Health and health care is something that impacts every single one of us, whether we want it to or not. In Alberta, we have seen tremendous developments in how health care is delivered and in the availability of innovative solutions to better manage care. At the same time, it feels like not a day goes by where we do not see a story in the media about areas where our health system is being challenged. The COVID-19 pandemic made that even clearer. Things like inequities in access to care and outcomes, wait times, challenges accessing emergency services, physician shortages, and health care provider burnout are sadly becoming all too common stories in the news. There are huge opportunities for change ahead of us.

Big challenges often require complex and multifaceted solutions. I feel lucky to have worked with W21C Research and Innovation Centre at the University of Calgary for the past 13 years as we are actively trying\ to tackle these complex health challenges. What has been essential for us? First, I would say the thought leaders and international experts we get the privilege to interact with. As a university-based program, we work with health leaders that are constantly identifying opportunities for innovation and change in the health system given their work on the front lines of care. They spend their research careers focused on solutions and it is a privilege to have a team that can support them in realizing these visions. We also work with amazing entrepreneurs and innovators. The ideas they generate continue to surprise me every day. Their tenacity and passion for the work they do is incredible. The key factor in our success has been how we empower our interdisciplinary team to think big and have the flexibility to shift across projects and collaboratively approach our work. When we see a new solution for the health system, our interdisciplinary team works with leading experts to design projects that not only address questions like does it work, but also why does it work, how does it impact team dynamics, does it impact the culture on the unit, how do we reflect on human behavior to increase the chance of success? It takes diverse perspectives to be able to tackle big challenges. By working with our team and with our partners we have been able to create real impact on our health system. I cannot wait to see how we can continue to collaborate across the province of Alberta and beyond to make care better.