New Brunswick takes steps to reduce administrative burdens on physicians

New Brunswick takes steps to reduce administrative burdens on physicians and Minister Holland launches the second stream of funding under the Oral Health Access Fund. On that, and more, here is your Syntax Weekly Health Round-Up.

Around the Hill

• At Committee, Members of the Standing Committee on Health (HESA) agreed to extend their study of the opioid crisis by a further four meetings. Committee members also provided drafting instructions for reports on its studies of women’s health and breast screening guidelines.

Around Government 

• While we were gone, Health Minister Mark Holland introduced Bill C-72, the Connected Care for Canadians Act. The Bill aims to enable a modern, connected care system, in which health information can be securely accessed by patients and shared between providers. Governments at all levels continue to work on the implementation of a Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap which would establish common interoperability and data standards.
• Minister Holland also launched an Expression of Interest process for the second stream of funding under the Oral Health Access Fund. The funding will support projects that aim to improve access to oral healthcare in rural, remote, and underserved areas and for underserved populations.
• Meanwhile, at the United Nations Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Kamal Khera reaffirmed Canada’s ongoing commitment to the full inclusion of persons with disabilities.
• Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree released the 2023–24 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report highlighting the progress made in responding to the National Inquiry’s Calls for Justice, including violence prevention and responding to immediate needs, addressing Call for Justice 5.5, addressing Call for Justice 3.2, and addressing systemic issues and root causes of violence.

Around the Dominion

• In Newfoundland, the provincial government announced an investment of $500,000 in the Strongest Families Institute to expand its stepped-care programming to provide more free mental health services to families.
• In New Brunswick, the provincial government advanced a number of initiatives to reduce the administrative burdens on physicians and improve collaborative models for care, including removing physician involvement in three instances, expanding authorization to medical professionals other than a physician in nine instances, streamlining forms and processes in 15 instances, and reducing or removing renewal requirements in 13 instances.
• In Alberta, the provincial government announced that through its investment of $3 million over two years, the province will increase the availability of prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PET) and computerized tomography (CT) scans in Alberta. These funds will be matched by the Alberta Cancer Foundation for a total investment of $6 million.
• In B.C., the provincial government appointed Dr. Daniel Vigo as the province’s chief scientific advisor to develop solutions to address the unique needs of a growing population with overlapping mental health and addiction challenges and brain injuries from toxic-drug poisonings.