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EmailPosted on November 14, 2018 by Michael Green
As Canadians, we’re proud of our health care system — it saves lives.
As Canadians, we’re proud of our health care system – it saves lives. For 50 years it’s stood for equality and compassion, but Canada is no longer a world leader in health care. We’re in the innovation age, but our health care has not kept up.
Canadians are rightfully concerned about our health care system. In the 2017 Commonwealth Fund ranking of health care system performance, Canada ranked 9 out of 11 countries. For indicators measuring access to care, like being able to get same-day appointments with a physician or wait-times in emergency departments, Canada was last.
In today’s digital age, Canadians are shopping, banking and booking travel online because it’s convenient and efficient. Overwhelmingly, they want a digital health system that is easier to navigate and more patient-centric with better service and access to their health information.
For all our sakes, we need to change.
Which is why today, during Digital Health Week and our Annual Partnership Conference, we are proud to announce the launch of ACCESS 2022. ACCESS 2022 is a movement to inspire industry and all Canadians to work toward a new day in health care where patients, their families and their clinicians have access to the information and e-services they need to better manage their health.
To date, Canada Health Infoway estimates that more than $26 billion in benefits (cost savings and efficiencies) have accrued to Canadians and the health care system since 2007 as a result of investments in digital health initiatives, from telehealth and telehomecare to electronic medical records. We need to keep the momentum going.
Beginning today, we are calling on all health system stakeholders – including clinicians, allied health care professionals, government bodies, technology and industry partners, patients and caregivers, to commit to the vision and join the ACCESS 2022 movement. I encourage you to visit our ACCESS2022.ca website and social channels, and sign-up to join the movement.
ACCESS 2022 starts with us. We are in a unique position to make a profound change through our collective focus and effort. What we’re planning is nothing short of a new national challenge - and one that’s drastically overdue.
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Michael Green is a strong leader and a creative, strategic thinker who has an international reputation and a proven track record of transforming health care through the use of digital health. He has leveraged international research and innovation to advance the digital health agenda, create jobs and stimulate economic growth in Canada. Michael has been President and CEO of Canada Health Infoway since August 2014.
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