Strategic Plan

Creating new opportunities

Why this?

The research that flows from Providence Health Care has made a global impact in many fields including HIV/AIDS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sepsis, cardiac valve procedures, renal care as well as mental health and addictions, to name just a few.

Desired Future State:

Providence Research is recognized internationally for outstanding people and cutting-edge technology which together, fuel our global impact.

Goal:

Define inclusive themes that optimize resources, build on our expertise, and create new opportunities.

In order to amplify our existing strengths, Discovery Forward has prioritized these actions:

• Chronic Disease Research: Promote and support research partnerships that focus on the prevention and treatment of the chronic complex conditions that contribute to local and global illness burden.
• Emerging Health Issues: Create the best possible environment to allow our researchers to pivot to address emerging health priorities of critical importance to British Columbians.
• Technology & Data: Strategically invest in and embrace technology to drive research excellence and innovation including data management platforms, big data/artificial intelligence/machine learning, patient registries, and biobanking.

Strengthening our research enterprise

Why this?

In this context “Build” is about giving our people the opportunity to learn, grow and feel part of something important; something worthy of their time and talent. For this five-year plan, building also means taking a strategic approach to shaping our physical environment to meet the future needs of our research community, a chance offered to us through the new St. Paul’s Hospital redevelopment project.

Desired Future State:

We proactively leverage strengths and opportunities to ensure Providence researchers and research teams continue to push the boundaries of excellence.

Goal:

Grow and strengthen our research enterprise

People:

• Support the recruitment and retention of diverse researchers and staff to enrich our perspective and understanding, to enhance our productivity, and enhance our research excellence.
• Indigenous Research Knowledge: Structurally embed Indigenous governance and decision-making, research methodologies, and principles throughout the research cycle.
• Infrastructure: Minimize barriers to research and streamline our administrative processes to better support research excellence.
• Optimize current and future research space (in the Clinical Support & Research Centre) to create an environment that fosters the sharing of skills, tools and ideas.

Building an inclusive community

Why this?

We believe that a research community that can successfully integrate a diversity of viewpoints, expertise and experience is a stronger one. Over the next five years, our goal is to make our interdisciplinary and diversity our superpower.

Desired Future State:

Our interdisciplinary, partnerships and diversity contribute to both our productivity and our research excellence.

Goal:

Build an inclusive community for stronger research questions and answers of relevance to patients, participants and residents

To better integrate people, teams and partnerships, Discovery Forward has prioritized these actions:

• Internal Partnerships: Encourage and facilitate Providence-wide research collaborations and partnerships with clinical staff and other Providence entities to inform research priorities and increase opportunities for knowledge sharing and cross-disciplinary involvement in research.
• External Partnerships: Prioritize and strengthen external partnerships with Indigenous organizations, patient groups, community groups, nongovernmental organizations and other research organizations in alignment with the priorities set out in Direction 1: Amplify.
• Facilitate the functional interaction of biotech, industry, clinical and academic partners to pursue research questions of mutual relevance.

Translating knowledge into practice

Why this?

Given the urgency of actualizing health innovations, we will put our research to work through knowledge mobilization, proactive communications and opportunities to commercialize our research ideas and output.

Desired Future State:

The new knowledge we generate is applied to real-world settings as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

Goal:

Create an express pathway to translate knowledge into practice

To activate our research, Discovery Forward has prioritized these actions:

• Knowledge Mobilization: Make research matter to clinicians, patients and researchers: maximize the benefits through effective translation and exchange of knowledge.
• Communications: Ensure research results and new knowledge are communicated to research participants and clinicians and researchers in a meaningful and timely fashion.
• Commercialization: Improve intellectual property expertise within Providence and create mentorship opportunities.
  Identify and nurture activities that lead to commercialization opportunities.

Active and meaningful research collaborations

Why this?

Our reconciliation efforts with Indigenous people and communities start with learning about how research must change to reflect their rights and needs. We will seek guidance from Indigenous partners as well as several national and international reports, with a particular emphasis on the newly released In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care.

Goal:

Genuine and meaningful efforts to advance reconciliation with Indigenous People

Our plan includes these actions:

• Develop a research agenda that advances the evidence-based implementation of TRC, MMIWG, and In Plain Sight reports and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Create an inclusive, safe, and empowering environment for active and meaningful research collaborations with local sovereign First Nations, Indigenous organizations, and Indigenous scholars, and patients.

Advancing social justice

Why this?

Data and evidence are the pillars of our work, but they can’t change the world. People change the world. We know from those we serve that health research has not helped everyone in our society equally. That’s why we have committed to advocate in particular for research that can benefit underserved populations. We hope that, through building mutual trust and respect, these individuals and communities will also advocate for us.

Goal:

Champion research that is person-centered and advances social justice

Our plan includes these actions:

• Advocate for and promote research that will benefit underserved populations.
• Be a strong and proactive voice to aid in the communication and implementation of new knowledge that could support underserved populations.

Reducing our environmental footprint

Why this?

As stewards of our past, present and future, we see sustainability two ways. The first is about protecting the environment. The second is from the perspective of preserving our capacity to contribute to the greater good.

Goal:

Proactive stewardship and protecting our planet

Our plan includes these actions:

• Promote processes to aid researchers in assessing the environmental impact of their research programs and support them to reduce their overall environmental footprint.
• Investing in our vision into the future, create a long-term, sustainable financial plan.

Upholding the highest standards 

Why this?

As a mission-driven organization, we hold ourselves to ethical standards that surpass the norm. But to date, in the research context, this has lacked specifics. We will codify this philosophy and infuse it throughout our research enterprise.

Goal:

Uphold and exceed ethical standards for health research

Our plan includes these actions:

• Develop a Providence-specific research ethics philosophy to encourage and communicate a shared understanding of our ethical practices, values and expectations.
• Work with Indigenous partners to meaningfully incorporate Indigenous health research ethics into our research ethics philosophy.