MSFHR partners with CIHR-IHSPR, CHSPR, and BCAHSN to build health research capacity

At the beginning of March, MSFHR helped facilitate several meetings between the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) and the BC research community to help build connections, facilitate knowledge translation and to inform CIHR-IHSPR’s strategic planning process. Fittingly, these events were timed to coincide with the 32nd Annual Health Policy Conference, hosted by the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (CHSPR) based at the University of British Columbia.

On March 3, MSFHR and the British Columbia Academic Health Science Network (BC AHSN) co-hosted a Town Hall session with CIHR-IHSPR to engage BC stakeholder groups within the health services and policy research community, as well as gather input from patients and the public to identify current needs, gaps, and opportunities facing our health research system. MSFHR president and CEO, Dr. Bev Holmes and BC AHSN president, Dr. Stirling Bryan organized this forum as a virtual roundtable to capture individual perspectives that will help inform future directions and priorities for health services and policy research in Canada.

MSFHR also co-hosted a networking event for the CIHR Health System Impact Fellows (HSIF) as a pre-conference event ahead of the CHSPR 32nd Annual Health Policy Conference. This session included a moderated discussion with speakers from the conference around a series of questions posed by fellows regarding career development, followed by an opportunity for informal networking among session attendees.

The next day, MSFHR sponsored the CHSPR 32nd Annual Health Policy Conference, which focused on finding the balance of public and private in health care. The event brought together policy-makers, academics, health care providers, patients, and national organizations to discuss timely issues that shape health systems in Canada.

As BC’s health research funding agency, we are actively involved in improving health policy and research in BC. Our ongoing partnership with CIHR-IHSPR, CHSPR, and the BC AHSN in facilitating these types of activities helps us extend our knowledge and continue to build research capacity within the province.