HSPnet is one of several integrated strategies to address the significant health human resources issues facing British Columbia. In a July 2001 report, the Council of University Teaching Hospitals (now the BC Academic Health Council) identified three key issues:
- Shortages of health sciences professionals at the provincial, national and international level;
- Recruitment and retention of health professionals, especially in rural and urban areas;
- Increasing gaps between the practice- and job-readiness of new graduates.
The BC Ministry of Health Services provided one-time funding in 2001/02 to develop a province-wide system for coordinating and streamlining clinical placements, with the goal of providing data to support planning and efforts to build placement capacity. The funding was used to design and build HSPnet, which was launched in July 2003.
HSPnet has grown to serve over 1,200 users in six Canadian provinces, and is used by more than 20 different disciplines. The 100,000 placement request was entered this year, demonstrating the tremendous growth in adoption since the system was introduced. Canadian provinces are welcome to license HSPnet at no charge through the National HSPnet Alliance.
HSPnet operation and enhancement is managed by Roberts Hendrickson Consulting Inc., under contract to the BC Academic Health Council as service provider for the National Alliance.
The following documents provide background and history on HSPnet development:
Implementation of HSPnet across Western Canada and Discussion Paper for a Pan-Canadian Approach
Site Copyright, ©2002 - 2011 BC Academic Health Council,
Glossary, Feedback, Contact Us, NHASC Login, Français