Partnership for Healthcare System Sustainability and Resilience launches in Canada

Global initiative aimed at creating healthcare systems that are more resilient and 'future-ready'

TORONTO, June 7, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, we're proud to announce the launch of the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) in Canada. Pre-pandemic, many healthcare systems around the world were already struggling to contain costs and meet demand amid aging and growing populations and rises in chronic diseases along with workforce and other challenges. COVID-19 further exacerbated many of these issues and starkly exposed weaknesses in health systems. Canada has not been immune to these challenges.

The PHSSR is a global collaboration between academic, non-governmental, life sciences, healthcare and business organizations. The PHSSR was established in 2020 by the London School of Economics (LSE), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and AstraZeneca, and is now joined in Canada by Philips Canada, the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto, and the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (NAO).

In Canada, the PHSSR and its partners will seek to work with local academics, governments, policymakers, patients and other stakeholders to build knowledge and guide action through a research report that offers evidence-informed policy recommendations to improve the sustainability and resilience of healthcare systems.

Working with Sara Allin, Associate Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto and the Director of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, the PHSSR is commencing its study of healthcare systems in Canada.

Prof. Allin will use a framework developed by the London School of Economics to assess Canada's health systems across seven key domains: financing; governance; workforce; medicines and technology; service delivery; population health; and environmental sustainability, in order to identify strengths, potential weaknesses, opportunities and risks. A report will be developed and validated with input from a pan-Canadian Expert Panel of health system leaders and scholars.

"For over two years healthcare systems in Canada have been stretched and tested beyond their limits. As we emerge from the acute phase of the pandemic, it's vital that we strive to create healthcare systems that are both resilient to future crises and sustainable in the face of long-term stresses. While it is impossible to prevent all issues, efforts should be taken to ensure that health systems are able to continually strive to improve population health over the long-term, while also being able to better prepare for, adapt to, learn, transform, and recover from shocks. I look forward to commencing the study so that we can learn and create a new path forward for our healthcare systems," said Prof. Allin.

Professor Alistair McGuire, Head of Department and Chair of Health Economics at the Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics added "the PHSSR is grasping the opportunity the pandemic has given us to act and address global health issues. We are turning research into action by working with over 20 countries to identify solutions with the greatest potential, support their adoption, and share knowledge across borders."

Kiersten Combs, President, AstraZeneca Canada said "I believe we can only create meaningful, sustained change through collaboration.  We must partner with our stakeholders and act with a sense of urgency around health system reform to ensure that the greatest health crisis of our lifetime can become a catalyst for stronger health systems and better patient outcomes for Canadians. We're proud to be a part of the PHSSR initiative in Canada and look forward to the results of the report by Prof. Sara Allin and her team of researchers later this year."

Darran Fischer, Managing Director of Philips Canada concluded by saying "as a healthcare technology leader committed to improving lives and driving environmental, social and governance priorities, Philips and the partners of the PHSSR share many of the same goals and core values. These organizations understand that no single company will be able to create the solutions needed to address healthcare challenges. It will take collaborative efforts and an ecosystem of innovators that can bring together the best and brightest minds to exchange ideas and co-create solutions that can help us build truly resilient health systems."

Results of the PHSSR research study in Canada are expected to be released in autumn 2022. The London School of Economics will also use the results of Canada's assessment to continually improve on their research framework. To freely share the know-how generated by the PHSSR globally, the school will make the framework available in 2023 to all interested parties that want to periodically conduct country assessments as healthcare systems adapt and transform their resiliency and sustainability.

About the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience

The Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) is a collaboration between academic, non-governmental, life sciences, healthcare and business organizations aimed at studying and helping to build health systems that are both resilient to crises and sustainable in the face of long-term stresses. For more information on the PHSSR, or to stay up to date on news, events and latest research findings, please visit: www.weforum.org/phssr.

SOURCE AstraZeneca

Leigh Funston, Director, Communications, AstraZeneca Canada, [email protected], 905-466-1765; Heidi Singer, Director, Communications, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, [email protected]; Silvie Casanova, Philips North America, [email protected], 1 781-879-0692