Ontario’s health care landscape remains largely unchanged from a political point of view now that voters have made their voices clear at the ballot box.

After calling a snap election, Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives have emerged victorious, securing a third consecutive majority government. The PC campaign, fueled by a promise of stability and strength, centred on protecting Ontario from the economic uncertainty posed by the Trump administration’s trade policies and tariff threats. 

Ford’s message was clear: Ontario needs steady leadership to navigate a shifting geopolitical landscape. His campaign doubled down on economic resilience, job protection, and domestic manufacturing, striking a chord with voters wary of external volatility. The opposition scrambled to gain traction, but Ford’s emphasis on strong leadership in uncertain times resonated across key battlegrounds.

To help hold the government accountable, the New Democratic Party (NDP), led by Marit Stiles, have formed the Official Opposition, followed by the Liberals in third place and the Green Party in fourth. Expect the Official Opposition to continue to zero in on health care challenges, including family doctor shortages and hallway medicine.

Notable Mentions

• Premier Doug Ford (PC Party), Marit Stiles (NDP Leader), and Mike Schreiner (Green Party Leader) have all been re-elected.
   
• Bonnie Crombie (Liberal Leader) was unsuccessful in her bid for a seat in the Legislature but will remain as party leader. 
   
• Former Health Minister Sylvia Jones, Long-Term Care Minister Natalia Kusendova and Associate Minister of Mental Health Michael Tibollo were all re-elected.
   
• Health critics Dr. Adil Shamji (Liberal) and France Gélinas (NDP) were both re-elected.
   
• New health voices: Lee Fairclough (Liberal) who is a longtime health care executive and former hospital leader has won in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Tyler Watt (Liberal), who is a Registered Nurse, has won in Nepean, and Robin Lennox (NDP), who is a family physician, has won in Hamilton Centre.

What to Expect

PC Priorities and Commitments

As outlined in their election platform, the PCs’ new mandate will focus on five key pillars:

• Building Ontario’s Economy 
   
• Protecting Workers 
   
• Keeping Ontario Competitive 
   
• Cleaning Up Our Streets 
   
• Delivering Better Care and Services

Their “Plan to Protect Ontario” builds on previous key commitments with a renewed focus on responding to tariff threats and protecting Ontario jobs.  

In terms of health care, the government’s top priority is to connect every person in Ontario to a family doctor and primary care. The government is investing $1.8 billion to connect two million more people to a family doctor or primary care team within four years.

The Ford government has also doubled down on its commitment to ban safe consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and childcare centers. It will also spend $530 million to establish 27 new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, which are expected to be operational as of April 1, 2025.

Other health care priorities include:

• Training and hiring more health care workers by opening two new medical schools and expanding new medical school seats across the province. 
   
• Creating more connected and convenient care by expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists and other medical professionals, investing in more community surgical and diagnostic centres, and improving access to mental health and addictions services. 
   
• Building hospitals and long-term care capacity with more than $50 billion to build or upgrade 50 hospitals and $6.4 billion to build 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds by 2028. 

What This Means For You

With a renewed PC majority, we can expect the Ford government to demonstrate action on its promise to protect Ontario’s economy and fight for good-paying jobs. To do so, the re-elected government will need to appoint a new Cabinet, deliver the throne speech and table the 2025 budget.

Of note, the Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act, 2004 (FTAA) mandates that the provincial budget must be presented on or before March 31 each year. While there have been instances where the government has introduced budgets later, often citing extraordinary circumstances, the government will likely act swiftly to name Cabinet and finalize the budget.

We will continue to monitor key developments, including Cabinet appointments, budget progress, and policy changes, to help you navigate the evolving health care landscape.

Always changing, never boring: Canada’s health care sector, while continuing to face challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic, has at the same time never seen so much opportunity to grow and improve the care patients rely on. Members of the EnterpriseHealth team weigh in on the health care trends, challenges and opportunities they’re keeping an eye on in the months ahead.

Peter Downs, Senior Consultant

As a former health reporter who made the move to communications more than a decade ago, I’m always looking at the biggest health stories of the day through a simple filter – who’s winning? Who’s losing?

Winning means coming across as authentic and honest. Even if the person in the hotseat doesn’t have all the answers, are they at least laying the groundwork to build trust and confidence through their demeanor and what commitments they are making? That’s winning.

