The Economic Club of Canada's 2024 Health-Care Summit, titled "Revolutionizing Patient-Centred Care: The Intersection of Advocacy, AI, and Breakthrough Medicine," was held on November 28th, 2024, at the Sheraton Toronto Centre Hotel.
- The Honourable Victor Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
- Dr. Dante Morra, Founder & Chair, CAN Health Network and Chief Clinical Innovation Officer, THP Solutions
- Mark Smithyes, President, Janus Life Sciences Consulting
- Jason Grier, President & CEO, Delphic Research Group
- Brigitte Nolet, President & CEO, Roche Canada Pharmaceuticals
- Carly Weeks, VP, Communications, Public Affairs & Stakeholder Relations, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
- Matthew Lister, Founder, Scenario Five Planning
- Dr. Dominik Nowak, President, Ontario Medical Association
- Laurie Jenkins, Patient Advocate, Healthcare Navigators Inc.
- The Honourable Mark Holland, Canada's Minister of Health
- Avis Favaro, Health Journalist
SPONSOR: Scenario Five Planning
Opening Remarks by the Honourable Victor Fedeli
Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, opened the summit by emphasizing the province's commitment to the life sciences sector, drawing parallels to Ontario's advancements in the electric vehicle industry.
- Commitment to Life Sciences: Minister Fedeli highlighted the government's focus on the life sciences sector, aiming to replicate the province's achievements in the electric vehicle industry.
- Economic Contributions: He referenced Ontario's history of medical innovations, including the discovery of insulin and the identification of genetic markers for cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer's disease.
- AI and Workforce Development: Minister Fedeli noted Ontario's expanding AI workforce, with over 85,000 individuals employed in the field, including 30,000 hired in the past two years. He discussed AI's transformative potential in health care, particularly in diagnostics, surgery, and remote monitoring.
- Government Procurement Strategy: He announced a legislative requirement mandating that 10 per cent of Ontario’s $30 billion annual procurement be allocated to locally sourced goods and services, encouraging life sciences companies to engage with Supply Ontario.
- Funding and Support: Minister Fedeli outlined investments such as $146 million in biomanufacturing growth and a new $24 million Life Sciences Scale-Up Fund to support Ontario companies in procurement readiness. He also mentioned the $46 million Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund aimed at enhancing research capacity.
- Building Ontario Business Initiative (BOBI): He introduced BOBI, designed to streamline procurement processes and ensure more Ontario companies benefit from government contracts.
- International Partnerships: Minister Fedeli highlighted Ontario’s leadership in trade shows and international investments, underscoring the province's competitive position in health and AI innovation.
Dr. Dante Morra, Chair of the CAN Health Network, delivered a keynote on the convergence of technology, health, and economic growth.
- Transforming Health Care with Technology: Dr. Morra likened the current health-care system to Blockbuster Video, suggesting that innovations in AI and technology could disrupt the sector as Netflix did with home entertainment. He discussed the CAN Health Network’s success in creating an integrated marketplace of 40 health-care organizations across Canada, fostering procurement opportunities and scaling Canadian health-tech innovations.
- Examples of Canadian Innovations: Dr. Morra highlighted Nova Scotia’s Virtual Hallway platform, which connects family doctors with specialists, and Alberta’s NanoTess technology, which accelerates wound healing.
- Policy and Economic Implications: He emphasized the importance of creating Canadian jobs within the health-tech sector and urged the health system to prioritize domestic companies over international competitors.
Panel: Smart Medicine—Navigating AI’s Impact on Health Care
Moderated by Mark Smithyes, this panel featured Jason Grier, Dr. Morra, and Brigitte Nolet from Roche Canada.
- Adoption of AI: The panelists discussed AI's integration into tasks such as automating documentation and supporting clinical decision-making. Grier advocated for demystifying AI by encouraging experimentation to understand its potential.
- Strategic AI Applications: Dr. Morra provided examples of AI in action, including ambient scribes and integrative decision-making tools that assist clinicians in diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Broader Risks and Opportunities: Panelists stressed balancing the risks and transformative potential of AI in material science, health research, and patient care.
Panel: Beyond Borders—Patient Advocacy in a Changing Health-Care Landscape
Moderated by Carly Weeks, this panel explored challenges and opportunities in patient advocacy, featuring insights from Matthew Lister, Dr. Dominik Nowak, and Lori Jenkins.
- Matthew Lister’s Cross-Canada Journey: Lister shared experiences from his cross-country tour, revealing widespread dissatisfaction with long wait times for surgeries and diagnostics. An IPSOS survey indicated that 54 per cent of Canadians are willing to seek health care abroad for quicker access.
- Dr. Dominik Nowak’s Advocacy for Structural Change: Dr. Nowak, president of the Ontario Medical Association, discussed systemic failures, including emergency room closures and multi-year surgical wait times. He emphasized disparities in access, particularly affecting economically disadvantaged Canadians, and called for collaboration and innovation to improve the system.
- Lori Jenkins on Patient Navigation: Jenkins, Patient Advocate at Healthcare Navigators Inc., distinguished between advocacy and navigation, highlighting the confusion patients often face post-consultation and the need for tools to bridge understanding gaps.
Keynote Address: Honourable Mark Holland
Mark Holland, Canada’s Minister of Health, closed the summit with reflections on Canada’s health system and its future.
- Acknowledging Systemic Challenges: Minister Holland addressed the post-pandemic health workforce crisis, including burnout among nurses and doctors and a lack of primary care access for millions of Canadians.
- Investments in Prevention: He highlighted the economic and social benefits of prevention, outlining programs such as the National Dental Care Initiative, which has reached one million Canadians and helped identify undiagnosed conditions like oral cancer.
- Pharmacare and Collaboration: Minister Holland emphasized the importance of a unified approach to pharmacare, describing efforts to balance federal and provincial jurisdictional issues.
- Aging and Health-Span: He introduced a vision for Canada as the best country to live and age, advocating for policies that increase "health span," or the number of years spent in good health.
- Interoperable Health Data: The minister called for the adoption of Bill C-72, the Connected Care Act, to establish a national interoperable data system enabling seamless health information sharing across jurisdictions.
Access the on-demand video by registering here: events.economicclub.ca/healthcaresummitfall
