
Shaping the future of mental health care: World Mental Health Day 2023
Every year, on October 10th, the world comes together to observe World Mental Health Day, a day that reminds us of the profound impact mental

ICN Collaboration with Precision Health: Block Week 2023
Imagine Citizen Network (ICN) members have proudly been active participants in the Precision Health (PH) program at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine

ICN’s 2022/2023 Annual Report
This marks the first year we have produced an annual report and we’re pleased to share it with you.
ICN Welcomes New Board Members
At our June 2023 Annual General Meeting, ICN welcomed four new Board members and for the first time since our founding in 2015, a new Board Chair. ICN is pleased to welcome Stephen Samis as Board Chair. Stephen relocated to Edmonton one year ago after working across Canada in health policy areas for many years.

ICN’s Post Election Message
Imagine Citizens Network would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Premier Smith and the United Conservative Party on their victory in our recent provincial election. We would like to congratulate Rachel Notley and the New Democratic Party for their successes as well as all candidates who stepped up in the election to serve Albertans.
The new government has a mandate to pursue, over the next four years, improvements that will move us toward the goals of a more prosperous, generous and equitable province. Both major parties campaigned to improve healthcare in many key areas, and Premier Smith talked about making Alberta’s healthcare system the best in the world. That is a goal that ICN is fully committed to working collaboratively to achieve.
Citizen Insights: Alberta Clinical Research Consortium Engagement Project
Early in 2023, Imagine Citizens Network was invited by Alberta Innovates-Health to speak with Albertans about their awareness and understanding of clinical health research (CHR) in Alberta.
CHR in Alberta aims to improve wellness and health outcomes by developing new treatments and technologies or approaches to care.

Giving Day – Make a Gift Today
Imagine Citizens Network, in partnership with the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the University of Calgary, is thrilled to invite you to participate in Giving Day. Your donation will be doubled thanks to matching funds from the University!
Last year, we saw an incredible demand for our citizen engagement services. We are proud to be a trusted and respected organization that brings citizen perspectives to the forefront.

Engaging Albertans on Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System
Imagine Citizens Network (ICN) has been working with Albertans to capture what matters most to them about primary healthcare and share these insights with the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System (MAPS) initiative. The goal is to identify immediate and long-term improvements that can build on Alberta’s many primary health care successes.
ICN engaged with 32 Albertans from across the province to identify guiding principles that reflect people’s values regarding the redesign and delivery of primary care programs, services, and care.

Addressing the Social Determinants of Health – Modernizing Primary Health and Care
This is the third story in our series Modernizing Primary Health and Care where we share the recommendations we provided to Alberta Health’s Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System (MAPS) initiative.
Our health is shaped by a complex set of factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices, environment, and social determinants of health. Social determinants of health refer to a wide range of social, economic, and environmental factors that affect our health, such as income, housing, education, and discrimination.

Advice to the National Roundtable on Primary Care
Last fall, Judy Birdsell, ICN’s Board Chair, had the rare opportunity to meet and hear from leaders in Primary Care from other parts of Canada at the invitation of The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health.
“This was an invaluable experience, not only to have ICN’s voice at a national table, but to meet ten other exemplary leaders in Primary Healthcare from across Canada,” says Judy. “This opportunity has enabled connections with several individuals at the roundtable.”
With input from ICN members, we brought the following key messages to the Roundtable:

Focusing on Community – Modernizing Primary Health and Care
While a citizen-centred approach to health is essential, many factors beyond an individual and his/her family impact health. Health is a community accomplishment. Structural and social community assets such as easily accessible recreation facilities, green spaces, employment opportunities, affordable housing, safe roads, faith-based and cultural organizations, and service clubs are examples that contribute to health outcomes.

Healthy Aging in Alberta – Measuring What Matters
The recent Healthy Aging in Alberta: Measuring What Matters project led by Imagine Citizens Network, in partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the University of Alberta, was a unique opportunity for citizens to help AHS identify the most important measures of quality in its work with seniors, continuing-care clients, and their supporting caregivers to improve health, well-being and independence.

Becoming Citizen-Centred – Modernizing Primary Health and Care
At Imagine Citizens Network, we believe citizen-centred care should be a priority in reforming Alberta’s primary health system.
Citizen-centred care considers the individual in the context of their life, their environment and social context and the opportunities life has afforded or limited, and the health and community options available in them. This needs to be the starting point for primary health: the understanding of the context in which the citizen lives.

Digital Health – What is it and why it matters
We are on the cusp of unprecedented change in the way health services are delivered, personalized, accessed, and funded. The rapid growth in connected personal health services, devices, and data is creating opportunities to re-imagine aspects of healthcare access and delivery, personal health and fitness, and health data.

