The Crichton
Health Systems
and Policy Learning Fund

The fund will honour Dr. Crichton’s commitment to improve BC and Canada’s healthcare systems. It will help the School of Population and Public Health fund an annual prize and virtual or in person lecture by an outstanding scholar, on the health system and policy challenges that remain key to health promotion and the prevention of illness.

Dr. Anne Crichton was a passionate health care advocate and Professor in the Department of Health Care and Epidemiology at UBC. She served as the Director of the Masters of Science (MSc) in Health Services Planning and Administration program and contributed tremendously to both the province and university with her forward-thinking perspective on health. Born in 1920 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Dr. Crichton had a distinguished career spanning several facets of public service. She was an educator and health policy Professor at UBC from 1969 until 1985, served on the Vancouver Regional Health Board, and published several books and numerous papers.

Dr. Crichton was an early advocate for community-based care models and educating future policy leaders on the importance of addressing socioeconomic determinants of health. Many of the concepts and models she supported nearly fifty years are increasingly relevant today. Her book, “Health Care: A Community Concern?” was a much-needed and early call for reform to a system that was “crisis-oriented,” where she supported health promotion, prevention, and community care.

While at UBC, Dr. Crichton worked alongside renowned health economist Lloyd Detwiller to develop the MSc in Health Services Planning and Administration program, with the goal of training future leaders in health care.

Dr. Crichton said, “[The MSc program] will train people who can anticipate and deal with the imminent changes in the delivery of health care. In effect, it will produce health statesmen.”

The Masters of Health Policy and Planning program evolved into the Master of Health Administration (MHA), a popular professional program for clinicians, managers and researchers who are seeking solutions to today’s complex health delivery issues.

Anne Crichton was committed to educating British Columbia’s future health leaders in evaluating the sensitive ethical questions embedded within health care delivery models, an issue that remains pertinent today. The research questions and policy perspectives championed by Dr. Crichton remain key to health care delivery and promotion today, especially as British Columbia seeks to improve the quality of life for an ageing population and manage complex challenges such as the global COVID-19 pandemic. Her vision to train the health leaders of tomorrow continues to be a priority for the SPPH and its graduates go on to lead health authorities, hospitals, corporations, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations across the province and globe.