PHSA joins CHCM as a contributing partner
Vancouver– Better patient outcomes through improved management of health services is the goal of a new partnership announced by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and the UBC Centre for Health Care Management (CHCM).
PHSA and CHCM have signed a three-year partnership agreement to work together to improve health services by building health care management capacity in BC. PHSA is the only health authority in Canada that is responsible for province-wide specialized services.
“Collaborating with CHCM will enhance our ability to benefit patients in need of specialized health services across the province,” said PHSA President & CEO Lynda Cranston. “In today’s fast-changing world of health care, it’s important that health authorities be learning organizations that continually explore new approaches and incorporate new knowledge into day-to-day practice.”
PHSA plans, manages and evaluates selected specialty and province-wide health care services across BC, working with the five geographic health authorities to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians.
“Our partnership with PHSA, with its strategic responsibility for provincial programs like the BC Cancer Agency, BC Centre for Disease Control and BC Children’s Hospital, is an important step forward that will enhance our capacity to develop new educational, research and knowledge translation initiatives throughout the province,” said CHCM Executive Director John Mabbott.
One example of the joint work between CHCM and PHSA is a project to improve access to radiation therapy through applying modern management practices. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Team in Operations Research to Improve Cancer Care is a joint initiative between the BC Cancer Agency and CHCM to develop, evaluate, and implement innovative ways to manage the delivery of cancer care so that wait time targets are achieved and quality care is assured.
CHCM researchers were also involved in another process- improvement project to maximize patient flow at BC Children’s Hospital. Similar initiatives are planned as part of the Operations Research in Health Care project, sponsored by MITACS (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems), that aims to enhance service scheduling, work flow, and clinical decision-making throughout the provincial health care system.
These and other projects support CHCM to expand beyond process improvement and into new areas of health care management such as client-caregiver interactions, developing interprofessional teams and using social marketing for health promotion.
CHCM has also been instrumental in developing a new Executive Masters in Business Administration in Healthcare with the Sauder School of Business at UBC. PHSA is participating on the program advisory board. Designed exclusively for healthcare executives, this ground-breaking 15-month program offers the broad leadership and management foundations of an MBA, applied to the unique context and complexities of healthcare management.
CHCM aims to create a world-class centre to formulate innovative approaches and solutions to current health care management issues. It is forging partnerships with the six BC health authorities, provincial, federal governments and agencies.