Who Should Own Our Health Information?
As healthcare becomes increasingly reliant on technology, questions about who owns health information and how it is accessed become increasingly important. Understanding where data is stored, how it is accessed, and who is responsible for safeguarding it are at the centre of the digital health evolution. According to Dr. Ewan Affleck, “information is the currency of care.” Personal health data is an enabler of patient safety, better health outcomes and reduced harm.

Educating Future Healthcare Leaders: ICN Brings the Patient Voice
Last summer, Imagine Citizens Network (ICN) was invited to participate in the new transdisciplinary Precision Health program at the Cumming School of Medicine (University of Calgary) which brings together future healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, and educators to improve patient care. Precision health is a new and innovative approach to healthcare delivery. It’s tailored to a patient’s genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors and, as the name implies, it is aimed at keeping people healthy by personalizing the prevention and treatment of individuals “precisely”.

Health Equity: The Vision for a Fairer and Healthier World
As September signals the start of the formal academic year, students from all communities across Canada prepare for the year of learning ahead. Yet significant cultural variations may emerge to illustrate the diversities and dynamism of the student group as a whole. Equity raises awareness about these important variations with reference to fair access and participation in basic needs such as health and education, to transform social systems that serve everyone equally within their unique contexts.

Supporting Newcomer Communities to Improve Their Own Healthcare
Several years ago, ICN and other patient-partnered organizations initiated the iKnow Health project to help people in Alberta understand how healthcare works, how to navigate and advocate for themselves, and how to apply their rights. While that project was designed to reach a wide population with its online guide Healthcare Basics for Albertans, we knew there were significant additional challenges for rural and minority/marginalized communities. To better understand these challenges, we partnered with the Alberta International Medical Graduates Association (AIMGA) to support volunteer Connectors to host seven conversations about healthcare in newcomer communities in Alberta.

Is all your health information accessible to all providers? Why you might want to keep a paper trail
Can you be confident that your health data and entire health record are complete and available to any healthcare provider when needed? What about your prescriptions from your drug store? Is that information available if you suddenly experience an emergency? The short answer is no.

A retrospective: 10 years after Greg’s death, the need for teamwork in health care remains
May 19 was the tenth anniversary of Greg’s death. A lot has happened since then, highlighting life-altering gaps in accessing information within Alberta’s healthcare. Much work still needs to be done.

Healthy Aging in Alberta: measuring what matters
If you are 65 and older or care about someone who is, add your voice to Alberta Health Service’s (AHS) strategic planning!
ICN is partnering with AHS to connect with Albertans to identify the most important measures of quality in AHS’s work with older adults and their supporting caregivers.

Giving Day 2022
Imagine Citizens Network, through our relationship with O’Brien Institute of Public Health at the University of Calgary, is inviting you to participate in Giving Day – our most significant donor campaign of the year. Your gift will go twice as far with the matching funds offered by the University.
Last year marked a turning point in our evolution. Since our inception seven years ago, we have been a volunteer powered organization. Last year we received a donation of $150,000 ($50,000 over three years) allowing us to begin to hire core staff.
In the coming year, we will continue to build our foundation (technology infrastructure, staffing and funding) as well as focus on two key initiatives:

Safe Spaces for Patient Storytelling
This is the second in a series of articles about Patient Storytelling.
Patients share their health care stories in public for many reasons: fundraising purposes, media exposure, advocacy efforts, and to educate or to support quality improvement projects. We even tell a version of our stories when we simply submit a biography or introduce ourselves at a meeting.
I’ve had many experiences writing and speaking my own story as the mom of a young man with Down syndrome and as a recent breast cancer patient. I’ve spoken with the media for advocacy campaigns, explained parts of my story at committee meetings, lectured at grand rounds and presented at health conferences. Most of these experiences have been positive, but some have gone side-ways.

The Power of Patient Stories
This is the first in a series of articles about the power of patient stories.
“I tried all sorts of storytelling to write my way through my cancer. I wrote in my journal. I handwrote in the variety of little notebooks that I carried around with me. I typed out thoughts on my phone. I texted myself…” -Bird’s Eye View book

Digital Story Initiative: Child & Youth Mental Health
Stories matter in healthcare and they promote citizen engagement in health and care issues. Early this year, we embarked on a project to produce five digital stories with our Child & Youth Mental Health group.
Digital storytelling through its use of photos, participant voices and music can meaningfully capture and share poignant personal stories. With a skilled facilitator, it’s a highly effective approach to share lived experience while also empowering storytellers and promoting and protecting their wellbeing. With the storyteller’s permission, these stories are then used to initiate conversations on issues that are of concern to the storyteller.

