INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
CARES: a health and social services research network dedicated to rural and remote regions

The official launch and deployment of the CommunAutés Rurales et Éloignées en Santé (CARES) network took place on March 20 at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). Headed by Professor Cathy Vaillancourt of INRS, and co-directed by Benoît Barbeau of Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Martin Descarreaux of Université de Trois-Rivières (UQTR), and Marie-Hélène Morin of Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), the network's mission is to contribute to the well-being of communities by improving health, care, and social services, while preventing illness in these regions.   

"This is a Quebec health research network dedicated to the specific contexts and critical needs of rural and remote regions, which are too often ignored or forgotten. CARES is therefore of the utmost importance given the current inequity in the delivery of health care and social services in these regions," says Cathy Vaillancourt, professor at INRS and director of CARES network.  

"Health indicators for populations in rural and remote areas, such as life expectancy and the rate of occurrence of numerous pathologies and mental health issues, highlight a comparative disadvantage with urban and peri-urban regions," the researcher adds.   

Funded by Fonds de recherche du Québec - secteur Santé (FRQ-S) in partnership with Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to the tune of $4 million since April 2024, CARES is one of 15 specialized networks whose aim is to provide leadership that brings the Québec scientific community together and creates greater cohesion around targeted issues.  

"I am proud to see CARES among the specialized networks of Fonds de recherche du Québec. The CARES network is a direct response to an urgent need to better understand and support health in our rural and remote communities. The transformation of our health systems begins on the ground, with the people who make a difference every day: researchers, stakeholders from the client and practitioner environments as well as the general public," says Carole Jabet, PhD, Vice-President, Research, Scientific Director, Director of Oncopole, Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé

CARES relies on innovative approaches to scientific research, training, and events, anchored in solid local partnerships with community, clinical, and practice environments such as care, rehabilitation, and mental health centres. The creation of working groups to pool local expertise will enable us to focus on topics such as northern health, global health in remote regions, aboriginal health, and trajectories of care and services for vulnerable populations in rural and remote areas.  

"Thanks to the anchor points offered by institutions in the Université du Québec network and their partners in Québec universities, the CARES network aims to create conditions favourable to the training of qualified personnel in the regions and thus improve the quality of care and services offered throughout the territory," says Alexandre Cloutier, President of UQ.

"We are convinced that the CARES network, with its interdisciplinary approach to research and close collaboration with partners, will meet the unique challenges of rural and remote communities and improve the quality of life of Quebecers," adds Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Director General of INRS.