RNAO’s ongoing media profile: Your January 2025 report
Throughout January, RNAO’s president and CEO were featured in media stories related to the federal government’s call for Ontario to ensure medically necessary care from nurse practitioners (NP) is publicly funded, the provincial government's plan to invest in primary care, the continued call for the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) to divest in all fossil fuel holdings; and strategies to improve access to health care in rural Ontario.
On Jan. 10, federal Health Minister Mark Holland sent a letter to his provincial and territorial counterparts to clarify the government’s interpretation of the Canada Health Act. This letter called for all provincial and territorial health plans to ensure medically necessary care from NPs is publicly funded as of April 1, 2026. RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun told the Ottawa Citizen (Jan. 10) that many Ontarians lack access to a primary care provider. “Many nurse practitioners currently provide care through fee-for-service clinics across Ontario due to a lack of funding for their services from the Ontario government. Closure of these clinics could exacerbate the crisis if Ontario does not act swiftly to support an innovative public funding model,” said Grinspun. On CBC Radio (Jan. 14), RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar said that this is a landmark announcement. “This is going to open access to care, especially in primary care. This is only going to benefit patients and leverage the work that NPs continue to provide. It’s a win-win situation.” She indicated that Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones must focus on delivering this new funding model. “The time to act is now,” she told the Toronto Star (Jan. 18). RNAO will continue to work with the federal government to provide guidance as this new model is developed.
On Jan. 27, the Ontario government announced that it will invest $1.8 billion over the next four years to address the primary care crisis. The funding will help connect every Ontarian with a primary care provider (family physician or NP). In a media release (Jan. 27), Dolkar said, “As an NP myself, I know primary care holds the key to improving health outcomes for everyone. This announcement addresses our recommendation that Ontario’s 5,300 NPs must play an integral role in tackling the crisis before us.” At the announcement, the provincial government did not indicate any immediate plans to close for-profit NP clinics. Grinspun told Global News (Jan. 28) that RNAO doesn’t “support the for-profit clinics, yet, closing them without creating a parallel stream of funding for nurses, for NPs that cannot find work and that waiting to serve the public, it will do more harm than good.”
RNAO continues to call on HOOPP to divest its fossil fuel holdings as previously mentioned in the November media report. This month, Grinspun co-authored an op-ed (Healthy Debate, Jan. 15) on the importance of protecting the environment and the need for pension providers to stop investing in companies that are making the climate crisis worse. “We urge HOOPP to fill in the gaps in its climate plan by fully committing to funding a just and sustainable future – not one marked by climate disruption. And we call on other health organizations in Ontario – especially those represented on HOOPP’s board of trustees – to join RNAO’s 54,400 members in presenting similar urgent requests to the largest pension fund in Ontario’s health sector,” wrote Grinspun.
Grinspun appeared on TVO’s The Agenda (Jan. 21) to discuss access to health care in rural Ontario. As part of a panel discussion held at the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association conference, she said the municipalities’ role is to welcome health professionals to their region. “Make them part of your community, embrace them and build careers for them there,” said Grinspun. She also highlighted the importance of building community. “Unless we look at the lives of people together and health professionals as part of the equation instead of the centre… we’re not going to solve this puzzle.”
On Jan. 20, RNAO issued a media release announcing that Nigeria has joined the Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) program. The country’s federal ministry of health will oversee 15 organizations across the country’s six geographic regions as they implement four RNAO best practice guidelines. Grinspun said in the media release that “this partnership marks the beginning of a meaningful journey with the Nigerian government, nurses and other health professionals working to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of the more than 200 million people living in Nigeria. Together, we will inspire others to join our vibrant and impactful social movement of science.” Several media outlets in Nigeria and Canada covered this announcement: Nigerian Canadian Newspaper Canada, Independent TV, Spark News Daily, The Independent Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria and Nigerian News Direct.
RNAO continues to speak out alongside its members on topics related to nursing and health. Stay up-to-date on media coverage by visiting RNAO in the news. If you’re interested in speaking with reporters on issues related to nursing, health and health care, fill in our online form.