Losing means coming across as insincere or deliberately unclear. Does the person sound like they are faking it just to get through the interview in one piece? Does it seem like they’re keeping the real answers to themselves and dishing out a few carefully crafted messages that don’t ring true? That’s losing.

There’s no shortage of big health stories that will be percolating throughout the summer. I’ll be following along closely and keeping an eye on the score.

Nate Clark, Director

It will not be a surprise to any readers that Canada is in the midst of a health labour crisis. Vacancies in the health system have doubled since the start of the pandemic. Key to addressing this crisis is attracting foreign-trained health care workers to Canada. The Liberal government has created various immigration streams that prioritize health care workers with the goal of providing much needed relief to Canada’s health system.

At the same time, Canadians’ opinions on immigration have drastically changed. According to an Environics survey, over 40 per cent of Canadians believe that Canada’s immigration policies have contributed to the housing crisis across the country. The Liberals have committed to holding the number of permanent residents accepted into Canada by 2025 while the Conservatives, who continue to lead in the polls as the next party to win the federal election, have stated that immigration under a Conservative government would be much lower than current levels.

Never has it been more important to monitor the measures governments at all levels take to ensure the workforce exists to meet the rapidly increasing demands of the health system. 

Alexandra Hilkene, Consultant

Preventative health care and how it intersects with AI and wearable technology is really exciting to me. We are increasingly seeing a shift in focus on proactive measures to maintain health and prevent illness, rather than treating diseases after they occur. This trend is enhanced by the integration of AI and wearable technology, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches, that continuously monitor vital signs, physical activity, and other health metrics.

These devices collect vast amounts of data, which AI algorithms analyze to detect patterns and provide personalized health recommendations. For example, AI-powered wearables can alert users to irregular heart rhythms or early symptoms of chronic conditions, prompting them to seek medical advice.

This not only empowers individuals to take control of their health, but also reduces the burden on health care systems by decreasing the incidence of preventable diseases.

Katie Heelis, Vice President

Global and national labour trends have given health care workers more clout than we’ve ever seen before. While COVID-19 exacerbated staffing shortages, these problems have persisted and in many ways are getting only worse. This has resulted in increased health care workforce labour power. The result? Calls for higher wages, improved working conditions and greater bargaining power.

Despite some of these developments, many health care workers are choosing to leave the sector – or not enter the workforce at all. With the preferences of health care workers unlikely to change, the system will need to adapt to secure the workforce necessary to provide the care patients need.

Two solutions can help increase supply: train and upskill more workers and recruit more immigrants with backgrounds in health care, or governments and health care organizations must meet the demands of their workforce with better pay, better benefits, and more flexible ways of working. Organizations will need to get creative and look at what perks will draw the workforce they need.

Carly Bergamini, Director

Across the sector we are seeing many health care organizations grappling with their strategic priorities post-pandemic. COVID-19 derailed many organizations, forcing them to re-evaluate what their future state looks like, specifically when it comes to the care or services they provide patients. In addition, fiscal pressures and ongoing challenges with staffing continue to create challenges.

The result is that many health care organizations are now trying to figure out what’s next and how to reorient and reset their priorities – and what changes are needed to realize it.

Change in health care is often accompanied by a lot of fear and anxiety, particularly when there is a potential – or perceived – impact to services. To be successful, organizations must clearly articulate why change is needed and the consequences of not taking action. They need to set out a clear vision for the future and the direct benefits to patients, and ensure they are leveraging the appropriate channels, messaging and timing for their key stakeholders – from staff to patients, government partners to shareholders.

Health Care Checkup  

The Liberal government’s pharmacare legislation is a major step closer to becoming law. 

Introduced in late February, Bill C-64 passed in the House of Commons yesterday and now heads to the Senate for review. 

With only three weeks left in the legislative session, the legislation barrelled through Committee and votes in the House of Commons in record time (less than 10 days of debate and study). The Standing Committee on Health rejected the vast majority of the amendments and passed the bill with only minor changes.  

All Politics  

A little more than a year ahead of the next federal election, Bill C-64 is a critical component of the government’s supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP. The agreement effectively allows the Liberals to act as a majority government, knowing they have NDP support so long as they address their agreed-upon priorities.  

Initially pledged to be passed by the end of 2023, the Liberals and NDP agreed to extend the deadline and introduce the legislation by March 1, 2024. Arguing that the Conservatives were delaying debate on Bill C-64, the Liberals used time allocation tactics to speed up debate allowing the legislation to move through the House of Commons at a rapid pace.  

