Dec 19, 2024
At HQC, we have a long history of serving as a system convener, creating environments where small-scale ideas can emerge and grow – a legacy we continued throughout 2023-2024.
Reflecting on the year behind us, I’m proud of all the incredible work we’ve accomplished together. Over the course of the year, our work enhanced the province’s capacity for continuous improvement, deepened partnerships with First Nations and Métis communities, and explored the social determinants of health.
We know from the Canadian Medical Association that determinants of health are multifaceted, where the largest drivers of our overall wellness are related to where we live, work, and age. In fact, health care delivery is only 25% of the equation.
With that in mind, we used our unique position in the health system to begin addressing the social determinants of health, expanding our scope beyond promoting quality improvement. Alongside our partners, we fostered trust and collaboration among social care, health care, and community-based groups to achieve meaningful, scalable outcomes.
While collaboration, capacity building, and research remain at the heart of who we are and what we do, we continue to adapt to our evolving health system and its emerging priorities.
Key accomplishments we celebrated in 2023-24:
- Trained 13 primary care clinics in quality improvement
Since its inception last year, QI in Clinics has trained 13 primary health clinics in Saskatchewan, including 25 physicians and 59 clinic staff, in quality improvement methodology, tools, and approaches. This program aims to build primary care clinic capacity to identify and implement improvements to better serve their patients. - Convened over 150 leaders to learn from a high performing health system
Bringing together over 150 health system and community leaders, we hosted a two-day in-person event to promote shared learning with the Southcentral Foundation, recognized internationally as a world leader in health system redesign and primary care operations. - Coached 9 teams through the Community QI Collective
Nine teams completed the Community QI Collective training program, designed to help community organizations understand their current performance, map out their desired future state, and make incremental improvements to reach their goals using quality improvement methodology. - Supported the provincial drug task force
We shared key findings from our data analysis with stakeholders, highlighting demographic subgroups at higher risk of opioid-related harm and patterns of health system use prior to an opioid toxicity episode. - Co-authored 10 research articles
Leveraging our analytic experience and expertise, HQC collaborated with other health system partners to co-author 10 articles and support research leading to improvements in health and health care. Topics included strategies to reduce emergency department wait times, evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination rates in Saskatchewan, and the impact of cultural identity on substance use among Indigenous youth in Canada. - Presented 10 QI Power Hour sessions to a global audience
We hosted 10 QI Power Hour webinars, with topics including quality improvement tools, data and measurement, youth mental health, and First Nations and Métis Wellness. On average, QI Power Hour webinars reach 238 participants each session, an increase of 75 per cent since last year.
Milestones of this scale would not be possible without the unwavering dedication of our community partners, Board of Directors, and the entire team at HQC. Your contributions have been the cornerstone of our success, and I’m grateful to have you along this journey with us. Learn more about the value HQC provides to our health system in our 2023-2024 Annual Report.
2024-2029 strategic focus
Our health system is evolving, and we need to evolve with it. Working with both system and community partners, we’ll focus on tackling some of the province’s most significant health and health care issues.
Over the next five years, we’ll continue strengthening our health system’s foundation for quality improvement, while promoting large-scale change in our strategic focus areas:
- Thrive at Home – enhancing support for community-based older adults with complex needs so they may thrive, wherever it is they call home
- Four Winds – collaborating with First Nations and Métis communities to improve mental health and addictions services for children and youth
Using a tailored approach, we’ll identify and illuminate current gaps and opportunities to establish a common goal amongst the various agencies, practitioners, organizations, communities, and other potential collaborators. Together, we’ll develop, measure, and evaluate the tactics required to determine the best approach, which can be further refined or scaled appropriately throughout Saskatchewan.
Curious to learn more about our strategic approach? Check out our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan or watch for our next blog charting our path to accelerating improvement in health and health care across Saskatchewan.
As we embark on the next leg of our journey, I’m excited for what lies ahead. Together, we are creating a brighter future for Saskatchewan and those who call our province home.
