Strengthening Community Care for Ontarians: A Call for Action from Nurses

To mark the start of National Nursing Week (May 12-18, 2025), the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) will release highly anticipated evidence-based recommendations to transform the health system for the benefit of all Ontarians. RNAO will unveil its new report – ECCO 4.0: Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians – during a media conference at Queen’s Park.

ECCO 4.0 builds on three previous reports released in 2012, 2014 and 2020, all centred on strengthening community care. Each edition of ECCO advances a vision for a health system anchored in primary care – one that is accessible, equitable, person-centred, integrated and publicly funded on a not-for-profit basis. While the core ECCO model remains unchanged, each report addresses real-time system planning challenges and emerging needs.

“Ontario is at last positioning primary care and community care as important to health system transformation” says RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar, adding that “to accelerate progress government must double down on the functions and funding of primary care, home care, and other community care services.”

“ECCO 4.0 critically evaluates developments over the past five years and presents targeted recommendations for the government and health system partners,” Dolkar adds. “By anchoring the system in primary care and enhancing community services, we can achieve a more responsive, cost-effective and resilient health system.”

“This report is an urgent call for action given the intersecting challenges affecting our province. These include primary care access, toxic drugs, access to affordable housing, food insecurity, the climate crisis, and a relentless health human resource shortage including registered nurses and nurse practitioners,” says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun. “ECCO 4.0 offers a clear and actionable blueprint on how to immediately address current challenges and build a high-performing health system rooted in equity, diversity and inclusion. It is designed to improve access, care quality and outcomes for everyone in Ontario. We are eager to share this report with elected leaders, health system partners and the public – so we can work together to deliver health for all.”

WHAT: RNAO releases ECCO 4.0: Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians to kickoff National Nursing Week.

WHO:

• Moderator: Immediate Past-President Dr. Claudette Holloway
• President NP Lhamo Dolkar
• CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun

WHEN: Monday, May 12 at 10 a.m. ET at Queen’s Park media studio

Members of the media are welcome to attend.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses’ contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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