By passing the legislation, the Liberal government wants to demonstrate tangible benefits to Canadians lacking access to key drugs. Meanwhile, the NDP is highlighting the policy as a key example of their ability as an opposition party to get results for Canadians. Both parties are increasingly looking to strike a contrast with the Conservatives, particularly around universal access to contraceptives and protecting women’s reproductive rights. The Conservatives opposed the bill, maintaining it offers “false hope” to Canadians by marketing universal pharmacare while covering only two types of treatments: birth control and diabetes drugs.  

Single-Payer? Not so fast 

The Liberals and the NDP have stated that the Bill C-64 is “framework legislation” that will guide a future universal and single-payer plan by providing free access to contraceptives and diabetes medications. However, the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s analysis concluded this was not the case. Instead, Canadians will have the option to continue to access these drugs through their existing plans or choose to participate in this new program – similar to what has been called a “fill-the-gaps” model, which looks to provide coverage only for those who are uninsured or underinsured. This critical detail was confirmed by Health Minister Mark Holland at Committee and during Third Reading debate. 

Some stakeholders, including the Conservatives, continue to express concern that the legislation does not clearly outline how this program will work and could possibly open the door for a national single-payer program in the future. 

What’s Next?  

After passing Third Reading, the legislation now moves on to the Senate for review.  

While there will certainly be political pressure for the Senate to pass this quickly, the Senate is also in the process of reviewing legislation related to the 2023 Fall Economic Statement and the 2024 Budget. The exact timing remains uncertain, but it’s anticipated that Bill C-64 will be passed before the Senate rises in late June or early fall.  

Minister Holland has signalled his desire to begin negotiating with the provinces and territories as soon as possible once the legislation receives Royal Assent, with the goal of announcing agreements prior to the federal election. In addition, a Committee of Experts is likely to be struck at that time to provide recommendations on how pharmacare will be operated and financed.   

Safe to say, passage of the legislation is just the tip of the iceberg. Many details, including how the program will be funded, what drugs will be included and when Canadians will be able to access contraceptives and diabetes medications, will be made more clear in the months ahead. 

Stay tuned to EnterpriseHealth for the latest as Canada’s national pharmacare saga continues to move along! 

It’s here!  

After years (decades) of discussion and debate on pharmacare, there is finally a stake in the ground on the federal government’s plan. Health Minister Mark Holland took an important first step towards a pharmacare framework on Thursday when he introduced Bill C-64.  

The legislation – a key plank of the Liberal and NDP supply-and-confidence agreement, builds the foundation for a national pharmacare program in the future and commits to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications for Canadians.  

The introduction of the legislation was not without controversy, with the federal government downplaying the commitment, the NDP claiming victory, and some provinces quickly dismissing the program.  

What’s included 

The federal government has committed to: 

• Provide universal access to birth control and diabetes medication for Canadians through a single-payer system. 
• Adhere to principles included in the Canada Health Act as well as the federal government’s Hoskin’s Report. 
• Establish a committee of experts to recommend options for the operation and funding of “national, universal, single-payer pharmacare” no later than 30 days after the bill passes. 
• Request the development of an essential medicines list within one year of the bill passing. 
• Request that the Canadian Drug Agency (formerly the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health) develop a national bulk purchasing strategy for prescription drugs. 

What isn’t included 

• Funding details: Despite reports estimating a full single-payer model could account for more than $15 billion in new spending, Minister Holland pegged the estimated price tag of the pharmacare program outlined at approximately $1.5 billion. However, the actual cost could change significantly dependently on buy-in from the provinces and territories and the implementation approach. Expect funding details to be outlined in the 2025-26 federal budget.  
• Full or universal: A commitment to a universal, single-payer, and national pharamcare system beyond contraceptives and diabetes medication, although the NDP maintains that the legislation creates the framework for further expansion.  
• Provincial Buy-In: Minister Holland indicated that individual agreements would need to be negotiated individually with each province and territory.  

What’s next?  

While it was a scramble to meet the March 1 deadline, reaching a deal and tabling legislation was the easy part. The federal government must now chart a path forward to pass the legislation and implement the program in the narrowing window before the next federal election. 

Once the legislation makes its way through what is anticipated to be a lively committee process this spring, it will merely act as a framework for implementation, and, ultimately, negotiations.  

Canadians will be left waiting to find out exactly when they may benefit from public access to free contraceptives or insulin.  

