Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity

Visit the new website for the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity!

The Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity—previously known as the Centre for Social Accountability—is a multidisciplinary centre of NOSM University dedicated to the improvement of health and wellness in Northern Ontario. Through policy leadership and advocacy, research and innovation, and education that better aligns medical training with community needs, the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity is becoming a frontrunner in the improvement of sustainable equity, access, and population health outcomes.

NOSM University and the Centre respectfully acknowledge that the entirety of the University’s wider campus of Northern Ontario is on the homelands of First Nations and Métis Peoples. The university buildings are located on the territory of Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay and the Anishinabek Nation, specifically Atikameksheng and Wahnapitae First Nations, in Sudbury.

Operating under NOSM University’s governance and administration, the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity’s impact derives from its regional focus, yet is unbounded in its scope. The national and international relevance of the Centre’s work will become recognized as its results are dispersed among practitioners, policy makers, and advocates in similarly challenged jurisdictions.

The aim of the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity is to improve the health of Northern Ontarians while extending beyond NOSM University’s commitment to being socially accountable in our education and research programs and advocating for health equity. The Centre’s integrated approach in the areas of policy leadership and advocacy; research and innovation; education; and community impact will produce a deeper and broader understanding of a range of issues affecting population health outcomes both inside and outside of the medical system. In this way the Centre’s social accountability research defines and strengthens the work of NOSM University and its partners, making it more effective in the achievement of this critical mission.

If you are interested in connecting further with the Centre, consider requesting a Research Engagement Meeting, following us on Twitter, applying to be an Affiliate or Friend of the Centre, making a contribution to our work, or reading about the recent naming of the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity.

Centre Programs and Projects

NOSM University Research Toward Health Hub (NORTHH)

NORTHH is a practice-based research network that will support quality improvement and community research in primary care. It can help communities, physicians and practices, and policy-makers learn more about primary care in Northern Ontario.

Medical Education Research Lab in the North (MERLIN)

The Medical Education Research Lab in the North (MERLIN) seeks to promote medical education research and scholarship in Northern Ontario. MERLIN will create opportunities for learning and dialogue around promising and emerging evidence-based practices in medical education, health professional education, as well as provide peer support to those engaging in research.

SAFE for Health Institutions

The purpose of the SAFE for Health Institutions Project is to accelerate transformation towards a social accountability framework in healthcare service delivery. To empower health institutions to better identify and address the priority health needs, social needs and health inequities of the patients, populations and communities that they serve.

Nourish Leadership

Nourish started with a simple idea: how can the hospital tray be a platform to dream big and transform our food and health systems? Through our work with cohorts of leaders and through action learning series, we work to equip innovative individuals and teams, empowering bold leadership in climate action and health equity. We work across community, institutional, and policy scales to steward innovation.

AI-North

Through appreciative inquiry, deliberative dialogue and two-eyed seeing, AI-North seeks to: (1) Understand socially accountable Artificial Intelligence, (2) Identify strengths and gaps in Artificial Intelligence research in Northern Ontario, and (3) Help to build capacity for Artificial Intelligence research in Northern Ontario.

NOLHS (Northern Ontario Learning Health Systems)

This research group brings together people who are leading health system transformation in Northern Ontario through research, education, and health care. Our group includes researchers, educators, health system administrators, physicians and health professionals, patients, learners, among others. Our group and our projects aim to support health system stakeholders at any point in the research lifecycle, from developing an idea into a research question to methods/analysis to knowledge translation.