Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership
The Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership (ICHIL) is situated within the Richard Ivey School of Business at The University of Western Ontario. The Centre is dedicated to being a global leader in health innovation, adoption and leadership education. It prepares health leaders with the skills they need to identify, assess and facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies, systems and processes that health systems need in order to be sustainable. The Centre’s funding is provided through public and private sources. In 2009, Industry Canada contributed funding as part of its Science and Technology Strategy Grant, “Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage”. In addition, a number of private-sector groups also fund and support the Centre.
Academic Chair
Dr. Anne Snowdon
Dr. Anne Snowdon, BScN, MSc, PhD is the current Chair of The Ivey Centre for Health Innovation and Leadership, and is currently appointed as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Richard Ivey School of Business.
Dr. Kellie Lietch
Kellie Leitch, O.Ont, MP, BA, MD, MBA, FRCS (C) was ICHIL's founding Chair and was Director of the Health Sector stream at the Richard Ivey School of Business MBA program. She was elected as a Canadian Member of Parliament for the riding of Simcoe-Grey in the 2011 federal election.
Advisory Council
The ICHIL Advisory Council is made up of some of the most accomplished and well-respected senior professionals working in the health care field today. From pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, to health care consulting and hands-on patient care, ICHIL's Advisory Council has in-depth experience in both the private and public sectors, and presents ample opportunities for student mentorship, networking and learning. The Chair of the Council is Mr. Neil Fraser, President of Medtronic Canada.
Thought Leadership
White Papers
The Centre supports thought leadership by partnering to produce point of view papers aimed at spurring the discussion around health innovation and adoption. The released white papers to date are:
- Transforming Canadian Health Care through Consumer Engagement: The Key to Quality and System Innovation – February 2011
- Leveraging Information Technologies to Transform and Sustain British Columbia’s Health Care Sector – October 2010
- Innovation Takes Leadership – September 2010
ICHIL Global Health Conference
In November of each year, the Centre hosts the ICHIL Global Health Conference in Toronto. This conference brings together leaders in both academia and industry to discuss best practices in health innovation and adoption. In addition, those leaders bring forward their thoughts on the most important areas in which the Centre can focus its resources to create meaningful change, while establishing the Centre's mandate for the upcoming year. Student participation in the conference allows for it to also function as a learning platform.
Education
Case Study Development
ICHIL is dedicated to producing teaching cases that focus on health sector organizations, with particular emphasis on instances of innovation, commercialization and adoption. The case method provides the student with an opportunity to stand in the shoes of the decision-maker, analyzing the business issue presented, making judgments and determining a course of action. Ivey is the only school in Canada that adheres to the case study method.
Health Sector MBA
The objective of the Health Sector MBA stream is to train leaders who possess the capabilities and business skills to lead, shape, and change the health care system in Canada and globally. The Ivey Health Sector stream provides students with the skills and knowledge to utilize best private and public sector managerial practices in assuming a leadership role in meeting health care challenges.
There are currently 12 mandatory and elective courses in the Health Sector Stream of the MBA program at Ivey.
Mandatory:
- The Health Sector
- Leadership and Innovation
- Financing Health Sector Enterprises
Elective:
- Risk, Accountability and Governance
- Competition and Competitor Analysis
- Negotiations
- Management Consulting
- Management of Services
- Managing People
- Project Management
- Sustainable Business Practices
- Global Supply Management
Executive Development
ICHIL works hand in hand with Ivey to provide a learning experience specifically designed for health care leaders. Ivey is ranked as the #1 executive education provider in Canada by Financial Times. ICHIL’s Executive Development programs are taught by full-time faculty members who also teach in the Executive MBA, MBA and undergraduate business degree programs. These senior, experienced professors also work with businesses from around the world to address current business challenges. Known for their research, case writing and teaching awards, faculty are consistently ranked among the best in the world by participants.
Health Innovation Projects
An important part of ICHIL is the vetting of projects in health innovation that may provide economic value (through either revenue generation or cost reduction) by the introduction of a new product or process. The Centre and its students identify potential projects and bring proposals for these projects to the ICHIL Innovation Council for advice on whether they appear to be viable products/processes.
Independent Consulting Projects (ICP)
Groups of Ivey Health Sector MBA or HBA students tackle a particular business problem or challenge related to the operations of a health care institution, the path to market for a new product or the application of a new technology or process to the health care system. The teams work closely with private sector partners, government agencies and health care organizations. The project teams consider both the implications for care and the commercialization potential of each idea. The Chair of ICHIL, with distinguished Ivey faculty members and Health Innovators-in-Residence monitor progress throughout and ensure the projects are academically and entrepreneurially rigorous.
New Venture Projects
A new technology emerging from the lab of a university, research institute or start-up company receives support from a team similar in composition to the ICP. This team takes a hands-on approach to developing and executing the plan to launch the product and create a new venture.
Demonstration Projects
These are conducted by teams of Ivey students, faculty and Executives-in-Residence in collaboration with private sector companies, entrepreneurs and healthcare institutions in order to identify, assess and assist with the commercialization of innovative healthcare technologies, systems and processes.