Whatever the next phase looks like, we can promise it won’t be boring. Expect the Liberals to make significant noise relating to universal access to contraceptives – a political wedge that they will use to contrast themselves with the Conservatives – and the NDP to continue to claim this legislation as a major political victory.   

Affordability Issues Leave Little Oxygen for Health Care

This afternoon Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland released the federal government’s 2023 Fall Economic Statement. Like the Ontario Fall Economic Statement, the document was presented as a fiscal update rather than a comprehensive “mini-budget” that became the norm throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Freeland outlined the government’s approach to navigate Canada’s tough economic climate and address key priorities, including affordability and housing. 

Context is critical  

Today’s fiscal update comes at a challenging time politically for the Liberals as recent polling shows the Liberals trailing the Conservatives, increasing concerns about the political direction of the Liberal Party of Canada, and a growing sentiment that many Canadians are under more financial pressure now than before the pandemic. To that end, the document is tightly focused on key measures intended to convey that the federal government is attuned to the economic and affordability concerns of Canadians. At the same time, the government’s responsiveness to cost-of-living challenges is limited by the need to show fiscal restraint in a period of global economic uncertainty.   

What this means for the health sector

Given the fiscal and economic context, it’s hardly surprising that there was little to no mention of any new health spending. Aligned with the government’s affordability focus, the government intends to exempt psychotherapist and counselling therapist services from the GST/HST. The document also outlines further measures to support the mobility of health care workers between provinces.  

The lack of focus on health can also be attributed to the Liberal government’s ongoing negotiations with provinces and territories as they work to finalize bilateral agreements on shared health care priorities. All signs seem to point to the agreements in principle largely quieting the federal government’s provincial counterparts, who have now moved on from their never-ending call for an increase to the Canada Health Transfer.  

Where’s pharmacare?

While expected due to political preconditioning by both the Liberals and the NDP, noticeably absent from the Fall Economic Statement was any mention of a national pharmacare program. The Supply and Confidence agreement between the Liberals and the NDP committed the federal government to pass a Canada Pharmacare Act by the end of 2023. As negotiations continue, it is almost certain that Parliament will rise for the winter recess without legislation having been passed. The question now becomes: will such an Act even be introduced before MPs leave Ottawa? And will the governing agreement between the Liberals and the NDP fall apart if the Liberals fail to meet conditions of the deal? 

Looking ahead

Even with the goodies announced today, don’t expect the opposition Conservatives to change their narrative as they continue to charge that the Liberals are responsible for the dire financial straits many Canadians face.

By framing the Fall Economic Statement as a responsible fiscal plan that invests in “what Canadians need right now,” the government is seeking to demonstrate progress on priorities such as building homes and making life more affordable. As a result, additional spending, including in health care, will be constrained.

With the next election no later than 2025, only time will tell if Canadians believe the Liberals have chosen the correct path.

Decision Revision

During her leadership campaign and the provincial election, Premier Danielle Smith promised to fix Alberta’s health care system. More local decision-making and better health care outcomes for Albertans. Gone are the days of the government dumping more money into Alberta Health Services (AHS) and getting worse results for Albertans. We’ve heard this before.

Premier Smith’s government has announced several changes to Alberta’s health care system over the last year since she took office, including firing the AHS board and appointing an administrator, changes to Emergency Medical Services to improve ambulance wait times, amongst many others. Today’s announcement on the health care system reforms is going to shake up how Alberta’s health care system operates. It may even be the most substantial health care policy announcement since the formation of AHS was announced in 2008 (outside of the pandemic, obviously).

Enterprise Canada, alongside our dedicated health care practice EnterpriseHealth, has what you need to know about the health care transformation, including what’s new and what’s next for Alberta’s health care system:

What’s new?

Four New Organizations

At the heart of this announcement is the reform of AHS and the creation of four new provincial organizations dedicated to specific sectors: primary care, acute care, continuing care, and mental health and addiction. These four new organizations, which will be rolled out over the coming months and years, will provide dedicated leadership to each sector within the health care system, and have been tasked with improving patient outcomes in their respective areas. To ensure continued alignment within the system, the province is also establishing an Integration Council, which all four organizations will be a part of. In addition to ensuring alignment, the Council will be responsible for finding efficiencies and improving outcomes as the four new organizations come online.

