Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement

What Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement does

Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC), formerly the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, is a federally-funded non-profit organization formed in 2019 through the merger of the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI, founded 1996) and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI). Headquartered in Ottawa and operating pan-Canadian, HEC works with healthcare organizations, providers, Indigenous communities, patients, and policymakers to improve healthcare quality and safety across Canada. Its offerings are organized around three interconnected paths: spreading and scaling proven quality improvements, strengthening capability and collective leadership, and catalyzing policy and practice change.

HEC's core "products" are facilitated collaborative programs (Primary Care Access Improvement, Advancing Cultural Safety Together, Manitoba Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics in Long-Term Care Collaborative, Nursing Home Without Walls), self-directed e-learning modules, patient partnership and engagement programs, and an extensive resource library including the Health Equity Framework, case studies, promising practices, toolkits, on-demand webinars, and annual impact reports. The Care Forward movement, launched in spring 2025, is the organization's flagship pan-Canadian initiative targeting improved care for at least one million people. Underlying technology is a healthcare improvement methodology combining evidence-based practices, lived experience, and system leadership, delivered through web and email channels rather than a proprietary software platform.

HEC operates as a non-profit funded primarily through Government of Canada grants and partnerships, with a recent $3M investment in 2026 for primary care research. The organization does not charge healthcare organizations directly for participation in its programs. With 11-50 employees and a board-level governance structure, HEC delivers value through convening power, content production, and collaborative networks rather than commercial revenue generation.

Name

Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement

Legal name

Healthcare Excellence Canada

Website

https://cfhi-fcass.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Healthcare Excellence Canada (formerly Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement) is a federally-funded Ottawa-based non-profit that delivers facilitated programs, e-learning, and resources to improve healthcare quality and safety across Canada, serving hospitals, long-term care, primary care, Indigenous communities, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Quality Improvement Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care (BPAGACAH)

Keywords

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Patient safety programs
• Patient partnership engagement
• Healthcare collaboratives
• Healthcare e-learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Grant Funding: As a healthcare improvement organization, HEC operates as a non-profit entity funded primarily through government grants and partnerships rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Healthcare Excellence Canada delivers facilitated programs, e-learning modules, and patient partnership and engagement initiatives that spread and scale evidence-based improvements to healthcare quality and safety across Canada. It connects teams, shares knowledge, and supports adaptation of proven approaches across diverse healthcare contexts through national and regional collaboratives, complemented by a resource library of case studies, guides, toolkits, frameworks, on-demand webinars, and reports.

Product overview

Healthcare Excellence Canada (formerly Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement) operates as a healthcare quality and safety improvement organization, not a traditional software product company. Its offering consists of facilitated programs, e-learning modules, and resource libraries delivered through a web platform. The core programs include Facilitated Programs (collaboratives connecting teams across Canada), E-Learning (online training), and Patient Partnership and Engagement initiatives. Major named programs include Care Forward (a pan-Canadian movement launched in 2025 targeting one million people), Advancing Cultural Safety Together, Primary Care Access Improvement, Manitoba Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics in Long-Term Care Collaborative, and Nursing Home Without Walls. These are supported by resources including guides, toolkits, frameworks, on-demand webinars, case studies, and reports. The organization focuses on three interconnected paths: spreading and scaling quality improvements, strengthening capacity and collective leadership, and catalyzing policy and practice change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Care Forward: A pan-Canadian movement connecting changemakers across the country to share knowledge, apply proven approaches and improve healthcare quality and safety for more people

Products and services

• Facilitated Programs Structured collaborative programs in which Healthcare Excellence Canada connects healthcare teams, shares knowledge, and supports adaptation of quality and safety improvements across diverse healthcare contexts. Offered to hospitals, long-term care facilities, primary care practices, and healthcare systems across Canada.
• E-Learning Self-directed online educational modules and training designed to build capability and sustain improvement in healthcare quality and safety among healthcare teams and leaders. Offered at no direct cost to participants.
• Patient Partnership and Engagement Programs and resources focused on involving patients as partners in healthcare improvement and engagement activities. Designed for patient partners, healthcare organizations, and Indigenous communities across Canada.
• Advancing Cultural Safety Together A facilitated program advancing cultural safety in healthcare delivery for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations. Designed for Indigenous communities, healthcare providers, and healthcare organizations.
• Manitoba Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics in Long-Term Care Collaborative A collaborative initiative working with long-term care providers in Manitoba to improve the appropriate use of antipsychotics in long-term care settings.
• Primary Care Access Improvement A facilitated program aimed at improving access to primary care services across Canada. Designed for primary care practices and healthcare systems.
• Care Forward A pan-Canadian movement connecting changemakers to share knowledge and apply proven approaches to improve healthcare quality and safety for at least one million people across Canada. Includes dedicated programming and resources.
• Nursing Home Without Walls A program spreading across Canada to help older adults age where they call home, reducing reliance on institutional care.
• Guides, Toolkits & Frameworks Practical resources including the Health Equity Framework and other guidance materials to support healthcare improvement initiatives for healthcare teams and leaders.
• On-demand Webinars Recorded webinar content and materials from past events and learning opportunities for healthcare professionals.
• Case Studies and Promising Practices Documented case studies and promising practices showcasing successful healthcare quality and safety improvements.
• Reports Published reports including the annual impact report and the truth and reconciliation action plan annual report, supporting transparency and knowledge sharing in healthcare improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Five years of impact improving quality and safety of care across Canada
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Scottish Patient Safety Programme (Healthcare Improvement Scotland): Healthcare Improvement Scotland leads national quality improvement and patient safety programs, including the long-running Scottish Patient Safety Programme. Comparable as a national-level improvement body using facilitated collaboratives.
• BC Patient Safety & Quality Council: The BC PSQC provides leadership and coordination for quality and patient safety improvement across British Columbia, sharing HEC's focus on capability building, patient engagement, and system-level improvement.
• Health Quality Ontario (now part of Ontario Health): Ontario Health's Quality division drives healthcare quality improvement across Ontario through evidence-based standards, practice reports, and clinician engagement. It is a strong provincial-level counterpart to HEC's pan-Canadian improvement work.
• Saskatchewan Health Quality Council: HQC works with Saskatchewan patients, providers, and policymakers to improve healthcare quality and safety through measurement, public reporting, and improvement initiatives — a regional peer doing analogous quality improvement work within a single province.

Broad incumbents

• Accreditation Canada: Accreditation Canada is a national independent not-for-profit that assesses healthcare organizations against quality and safety standards. It complements HEC's improvement mission with an accreditation lens.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): AHRQ is a US federal agency that funds research to improve healthcare quality, safety, and effectiveness. Comparable as a publicly funded national organization focused on healthcare improvement evidence and dissemination.
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): NICE is the UK's national body producing evidence-based guidance, standards, and quality frameworks for health and social care. Comparable to HEC's evidence-based improvement work, with a stronger standards-setting mandate.
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care: This Australian national body leads healthcare safety and quality improvement nationally through standards, programs, and data analytics. An international counterpart to HEC's national quality mandate.

Others

• National Quality Forum (NQF): NQF is a US-based consensus standards organization that drives measurable health improvements through endorsement of quality measures. Comparable to HEC's evidence-based frameworks and quality measurement work.

Direct peers

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI): IHI is a globally recognized healthcare quality improvement organization that uses evidence-based methodologies, collaboratives, and learning networks to improve care delivery. It is directly comparable to HEC in mission, methodology (facilitated programs, capability building), and target audience (healthcare leaders and providers).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HealthExcellence
• Facebookfacebook.com/HealthcareExcellenceCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-foundation-for-healthcare-improvement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement