‘Breathing New Life’: Schulich hosts international asthma summit

The Asthma Society of Canada and the Schulich School of Business at York University will host a special conference, June 12-14, on the economics of asthma control in Canada, titled “Asthma: Breathing New Life into Patients, Policies and Programs”.

Right: From left, conference co-chairs Dr. Mark Greenwald, vice-president of the Asthma Society of Canada, and H. Ian Macdonald, York president emeritus and professor of economics and public policy at Schulich

This groundbreaking international summit brings together global experts in the fields of asthma and health economics to explore the economic burden of asthma and to help build the business case for effective asthma control in Canada.

Conference organizers hope it will lay the foundation for a critically needed national asthma management strategy that can be implemented by Canada’s leading health-oriented decision makers.

During the conference, participants will examine the current asthma care system in an effort to explain why it is not delivering much-needed services and support to Canadians. Participants will explore how resources are currently allocated and how Canada’s health-care system must be reconfigured in order to move three million Canadians into asthma-managed status and to assist employers in reducing their asthma related costs. Participants will draw on international best practices and existing economic models to develop a series of recommendations for Canada on how a leading economic model can be used to improve our understanding of the true cost of asthma.

The conference begins in the Seymour Schulich Buiilding with a reception on Sunday and continues Monday from 9am until 8pm and Tuesday from 9am until 5pm.

The conference co-chairs are H. Ian Macdonald, York president emeritus and professor emeritus in economics and public policy at Schulich, and Dr. Mark Greenwald, associate professor at the University of Toronto and vice-president and Chair of the scientific and medical advisory committee of the Asthma Society of Canada.

A joint venture between the Asthma Society of Canada and Schulich’s Public Management Program, the conference brings together senior elected officials, public servants from multiple levels of government, representatives from the private sector and international health policy experts. Participants will join together to develop a series of recommendations on how a leading economic model can be used to improve our understanding of the true cost of asthma.

“Schulich’s great reputation and first class amenities make it an ideal facility for the upcoming conference. The Asthma Society is honoured to be partnering with such a well-respected institution and is very pleased to be sponsoring the forthcoming summit,” said Greenwald, in a letter to conference participants.

The conference will look at many aspects of asthma care including costs, how other jurisdictions invest in asthma management and prevention, and what gaps there are in knowledge of asthma care.

Speakers scheduled to make presentations over the two days of the conference include, Dr. David Butler-Jones (right), Canada’s chief public health officer; and Schulich faculty members Theodore Peridis (middle right), professor of strategic management and co-director of the York Consulting Group, and Brenda J. Zimmerman (far right), professor of strategic management and director of Schulich’s Health Industry Management Program. Other speakers include George Smitherman, Ontario’s minister of health & long-term care, and Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s minister of state (public health).

For complete program details including biographies on all 13 speakers, visit the Asthma Economics Conference Web site.