With these new organizations, AHS will transition to focusing primarily on acute care, while its other services move to these new entities. AHS will be governed by a new board, chaired by former Cabinet Minister Dr. Lyle Oberg, who will be tasked with refocusing the organization as part of these broader health care reforms. Notably, three government Deputy Ministers will be serving on the board: Andre Tremblay (Alberta Health), Evan Romanow (Alberta Mental Health and Addiction) and Cynthia Farmer (Alberta Seniors, Community and Social Services)

Continuing Care

The first of the new organizations to be formed, the new provincial continuing care organization will be responsible for continuing care oversight, coordination, service delivery, home care, and community care. Operators who are currently contracted by Alberta Health Services will continue to deliver those services under the oversight of this new organization, and the organization will place a focus on providing timely and equitable access to services, increasing the number and geographic spread of care beds, and leveraging other health and social services.

Acute Care

Coming online in Fall 2024, the new acute care organization will be responsible for working directly with existing acute care providers, including AHS, chartered surgical facilities, and Covenant Health. Within the broader health care system, the organization will oversee urgent care centres, cancer treatment, hospital care, surgeries, emergency medical services (EMS) and clinical operations. It will focus on improving outcomes for wait times for emergency department visits and surgeries, EMS response times, and the quality of care and access to care in rural Alberta.

Primary Care

The new primary care organization, which will also be unveiled by the government in Fall 2024, will be tasked with coordinating primary health care services. The organization will be focused on ensuring every Albertan has access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, improving timely access to primary care and after-hours support, and supporting an integrated team of health professionals to provide comprehensive primary care, including family physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists.

Mental Health and Addiction

Following the establishment of a standalone Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction last fall, through these changes the Ministry will begin to oversee the mental health and addiction system and manage related government funding. A new provincial mental health and addiction organization will deliver services currently offered by AHS, placing a continued focus on recovery-oriented care. This organization will focus on supporting Albertans who are struggling with addiction and mental health challenges, ensuring access to recovery-oriented supports, and continuing to expand access to treatment and recovery services. The provincial government will also be establishing a Centre of Recovery Excellence, which will focus on improving service delivery for mental health and addiction services.

Regional and Indigenous Advisory Councils

Through these reforms, Alberta Health will also restructure the currently existing 12 advisory councils and establish a new Indigenous advisory council. These bodies will be responsible for representing community perspectives, highlighting local priorities, and providing additional input on how to enhance the health care system. The four new health sectors – acute care, primary care, continuing care and mental health addiction – will be required to work closely with the councils.

What’s next?

Today’s announcement was comprehensive and all-encompassing and will mark a significant transformation to Alberta’s health care system. In addition to the details highlighted above, Alberta Health will be aligning its internal structure with the new provincial organizations while the Health Quality Council of Alberta is set to have its role expanded and a procurement and optimization secretariat within Alberta Health will be responsible for driving goods and service procurement efficiencies through economies of scale. Additionally, Covenant Health will no longer be contracted and funded through AHS and will transition to directly working with the newly announced provincial health organizations.

The government has also committed to engaging front-line health care workers, unions, associations, and everyday Albertans to gather feedback and input. With the scale of the reforms and commitment to consultations, these changes will not happen overnight. The province will have a lot of heavy lifting to do over the coming months and years. Enterprise Canada’s Western Canada team, alongside  EnterpriseHealth, will keep you updated as these changes progress.

Katie Heelis: Three years ago, I sat down with Barbara Fox to talk about my role at Enterprise and leading our Health Practice. 

Today, I’m excited to sit down with our health team to hear from them after almost one year of formally launching EnterpriseHealth! 

It’s been a busy three years for us and the entire health system. With health transformations happening across the country, a global pandemic and now helping health organizations navigate recovery, it’s been quite the adventure.  

But it has also been incredibly rewarding. The connections we’ve made with Canada’s health care leaders and the achievements we’ve realized together wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and expertise of our team.  

KH: Carly, you were our first official EnterpriseHealth hire. What made you take the leap to leave the hospital sector and join consulting? 

Carly Ellis: I joined Enterprise during the pandemic at a time when I felt we needed more creative solutions in the health care system. The status quo wasn’t working anymore so I wanted to try something new. 

With my move to Enterprise, I was looking to make meaningful impacts quickly. I wanted to work with brilliant leaders from different organizations who were making changes in the health care system.

I wanted to connect these leaders and organizations to lead to even bigger change and help them achieve their goals whether it was policy changes, securing funding or coming up with creative solutions to complex problems. 

KH: What’s the biggest difference between working for hospitals and working for Enterprise? 

