Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - PostDoc Western Canada 2 year

Government health policies rooted in evidence and collaboration are essential for safe and effective health care delivery. While the steps in policy development and the use of evidence to guide this process are well documented, the ways in which policy cycles work in 'real-world' and complex government settings are less well defined. This is especially the case for supportive housing (SH) services in Canada, where current policies inadequately describe the program purpose and recipients of care. Using SH as a case study, the purpose of my fellowship is to (i) understand how policy cycles 'work' in a complex government setting, (ii) explore how evidence can be used more effectively to ensure that policies achieve their intended goals, and (iii) investigate ways in which other stakeholders (e.g., regional planners, SH clients and their families) can contribute meaningfully to policy development. From these activities I will establish an enriched understanding of government context and the ways in which policies are developed, create synergistic partnerships with key government personnel and health service researchers, develop additional core competencies to help ensure my short- and long-term career success, and produce several publications and related knowledge translation activities (e.g., showing how evidence and intersectoral collaborations can be used to improve policy cycles). My fellowship will occur at Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living (MHSAL; Brie DeMone as primary supervisor) and the University of Manitoba (Dr. Malcolm Doupe as academic supervisor). These organizations and preceptors have a rich collaborative history through previous grants and government initiatives designed to train graduate students in applied health services research. Building on their experiences, my preceptors will meaningfully combine the research and policy aspects of the fellowship in ways that help to enrich my training experience and foster a learning health system.