HCC shines spotlight on Forum's work on primary healthcare

June 2, 2010 – The McMaster Health Forum’s efforts to help shape and improve primary healthcare in Canada is being highlighted by the Health Council of Canada.

Earlier this year, the Forum organized a stakeholder dialogue sponsored by the Health Council of Canada, which brought together 20 healthcare leaders from across the country to talk about ways to strengthen primary healthcare in Canada. 

The Health Council has published a report on the dialogue on its website, entitled At The Tipping Point: Health leaders share ideas to speed primary health care reform, as well as the various materials published by the Forum as part of the multi-stage process it employs to bring together influential thinkers and doers to address a pressing health challenge, and spark insights and action.

“These were seasoned, highly respected people who understand what the issues are and what actions are needed, and they returned repeatedly to a handful of core activities that they believe would make a significant difference in primary healthcare reform in Canada,” said John G. Abbott, CEO of the Health Council of Canada and a participant in the stakeholder dialogue.

Key messages from the dialogue include: re-affirming primary healthcare as the foundation of Canada’s health system; ensuring appropriate management structures are in place between health ministries and primary healthcare providers; linking funding agreements with physicians and others to public policy goals for primary healthcare; and paying attention to change management so that physicians and primary healthcare teams are supported in their efforts to strengthen primary healthcare across Canada.

The January 2010 session was the second of two dialogues the Forum has organized on the topic of strengthening primary healthcare in Canada. Dialogue participants, partners and key stakeholders are well positioned to champion efforts to address the challenge.

The evidence brief, issue brief, dialogue summaries, topic overview and video interviews of participants from each dialogue are available to the public through the Forum’s website.