Letter from the President and Chief Executive Officer

I am pleased to present the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation's highlights and financials for 2008.

The Foundation has made great strides in the past 12 years in forging a well-earned international reputation for innovation, collaboration and leadership in promoting evidence-informed decision-making. Even so, there is still work to be done. The Canadian healthcare system is facing an increasing amount of scrutiny as it struggles with a volatile economic climate, an aging population, and a shrinking workforce. Now, perhaps more than ever, there is a need to implement effective strategies, and to adopt new ways of working and thinking.

The changing landscape of Canadian healthcare challenges the Foundation to maximize it resources, its creativity, and its contribution. We are grateful that the groundwork has been well-laid, sustained by the exemplary leadership and vision of Sister Elizabeth Davis and many others. Inspired by a renewed strategic direction, and supported by the continued energy and expertise of the Board of Trustees, our partners and our staff, the Foundation is well-positioned to confidently meet the challenges before us.

Maureen O'Neil
President and Chief Executive Officer