Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - Doctoral Central 1-year

The mission of the Centre intègre universitaire de santé et de service sociaux (CIUSSS) de l'Ouest-de -l'Île-de-Montréal is to provide quality health services to the public. One of the most important services it offers is the emergency care. According to the literature, worldwide Emergency Departments (EDs) are facing tremendous challenges that affect their performance. The CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal is collaborating with Concordia University to create a Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship, which would track, monitor and improve the delivery of high quality ED services. This fellowship proposes to study one of the EDs belonging to the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal. The aim of this fellowship is to study ED operations and decision-making policies, analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of ED system, and streamline patient flow to achieve quality ED services and to alleviate ED overcrowding. This will be achieved by systematically analyzing the selected ED using Lean methodology and validating results based on simulation optimization tools. The research will boost the fellow's knowledge of the Canadian health system, develop her existing skills in process improvement methodologies, and help her appropriately translate the acquired skills and knowledge into a real-world health system setting. It is a unique opportunity for the fellow to complete her doctoral research and prepare for her future career in the health system by studying the emergency services and policies and engaging with health system leaders and decision makers. Hopefully, the conceptual tools developed as a result of this research could be applied to other emergency services within the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal as well as other organizations.