Ottawa, ON (June 24, 2014) — The U15-Group of Canadian Research Universities welcomes today the creation of the new Advisory Panel on Health Care Innovation. Health Minister Rona Ambrose hosted the panel’s first meeting in Toronto at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, and introduced the panel’s chair and other members.
“Research universities are at the forefront of discovering new treatments methods, products and technologies to address Canadian health issues,” says Dr. Amit Chakma, chair of the U15 and president and vice-chancellor of Western University. “Our institutions have centres, like the Ivey International Centre for Health Innovation at Western, dedicated to understanding our health care system and to devising new and innovative methods of providing high level service to Canadians.”
Research universities also have years of experience working positively and constructively with the life sciences industry, Chakma says. The panel’s mandate includes identifying promising areas of innovation in Canada and around the world that have the potential to reduce growth in health spending, while leading to improvements in the quality, accessibility and sustainability of care.
“We look forward to contributing innovative ideas to Minister Ambrose and the government to address this situation,” says Dr. Chakma. “The U15 is pleased to see that six members of its institutional community are present on the board, including our former colleague, Dr. David Naylor as chair.”
The U15 has invited the panel to come to its campuses to meet researchers, faculty and students working in multidisciplinary groups to find innovative policy, regulatory, and technological solutions to our health care and health care system problems.
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