Ontario Medical Association rolls out Stop the Crisis Campaign

The Ontario Medical Association, which represents the province's 43,000 physicians, medical students and retired physicians, launched their Stop the Crisis initiative Wednesday.

The campaign outlines a strategy to deal with what the OMA said is a crisis facing Ontario's health-care system.

The Ontario Medical Association, which represents the province's 43,000 physicians, medical students and retired physicians, launched their Stop the Crisis initiative Wednesday, outlining priorities to fix the health-care system. (Photo from video)

"Individually, any of these issues would be considered a crisis," said OMA president Dr. Dominik Nowak.

"Together, we know they represent a catastrophe facing Ontario and our health care system … Ontarians deserve better and this plan outlines immediate steps the government must take to stop the crisis."

The OMA outlined six priority areas, including: ensuring everyone has a family doctor; saving rural and northern health care; keeping emergency departments open; improving access and funding for surgeries, specialists and diagnostic tests; a human health resources strategy; and, enhancing digital health care and innovation.

Solutions include physician-led team-based care, streamlining time-consuming administrative tasks and creating a northern physician workforce strategy.

Currently, there are more than 350 unfilled physician vacancies in northern communities.

"We need to retain a focus on doctors," said Dr. Sarah Newbery, assistant dean of physician workforce strategy at NOSM University.

"As teachers, we need to understand medical education as an apprenticeship, and we need doctors in all of the communities in which we need our future doctors to be able to learn and train."

Newbery said they need to ensure that keeping services open in hospitals is as seamless as possible.

"And to that end, we need a regional credentialing system that will make it as easy as possible for a doctor in one community in northern Ontario to be able to cover a shift or a service in an adjacent hospital."

The OMA is also asking the government to add more residency opportunities for international medical graduates, adopt AI scribes across the province and create a centralized referral.

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"Our members are concerned that, without significant government intervention, health care in this province will deteriorate beyond repair," said OMA CEO Kimberly Moran.

"The OMA intends to work with the government on these solutions. Ensuring the future of health care in Ontario must be a top priority."

CTV contacted the Ministry of Health for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.

The OMA said 89 per cent of Ontarians surveyed said they are concerned about the future of the province's health care system.