Who is the Captain of the Care Team?
Amateur and professional athletes agree that there is little that compares to the joy of participating on a highly functioning team. Interestingly, the same applies in healthcare.
It was a special experience for me as a practicing Nephrologist (now retired) to participate as a team member in a clinic devoted to the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease, some of whom were headed to chronic dialysis. The culture in this clinic was all about the team: nurse practitioners, dieticians, social workers, pharmacists, doctors and patients working together. Every healthcare provider was there to meet the needs of the patient, as defined by the patient, during every visit. As the doctor, I was just one team member, no more important than any other. And the captain of the team? That was the patient.

What You Permit You Promote
This aphorism is useful in many settings, including when talking about person-centred care (PCC) and about patient engagement, without which PCC will never achieve its promise. It’s relevant because when communities and citizens continue to accept non-person-centred healthcare, they are effectively promoting non-engagement.

Declaration of Health Data Rights Released, A First in Canada
A Declaration of Health Data Rights, endorsed by ICN and other organizations, has been published for the first time in Canada offering citizens a much needed guideline to their rights regarding health data and their control of it.

Person-Centred Care in Precision Health
Imagine Citizens Network (ICN) has started collaborating with the Cumming School of Medicine as they launch a new program called Precision Health[1]. The first course of the four streams launched this August. The first course was designed as a Foundations block-week where all participants came together. Central to the planning for that block week was the emphasis on patient-centred care, as a means of embedding a shift in thinking from the ‘expert’ model of health care to involvement of the patient as a partner in their care.

The Crazy Slow Adoption of Person-Centred Care
There is an adoption problem with the concept of person-centred care (PCC). The precepts of this concept were detailed almost 30 years ago, and it has been vigorously promoted ever since. And while a commitment to PCC can be found on every Canadian health system website, it’s struggling to gain traction in what continues to be a discouragingly provider-driven healthcare system. What’s afoot? Why the crazy slow adoption of PCC?

We are now Imagine Citizens Network!
IMAGINE Citizens has refreshed its brand to become Imagine Citizens Network (ICN)! Our new name and bold new logo will better support us in building awareness of who we are and what we’re about as we continue to grow our presence in Alberta. We are indeed a network of health citizens, community partners, health-oriented organizations and innovators aimed at transforming health and care in Alberta.

True Co-Design for Patient Guide
“I just assumed my family doctor was aware.”
This is a common assumption amongst Albertans who have needed care outside of that received from their primary care physician. Unfortunately, this is often not the case due to a lack of continuity of information flow between hospitals and primary care providers.
The good news is that a dynamic team of patients, the Patient Transitions Resources team, are working hard alongside the Primary Health Care Integration Network to effect meaningful change on the system by improving the experience and outcome for all Albertans.

The Power of Storytelling
Amateur and professional athletes agree that there is little that compares to the joy of participating on a highly functioning team. Interestingly, the same applies in healthcare.
It was a special experience for me as a practicing Nephrologist (now retired) to participate as a team member in a clinic devoted to the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease, some of whom were headed to chronic dialysis. The culture in this clinic was all about the team: nurse practitioners, dieticians, social workers, pharmacists, doctors and patients working together. Every healthcare provider was there to meet the needs of the patient, as defined by the patient, during every visit. As the doctor, I was just one team member, no more important than any other. And the captain of the team? That was the patient.

NOT JUST A VISITOR: Supporting someone you love in health and care facilities
Central to IMAGINE Citizens Collaborating for Health’s vision and mission is the concept of a patient- and family- or person-centred health care system. In such a system, family is broadly defined (by the patient/resident) and can include a close friend or other key support person.

Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story
IMAGINE Citizens Collaborating for Health was honoured to collaborate with Greg’s Wings to host a virtual screening and discussion of Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story. The event on November 25, 2020, united 24 viewers from across Alberta and other provinces.
IMAGINE COVID Survey Findings
In late August to mid-September 2020, IMAGINE Citizens conducted a brief survey of people in or connected to our community about citizen involvement in future pandemic planning and decision-making.
IMAGINE Citizens has joined the ACCESS 2022 movement
Access 2022 is a social movement to create a new day for health care in Canada, one where Canadians have access to their health information and digitally-enabled tools and services to better manage their care.
The input of everyday Albertans made a difference
A year ago, IMAGINE Citizens Collaborating for Health completed a project in which we had an in-depth conversation with 28 Albertans over the course of several months on two topics that were top of mind to Alberta Health (government ministry responsible for health).
MyHealth Record
The Government of Alberta has recently launched a new portal that makes it possible for Albertans to access some of our health information online. This is a first important step toward making our complete health record a tool for us to use to ensure our care is seamless and effective.