CE: Our clients expect us to move quickly and we exceed that expectation. Every day is different, wild and FAST. Consulting has also allowed me to use my government relations and communication skills every day and in different ways while staying in the hospital and broader health care sector. 

KH: Nate, I’m going to jump to you. Close second hire, and another jump from a successful political career, including chief of staff to Minister of Health in Manitoba. What made you excited about joining our team? 

Nate Clark: Working in a Minister’s office during the pandemic, I saw firsthand how siloed the health system truly is. It came together when it needed to, but there are still so many barriers preventing Canadians from getting quality health care. I was excited to bring that experience from government to work with Canada’s top health care organizations and develop partnerships that are good for government and business but, most importantly, patients.  

KH: What is the top thing you learned in politics that helps make you a good consultant? 

NC: In politics you have to learn to reconcile views coming from every direction. You have external stakeholders, but also internal stakeholders like MLAs and MPs coming from their ridings with their own views. In the end, you have to put all those perspectives together and find a solution that works for everyone. The same philosophy holds true working with clients throughout the health system. 

KH: What has been the best part of being part of EnterpriseHealth year one?

CE: One, I love the team. Everyone thinks about things in different ways and we challenge each other – and we all know I love a debate! Two, every day is different. You think you have a plan for the day, but then suddenly a client needs you immediately and that’s what we are here for. In a way, being pulled in many different directions forced me to be more flexible and enjoy every moment. 

NC: The team, the team, the team. Some of the things we’ve been able to do have been exhilarating, including advancing files related to women’s health and ensuring Canadians have the access to the care they need. We’ve been able to move faster over the past couple of years than I’d ever seen in government. It really is impressive, and I love to see the difference it’s making.

KH: Kevin, before we hired you, we had a big gap with that national perspective. We were thrilled to find you and take you from the Minister of Health’s office in Ottawa. How do you think your experience in politics and policy helps us grow and support our clients? 
 
Kevin Den Heijer: First, I can’t lobby since leaving government, but I have a deep understanding of how government decision-makers think about health care issues and their priorities. Additionally, when you’re boots on the ground you get a real sense of what is on people’s minds. There’s a big difference between watching Question Period  from Toronto and actually being here. 

KH: Like Nate and Carly, you had experience working in a health minister’s office, but how critical is it to have that health care experience? 

KD: None of us are clinicians, but it’s important when you meet with clients that you understand the terminology, the language. There are so many health-specific acronyms and terms that you can and can’t use, so that understanding of the health care world is critical. Not everyone can jump in and deliver the same white glove treatment to health care clients as we can.

KH: White glove or white coat?(sorry, had to)  

KH: Similar to Kevin – from politics but more on the communications side – Alex had one of the hardest jobs in politics as press secretary to a health minister during a pandemic. Alex, how’d that help prepare you for the work you do today?  

Alex Hilkene: It allowed me to establish a good understanding of our health care system, while learning how to communicate complex and high-stakes issues to the public and media. These skills allow me to support our clients in navigating communications in high-pressure situations. 

CE: You really bring that balance! 

KH: What were you most surprised about working in consulting after politics? 

AH: I expected everyone to be cut from the same cloth, but instead we have really diverse experiences, backgrounds and skillsets, which ultimately makes us stronger as a team. 

KH: Nikita, you have a health care and health policy background, but from the Ministry side – so, what drew you to EnterpriseHealth. 

Nikita Singh: I like to think about how to do things from a very practical way in a health context, but sometimes from a ministry perspective that progression can be slow. At Enterprise, we have the ability to move some of the gears or jump some steps – that you can’t do in government – to make astronomical impact in the system for the better. 

KH: What skillset do you bring to the team? 

NS: I think of the systems first – so when we work towards a goal as a team, I’m immediately thinking about the research needed and all the processes the government requires to move forward. I’m able to translate the political work in a way that works for government or will resonate. 

KH: Now, Pete. You’re the glue that holds us all together. Everyone needs a Pete! Anything good we’ve ever said, you’ve likely written. Health care is a complex, scientific space. As our lead writer how do you help us and our clients keep it simple? Why is that important? 

Peter Downs: Health care almost has its own language. There’s a lot of jargon. There are a lot of complicated words. There are a lot of acronyms that get sprinkled into everything. When you blend it all together, you get dense content that’s tough for the average person to digest, let alone get excited about. The basic principles of great writing are the same for health care as they are for any topic. Be clear, be concise, use simple words and use as few of them as you can. Boiling down complex ideas into simple but powerful language helps our clients resonate with the broadest possible audience.  

