HealthCareCAN eagerly awaited concrete outcomes on health system improvement from yesterday’s Council of the Federation Health Summit. While we are heartened that climate change and infrastructure – important challenges facing both people and health systems across Canada – were discussed, the lack of forward movement to address the many urgent and complex challenges that patients, healthcare workers, and healthcare organizations are facing right now is disappointing.
Following all that health systems have weathered in the last few years, people across the country are demanding that their government leaders at all levels work together to implement transformative solutions stemming from radical thinking that will get them the care they need, when and where they need it.
Now is the time for action.
HealthCareCAN has provided clear, strategic, short-term solutions that could and should be urgently implemented to strengthen health systems, support overextended healthcare workers and organizations, and ensure that people across Canada have access to high-quality care. Governments at all levels must:
- Increase investments to support health researchers who are conducting groundbreaking research to discover innovations that will improve healthcare delivery and health outcomes.
- Better support graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to ensure Canada has the highly qualified personnel it needs to support its knowledge economy and compete globally.
- Provide direct funding to healthcare organizations who are at the frontlines of implementing innovative approaches to address health workforce challenges and support all types of healthcare workers who have been bolstering health systems for far too long.
- Significantly invest in health system infrastructure to enable healthcare organizations to carry out overdue maintenance, upgrades, and new builds to ensure modern, equitable, climate resilient health systems for people across Canada.
We know that the path forward for transformation will not be easy. Healthcare professionals are ready to do their part and we urge government leaders at all levels to work together to immediately implement these solutions – including as part of the much-awaited provincial and territorial health action plans – and deliver health systems that work for patients, healthcare workers, and healthcare organizations. Canadians deserve more than words…they need a solid commitment.
Paul-Émile Cloutier
President & CEO
