I spent my co-op experience working with Fraser Health Authority. Fraser Health is responsible for providing health care services to 1.9 million Canadians, it is the largest health authority in the province and is accountable to the Ministry of Health. During my co-op, I worked with the Strategic Planning, Priorities, Transformation and Innovation Team. This team's mission was to provide internal consultation and project management services to Fraser Health. Specifically, the team was focused on working with other Fraser Health teams to plan and prepare for changes at the organizational level. My role was to develop methods and tools to refine Fraser Health's corporate planning processes. I spent time interviewing leaders across Fraser Health as well as individuals who work at other health authorities to develop a best practice model for corporate planning. I provided recommendations on areas of improvement, and suggested ways to include more community voices in the planning process to ensure all voices can contribute to Fraser Healths long-term planning.
My main takeaway from this co-op was that not all policy work is reactive. There are areas of policy which are about preventing a policy problem from emerging, rather than solving a policy problem. This form of proactive policy work is crucial in the Health Policy context. If we develop policies that reduce the prevalence of certain illnesses, as opposed to only treating illness, we can improve the quality of life of our community and also reduce strain on the healthcare system.
- Vishay Sharma