Spring/Summer 2009

Chair's Message

June is convocation time here at the University of Toronto. At HPME, we are all immensely proud of our graduates. Personally, I continue to be deeply impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to health care. Whether our graduates pursue careers in health care management, policy, or research, they represent the leaders of tomorrow and our hope for a sustainable health care system (despite its many challenges).

Our talented graduates are not the only ones embarking on new journeys. Because the post-secondary landscape is changing significantly as a result of financial constraints and an increasingly competitive marketplace, HPME recently engaged in a strategic planning process to sharpen our own focus on how best to advance evidence-informed health policy, management, and evaluation. This process allowed us to reflect on our past accomplishments and future opportunities in the context of these shifting sands.

In our 2009-2012 plan, we identify six strategic directions:

• Leverage and enhance our strategic foci to advance and promote HPME. These foci are health policy and system performance; health economics and health technology assessment; quality and patient safety; e-health and health informatics; clinical evaluation and effectiveness; and leadership, management, and knowledge translation.
  
• Advance integration, collaboration, and strategic partnerships.
  
• Recruit the best students and meet changing learner needs.
  
• Develop human resources and nurture leadership capacity.
  
• Generate, test, and apply benchmarks for excellence.
  
• Sustain resources and pursue opportunities to increase our funding base.
  

I encourage you to read HPME’s strategic plan. My colleagues and I look forward to collaborating with you on its implementation.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this issue of our In Focus newsletter, which will bring you up to date with many of the other exciting developments at HPME. Please also accept my best wishes for a happy and fulfilling summer.