Building the Health Infrastructure of Tomorrow

COVID-19 update

For information on our activities related to COVID-19, please visit our page Mobilizing to respond to COVID-19

Modern society depends on robust and resilient critical infrastructure. Our health system relies on energy, water, transport, information and communications technology, and other services, just as those sectors depend on essential services from health organizations and providers. Interdependencies within and between sectors are becoming increasingly complex. The rate and severity of natural disasters is also increasing, as is our overall connectivity and dependence on information and communication technologies.

Understanding and mitigating risks posed by potential hazards is essential to the resilience of our critical infrastructure. This requires an integrated perspective since vulnerabilities in one area can have cascading effects across organizational boundaries, sectors, and borders.

Our Clarion Call

For the last decade, Canadian hospitals and healthcare institutions have been excluded from federal infrastructure funding, even as they have been transforming to meet the evolving needs of patients. If Canada is to continue providing safe, innovative, high-quality healthcare for its citizens, we must update and upgrade our aging hospital infrastructure.

Action Needed

Allow healthcare organizations to apply directly for federal infrastructure, innovation, and research funding support, per FINA’s recommendation in 2017.

Hazards of aging health infrastructure

Weakened Disaster Responsiveness

Decreased ability to respond to disasters (e.g. extreme weather)

Risks to Patient Safety

Increased probability of accidents or hazards (e.g. hospital-acquired infections)

Costs to the Environment

Inability to deploy clean energy solutions

Green Health Infrastructure

Green is Green

Improving the Health, Economic and Environmental Impact, Resilience and Sustainability of Canada’s Hospitals through Green Infrastructure

It is estimated that Canadian hospitals account for 8% of public green-house gas emissions and 11% of total public energy consumption. We believe it is time for Canada to join the movement and include hospital considerations in its sustainable development, green infrastructure and climate change agenda.

Deferred Maintenance

Hospitals Building Healthier Communities

Investing Today to Meet the Needs of Tomorrow

With an economy in a state of flux and rising unemployment rates, hospitals provide much needed economic support and stability to communities across Canada. In many communities, a hospital may be the largest employer and can become an integrated part of the community’s framework. HealthCareCAN members alone employ over 600,000 Canadians. However, the state of infrastructure in our country is preventing our research hospitals from performing these essential roles.

Deferred Hospital Maintenance

There is More to ‘a Building’ than Building it

Review the evidence of deferred maintenance in Canadian hospitals and find out what deferred maintenance is, why it’s important, and what needs to be done about it.

June 25, 2020

HealthCareCAN advocates for Health Research at HoC Finance commitee meeting

May 21, 2020

Entrevue avec Paul-Émile Cloutier : En 2006, le Canada avait un plan en cas de pandémie. Que s'est-il passé? (French)

April 9, 2020

COVID-19: Interview with our President & CEO, Paul-Émile Cloutier on health system preparedness

CBC News - The Current | March 16, 2020

First Ministers must come together on plan for Canada’s health system

HealthCareCAN Press Release | March 12, 2020

If the coronavirus escalates further, would Canada’s hospitals be able to handle an influx of people? - An interview with our President & CEO, Paul-Émile Cloutier

March 11, 2020

Coronavirus could infect 35 to 70 per cent of Canadians, experts say