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History

IHE Timeline

1994 – The University of Alberta and the Government of Alberta establish a steering committee drawn from the universities of Alberta and Calgary, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, and the federal and provincial governments to explore the feasibility of creating an Alberta-based Institute of Pharmaco-Economics.
 
1995 – The Institute of Pharmaco-Economics (IPE) is established in September under the auspices of a unique collaborative arrangement among government, academia, and industry. The vision of the Institute is “to become a centre of excellence in the areas of health economics, health outcomes, and health policy research.”
 
IHE’s first Board Chair is the Rt. Hon. Don Mazankowski. The Institute’s first Executive Director and CEO is Dr. Devidas Menon.
 
1999 – In April 1999, the Board of Directors and Shareholders of the IPE approve a name change from the Institute of Pharmaco-Economics to the Institute of Health Economics. The new moniker reflects the organization's broad research mandate and speaks more clearly to the fact that IHE’s research touches on many aspects of the healthcare system.
 
2001 – The Board of Directors develops the first IHE strategic plan of the organization, identifying as a primary goal that the Institute play a leading role in health policy research and in influencing health policy development in Canada and internationally.
 
2003 – IHE is selected to host the 19th annual conference of the International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care.
 
IHE assumes the role of Secretariat for Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi), the only international professional society focusing specifically on HTA and embracing all those who engage in, and use it. This includes academic institutions, healthcare facilities, industry, business, the voluntary sector, and government.
 
IHE begins serving as Secretariat for the Canadian Association for Population Therapeutics, a society that explicitly recognizes the contributions industry makes to the field of population therapeutics.
 
2005 – The Institute marks its 10th anniversary by welcoming new Board Chair Dr. Lorne Tyrrell and appointing new Executive Director and CEO, Prof. Egon Jonsson.
 
Under the direction of Prof. Jonsson, IHE develops a 10-point strategic plan to focus the organization on being more policy-oriented.
 
IHE becomes the host editorial office for the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, with Prof. Jonsson as the publication's co-editor.
 
2006 – IHE takes over the provincial health technology assessment function with the consolidation of the HTA units of the Institute and of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
 
IHE holds its first Consensus Development Conference, focusing on Self-Monitoring in Diabetes.
 
2007 – IHE's growth continues, tripling 2004 levels to reach more than 30 research and administrative staff members.
 
The Institute's research staff produce a record number of publications in the new IHE Report format.
 
IHE holds its second Consensus Development Conference, this one on Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies: How to Prevent Low Birth Weight.
 
2008 – IHE embarks on the development of a new strategic plan with six key areas of focus:

  • Health economics;
  • Health technology assessment;
  • Knowledge transfer and dissemination;
  • Special evaluation projects;
  • Key partnerships; and,
  • Capacity building.

IHE launches a new book series through Wiley, a leading global publisher focused on scientific and technical material. The Institute produces three volumes in 2008.
 
IHE assumes a stronger role as the provincial focus for HTA activities in Alberta.
 
The Institute continues as a member of HTAi, INAHTA, and the World Health Organization's Health Evidence Network.
 
IHE establishes a Decision Analytic Modelling Unit, which promotes the use, understanding, and integration of economic modelling techniques for healthcare professionals and organizations interested in the latest tools required to inform health policy-making.
 
IHE establishes an Economics of Mental Health Unit.

2009 – IHE hosts its third Consensus Development Conference, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Across the Lifespan, and continues to expand its knowledge dissemination role by developing and holding two Innovation Forums for Alberta decision-makers.