EHPC identifies lack of targeted funding for interprofessional health care team

March 29, 2023

The Extended Healthcare Professionals Coalition (EHPC) is encouraged by federal investments that are a step in the right direction to deliver equitable, accessible healthcare services to Canadians. These investments will support healthcare workers who have been stretched beyond capacity and have been experiencing high rates of burnout; many of whom have left, or are leaving, their healthcare professions.

However, EHPC is extremely disappointed to see $45.9 million allocated for the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness Program Expansion for only doctors and nurses. Canada’s healthcare system is much broader than this narrow approach to access to care. Our members are essential to ensuring the health of rural and remote Canadians. EHPC encourages the government to include our members under the proposed expansion of this program.

Detailed health human resources data is essential to ensuring we have the full picture of our Canadian health professional’s landscape. We need to understand whom, where, and how our health professionals are practicing. It is vital that the $505 million towards the collection of health data includes all members of the Canadian health workforce. Transformative solutions cannot be achieved without involving a broad spectrum of healthcare professionals in health care action plans, including those that provide care in both the private and public domains. Team-based care that includes regulated health professionals working to their full scope of practice is integral to improving primary care for Canadians.

Dedicated, transparent, and accountable funding measures are critical in delivering much needed services and care. However, the absence of a dedicated Mental Health Transfer that would bring targeted mental health and substance use services into the community is a disappointing gap in today’s budget announcement.

“EHPC applauds the government’s investments in public health, but disappointed that it didn’t include a broader interprofessional approach to ensure improved access to health care by the right provider, in the right place, at the right time.” says Ondina Love, EHPC Chair.

EHPC welcomes future opportunities to collaborate with all levels of government on robust solutions to address the challenges facing the healthcare system, in order to continue building a healthcare system that Canadians are proud of.

The EHPC represents over 100,000 of Canada’s regulated healthcare professionals and we speak with a common voice to ensure that health services provided in the public and private sectors are fully recognized and valued by stakeholders and decision makers. Our members are vital to the health and wellbeing of Canadians through preventative and diagnostic care.