Imagine Citizens Network is an Alberta-based, independent, citizen-led organization whose focus is on the priorities of citizens in the healthcare system. We have been working since 2015 to have important conversations to shift our healthcare system to become person-centred.
Our areas of focus are: primary health care, which we refer to as community-based health and care, and digital health. These two areas of focus affect the lives of every single Albertan.
We are patients, family members and carers. We come from all walks of life and all parts of the province. We are your neighbours, colleagues and friends. Some of us are healthcare providers – working or retired. And some of us just want to be part of the conversation.
We are non-partisan. We seek and welcome diverse voices and alternative points of view.
We believe in the value of community and citizen engagement. Our knowledge comes from lived experience and must be considered equally in the drive for innovation in our healthcare system. Physicians are experts in medicine. We are experts in our own lives, values, aspirations and circumstances.
Our vision
A health system intentionally designed in partnership between citizens and other stakeholders to achieve the best possible experiences and outcomes for all Albertans.Our mission
To enable and mobilize citizens’ ability to influence, and become valued partners in improving health care experiences and outcomes for all.Our principles
Citizen-driven | Independent | Connected and collaborating | Involved in co-designing healthcare | Guided by evidence | Aware that healthcare is one of many determinants of healthWhat We Do
We speak with and LISTEN to Albertans to shape our agenda for healthcare change. Our citizen engagement approaches range from brief survey to deep dialogue.
We support individual Albertans in the context of their communities to LEARN and build their capacity to take ownership of their own health journeys and change how they interact with the health system.
We LINK Albertans with community-level organizations, healthcare organizations and providers to drive community-level change. We also link Albertans to each other by serving as a hub to people to come together around shared interests, for instance Child and Youth Mental Health. We have established relationships and co-design processes to develop evidence-based tools and resources.
We amplify the voices of Albertans to influence and LEAD policy and systems-level change. We support the development of evidence to increase understanding how shared power and citizen involvement, including at the decision-making level, can improve health system outcomes.
We are committed to contributing to the development of a healthcare system that is accessible to all. We are dedicated to pursuing health equity by addressing structural inequalities.
Imagine Citizens Network has been a Society in the province of Alberta since 2018. We are volunteer-run and seek and secure funding from a variety of sources so that we can maintain our independence.
