Developing countries, particularly the fast-growing BRIC countries, are increasingly switching their focus from economic development to social welfare, of which public health insurance is an important component.

Currently, three major health care systems exist in OECD countries: National Health Service (NHS) in Nordic countries like Sweden and Norway and commonwealth countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia; Social Security system in continental Europe including France, Germany, Netherlands, and Austria; and Private Health Insurance in the United States.

This unique research project, undertaken by Master of Northern Governance and Development (MNGD) students, contributes significantly to our understanding of the North. The research focuses on community-based responses to rapid economic, social, and environmental changes and the development of the local capacity to respond. The analysis is collaborative, involving key stakeholders at the community and multi-community levels, and is informed by their values and interests.

The health system in Canada is increasingly recognized as a complex adaptive environment requiring system wide perspectives and approaches for improving outcomes. The World Health Organization has identified leadership as a key building block of systems change, yet evaluating the value of investment in leadership development is challenging. LEADS is an evidence-based leadership development framework offered through the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL), complemented by four 360 LEADS© self-assessment tools.

The research project will investigate agenda-setting processes in Brazil. It is intended to contribute to the studies in the field of public policies in Brazil, especially focused on agenda-setting, as well as for the analysis of processes of policy change related to changes in government priorities.

This project is comparing two systems of petroleum management between a province and its federal government by looking at two case studies: Alberta and Canada on the one hand, and Kurdistan and Iraq on the other. Alberta’s oil reserves are ranked third in the world and Iraq is the second largest crude oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Alberta’s management of petroleum resources is in harmony with the Canadian federal government because ownership and profit-sharing are both enshrined in the Canadian Constitution.

Elder financial abuse is a nation-wide problem that affects banks and investment firms. Many experts recognize that a large number of these elder financial abuse cases involve power of attorney arrangements (Sasha Angus, personal communication, July 2013). Ambiguity exists regarding the role of banks and financial institutions regarding this problem. OBSI regularly encounters these types  of financial abuse cases involving power of attorney arrangements.

This project focuses on identifying models of care that improve patient outcomes while reducing costs on the system. The project, in partnership with a large pharmaceutical company, evaluates the economic burden of Alzheimer’s in Ontario, looking at the current utilization, costs and scope of home care services, the gaps in service, the reliance on alternative sources (privately or NGO funded) of support for individuals, budget planning and home care management related to Alzheimer’s care from the perspective of families and the health system more broadly.