Regional Covid-19 Resources and On Reserve Stats by Region Below: |
TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2019 – Canada’s and Ontario’s universal, publicly funded health system is the envy for many in the world. Yet, we can and must do better.
Indeed, every day in Ontario, patients suffer because our health-care system is slow and unco-ordinated. Many of these problems are highlighted in Hallway Health Care: A System Under Strain, the first report released by Rueben Devlin, who chairs the Premier’s Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine.
“No one knows these problems better than frontline nurses, and no organization has been so out front in seeking evidenced-based solutions as the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), which represents more than 42,000 registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NP) and nursing students,” says RNAO president Angela Cooper Braithwaite.
RNAO plays a critical role influencing public policy, most recently by persuading the Ontario government to preserve supervised injection services – now called Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) – which are needed in all communities across the province to save lives.
How can we make health care more efficient, coordinated and timely?
RNAO also recommends three additional critical changes. The first is that the province develop a provincial evidence-based human resource plan to align population needs with the full and expanded scopes of practice of all regulated health professionals. The second is to ensure Ontarians have a right to access their own health information/records. The third is that the government remembers that social and environmental factors determine our health, and cuts to these programs will result in people suffering and higher spending in health care.
“Ontarians deserve the very best health system; they own it and they pay for it though their taxes,” emphasizes RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun, adding that “we have much to be proud and also much work to do. Nurses deliver care that is effective and efficient. RNAO looks forward to working with the Ontario government to make reforms that speed access, improve care, make our system more seamless and efficient, and strengthen Medicare.”
RNAO is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses’ contribution to shaping the healthcare system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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To arrange an interview with a nurse, please contact:
Jonathan Sher
Senior Communications Officer and Writer
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)
Phone: (416) 599-1925 / 1-800-268-7199 ext. 250 (toll free)
Cell: (647) 217-2689
Email: [email protected]
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