Ontario in full support of feds' national health-care data push
Ontario in full support of feds' national health-care data push
Ontario fully supports the federal government's push to make health-care funding contingent on data reporting, the province said Thursday as it announced a plan to boost access to primary care doctors.
Provincial and territorial premiers are set to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau next week to hash out a deal on the Canada Health Transfer.
The premiers want to see Ottawa cover 35 per cent of health-care costs across the country, up from the current 22 per cent. The prime minister has said the deal will come with strings attached, including sharing health data and outcomes for a national database.
"We've always been very open with our federal partners that if they need the data to prove that the $14 billion that we've invested since 2018 is improving our system and making it better, we're all in," said Health Minister Sylvia Jones.
The president of the Ontario Hospital Association said hospitals across the province already track more than 1,000 indicators that measure hospital performance.
"From a hospital point of view, there's no question that whatever the levels of government feel they need to monitor whatever investments are made, the hospital system can deliver," Anthony Dale said.
He called the potential influx of health-care dollars "an absolutely critical investment."
"These investments will help expand capacity in home care and long-term care where it is desperately needed and where we see an increasing number of patients present in hospitals because they can't access services outside of the hospital setting," Dale said.
The province spelled out its commitment to the data reporting in a 52-page document released by Jones that outlines Ontario's next phase in health reform.
"If we don't measure our performance, we can't fully see how gaps in service are affecting patient care and come up with solutions to fix them quickly," the document said.
"That's why Ontario is in full support of the federal government's call for national health-care data reporting as part of its funding partnership with provinces and territories."
In presenting the plan, Jones pledged shorter wait times for surgeries, emergency care and more support for mental health and addictions.
The province is investing $30 million to create 18 new primary care health teams, which could include doctors, nurses, social workers, pharmacists and others, she said.
Ontario will allow 1,200 physicians to join a family care team over the next two years.
"These family health organizations will be required to provide comprehensive primary care services, extended evening and weekend hours of practice and provide more weekend coverage so you can access a family physician when you need it," the province's plan said.
Jones said the new teams will "help bridge the gap in accessing primary care for the vulnerable, marginalized and unattached patients to ensure they are able to connect to care where and when they need it."
A study in the fall showed there are 1.8 million Ontarians without a family doctor and another 1.2 million Ontarians who have a doctor aged 65 or older.
Ontario also announced that this year it will launch a practice-ready assessment program for doctors, which the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has long urged, in order to more quickly register internationally educated physicians.
The province says the move will see at least 50 new doctors working in Ontario by 2024.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023.
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
A scientist at CAMH says video games have similar addictive features to gambling which cause social isolation of the individual and dependency on the activity.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
A coroner has denied a request from a former Toronto police officer to explore a theory that a distraught teen he shot was committing "suicide by cop."
Just a week after Airbnb tightened regulations for Quebec listings following a deadly fire, hosts may already be bending the rules. Airbnb now requires its hosts to provide a six-digit policy number with their listing, obtained when a tourist lodging is registered with the provincial government. But a scroll through the Airbnb website suggests users are falsifying their permit numbers to sneak past the authentication process.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
When the store manager at La Noisette Bakery arrived Thursday morning to open the small shop on Oxford Street, she discovered that one of the two large circular windows at the side of their building was shattered.
There are exciting plans for Knox Presbyterian Church in downtown Sudbury. Built in 1927, the former church was sold after its congregation dwindled and will be transformed into a concert hall.
The Windsor Police Service’s Arson Unit is asking for the public’s help identifying two suspects after police say they intentionally set fire to the former Mission Thrift Store.
Windsor police arrested a suspect Wednesday who allegedly broke into a local business earlier this week, and in a separate incident, violently beat a person leaving the victim with serious injuries.
Dog kennels are bursting at the seams as pet owners forced to give up their furry friends struggle with risings costs of living. Despite a rise in cat and kitten adoptions, dog adoptions are down by over 50 per cent.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
Gun policy comments made by then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki in a contentious call to Nova Scotia RCMP officers after the mass shooting in 2020 did not amount to political interference, the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) final report concludes.
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
Calgary police say a 31-year-old woman is charged with aggravated assault in connection with a stabbing that took place following a fight on an LRT platform.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation says the Vatican's rejection of a centuries-old doctrine that justified colonialism is going to change the public's perception of Canadian history.
A judge has acquitted a now-retired priest of forcing himself on a residential school student more than 50 years ago, saying she believes an assault happened but could not determine beyond a reasonable doubt who did it.
Police have released video of a suspected arsonist who allegedly caused thousands of dollars in smoke and water damage to a building in Vancouver's Chinatown last weekend.
B.C. Lottery Corporation says a Lotto 6/49 ticket that was purchased in North Vancouver was the only one in Canada that matched all six winning numbers in Wednesday night’s draw for the Classic Jackpot.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has yet to answer direct questions about a growing scandal of her alleged interference with the justice system, but her deputy premier has responded the media about the issue.
Just one point separates the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings before their game Thursday night, as the players size each other up for another possible playoff battle.
