Advocating for health research during “H on the Hill”

HealthCareCAN held its third annual Lobby Day “H on the Hill” event on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Tuesday, October 30, 2018.

Canada’s hospital CEOs and vice presidents of health research joined HealthCareCAN - the national voice of Canada’s healthcare organizations, community and research hospitals - to meet with MPs, Senators and senior government staff.

Collectively, they issued a call for federal action to unlock the tremendous economic potential of the health and life sciences sector to support better health for Canadians.

Dr. David Hill, Scientific Director for Lawson and Integrated Vice President of Research for London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London, participated in the lobby day. Dr. Hill currently sits on the Board of Directors for HealthCareCAN.

 “Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations @Carolyn_Bennett, Parliamentary Secretary for Science, Sport, and Accessibility @KateYoungMP, and Dr. David Hill, catching up over lunch at #HontheHill #CDNpoli #CDNhealth”

Meeting participants stressed the need for action on HealthCareCAN’s recommendations for the 2019 federal budget, specifically:

• Setting a minimum 25% funding floor for the indirect costs of research under the Research Support Fund;
• Granting eligibility to federal infrastructure funding competitions to healthcare organizations, and;
• Investing in digital health platforms to support care, training, and research in healthcare organizations.

Diverse areas of the health and life sciences sector and key health issues were discussed, including:

• Health and science research, granting councils;
• Hospital infrastructure;
• Health innovation;
• Electronic health technology;
• Opioid crisis response;
• Mental health;
• Aboriginal health; and,
• Home care.

Read Dr. Hill’s recent column in Hospital News on bridging the gap from discovery to patient care.

HealthCareCAN provides high-quality policy research advocacy and leadership development services to our members while championing healthcare system transformation in Canada. Visit www.healthcarecan.ca to learn about our solutions to health and healthcare challenges. Follow us on Twitter: @HealthCareCAN