June 24, 2014
Toronto, ON
Check Against Delivery
Thank you for your interest in my meeting today with the newly created Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation.
Since I was appointed Minister of Health last year, I have travelled the country talking to Canadians--health professionals, public - and private-sector partners and other levels of government--about our healthcare system.
In the roundtables I have hosted, I have seen, first-hand, innovations taking place on the frontlines that have made us world leaders. I heard many ideas on how we can address some of the challenges we are facing as we strive to modernize our healthcare system.
I heard about the dedication and commitment of providers to ensuring the best care for their patients.
And let me say, we have a lot to be proud of as Canadians.
But I also heard concerns about how we will be able to address the needs of an aging population, worries about the impact of chronic conditions on healthcare and concerns about whether some new technologies were increasing the cost, but not the quality, of care.
I came away from those meetings struck by the policy imperative that - for providers, patients and their families - we can't just celebrate our strengths. We must also tackle our challenges head-on.
It is clear to me that when we speak about healthcare, we owe it to Canadians to consider its economics: how we finance, organize and deliver the quality care Canadians need.
Provincial and territorial governments across Canada face the common challenge of improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare, in a period characterized by slower economic growth, an aging population, growing chronic disease burden, and the proliferation of new technologies.
Real healthcare spending doubled in Canada between 1975 and 2011. Currently, Canada's total spending on healthcare stands at 11.2% of GDP, the fifth highest among OECD countries.
As noted in a 2013 article published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy, problems related to access, quality and equity of healthcare in Canada remain, despite the doubling of real healthcare spending between 1997 and 2011.
And with most provinces and territories already devoting upwards of 40% of their budget to healthcare, there is little room to increase healthcare funding without compromising other important public services.
As the federal Health Minister, I am committed to finding ways to harness the tremendous potential of innovation in healthcare, to make better use of our existing resources, and to achieve an efficient, more responsive and financially sustainable health system for the long term.
We know that more money is not the solution, so it is time to get innovative and ensure that our healthcare system continues to improve.
Last year, at the Canadian Medical Associations Annual General meeting, I gave my first keynote address as Health Minister. It was there I made it clear that innovation would be one of my priorities.
It was the Conference Board of Canada that stated that "The sustainability of Canada's public health-care system will depend in large part on innovations that can enhance the efficiency, safety, quality, and productivity of health and health-care services".
Today, I have invited you here to announce who will make up the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation and what their job in the year ahead will be.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. David Naylor has agreed to chair the panel.
Dr. Naylor, who is immediate past President and former Dean of Medicine at the University of Toronto, has extensive knowledge of, and experience in, healthcare innovation. He is a respected leader and health researcher, and founder of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
Among his contributions at the national level, Dr. Naylor chaired the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health in 2003, following the outbreak of SARS in Canada.
I'm also very happy to introduce the other members of this panel.
This is a who's-who of creative minds from a variety of sectors and backgrounds, selected for the broad range of perspectives and expertise they bring to this issue:
- Cy Frank, CEO of Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions and a practising orthopaedic surgeon. Dr Frank is a leading Canadian health researcher, former Executive Director of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Initiative and co-founder of TENET Medical Engineering;
- Neil Fraser, President of Medtronic, with a strong business and engineering background, who currently plays key roles in a number of Canadian organizations dedicated to health system improvement, including the Conference Board of Canada's Centre for the Advancement of Health Innovation; the Ivey International Centre for Health Innovation, and Ontario's Health Innovation Council;
- Francine Girard, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences at the University of Montreal, was a member of the Canadian Nurses Association's Expert Commission in 2012 and has provided leadership on nurse training and practice in Ontario and Alberta, as well as Quebec;
- Toby Jenkins, President of Columbia Developments with multi-faceted experience in the public, private and academic sectors, sits on the boards of TV Ontario and Canada Lands Company, and has extensive past involvement in the governance of healthcare organizations;
- Jack Mintz, an internationally recognized economist and tax expert, is Director of the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy and past president of the C.D. Howe Institute. He serves on the boards of Imperial Oil and Morneau Sheppell and is Chair of the Social Sciences and Humanties Research Council of Canada;
- Chris Power, is a committed senior healthcare executive with hands-on knowledge of the frontline delivery system. She began her career as a frontline nurse and is currently President of Capital Health, Nova Scotia's largest regional health authority, and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; and
- Heather Reisman - who unfortunately was not able to join us today - is the founder and head of Indigo and co-founder of the global e-reading company Kobo. One of Canada's most innovative business leaders and an expert in change management, she has served on the boards of numerous academic, healthcare and business institutions.
Over the course of the next year, this incredible group of people will give me advice about successful approaches to innovation here in Canada and elsewhere in the world.
They will explore what areas of innovation hold the most promise and advise how the federal government can help to foster and accelerate innovation in those areas.
The Panel's mandate, over the course of the next year, is to:
- Take a focused look at the many creative ideas and approaches that exist in Canada and around the world;
- Identify those areas that hold the greatest promise for Canada; and
- Offer recommendations on how the federal government can support innovations in the areas identified.
Some of the guiding principles that will underpin the work of the panel are:
- Respect for federal and provincial/territorial roles in health;
- Respect for the core values set out in the Canada Health Act;
- A focus on evidence-based analysis; and
- Fiscal responsibility.
In order to be certain its work is well informed, I have asked the panel to consider a wide range of perspectives, including those from patients and consumers, innovators and entrepreneurs, key health system stakeholders, First Nations, businesses and their industry representatives.
The panel will meet with a variety of groups and listen to them - this will be an open process where all views are welcome.
The Canadian federation is unique. Respect for the leading role that provincial and territorial governments play in healthcare delivery, and an understanding of the kinds of contributions that we can make at the federal level, will be critical to the work of the panel.
And while the panel will focus its recommendations on potential federal actions, it will work closely with the provinces and territories throughout the process.
This work will complement efforts to improve provincial and territorial health systems.
It is my expectation that the panel will recommend ways the federal government can better align its efforts to foster and support areas of innovation that will improve the cost-effectiveness and quality of our healthcare system.
Before I close, I want to be clear; Our Government has been steadfast in its commitment to the core values set out in the Canada Health Act.
And of course, public, private and non-governmental organizations all contribute to innovation within Canada's healthcare system, while still respecting the core principles of the Act.
This can take so many shapes and forms, from industry partnering with the healthcare community to develop new health technologies or software programs, to doctors and other healthcare providers collaborating in new ways to provide integrated, patient centred care.
That's why I have engaged Canadians, including health professionals, patients and business leaders - on innovation.
And it is the reason that, I have struck the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation and they begin their work TODAY.
I look forward to an exciting year ahead, as Dr. Naylor and all of the panel members engage on this challenge.
I am confident they will be invaluable in guiding us toward a more financially sustainable, efficient and responsive healthcare system that meets the needs of Canadians now and in the future.
Thank you.
