Nearly 500 healthcare teams across Canada are working together to make healthcare better for at least one million people across the country.
Care Forward is a pan-Canadian movement to expand access to care, enhance integration and deliver lasting improvements in health outcomes by sharing knowledge and applying proven approaches. From rural communities to urban centres, teams are redesigning care to meet urgent health needs — such as easing pressure on emergency departments, supporting older adults to age where they call home and delivering more connected care across settings.
This work is supported by HEC and 35 partner organizations across Canada, all working together to deliver lasting improvements in healthcare.
A movement rooted in local action
This growing community includes nearly 500 teams building on local ideas and scaling those that work. Through opportunities such as Right Care Challenge, Enhancing Integrated Care, Primary Care Access Improvement, Paramedics and Social Prescribing and Sparking Change in the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics – Care Forward teams are taking action to make care better for more people.
“Care Forward is about improving care today and the foundations for excellence tomorrow. Inspired by global approaches and experiences across Canada, we’re combining practical, proven models that help address urgent priorities while strengthening the systems behind them. The goal: better care now, and a stronger tomorrow.” – Jennifer Zelmer, President and CEO, Healthcare Excellence Canada. (Excerpt from Care Forward: A Pan-Canadian Movement Rooted in Local Action blog.)
Whether helping patients access primary care, enabling older adults to age in place, or building stronger links between paramedics and social supports — teams are addressing real needs in measurable, meaningful and sustainable ways.
And they aren’t doing it alone. This work is supported by a pan-Canadian network of supporting organizations, peer learning opportunities, funding and resources that help amplify success and spark new ideas.
Join the movement for safe, high-quality care today
There are still plenty of ways healthcare teams and leaders can get involved in Care Forward. Whether you’re ready to lead change or looking to learn from others, there’s a place for you.
- Right Care Challenge: Bring your best ideas to improve access to care and ease pressures on emergency departments. Registration closes October 31, 2025.
- Enhancing Integrated Care: Strengthen team-based primary care models, including virtual care, to provide more coordinated, patient-centred care. Apply by October 31, 2025.
- Sparking Change in the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics: Advance person-centred care through appropriate antipsychotic use. Registration closes October 1, 2025.
More about Care Forward and our priorities
Care Forward is part of a broader suite of HEC work aimed at supporting care closer to home and community with safe transitions, the care of older adults with health and social needs and health workforce retention and support. It also aligns with the federal, provincial and territorial government’s efforts to improve healthcare for people across Canada.
Launched in 2021, HEC brings together the Canadian Patient Safety Institute and Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. We are an independent, not-for-profit charity funded primarily by Health Canada.
Explore the teams participating in Care Forward and learn more about how we’re improving care together.
Contact:
Katrina King
Director, Communications & Marketing
Healthcare Excellence Canada
Katrina.King@hec-esc.ca
