Walter Wodchis
Walter Wodchis, PhD, is Professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto, Research Chair in Implementation and Evaluation Science and Senior Scientist at the Institute for Better Health (IBH), Trillium Health Partners, and Senior Adjunct Scientist at ICES. He is also co-lead for the International Foundation for Integrated care (IFIC) Canada.
An internationally recognized scientist in health economics, financing, health care policy evaluation and integrated care, Walter is leading research to understand and improve health system integration and performance. Through his research programs which include more than 30 collaborating researchers and as many trainees, Dr. Wodchis has developed research to understand the needs and care trajectories for individuals with high care costs and complex health needs, particularly those with multiple chronic conditions. He has led multiple local, national and international research programs to understand the implementation of integrated care programs to address those needs. At IBH, Wodchis is working to advance a Learning Health System.
As principal investigator for the Health System Performance Network (HSPN), Walter also leads a team of scientists and trainees responsible for provincial evaluations of integrated care programs in Ontario. Building on a recent 5-year international study on implementing integrated Care Of Adults with Complex Health needs (iCOACH), Dr. Wodchis and a national research team were awarded a three-year, three-province grant to study the development of interprofessional team-based primary health care in January 2022.
Past significant publications include quality of life measurement for older populations, incentives and government payment for physicians and long-term care including pay for performance, and the relationship between quality and cost.
He holds a Bachelor of Mathematics (Waterloo), Master’s in both Gerontology (Waterloo) and Economics (Michigan) and earned his doctorate in Health Services Organization and Policy (Health Economics) at the University of Michigan.