Grant: Cat. Grant: Partnering for Impact - Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies

Emergency departments (ED) across Canada are overwhelmed. Long waits, staff shortages, and closures mean patients are not getting needed care. In British Columbia (BC), over 140,000 people left the ED without being seen in 2024/25-an 86% increase since 2018. The toxic drug crisis and climate emergencies have worsened the situation, especially for rural, remote and Indigenous communities. We are building a Learning Health System for BC's EDs-a system that learns from its own data to improve care. It collects information about what's happening, analyzes what works, and quickly shares lessons with providers so providers can make better decisions. We're starting with opioid poisoning because it's an urgent crisis with a strong data foundation in place, but the system we build can be used for any health emergency. Over one year, we'll work with patients, Indigenous communities, doctors, nurses, and health leaders to 1) create a decision-making committee that includes individuals who plan, provide or receive opioid poisoning care in EDs; 2) develop a fair process for deciding which problems to tackle first and how to study them, and 3) create a step-by-step plan, based on what we learn, to expand this new system across the entire province. Our team brings together researchers, Emergency Care BC, health authorities, Indigenous scholars, and people with lived experience of opioid poisoning care in EDs. By designing this system together, we will ensure it reflects the realities and priorities of those most affected. The result will be a foundation for BC's EDs to learn from real-time data, coordinate better, and improve care for everyone-especially for those facing the greatest barriers. The tools we create will help build stronger, more equitable, and more prepared health systems across Canada.