The month of May marks many occasions, including National Physician's Day (May 1), Mental Health Week (May 1-May 7), National Nursing Week (May 8-14), as well as National Physiotherapy Month, and Speech and Hearing Month. It has been my pleasure to hear from constituents and organizations dedicated to raising health awareness, promoting programs, and celebrating the significant contributions that professionals within these fields make in our communities. A special shout out to all healthcare practitioners who are celebrating this month, and to the patients they serve!
Given this month's health focus, I have dedicated this update to sharing some recent federal news on health-related matters. This week, the federal government unveiled plans for the Canadian passport, and I have shared the details, along with some travel tips for Canadians travelling abroad.
Finally - I've included a video of my Member's Statement in the House of Commons this week - recognizing Classic Video's outstanding 35+ year run in our community.
May 12, 2023 | former site of St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital
I was very pleased to join MPP Ted Hsu and Mayor Bryan Paterson for a visit to the Providence Transitional Care Centre (PTCC) today. PTCC nurses welcomed us to celebrate and highlight a recent innovative pilot program – Transitions Home. The pilot program, which ran from January to April, saw dedicated nurses safely discharge 24 patients aged 64 to 98 who transitioned from hospital to home sooner with a comprehensive care plan, and were supported by the same allied health team for their home care. This event was organized by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) during National Nursing Week.
Universal, accessible, and publicly funded health care is a point of pride for Canadians. Better health care for Canadians means supporting our healthcare workers and ensuring patients receive timely access to health services they deserve.
As announced on February 7, the federal government will invest $196.1B over 10 years, including an immediate unconditional Canada Health Transfer (CHT) top-up to address pressures in pediatric hospitals, ERs, and reduce wait times.
Budget 2023 reiterated the federal government's commitment to timely access to a family health team or provider, having a sustainable health workforce, improving mental health services, ensuring patients have access to their own electronic health information, and helping Canadians age with dignity, closer to home.
Also outlined in Budget 2023, the Canadian Dental Care Plan will improve access to dental services for uninsured Canadians with family income of less than $90,000, with no co-pays for those with family incomes under $70,000.
By the end of 2023, the Canadian Dental Care Plan aims to cover Canadians under 18 years of age, seniors and persons with disabilities who meet the income criteria and do not have pre-existing coverage.
The Plan will further expand in 2025 to include all uninsured Canadians with family income under $90,000.00.
There has also been great progress on the enrollment for the Canada Dental Benefit (for eligible children under 12) – The Benefit have now helped over 280,000 children get brighter and healthier smiles!
Click below to learn more about the Canada Dental Benefit:
On March 27, Minister Duclos and Minister Bennett released the Model Practice Standard for MAID. The Model Practice Standard and accompanying documents will help clinicians align their practice with clear guidance and will assist regulators to ensure the protection of the public in the context of complex cases, including where the person’s sole underlying medical condition is a mental illness.
The Model Practice Standard is designed to ensure that MAID practice in Canada can operate in a consistent and safe manner across the country. The Model Practice Standard was developed by a task group of clinical, legal and regulatory experts in response to the first recommendation in the report of the Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness.
National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases
In Canada, one out of twelve people—many of whom are children—has a rare disease. There are thousands of different rare diseases that affect patients, their families and caregivers across the country. Unfortunately, treatments are only available for a small percentage of these conditions. Even when treatments that might dramatically improve the quality of a patient's life are available, they are often unaffordable and out of reach.
Canadian Passport - New Design and Online Renewals To Come
On Wednesday, Minister Fraser and Minister Gould unveiled the new Canadian passport design.
The Canadian passport is one of the most powerful and respected travel documents in the world. To maintain this reputation on the world stage, as well as protect Canadians safety and security, the Government of Canada has modernized the document with state-of-the-art security features. The new passport will start rolling out in summer. More details regarding the roll-out will be provided at a later date. The current passport remains secure and reliable, so Canadians with valid passports will not have to replace them when the new one is launched until their normal renewal date. And, starting this fall Canadians will be able to renew their passports online, including payment processing, and uploading their passport photo.
The Government of Canada offers Canadian citizens information on safe travel and provides consular assistance should they find themselves in trouble abroad.
This charter outlines important information about 1) Assisting Canadians Abroad; 2) Services to Canadian Citizens; 3) Travel Checklists for Canadians; 4) Consular Services Provided by the Government of Canada; and 5) Your Privacy.