Organization

The multi-faceted nature of the Ontario Training Centre in Health Services and Policy Research (OTC) with a consortium approach, trans-disciplinary faculty, distance education opportunities, active decision maker involvement, array of educational offerings, and research and policy practica represents a unique organizational challenge.

It operates with an overall Director (OTC Director), six Site Directors (OTC Site Directors), a Program Manager, an Administrative Assistant, and a base budget administered centrally. 

The Centre is organized through a committee structure that addresses key areas of performance.  These committees are: the OTC Principals Group (that meets by teleconference once every three weeks between September and June and onsite once a year), the Curriculum Committee (which meets ad hoc to review academic requirements and offerings), the Site Directors Group (which meets ad hoc to address site related administrative matters), the Summer Institute Planning Committee (established each year to plan and design the annual summer institute at the host university), and the Admissions and Awards Committee (made up by OTC Principals at each site and which reviews applications for admission into the OTC at every site and then recommends local candidates for the approval of the OTC Principals Group). 

In the early stages of its development the OTC established a Local Planning Committee to assist with the initial configuration of the program at each site.

Since the OTC Program is an official program within particular academic departments at the participating universities (and is also approved by the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies –OCGS-), each site works very closely with the corresponding administrative officers at their schools (e.g., schools of graduate studies).

An Advisory Board is also in place to assist with the strategic direction and long-term sustainability of the centre.  Its membership includes three health services decision makers, two senior officers from participating universities, two student representatives (one from southern universities and one from northern universities), one alumnus, a community member, a representative from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF), the OTC Director (Ex-Officio), and the OTC Program Manager.

The current members* of the Board are:

• Susan Jakobsen (Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care)

• Patrice Sawyer (Laurentian University)
  
• Ron Pearlman (York University), Chair

• Sonja Glass (Grey Bruce Health Services)

• Karen Rebeiro-Gruhl (Laurentian University)
• Enette Pauzé (University of Toronto)

• Martha Paynter (OTC graduate from McMaster University)

• Erin Morrison (CHSRF)
• Alba DiCenso (OTC Director)
• Miguel A. Pérez (OTC Program Manager)

__________________________________
* Three positions are currently vacant