Building networks and hearing from Albertans – IMAGINE Citizens 2018 year in review
Four years ago, the grassroots movement that became IMAGINE Citizens was born with Friday morning meetings at the O’Brien Institute for Health at the University of Calgary involving a small group of people passionate about health and health care. This past year has been one of our busiest. Here is recap of IMAGINE Citizen’s accomplishments throughout 2018.

Connect Care welcomes input from IMAGINE Citizens
Connect Care is a new clinical information system being designed to link Alberta Health Services facilities, programs and services. Learn more about this collaborative effort being

Networking in Medicine Hat – health and health-care matters
IMAGINE Citizens kicked off our Fall 2018 engagement activities on October 27 with a networking event at the Medicine Hat College, attended by a small and

How personalizing health systems adds value for citizens
EDITOR’S NOTE: SCAN Health is a partner of IMAGINE Citizens. It is dedicated to advancing health systems to achieve the best possible experiences and outcomes

An appeal from someone living with dementia
Editor’s Note: Jim Mann is a person living with a diagnosis of dementia. He is a member of VOICES – a citizen committee that is

Initiative will ease patients’ return home
The Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) is launching a 17-month collaborative to improve patient and caregiver experiences during transitions from hospital to home.
Online tool will show you Alberta’s health-care basics
If health knowledge is health power, then a new information program created by citizens and health providers is giving Albertans a valuable new tool.

Falling through the Cracks: Greg’s Story
My brother Greg Price died after delayed diagnosis and treatment related to testicular cancer. He was young, athletic, intelligent, and an advocate for himself. Despite

Fit for Purpose? Do these Canada-wide health organizations do what they were intended to do?
The federal minister of Health asked two prominent Canadian health leaders in late 2017 to review seven federally funded agencies designed to improve health and

Making Connections and Building Momentum for Improving Health Care in Alberta
Improving health care is more effective when citizens act together. IMAGINE’s April networking event in Calgary aimed at increasing collaboration. Over 40 people learned of

Albertans influence the direction of primary healthcare in our province
In 2017, IMAGINE recruited 28 Albertans from across the province to be part of a unique and important Citizen Dialogue about the future of primary

Citizens for Digital Health
IMAGINE is excited to launch a new project called Citizens for Digital Health. Through this initiative, we will connect citizens with digital health innovators. Canada
Healthcare 101
Last year, IMAGINE Citizens Collaborating for Health and our partners saw a need to build an introduction course for Albertans to help us all to

HQCA Launches new online interactive tool
IMAGINE is committed to gathering information and experiences from a variety of sources and sharing that information with Albertans so we can all make informed decisions.
The Better Together campaign’s first anniversary!
A policy that could revolutionize the relationship between healthcare providers, patients and family members is taking hold in Canada. The results have come not from

A Patient’s Story: Family is waaaay more than a visitor
My brother Greg died on May 19, 2012. Since his death my family has been advocating for constructive, positive change in our health system hoping
Alberta invests 400 M in Clinical Information System
Have you ever been frustrated when a doctor you were seeing didn’t seem to have all the information he/she needed about your history? The Alberta

Surely we can do better – room for improvement in continuity of health care
Health Quality Council releases new report Imagine being able to sit down at your computer and see your own health record – to check on

Six common themes from six regional meetings
Over the last 4 months IMAGINE held six regional meetings across the province. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who joined us and shared
Transforming Primary Care
For most people, primary care is the first place they go for health care. In addition to individual family practices, more than 40 Primary Care
Using the H-CAHPS survey to ‘measure’ hospital inpatient experience in Alberta
IMAGINE is committed to working with our health system partners towards improved patient experience and outcomes. It is important for us to understand what strategies

IMAGINE turns 1!
One year ago today, a group of like-minded patient, family and citizen champions partnered with the O’Brien Institute for Public Health to host a forum
The Better Together Campaign: Because families are more than visitors – they are partners in care
We are excited to announce that IMAGINE Citizens Collaborating for Health has signed on as an endorsing organization for the Better Together campaign. The Canadian
Greg Price’s Family Receives Patient Safety Award from the Canadian Patient Safety Institute
The Price Family has worked so selflessly to ensure other families do not experience a tragic loss such as they did when their son and

Patients, the Right Medicine for Health Care
Patients have known for a long time the healthcare system could be doing more to address their fears, concerns and needs. Now, a federal investigation into the state of the Canadian healthcare system has given weighty validity to those concerns.