July 12, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – HealthCareCAN is deeply disappointed that the Premiers have not released their action plan detailing how they are going to spend the financial investment received via the latest First Minister’s meeting. We would have expected that the leaders to begin the discussion on how they plan to approach that transformation of our system so that healthcare is delivered in a way that meets the needs of all people across Canada. Such has not been the case.
With healthcare workforce shortages plaguing every corner of the country, an action plan that includes measures, targets, and timelines for improving the state of our healthcare system, and prioritizes enhancing timely access to primary care, to home and community care, and to long-term care is critical to ensuring that emergency departments do not continue to be the failing stopgap of the system.
When it comes to healthcare, we need to think differently. Canada must break down the silos in our health system, adjust our delivery models, modernize physical and digital infrastructure, and support a better flow of data, and resources across institutions and jurisdictions.
These are long-standing challenges, most of which predate COVID-19, but the pandemic served to underscore the pressing need for change, and showed the ambitious goals that governments can achieve when motivated to do so.
A pan-Canadian approach is required to address these challenges, pulling the best methods and ideas from all jurisdictions to create a health system that truly works for patients, providers, and the country as a whole.
We recognize that healthcare is a complex policy area, and support the suggestion of having an urgently needed Health Summit in 2023 as a way to address our system transformation. To be effective, this exercise would need to bring patients and healthcare provides to the table.
HealthCareCAN will continue to press for concerted political action to shore up the health system and to support those working so hard to provide the care Canadians need. Our work has only begun.
Paul-Émile Cloutier
President and CEO
HealthCareCAN is the national voice of healthcare organizations, hospitals and health research institutions across Canada. We foster informed and continuous, results-oriented discovery and innovation across the continuum of healthcare.
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Media contact: Alexandria Rowe, Communications and Member Services
arowe@healthcarecan.dev2.inter-vision.ca
Cell: 613-220-1023
