits with most of the Investigative Teams. The discussions provided an opportunity to hear about activities undertaken to date, as well as some of the challenges encountered by the project teams.
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Steering Council appoints new members
SEARCH BC proposal deemed too expensive for Network support
Second Round of Operating Grants awarded
Update on Partnership Program
HA Capacity Building Year One Progress Reports
HA Capacity Building Knowledge Broker Workshop
HSPRSN Research Day proposed for Fall 2006
At its June 7/06 meeting, the HSPRSN Steering Council welcomed the following new members: Dr. Craig Mitton, Assistant Professor, Health Studies (UBC Okanagan); Dr. Heather Manson, Vice President, Health Services Integration (VCHA); Dr. Adrian Levy, Associate Professor, Department of Healthcare and Epidemiology (UBC/CHEOS, St Paul's Hospital); Ms. Victoria Schuckel, Co-Director of Strategic Policy and Research (MOH) and Dr. Peter Kirk, Director of Research and Academic Development (VIHA).
The main agenda item at the June 7/06 meeting of the HSPRSN Steering Council was the business case for implementing a two-year pilot of a SEARCH Classic program in BC. The case was developed in a five-month negotiation with SEARCH Canada at the request of Steering Council, following their approval (at the November 23/05 meeting) of a HSPRSN Task Force recommendation to explore how this Alberta program might be adapted for BC's health system.
In the course of discussion, Steering Council members confirmed their support for the program as a valuable capacity building initiative that would enhance the ability of health professionals to source, apply, and undertake research to support decision making in the health system. However, the majority concurred that the proposed cost of the pilot ($3.7 million) was too high. Steering Council members noted that this would use up most of the remaining unallocated Network funding ($4.6 million) leaving little to support the Network's other programs. They also questioned the appropriateness of implementing a pilot in the absence of a plan and a shared commitment to sustain the program over time.
Consensus was reached by Steering Council members: without a significant reduction in the cost of the pilot and confirmation of cost sharing or other strategies to support the program over the long term, the initiative should not proceed at this time. Instead, Steering Council will strike a task force to review the Network's current programs and make recommendations re continuing support for these programs and/or supporting new research and capacity building activities.
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Of 22 applications received in the Network's second operating grants competition, eight were recommended for approval by an external merit review panel. Successful applicants (partnerships of researchers and decision makers) were funded to address projects in the following priority areas: acute care redesign (two), patient safety (two), differential impact of changes in the health system on the health of specific population (three), clinical outcomes measurement (two) and chronic disease management (one). Visit the 2006 HSPRSN Operating Grants page for more information about these research projects and teams.
The Network has allocated up to $400,000 in its 2006/07 budget as matching funds for BC applicants to the CIHR Institute of Health Services & Policy Research, 2006 Partnerships for Health System Improvement Operating Grants competition. Matching funds are a requirement of the application process. Six BC applicants have met the HSPRSN criteria to apply for matching funds and have been approved to proceed to Stage two. Notification of the award decision is expected August 31, 2006.
The Network also allocated up to $100,000 for use as the required match for the 2006 CHSRF Research, Exchange and Impact for System Support (REISS) team competition. A Merit Review Panel is meeting this month to review 8 applications from Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. There were no applications submitted from BC.
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On January 31, 2006, Health Authorities submitted their Year one reports on the use of capacity building awards. Health Authorities were requested to describe the activities implemented in year one, the impact of these activities on building health services and policy research capacity, the difficulties encountered and how these were addressed. They were also required to provide an overview of plans for year two, a statement of expenditures for year one and a projected budget for year two.
The reports were received by Steering Council at their March 8/06 meeting. It was noted that several Health Authorities had difficulty recruiting qualified personnel to support their capacity building initiatives, resulting in delays to planned activities. All but one health authority had implemented or planned to implement various types of research training. Among their recommendations, Steering Council members stressed the importance of Health Authorities sharing information and best practices re knowledge transfer and training programs in order to maximize their capacity building resources through shared initiatives.
To assist in the sharing of information and best practices, representatives from the six Health Authorities met at MSFHR offices in Vancouver on June 9/06 to discuss initiatives undertaken during the first year of the Capacity Building Program. Presentations included reports on research conferences, staff surveys and needs assessments, the development of research and evaluation plans, a research ethics infrastructure and a network of networks. Health Authority staff also presented an overview of courses and workshops that had been developed and offered in their respective jurisdictions. Topics included: research design and methodology, developing a collaborative research question, qualitative health research, introduction to statistics and quantitative research methods, literature search skills, program evaluation and economic evaluation.
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This summer HSPRSN Executive Director will be "on the road again," setting up a series of appointments to talk with each of the Investigative Teams and Operating Grant partners that received funding in the fall of 2005. The purpose of these visits will be to review progress made towards achieving the objectives of the two programs and to discuss plans to hold a research day this fall that would bring these groups together for a full day of presentations and discussions to share successes, challenges and next steps. The intent is to have the event coincide with the November meeting of the HSPRSN Steering Council. Invitations also will be extended to Health Authority and Ministry of Health staff and members of the health services and policy research community.
