2024-08-12

Map #1: Feeling the pulse of the Fragmented Healthcare System (2024)

Anupama Krishnan, Laura Marín Hurtado, María Sanz de Santamaría, Nadia Tabassum and Yaw Sarkodie

The primary healthcare system in Ontario is a wicked problem that many before us have tried to understand and tackle and there is certainly not a one-size-fits-all solution. This project taught us about the intertwined complexities of the system and the role that the different actors play plus the policies involved that greatly impact the decisions that are made for the greater system. Our proposed intervention points would help serve the primary healthcare system greatly, but we acknowledge that these have implications for other areas of care delivery, such as secondary and tertiary care for the residents of Ontario. Finally, we hope that this work inspires readers to empathize with the people who work in the healthcare system, to those that are trying to make change and to all the unsung heroes that, despite the challenges, care for us.

Map #2: Why is menstrual care neglected, and how does this impact Canadians seeking care? (2024)

Aliya Ahmed-Mohamoud, Sara Blanke, Maria Luisa Cascelli

Monthly, menstruation impacts 1.8 billion people worldwide. At any given point, each day, 26% of the global population is menstruating. However, menstrual care still remains heavily influenced by stigma and taboo. In Canada, 61% of menstruators experience menstrual pain, yet only 25% feel comfortable openly discussing  their period with others. 

For some, this pain is so severe that it affects their mental health, ability to work, to go to school and their social and family relationships. Choosing to seek medical assistance is the first step in their menstrual journey, but they face multiple barriers navigating within and outside the medical system.

So, what gets in the way of someone looking for menstrual care in Canada? Our synthesis map explores the complex factors that lead to or reinforce menstrual neglect in Canada.

Map #3: The Tale of Two Cities: Building Bridges (2023)

Jennifer Murphy, Cheryl Green, Rose Bianchin

How might we bridge the disconnection between the undergraduate student experience and the rapid changes of industry in order to foster students' abilities to navigate complexity? On the horizon between the slow and steady city of Undergraduate Education and the rapidly changing city of Industry, a growing divide of disconnection must be bridged. While universities prioritize research and academic achievement, employers prioritize practical skills and job readiness. This mismatch between what students are taught in the classroom and the job readiness needed by employers is a complex challenge that Canada needs to address urgently.