Q&A – IHPME Joins the Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Effective as of July 1,2014, the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation’s home faculty has shifted from the Faculty of Medicine to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, which achieved Faculty status at U of T on July 1, 2013.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners can refer to this Q&A to address transition questions.  If you have any outstanding inquiries, please contact: Nicole Bodnar, Director of Communications, Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Why make the move from Medicine to Public Health?

Today’s health challenges require system-wide solutions across the full spectrum from health care delivery to policy. Together, DLSPH and IHPME bring a wide range of health and health care policy, clinical epidemiology, population and disease prevention expertise to rethink health care delivery and create a sustainable health care system.

Will there be any governing structure changes in IHPME?

The IHPME will remain an EDU-A with its own Director. IHPME will maintain its EDU-A status and its status as a distinct graduate unit; it will retain its current executive committee structure and membership; and it will continue to offer all current academic programs.
All existing programs currently offered by the IHPME will move with the EDU-A, including:

• Master of Health Science in Health Administration, MHSc
• Master of Health Informatics, MHI
• Doctor of Philosophy in Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, PhD
• Master of Science in Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, MSc

What impact will the transition have on students?

The transition will be seamless for IHPME or DLSPH students; nothing will change on their transcript or degree parchment.  All academic programs will remain unchanged.
As one of the world’s largest public health schools, the DLSPH will become an even stronger magnet for the best graduate students who demonstrate scholarly leadership and real-world impact on health care, health system design and population health.
There are substantial opportunities for synergy between the DLSPH and IHPME, particularly in new graduate and undergraduate programs, shared graduate course offerings, the development of new and important lines of research and the creation of a comprehensive home for health services, clinical epidemiology, and health policy scholarship.

Will this change impact DLSPH students taking public health policy courses?

DLSPH students who are currently focused on public health policy will remain in their home division.  Any new programs in health policy will be offered through IHPME. The course offerings and MSc/PhD enrollment at IHPME will be expanded to reflect this addition.

What will happen to IHPME’s Society of Graduates and DLSPH’s Public Health Alumni Association?

Both alumni groups will remain distinct with no changes to structure, leadership, vision or mission.  DLSPH and IHPME will look into opportunities to host joint events and other collaborative activities going forward.

What does this transition mean for faculty?

The transition will be seamless for faculty members On July 1, 2014, IHPME faculty members will receive a re-issued letter of appointment reflecting the change in Faculty. Nothing in the status of their appointment will change. All current cross-appointments (except for cross-appointments in DLSPH) will remain the same as will rank, tenure, and eligibility for promotion.

What does this transition mean for staff?

The transition will have no impact on staffing. DLSPH and IHPME already sit on adjacent floors in the Health Sciences Building so there will be no reallocation of space or offices to support the transition.

Will there be any changes to the LEAD program?

IHPME will remain the home of the Leadership Education and Development Program (LEAD) for undergraduate medical students.  Plans for a series of joint MD-Master’s degrees offered through IHPME are underway.

What will happen to IHPME’s partnerships across U of T?

This transition builds on IHPME’s and DLSPH’s relationships in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Information Sciences.  It also provides an opportunity to forge even stronger links with key partners such as ministries, provincial agencies, Toronto Academic Health Science Network hospitals, and other health organizations to support people-focused and health systems research.

How will this transition enable fundraising?

Both IHPME and DLSPH face an increasingly competitive local and global market as they seek research funding and philanthropy. Major fundraising campaigns are underway at most Ontario hospitals that rival the University’s “Boundless” campaign and that play to similar messages regarding the potential contributions of the DLSPH and IHPME to improving health and a sustainable health systems.
The collaborative, inter-disciplinary narrative resonates strongly with donors who wish to see a greater return on investment, and DLSPH will build on this story through the transition to benefit IHPME and DLSPH.