Primary Care

Protecting the Canada Health Act comes at the expense of patients

It’s time to stop treating the Canada Health Act as a symbol and start treating it as what it is: A tool that needs updating.

No reinforcements

Practising family medicine in a rural community is dire these days. It’s precarious for patients and stressful for physicians and there’s no one coming to save us.

‘We might die because you won’t wear a mask’: A plea to health-care workers

Yes, it’s time to mask again. We need to do better. We know how to do better. We can save so many lives and preserve the dignity of patients in the process.

Is your doctor watching YouTube? The role of FOAMed in medical education 

Free Open Access Medical Education is a growing movement in the medical community aimed at enhancing medical education through online resources.

Interprofessional education essential in Ontario’s vision for primary care teams

A coordinated, evidence-informed educational plan must accompany the system-wide reform, so that both future and current practitioners can thrive in and lead this change.

Breaking down barriers: How to improve refugee access to health care

Refugees often face language barriers, cultural differences and a lack of knowledge about our health-care system, which can lead to delays in receiving care and poorer health outcomes.

Report highlights systemic discrimination against International Medical Graduates in Canada

Canada’s current system for integrating IMGs is inefficient, inequitable and contributes to the physician shortage. By acknowledging these barriers and implementing targeted reforms, Canada can build a fairer, more effective health-care workforce.

Ontario provincial election will affect health care greatly: Choose wisely

With a provincial election coming in a few days, there are a few things we should reflect on regarding health care in our province.

The reality of family medicine has changed. The health system must keep up

It’s time to break down the siloes in health care and focus on collaboration instead. No one wants to leave patients out in the cold.

The urgent need for emergency dental care reform in Canada

By prioritizing children's dental health, we're not just improving smiles – we're building a healthier future for our nation.

The role of innovation in addressing Canada’s primary care crisis: A response

Rather than dismissing innovative care models, we should evaluate how their successful elements can be integrated into our public system.

Ontario’s health care needs courageous leadership, not political appeasement

Ontario’s health-care system is crumbling. We can cling to outdated ideals and watch our system collapse under its own weight, or we can rewrite the playbook.

New Year’s resolutions from health-care professionals: Advocate, avoid burnout and remember to love

At a time when the problems in Canadian health care can feel overwhelming and reaching our goals seems a daunting task, we wanted to know what health-care experts have on their personal resolutions list for 2025. 

How The Grinch stole family medicine: A tale of Ontario’s health crisis

Like a green, scheming miser, the Grinch of health care – festooned in a slew of government mismanagement and shortsighted policies – descended upon family medicine, stealing its spirit one policy at a time.

And under the tree, a family doctor for all

As we look toward the new year, we asked our experts what they considered to be the most crucial areas of focus for our system: If they could gift our health-care system with a little holiday magic, what would they wish for?

Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse

Boutique clinics are not the future of health care. They are a step backward and are making primary care access worse.

International Medical Graduates: An untapped resource for Canada’s alarming doctor shortage 

We must reform residency quotas, prioritize Canadian International Medical Graduates, and create accessible pathways for practice in underserved areas to transform this health-care crisis into an opportunity for growth.

‘Your body, my choice’: American politics and the looming threat to reproductive freedoms in Canada

It is incumbent on us to engage with and defend reproductive rights, because of and despite what is happening in the United States.

Canadian health care’s biggest ailment? Tidy narratives

Canadians are plagued by a reluctance to poke at the complexities of our health care. The public vs. private dichotomy that we have built up in our popular policy discourse is absolute fiction.

A plea to maskless health-care workers from vulnerable patients

Health-care workers have a responsibility to protect their vulnerable patients. Our lives are in your hands.