PEI health system capacity study being commissioned to integrate UPEI medical students
The University of Prince Edward Island and Health PEI are inviting consultants to submit proposals to assess and analyze PEI’s health system capacity to integrate medical learners from the University of Prince Edward Island’s Faculty of Medicine. The new Faculty, which was announced in October 2021, will be offering a joint doctor of medicine degree with partner Memorial University.
The request for proposals (RFP) for “Consulting on the Health System Capacity Assessment and Analysis” was developed jointly by UPEI and Health PEI, in consultation with the Medical Society of Prince Edward Island (MSPEI), Department of Health and Wellness, and Memorial University, and was issued on the province’s tendering platform last week. The RFP closes February 17, 2023, at 2:00 pm Atlantic time.
“This vital project has resulted from the collaborative efforts of the strategic health system integration committee, which was established last year,” said Dr. Greg Keefe, UPEI’s interim president and vice-chancellor. The committee is made up of senior officials from the provincial departments of Health and Wellness and Education and Lifelong Learning, Health PEI, Medical Society of PEI, Memorial, and UPEI.
While it will be several years before UPEI Faculty of Medicine students enter clerkships or residencies, the goal of the project is to map out a comprehensive, phased plan to implement undergraduate and post-graduate medical education at UPEI and any necessary supports provided by the PEI health system, University, and others.
“A medical school at the University of Prince Edward Island has the potential to be extremely beneficial to PEI,” said Dr. Michael Gardam, chief executive officer at Health PEI. “To be successful, we need to ensure that the health system across PEI has capacity to be part of the learning experiences for these future doctors. This assessment project will provide us with the foundational information and tools we need to establish and then work towards building this capacity.”
MSPEI also supports the initiative. “The Medical Society of PEI sees value in this work,” said Dr. Krista Cassell, president of MSPEI. “In order for this medical school to deliver the results we all want, we need to first understand and address the gaps and limitations in the health-care system. Top of mind for physicians is ensuring the physician workforce can support both our patient care needs along with new teaching responsibilities. This is new for our province, and we need to be thoughtful in how we introduce this, especially during a time where our health-care system and workforce is so fragile.”
The successful proponent/consultant will be asked to provide a detailed summary and analysis of medical education currently provided in PEI; an inventory analysis of physician resources and health system infrastructure; funding projections; and an assessment of the commitments and investments required to transition Health PEI to an academic health authority.
Dr. Keefe added, “We’re grateful to Government of PEI and our many partners for advancing the development of our joint UPEI-Memorial medical degree. In addition to medicine, UPEI is partnering on a number of long-term health education initiatives, for example in our Nursing, Nurse Practitioner and Doctor of Psychology programs, to be part of the long-term solution to overcome current health-care-system challenges on PEI.”
