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The federal and provincial governments are investing $63 million to improve patient care in Saskatchewan.

The joint announcement was made in Saskatoon on Tuesday morning.

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The funding will be used to launch the Saskatchewan Centre of Patient-Oriented Research (SCPOR).

“I strongly believe that innovation is essential to improving health care,” federal Health Minister Jane Philpott said.

“Through initiatives such as the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research, we are promoting innovation which not only helps to strengthen and grow the middle class, but fosters collaboration, and helps ensure that we address the health care needs of people from Saskatchewan.”

SCPOR is a partnership of eight provincial organizations which will research ways to improve health care, with a focus on mental health and addictions.

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Part of the mandate of SCPOR is to provide guidance and support for researchers in indigenous health and empowering indigenous communities to be research partners.

“This major investment in patient-oriented research will improve the health and care of Saskatchewan people, and in particular will make a difference in indigenous communities by ensuring that they are part of the research planning from the start,” Peter Stoicheff, president of the University of Saskatchewan, said.

The centre will also collaborate with other provinces and territories to create a pan-Canadian platform for supporting patient-oriented research through the sharing of information and best practices.

“The investment we are making today will lead to real, tangible improvements in health care that will result in better health for patients, families, and communities across Saskatchewan,” Michel Perron, the vice-president of external affairs and business development with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, said in a statement.

“Research centres like this one in Saskatchewan are great examples of the power of harnessing partnerships to deliver patient-centered care to Canadians.”

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SCPOR’s main office will be located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon.

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