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Fraser Health and Simon Fraser University (SFU) are working together to promote and sustain the achievement of health, healing and learning.

The two organizations announced a Memorandum of Understanding for a Strategic Alliance on Teaching, Training and Research to identify and develop areas of co-operation that benefit both organizations.

“The task of ensuring high-quality health care cannot be accomplished by health authorities alone,” says Dr. Nigel Murray, President and CEO of Fraser Health. “We must develop meaningful partnerships with universities to develop effective teaching, training and research initiatives.”

Fraser Health is one of Canada’s largest and fastest-growing health authorities, serving 1.6 million people in 20 communities from Burnaby to Hope, including a diverse range of urban and rural communities.

As part of its strategic plan, Fraser Health has made a commitment to strengthen its academic partnerships and linkages. This new emphasis signals the health authority’s commitment to making teaching, training and research key drivers in the promotion and protection of health and well-being for its patients, residents and clients. Strategic agreements with SFU and other academic institutions will serve to enhance and formalize existing relationships as Fraser Health moves towards this goal.

SFU’s state-of-the-art Faculty of Health Sciences offers established research and teaching programs in virology, immunology, genetics, epidemiology, biostatistics, health promotion, social and policy science and more. Other Faculties of SFU cover complementary areas that include molecular biology and biochemistry, chemical biology and biophysics, neuro-sciences, biomedical engineering, imaging sciences, gerontology, kinesiology and mental health and addictions.

Fraser Health and SFU are natural partners in the pursuit of improved population health. The mission of the SFU Faculty of Health Sciences is to understand the multiple relationships and interactions that contribute to an individual’s health over the course of his or her life, and to apply this knowledge in the development of public policy that reduces health inequalities and improves the health of the population.

“SFU’s approach and value in Health Sciences is distinct, differentiated and innovative,” says SFU president Michael Stevenson. “We call it ‘Cell to Society’. We integrate experimental biomedical sciences with broad population and public health sciences. We see long-lasting and sustainable benefits to patients, the community and the health care system coming from our partnership with Fraser Health.”

The agreement between SFU and Fraser Health establishes an ongoing relationship to work towards the development and integration of collaborative training, education and research programs, including:

• Joint and/or shared faculty positions
• Opportunities for mentored research
• Multi-disciplinary education programs that address critical health care human resource needs
• Infrastructure and resources to support innovative models of training primary health care and public health practitioners
• Training opportunities for SFU students with Fraser Health
• Continuing education programs for Fraser Health employees and physicians at SFU

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