About WHIC

The Western Health Information Collaborative (WHIC) is a process initiated by the Western Premiers and Deputy Ministers of Health to explore collaborative opportunities with respect to health infostructure initiatives. This collaborative has explored common opportunities that meet western provinces and territories health information needs and support the strategic directions and initiatives for health infostructure at the national level. WHIC is basically about doing better together.

The WHIC process for project initiation and approval involves the following:

The first seven approved WHIC projects spanned the continuum of collaboration from knowledge sharing to joint development and even integration of staff or private sector partners. For each of the common opportunities, a lead jurisdiction was identified along with the immediate actions required to initiate the projects and to launch planning, design, development and implementation activities. In October 2001, the WHIC Leaders continued to support ten projects and recommended another project proceed through validation.

WHIC participants include British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, and key provincial infostructure initiatives including British Columbia's HealthNet, alberta wellnet, and Saskatchewan Health Information Network (SHIN). CIHI, Canada Health Infoway, WERC and CHII have participated as "ex-officio" members of the collaborative.