Also, health care is two words, not one (inside joke). 

KH: And now to our newest hire! Carly, you’re only a few weeks into the job, but you are not off the hook! As a former director of communications to a Minister of Health during the pandemic, you could have gone anywhere – why EnterpriseHealth?  

Carly Bergamini: Working in government you understand the pressure health care workers are under and the pain points that exist. Despite their best efforts the system is not always supporting health care workers in delivering the best care possible to patients.  

EnterpriseHealth was the perfect opportunity to work with people who are equally as passionate about health care to help leading health care organizations bring innovative and practical solutions to our health care system that work for everyone.  

KH: What have you learned since starting?  

CB: After years of working in politics, in both opposition and government, I was worried in my next role I might get bored – that certainly has not been an issue since starting! In health care there is always a new challenge to solve that requires consideration of a range of perspectives and priorities from different stakeholders. That was a welcome challenge!  

KH: OK, maybe ONE more question! What’s next for EnterpriseHealth? 

NC: Working with clients to introduce more innovation to the system so health care is sustainable and patient-focused moving forward. 

CE: Connecting health care, clients, leaders, thinkers and solutions across the country.  

CB: We’re at a tipping point in health care. We’re ready to deliver the bold and creative solutions our system needs.

Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead continue to address under representation of women health leaders in media coverage

March 8, 2023– Toronto, ON – On International Women’s Day, Enterprise Canada, a national strategic communications firm, and Women Who Lead (WWL), a Not for Profit addressing the gap in professional development opportunities for women, are opening applications for the third Women in Media Fellowship. As the conversation about health care across the country continues to be dominant in media, this fellowship provides women in healthcare the skills they need to take their place as subject matter experts in the media.

Over the past two years, Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead have worked with over 65 women health care leaders from across the country. This program takes fellows on a journey of education about the media landscape, best practices to prepare for an interview, how to build a brand on social media, as well as ability to practice skills in a simulated interview.

This program was born out of joint passion from Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead to see more women represented in media during the peak of the pandemic in 2021. During this time, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, from data collected by Informed Opinions, confirmed what the Canadian population experienced – that women comprise just 31% of sources quoted in major Canadian outlets addressing COVID-19.

This is a global trend. Only 40% of TV news sources were women, with radio and newspapers trailing even further behind at 36% and 28%, respectively. The number of women who were actually introduced as experts was even lower.

“Women comprise 70% of the health workforce worldwide, have demonstrated steadfast leadership amid persistent resource challenges, and continue to have the courage to reimagine healthcare to close persistent health gaps for communities across Canada. Despite this, the experts we see and the voices we hear in the media related to healthcare transformation and innovation are predominantly men,” said Dr. Laura Desveaux, Founder and Executive Director of Women Who Lead.   “We are steadfast in our vision to equip women in healthcare with the skills and opportunities to deliver outsized impacts for the communities and causes they serve, and our continued partnership with Enterprise advances and builds upon that vision year over year.”

In addition to skills-building workshops, the Women in Media Fellowship drives a broader conversation on this important issue, builds an expansive network of women leaders in health care and gives the women the confidence to participate in media interviews.

“The [Women in Media] fellowship provided us with the tools to develop and communicate key messages. It is crucial to remind ourselves of our own expertise as women in health care,” Year 1 Fellow, Dr. Milena Forte explains, “That is the future of health care.”

“We’re proud to partner with Women Who Lead and share the media training experience and expertise of the talented women on our team,” Enterprise Canada CEO Barbara Fox said. “It’s important that women’s voices are heard as the healthcare system continues to evolve.”

“We will not only be equipping women leaders in health care with the tools and training to confidently address the media, but putting them directly in touch with news outlets,” Katie Heelis, Vice President, Enterprise Canada and Lead EnterpriseHealth. “It is our hope that with these efforts we better reflect our health care sector when we turn on the news or open a news article.”

Enterprise Canada is committed to providing media training for other underrepresented groups in the future.

Women interested in applying to be a part of the free Women in Media Fellowship can apply here before March 31, 2023. We use the term ‘women’ inclusively and welcome all that identify as such, as well as non-binary people.

The Fellowship is limited to 30 spaces, and there will be dedicated space reserved for early to mid-career women, racialized individuals, and those that identify as having a disability. All are encouraged to apply.