The Frontline Health Dialogues connect practitioners, researchers, non-profit leaders and policy makers to explore a key question: What will it take to make Canada the best country in the world at meeting the healthcare needs of underserved and unserved populations?

The dialogues are part of a unique series designed to encourage the sharing of ideas and solutions among those working on the frontlines of health. They are the only formalized meeting opportunity of their kind in Canada.

With every discussion that takes place at the dialogues, participants uncover common challenges and share solutions. They recognize their mutual passion for providing care to people beyond the reach of the mainstream healthcare system. And they realize they are not alone as the sense of an emerging movement becomes more and more palpable with each exchange of ideas.

The Frontline Health Dialogues have started to build a community of practice around frontline healthcare and are playing an important role in helping to improve the capacity to serve the healthcare needs of Canada’s vulnerable populations.

Background

The dialogues evolved out of a 2006 report conducted by the Canadian Policy Research Network (CPRN) and funded by AstraZeneca Canada’s Frontline Health program. The report, "Frontline Healthcare in Canada: Innovations in Delivering Services to Vulnerable Populations", mapped the frontlines of health for the first time.

Three dialogues have been held to date. Summaries and full reports of the dialogues are available at the links below.

Report from the Ottawa Roundtable, June 2007
Report from the Vancouver Dialogue, June 2008
Report from the Atlantic Canada Dialogue, November 2008
View list of all past Dialogue Steering Committee Members
View list of all past Dialogue Participants
Stories from the Dialogues

Additional dialogues will be held and information will be posted as it becomes available.

If you are interested in learning more about the dialogues or the Frontline Health program, please contact us here