NOSM Launches New Strategic Plan

Earlier today, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) publicly launched Reaching Beyond Extraordinary Together-NOSM’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020. The product of a highly inclusive process nearly two years in the making, this revitalized plan will chart the direction of the School for the next five years.

Five strategic goals are at the heart of this renewed Strategic Plan:

•  Enrich our educational programs to foster exemplary quality health care in rural and remote communities.
• Strengthen our capacity to perform outstanding research that aligns with the health needs of Northern Ontario.
• Create an inclusive whole school culture and learning environment that supports the growth and development of our faculty, staff, and learners.
• Empower our faculty members through ongoing engagement and active involvement in all aspects of the School.
• Engage our communities, health service partners, and other collaborators strategically to strengthen relationships and expand resources.

The goals are ambitious but achievable, aligning with the culture of NOSM.

“This plan is truly a collective vision for the year 2020-one that could not have been accomplished without the ideas, guidance, and collaboration of individuals and organizations across the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s wider campus of Northern Ontario,” says Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean. “Thank you, merci and miigwetch to all those who gave their time and input to help ensure NOSM’s Strategic Plan addresses the health priorities of Northern Ontarians.”

“I believe that the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and its many collaborators have created a meaningful plan that will shape the future of medical education and research in Northern Ontario,” says Dr. Moira McPherson, Provost and Vice-President Academic Lakehead University and Chair of NOSM’s Board of Directors. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I look forward to continuing to work together in the fulfillment of the School’s vision of Innovative education and research for a healthier North.”

A Strategic Planning Project Team and a 28-member Strategic Planning Advisory Committee were formed in December 2013 to oversee the strategic planning process. More than 1,000 stakeholders were consulted through various methods including: online surveys, focus groups, staff meetings, and community visits.

From May to September 2014, NOSM’s Dean and CEO Dr. Roger Strasser, Deputy Dean and Associate Dean of Community Engagement, Dr. David Marsh, senior leaders, and staff travelled to more than 50 rural, remote, Francophone, and Aboriginal communities across Northern Ontario to meet with individuals, organizations, learners, health-care professionals, and faculty.

NOSM’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020 is the culmination of a purposeful process that actively sought to understand the ongoing health-related needs in the region. Visit nosmsp2020.ca for more details related to the five strategic goals, implementation of NOSM’s new Strategic Plan, and opportunities for ongoing input into the School and its priorities. An action plan describing how NOSM will meet its Strategic Goals will be made public in the coming weeks.