Established in 1990
The UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research was born of the premise that the University should be a key partner in health care policy and planning in British Columbia.
In 1990, the Centre was established by the UBC Senate and officially launched in a ceremony by then-minister of health, Bruce Strachan. It was located within the College of Health Disciplines until 2009, when it found a new home within UBC’s School of Population and Public Health.
Learn more about the early history of CHSPR in a biography of founding director Morris Barer: An Accidental Career.
Advancing a World Class Health Database
In 1996, CHSPR spearheaded the development of the BC Linked Health Database (BCLHD) to advance an ambitious research agenda. The Centre advanced the use of the BCLHD through its cohesive agenda of applied health services and policy relevant research.
In 2009, the BCLHD and its data holdings transitioned to Population Data BC, and CHSPR’s role shifted away from data management. As a major partner in Population Data BC, the Centre now emphasizes support for development of and access to new data resources. Analytic Services by CHSPR provides high quality data management, data preparation, and statistical analyses to researchers using data from Population Data BC and beyond.
Leading in Health Policy Research
CHSPR’s research themes range from areas where the Centre has already made ground-breaking contributions, such as population health, to fields that build on the Centre’s existing expertise and interdisciplinary approach, including the use of data to study health and health care, geographic approaches to understanding health care delivery, health human resources, health care funding, and pharmaceutical policy.
Fostering Collaborative Partnerships
Over the years, CHSPR has developed strong partnerships with many organizations and research centres. The Centre’s longstanding partnerships with the BC Ministry of Health and the Canadian Institute of Health Information are just two collaborations that have produced rich knowledge on various policy relevant areas. CHSPR is committed to developing collaborative partnerships and is active in many inter-related activities within UBC’s health services and policy research community and beyond.
A New Home
In 2009, CHSPR joined UBC’s new School of Population and Public Health as the only Senate-recognized research centre within the School. CHSPR’s move has expanded its graduate training responsibilities, broadened its interdisciplinary scope, and opened up opportunities to attract new faculty. Taking up new residence within the School, CHSPR looks forward to its renewed commitments and to the many opportunities that lie ahead.