The issue

For decades, Ontario’s health-care system has been focused on hospital care.  As far back as 2012, with the release of ECCO 1.0, RNAO called for Ontario to refocus its attention from hospital care to much-needed and strengthened community care. RNAO continues to sound the alarm on the need to put more resources into primary care, home and community care to decrease the number of patients in hospital.

 The Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians (ECCO) 4.0 report calls on the government and health system partners to strengthen community care and anchor the health system in primary care. Building on RNAO's ECCO model, the report offers real solutions to the real challenges posed to our health system.

Watch the May 12, 2025 media conference below:





 

Take action

fund
Action Alert
Fund nurse practitioners in primary care, Premier!
Call on Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones to implement a publicly funded model for NPs in primary care in Ontario without user fees.
Take Action
Withdraw SCS
Action Alert
Withdraw your plan to close supervised consumption sites, premier!
Harm reduction is health care and nurses are demanding that the premier withdraw his plan to withdraw health care from people in need. Join us! Call on the premier to withdraw his plan to close SCSs and gut harm reduction services in Ontario.
Read more
Stop the move to for-profit health care, Premier
Action Alert
Stop the move to for-profit health care, premier!
Call on the premier to stop channelling public funding for health care into private profits!
Take Action

Health system transformation policy documents

nurse and man taking blood pressure
RNAO submission on the proposed Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2024 – proposed amendments to the Fixing Long-Term Care Act

RNAO’s response to this consultation is informed by RNAO's LTC Best Practices Program and its Clinical Pathways Program and the research that supports those programs. In our analysis of the proposals, we focus on suggestions that would strengthen the Fixing the Long-Term Care Act, including enhancing dementia care and supports for residents, families and caregivers, and enabling NPs to fulfil clinical director roles. We also address health human resource gaps with proposals to target anti-Black racism, ensure competitive compensation and advance a Nursing Home Basic Care Guarantee.

 READ OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

group of nurses
RNAO's submission re proposed regulations under the Connecting Care Act from May 13, 2024

The proposed and amended regulations address OHT governance, including the definition of OHT coordinating corporations. RNAO offers several recommendations in response and calls on the Minister to immediately release the "OHT maturity framework" as an evergreen document and contextual centerpiece for ongoing engagement with system stakeholders, arguing that this would bring coherence to the transformation process and focus stakeholder engagement.

 READ OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

ECCO 3.0 Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians
ECCO 3.0 report

RNAO released ECCO 3.0 in May 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic and ongoing health system transformation. Since ECCO 1.0 was released in 2012, RNAO has consistently fought for an accessible, equitable, person-centred and publicly-funded health system

READ THE ECCO 3.0 REPORT

  • Response to the proposed support for seniors and caregivers act, 2024
    nurse and man taking blood pressure
    RNAO submission on the proposed Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2024 – proposed amendments to the Fixing Long-Term Care Act

    RNAO’s response to this consultation is informed by RNAO's LTC Best Practices Program and its Clinical Pathways Program and the research that supports those programs. In our analysis of the proposals, we focus on suggestions that would strengthen the Fixing the Long-Term Care Act, including enhancing dementia care and supports for residents, families and caregivers, and enabling NPs to fulfil clinical director roles. We also address health human resource gaps with proposals to target anti-Black racism, ensure competitive compensation and advance a Nursing Home Basic Care Guarantee.

     READ OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

  • RNAO's submission re proposed regulations under the Connecting Care Act
    group of nurses
    RNAO's submission re proposed regulations under the Connecting Care Act from May 13, 2024

    The proposed and amended regulations address OHT governance, including the definition of OHT coordinating corporations. RNAO offers several recommendations in response and calls on the Minister to immediately release the "OHT maturity framework" as an evergreen document and contextual centerpiece for ongoing engagement with system stakeholders, arguing that this would bring coherence to the transformation process and focus stakeholder engagement.

     READ OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

  • ECCO 3.0 report
    ECCO 3.0 Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians
    ECCO 3.0 report

    RNAO released ECCO 3.0 in May 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic and ongoing health system transformation. Since ECCO 1.0 was released in 2012, RNAO has consistently fought for an accessible, equitable, person-centred and publicly-funded health system

    READ THE ECCO 3.0 REPORT

Other policy documents related to health system transformation:

POLICY LIBRARY