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At its November 23, 2005 meeting, the HSPRSN Steering Council endorsed a report from the BC SEARCH Task Force and recommended that staff move forward with the proposed next steps. These are to complete due diligence and negotiations with SEARCH Canada to develop a business plan that would support implementation of the SEARCH Classic program as a two-year pilot in BC beginning in summer 2006. The intent is to have the business plan in place by early 2006, for approval as part of the MSFHR budget planning process. For more details: Final Report - BC SEARCH Task Force.
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In March 2005 the Ministry of Health requested and the MSFHR Board approved a change in governance of the HSPRSN to make the MSFHR Board responsible for approving funding recommendations arising from the HSPRSN consultation processes. At their November 23.05 meeting, members of the HSPRSN Steering Council reviewed and endorsed changes to the SC Terms of Reference to reflect this change in governance. The revisions also clarify membership criteria and appointment processes. For more information: HSPRSN Steering Council Terms of Reference.
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Scheduled to get underway in early 2006, the Task Force will have two main thrusts of activity. One is to develop recommendations on whether or not refining or providing more focus within the eight priority themes/areas would be beneficial going forward and, if so, to develop recommendations on what those refinements or foci should be. A second activity will involve reviewing the current principles developed for guiding future funding allocations. These are: build on existing programs first, identify other priority capacity building or research initiatives and look for leveraging opportunities. Based on the outcome of these discussions, the Task Force will develop recommendations around uses for the unallocated portion of the $16 million that has been provided to date for support of HSPRSN activities. The unallocated funds amount to about $6.5 million.
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Three successful applicants to the CIHR Partnerships for Health System Improvements (Operating Grants) competition received $100,000 in matching funds from HSPRSN under the terms of our partnership agreement with CIHR. The competition required that applicants obtain 1:1 matching funds. Dr. Peter Dodek (UBC/Providence Health) will apply his funding to a study exploring "The Relationship between Organizational Culture and Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit." The study will involve 37 BC ICUs. Dr. Shoo Lee, who recently moved from UBC to the University of Alberta, qualified for HSPRSN matching funds to support the BC arm of a project entitled "National Health Partnership for Reducing Infections in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. The BC arm of the study is led by Dr. Anne Synnes (UBC/C&W). Co- investigators Dr. Linda McGillis-Hall, University of Toronto, and Dr. Martha MacLeod of UNBC received HSPRSN matching funds for a study exploring "Nurse Staffing, Interruptions in Practice, and Patient Safety Outcomes," which involves two BC Health Authorities (NHA and VIHA) as study sites. For more details: Partnership for Health System Improvements - successful BC applicants
The HSPRSN also partnered with the Canadian Health Services Research foundation in its 2005 Research Exchange and Impact for System Support (REISS) competition. Four awards of up to $1 million over five years were granted - one to co-applicants Dr. Elizabeth Smailes, OHSAH Director of Mental Health & Organizational Development and Catherine Kidd, VCHA Director of Mental Health and Organizational Development. Together with their research team they will undertake a program of research addressing workplace related mental health issues in the health system. The CHSRF program also required 1.1 matching funding; the HSPRSN contribution was $200,000. For more details: Research, Exchange, and Impact for System Support - successful BC applicant
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Pending approval by the MSFHR Board in March 2006, funding will be allocated to partner with the CIHR Institute of Health Services & Policy Research PHSI (operating grant) competition and the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation REISS (team) competition. The total funding recommended to support the two partnerships is $500,000; how the funding will be split between the two organizations is under discussion. The following restrictions would apply to matching funds for both competitions:
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A total of $(amount to be determined) is available as a contribution to the matching requirement for applications to the 2006 competitions in which the principal or co-principal investigator (CIHR- PHSI competition) or the leader or co-leader (CHSRF - REISS competition) is a BC researcher or decision maker.
- HSPRSN matching funds will be allocated as follows:
- To support a maximum contribution of up to $100,000 per successful CIHR project or CHSRF team application over the duration of the project.
- If there are more successful projects/team applications eligible for matched funding than can be supported by the available HSPRSN matching funds, funding will be allocated in ranked order to support the top ranked applicants.
- the CIHR project or CHSRF team application must be a priority for the BC Ministry of Health and/or BC Health Authorities and preferably for more than one BC Health Authority
- The matching funds provided by HSPRSN/MSFHR must be used in BC and/or demonstrably benefit BC.
Please note that the final criteria and funding amounts available for each program will be posted on the CIHR and CHSRF websites as well as the MSFHR website following approval by the MSFHR Board in March 2006.
For more details about the two competitions, see the CIHR website and the CHSRF website.
