Government & Policy

HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government is preparing an ambitious healthcare infrastructure plan that will add more beds, operating rooms and emergency departments across the Halifax Regional Municipality, but it comes without a final price tag or even a cost estimate. Read More

QUÉBEC CITY – The Quebec government presented the content of a bill to modernize access to patient health data. The plan is to be more transparent and better share information between health professionals. Bill 3, “An Act respecting health and social services information and amending various legislative provisions,” will let patients more easily consult their health file, know who had access to their information and decide if they want to share that information with other professionals. It is a slightly modified version of Bill 19, which was presented last year and died on the order paper before it could be adopted. Read More

VICTORIA – A review of British Columbia’s COVID-19 response released last week says despite being unprepared for the pandemic, the province showed “resilience, balance and nimbleness” during the emergency. That’s despite nearly 75 percent of the people surveyed as part of the independent review reporting they didn’t trust information coming from the government. Read More

EDMONTON – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (pictured) dismissed the board of the province’s health authority last week and replaced its members with a single administrator whose focus will be on developing a long-term plan for healthcare reform, improving ambulance response times and decreasing wait times for emergency rooms and surgeries. Read More

OTTAWA – Throughout the week of November 14, radiologists from across the country gathered in Ottawa to meet with Members of Parliament, Senators and government officials to reiterate their call for major federal investments to improve access to medical imaging in Canada. Read More

TORONTO – Digital Health Canada has unveiled the first phase of a new online resource of available provincial and territorial digital health strategies from across Canada. This free resource gives digital health professionals a single point of reference for access to regional strategic plans and priorities. Read More

ST. JOHN’S, NL – Proposed legislation to create a single health authority for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador was introduced earlier this month in the House of Assembly. If passed, the new Provincial Health Authority Act will facilitate the integration of the existing four health authorities and the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information (NLCHI) into one entity. Read More

TORONTO – The Ontario government, in partnership with Ontario Health, has approved three new Ontario Health Teams in Northern Ontario that will break down barriers in people’s healthcare to provide connected and more convenient care. Read More

VICTORIA – The B.C. government has announced dozens of measures designed to address critical staffing issues in the province’s healthcare system, which include expanding the roles of pharmacists and paramedics. Health Minister Adrian Dix (pictured) and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang unveiled the 70-point strategy last week, following months of growing concerns from doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. Read More