It was the early days of this November when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took an oath and named his new 31-member cabinet, including Dr. Jane Philpott as Minister of Health. According to a news published in the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) for registered nurses, the organization welcomes the minister and envision collaborating with the new health minister on healthy public policy.
As per the CNA president Karima Velji – “Dr. Jane Philpott’s background in family medicine suggests she has a deep understanding of the primary health care approach, an approach that needs to be enhanced in Canada to meet the needs of today’s population. As the founder of the Health for All Family Health Team in Markham Stouffville, advanced inter professional collaboration, health promotion and disease prevention, and more community-based care — approaches we hope to see more employment across the country.”
From her time spent in Niger developing a training program for local health workers to her master’s degree in public health, Dr. Jane Philpott’s experience prepares her to take on the priority work needed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health-care system. Her international work will support Canada’s response to international health issues, such as the containment and eradication of viruses like Ebola.
CNA will meet with Dr. Jane Philpott, who will soon share knowledge on how the federal government can lead meaningful change. CNA will advocate for a renewed health accord between the federal, provincial and territorial governments, true collaboration with health professionals and an emphasis on primary health care.
CNA is the national professional voice representing 135,000 registered nurses in Canada. CNA advances the practice and profession of nursing to improve health outcomes and strengthen Canada’s publicly funded not-for-profit health system.
Additionally, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) is looking forward to working with Canada’s new prime minister and newly appointed Health Minister Dr. Jane Philpott to enhance and protect Canada’s universal public health care system.
Linda Silas, CFNU President said – “On behalf of the nearly 200,000 nurses, CFNU represents across Canada, I welcome the new government’s commitment to forging a new Health Accord with the provinces and territories. While the Harper government is now history, the Conservative legacy of neglect towards our health care system remains and Canadians expect federal and provincial governments to work together on this critical issue.”
