Summary: ECRI has expanded its operations in Canada, establishing a licensed presence and increasing its team of healthcare experts in both eastern and western regions. This expansion continues ECRI’s two-decade partnerships with Canadian healthcare leaders, government agencies, and hospitals, providing data-driven insights to improve patient safety and healthcare efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

  • Expanded Canadian Presence: ECRI has strengthened its operations across Canada, adding experts in eastern and western regions to support local healthcare needs.
  • Support for Healthcare Challenges: ECRI collaborates with Canadian healthcare leaders to address workforce shortages, equitable access to care, and efficient use of resources.
  • Global Reach: Canada marks ECRI’s fifth international office, with the organization serving healthcare entities in over 70 countries worldwide.

ECRI has expanded operations in Canada, building on its 20-year history partnering with healthcare leaders in nearly every Canadian province. The nonprofit recently solidified its licensed operations in Canada and expanded its team of healthcare experts with a presence in eastern and western Canada.

Longstanding Partnerships in Canadian Healthcare

ECRI’s work in Canada has included longtime collaborations with government ministries of health, health authorities and their procurement agency, hospitals and associated agencies, and healthcare provider networks. In Ontario, ECRI partners with large integrated delivery networks and approximately 20 hospitals, health alliances, and health centers across the province.

“Expanding our footprint in Canada is an exciting milestone in our trajectory as an organization, as we continue scaling operations around the world,” said Marcus Schabacker, ECRI president and CEO. “The challenges our partners in Canada face are similar to those we are tackling elsewhere: balancing the growing demand for services with limited resources, navigating workforce shortages, improving equitable access to care, and maximizing the efficient and impactful use of Canadians’ healthcare tax dollars. We must collaborate to build a resilient healthcare system that meets the needs of every Canadian.”

Comprehensive Support to Canada

ECRI has provided healthcare leaders in Canada with data-driven insights in supply chain and spend management; clinical evidence assessments; forecasts on emerging medical technologies; and early alerts on malfunctioning medical devices along with their safer, functional equivalents. ECRI has supported Canadian healthcare providers through numerous trainings on improving patient safety, leading causal analysis, and mitigating risks identified in ECRI’s Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns of 2024.

Canada has become ECRI’s fifth international office location since its founding more than 60 years ago in Pennsylvania. ECRI serves healthcare entities in more than 70 countries across North America, the United Kingdom, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific region. In America, ECRI employees operate in 70% of the U.S. states. The nonprofit also operates independent medical device testing laboratories in Pennsylvania and Malaysia.