The nature of our Team and collaboration reflects the characteristics and ideals designated by CIHR. Our group is national, with team members from five Provinces (AB, MB, ON, NS, QC); five Universities (University of Calgary, University of Toronto, University of Manitoba, University of Montreal, Dalhousie University); three regional health authorities (Alberta Health Services-Calgary Zone, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Capital Health District Health Authority); and, represents expertise in orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, medicine, health economics, social science, industrial engineering, business and library science, drawn from three pillars (clinical, health services and policy, population health research). Collaboration, linkage and exchange with the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute (ABJHI) substantially expands this expertise to a network of diverse scope, which includes amongst others, practicing physicians and decision-makers from regional health authorities across Alberta. The core investigative Team (n=14) members have had many and variable associations as individuals over the years, with several as research members of the Western Canada Waiting List Project (WCWL). From 1999-2006, WCWL represented an action research collaboration that worked on improving fairness by developing and testing priority-setting tools for scheduled services or referrals; formulating maximum acceptable waiting times and informing benchmark waiting times; and, elucidating the determinant of satisfaction and expectations for those on waiting lists.

Investigators of the WCWL joined ABJHI in collaboration in 2007, added new members and applied for and received an AHFMR Team Grant April 1, 2008 (File #200700596). This proposed body of work synergizes with and is inextricably linked to that AHFMR Grant, whose designated principal applicant is Dr. Cy Frank. Representatives from Alberta Health Services in Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia will participate in this research work, interpretation and implementation, as well as sharing the benefits from knowledge transfer and exchange throughout and upon completion of this work. The core investigative team meets biweekly (teleconference) and will meet in-person (semi-annually). These meetings will be expanded to include decision-makers, where appropriate. In short, the AHFMR Team Grant has provided some of the infrastructure necessary for this research. In 2008, the team applied for and received a CIHR Emerging Team Grant. Our current work is focused on hip and knee replacement and includes four thematic areas: appropriateness; patient expectations; operations research and modeling; and, waiting time management strategies. The outcomes from this work will have practical and applied significance to waiting time management.

The convergence of the former WCWL, addition of new team members and association with the ABJHI create exciting synergies that promise meaningful impact on improving access to TJR, at a time when such knowledge and action is sorely needed.

WCWL Investigators WCWL_3 (2007-present)
Investigator	Affiliation	Expertise*	Role**
Bohm, Dr. Eric	University of Manitoba & WRHA	Orthopedic Surgery; HSR	Clinical & Analytic expertise (all)
Carter, Dr. Michael	University of Toronto	Operations Research & Industrial Engineering	Co-PI, Project Lead 2
De Coster, Dr. Carolyn	Alberta Health Services	Nursing; HSR	Analytic expertise (all)
Dunbar, Dr. Michael	Dalhousie University CDHA	Orthopedic Surgery; HSR	Clinical & Analytic expertise (all)
Faris, Dr. Peter	ABJHI/University of Calgary	Biostatistics; HSR	Quantitative Analysis
Frank, Dr. Cy	ABJHI/University of Calgary	Orthopedic Surgery & HSR	Co-PI/Co-Chair ABJHI Collaboration
Hawker, Dr. Gillian	University of Toronto	Rheumatology & Clinical Epidemiology	Co-Lead Projects 1 & 3
Lorenzetti, Ms. Diane	University of Calgary	Library Science	Search & Synthesis
Marshall, Dr. Deborah	University of Calgary	Decision Analysis & Preferences; Health Economics & HSR	Analytic expertise All projects
Noseworthy, Dr. Tom	University of Calgary	Medicine; HSR; Policy; Administration	Nominated Principal Applicant; Chair
Pascal-Pomey, Dr. Marie	University of Montreal	Public Health; HSR; Organizational Theory	Project Lead 4
Sanmartin, Dr. Claudia	Statistics Canada/ University of Calgary	HSR & PHR	Co-PI; Project Lead 1, Co-Lead
Spady, Dr. Barbara	University of Calgary	Social Sciences; Measurement & Evaluation	Project Lead 3 Measurement & Analysis
Weaver, Dr. Sherry	University of Calgary/ University of Toronto	Business/Operations Research	Queue Management; Simulation; Scheduling

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Dr. Tom Noseworthy (Chair), Professor and Head, Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; Dr. Carolyn De Coster, Senior Researcher, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, Winnipeg, Manitoba and Primary Care Project Coordinator, Western Canada Waiting List Project, Calgary, Alberta; Ms. Lauren Donnelly, Executive Director, Acute and Emergency Services Branch, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, Saskatchewan; Ms. Patricia Hosang, Executive Director, Urban Regional Support Services, Manitoba Health, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Dr. Isra Levy, Director, Office of Public Health, Canadian Medical Association, Ottawa, Ontario; Ms. Diane Lugsdin, Manager, Acute Care and Technology Unit, Health Services Division, Health Policy and Communications Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; Dr. Barry Maber, Physician Vice President, Saskatoon Health Region, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Mr. John McGurran, Project Director, Western Canada Waiting List Project, Calgary, Alberta and Lecturer, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario; Ms. Kathleen Ness, Director, Clinical Performance, Information, Research, Capital Health, Edmonton, Alberta; Mr. Darrell Thomson, Special Advisor to the Executive Director and Board, British Columbia Medical Association, Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Dr. Tom Noseworthy (Chair), Professor and Head, Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; Dr. Morris L. Barer, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research and Professor, Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia; Dr. Charlyn Black, Director, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia; Ms. Lauren Donnelly, Executive Director, Acute and Emergency Services Branch, Saskatchewan Health, Regina, Saskatchewan; Dr. David Hadorn, Research Director, Western Canada Waiting List Project, Calgary, Alberta; Dr. Isra Levy, Director, Office of Public Health, Canadian Medical Association, Ottawa, Ontario; Mr. Steven Lewis, Partner, Access Consulting, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Mr. John McGurran, Director, Western Canada Waiting List Project, Calgary, Alberta and Lecturer, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, British Columbia; Dr. Sam Sheps, Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia; Dr. Mark C. Taylor, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Mr. Laurie Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Health Services Utilization and Research Commission, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Mr. Darrell Thomson, Special Advisor to the Executive Director and Board, British Columbia Medical Association, Vancouver, British Columbia; Ms. Barbara Young, Regional Utilization Consultant, Clinical Evaluation Services, Calgary Health Region, Calgary, Alberta.

Staff: Lynda Loucks, Allan Hennigar, Ray Naden, Lucy Frankel, Dawn Stacey

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