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Funding of $1.5 million has been allocated to support a second HSPRSN Operating Grants competition. While there is no letter of intent stage for the 2006 competition, it is mandatory for applicants to register their intent to apply. The deadline for submitting the Intent to Apply Form is December 16, 2005; for the full application, it's February 15, 2006. See the Research Operating Grants section for more information.
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HSPRSN capacity-building funds were awarded to each Health Authority in January 2005 to assist in developing their capacity to use and engage in health services and policy research. As a condition of funding, Health Authorities are required to submit an annual progress report outlining their progress toward achieving their vision and plans as outlined in their proposal. This information will assist the HSPRSN in evaluating the effectiveness of the program, in planning for future capacity-building initiatives and in assisting Health Authorities to achieve their goals for building health services and policy research capacity. The first progress reports are due January 31, 2006.
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Funding of $1.5 million has been allocated to support a second HSPRSN Operating Grants competition. The priorities identified by the Ministry of Health and Health Authorities for the first competition will continue to be the focus for the 2006 competition. Health Authority and Ministry personnel are encouraged to be proactive in identifying specific issues within priority areas that they would like to see addressed, and to work with the research community to develop funding proposals.
There will be no letter of intent stage for the 2006 competition, but it will be mandatory for applicants to register their intent to apply. The deadline for submitting the Intent to Apply Form is December 16, 2005; for the full application, it's February 15, 2006. See the Research Operating Grants section for more information.
All aspects of administering HSPRSN awards programs are now handled by MSFHR's Programs division. Please direct any enquiries about the HSPRSN Operating Grants competition to the Foundation's Senior Director, Personnel Programs.
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Additional details about successful applications to the first Investigative Teams and Operating Grants competition are now on the MSFHR website.
Five Investigative Teams were awarded funding totaling $2.4 million to support the formation of integrated teams of researchers and policy/program decision makers in five priority areas: mental health, home and community care, chronic disease management, acute care redesign and health human resources.
Seven Operating Grants were awarded to support research evaluating and informing health system redesign and change initiatives. A total of $749,368 was committed through this competition for research addressing patient safety, differential impacts of change on population groups and clinical outcomes measurement, in addition to the five priorities listed above.
HSPRSN and MSFHR acknowledge the significant contributions of the Investigative Teams & Operating Grants Merit Review Panel, who reviewed the applications. We extend our sincere thanks for their assistance and expertise.
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During the development of their capacity building plans, BC's Health Authorities identified building organizational capacity for research and evidence based policy and practice as a common need. Health Authorities expressed particular interest in the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research program called Swift Efficient Application of Research in Community Health (SEARCH). This program, which recently spun out into a separate non-profit society called SEARCH Canada, has operated successfully in Alberta for nearly a decade. It is designed to provide professionals working in the health system with the skills and knowledge needed to select, use and produce evidence for clinical, policy and management decision-making.
A HSPRSN SEARCH Task Force is working with SEARCH Canada to develop recommendations for tailoring the program to the BC context. A preliminary summary of Task Force activities and recommendations are available in the SEARCH Approach Plan. A final report from the Task Force will be provided to HSPRSN Steering Council at their November 23 meeting and will be shared with the community thereafter.
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Executive Director Dr. Patricia Coward undertook a series of meetings over the summer and early fall with BC's six Health Authorities, the Ministry of Health and representatives from the academic community. These consultations were designed to obtain feedback on HSPRSN programs and processes to date and to solicit ideas regarding priorities for BC's health services and policy research funding programs. Dr. Coward also provided updates on the SEARCH Task Force. She reports that Health Authorities are highly interested and supportive of implementing the program, citing its benefits for human resource development/retention and for organizational capacity building.
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January 2006 marks the first anniversary of the HSPRSN Health Authority Capacity Building Awards. This one-time funding program recognized that BC Health Authorities are unique, with significant variation in their capacity to participate in, and/or utilize research to support evidence-based policy and practice change. Through this program, Health Authorities were supported to develop a vision and a plan for creating a basic platform of, or augmenting existing capacity to facilitate, uptake and use of existing research and more effective engagement in research and evaluation activities.
HSPRSN staff will develop an evaluation framework to assist Health Authorities in developing a report on their first year results. Reports will be due in February 2006.
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Dr. Shoo Lee, Director for the Centre for Healthcare Innovation and Improvement and Co-Chair of the HSPRSN Steering Council, has accepted an appointment at the University of Alberta as its first Director of the Centre for Health Outcomes Research. The Centre is jointly funded by the University, Capital Health Authority and the Alberta Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Dr. Lee served both as co-chair of the interim Operating Council and more recently as the co-chair of the Steering Council. His credibility as an internationally respected health services researcher, and his understanding of the "real time" pressures on health system administrators and clinicians to make difficult decisions - often without the luxury of clear evidence - were critically important in building bridges between the academic and health services communities, particularly in the early planning stages of the Network.
We thank Dr. Lee for his support and guidance in the development of the Health Services & Policy Research Support Network and wish him well in his new role.
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Last updated July 30, 2008
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