As Canada reflects on the sustainability of a publicly funded system that must respond to the challenges of an aging population, the importance of reducing low-value care becomes increasingly relevant.

The termination of the Quality Management Partnership at CCO shows that the government’s current priorities do not include improving the quality of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

In releasing its report last week, the Hoskins council took steps to ensure that adoption of pharmacare will be inevitable under a future Liberal majority or minority government.

Ontario needs innovation in cost-effective care that improves patient outcomes and experience. Health TAPESTRY meets all of these requirements. If its evaluation remains positive, expect the program to scale across the province and nation.

The next two or three years will determine whether CEOs of super agencies can lead provincial health systems better than ministers and ministries. Progress in Ontario will be watched carefully.

Canadians who are committed to publicly funded healthcare need to know that they have opponents that will use consumer dissatisfaction to suggest that private payment is required in our health systems. 

Eighteen years ago, six Ontarians died from the contaminated water tragedy in Walkerton. This sad episode in our public health history was caused by improper chlorination practices undertaken by employees of the local water utility.