Alongside these powerful advocates, Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel hosted a packed town hall. Like Erin, their aim was to make positive impacts on the delivery of health care in all corners of Canada. The session emphasized the importance of collaborative initiatives, team-based care, and innovative solutions to address the ongoing access crisis that affects many Canadians.
Participating in the discussion was Dr. Condé, a major force behind Forge’s creation, who encouraged everyone to remain deeply engaged. He discussed the need to improve the quality of health care. He raised the need to improve access. Importantly, this improvement serves not only those on the other side of town hall, but all Canadians. His sentiments are increasingly shared by health care professionals who believe that only systemic change will address the underlying issues.
Minister Michel emphasized the importance of her observation of many clinics across the country being able to successfully adopt different team-based care models. She conveyed her optimism for this new, collaborative approach as a way to create better quality care for patients.
“Access to primary care, family physicians, is my first priority,” – Minister Marjorie Michel
Dr. Burnell was strongly in favor of this shift. He went on to emphasize that all of us joining the town hall share a commitment to arriving at solutions that increase access to care. He pointed out that effective teamwork among various health professionals, nurses, physiotherapists, mental health experts, and social workers is essential for physicians to serve their communities more effectively.
“We have to work as a team…so that physicians are better able to serve their communities and provide service to a larger number of patients,” – Dr. Burnell
At the meeting, Munter lavished praise on Minister Michel’s positive outlook and her desire to work with other stakeholders in the health sector. The minister describes this sort of health care initiatives not as a cost or burden, but rather an “investment in growth.” This view of the collaborative process is reflective of a deep collaborative nature.
The town hall was a great opportunity to hear about some common priorities for addressing and improving Canada’s health care system. These include creating a centralized registry that allows physicians to practice across the country, reducing administrative paperwork, facilitating easier information sharing among health professionals, building a national workforce strategy, and prioritizing reconciliation in health care.
Minister Michel restated her belief in a willingness to implement new models of innovative care. She recognized that there is an access crisis and urged the need to be open-minded to look for other solutions besides the status quo.
“I think currently the access crisis is so serious that we must be open-minded to doing things differently,” – Minister Marjorie Michel
Dr. Burnell mentioned several proposals recently submitted by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) to modernize the health care system and enhance access throughout Canada. These recommendations match up nicely with the collaborative vision expressed during the town hall.
“Improving access to health care in this country is extremely important,” – Dr. Condé
