Policy and Political Action

Policy & Political Action

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Submissions

  • Submission: Bill 135: An Act to protect pupils with asthma
    April 9, 2014

    The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses (RNs) in all settings and roles across Ontario. It is the strong, credible voice leading the nursing profession to influence and promote healthy public policy. RNAO appreciates this opportunity to provide our written submission on Bill 135, Ryan’s Law (Ensuring Asthma Friendly Schools), 2013.

    On December 17, 2013, RNAO sent an Open Letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne and key MPPs from all three parties, including members of the Standing Committee on Social Policy, with two key suggestions on improving student safety by strengthening Bill 135 (enclosed). RNAO reiterates the point made by MPPs from all three parties during debate that Ryan’s Law would be even stronger if it were to include other life-threatening conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy. Our hope is that a more comprehensive approach might prevent having to introduce another law that bears the name of another child’s tragic death—like Ryan’s Law or Sabrina’s Law.

  • Submission: Ontario’s Next Five-Year Poverty Reduction Strategy
    October 11, 2013

    The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing nurses, in all settings and roles across Ontario. It is the strong credible voice leading the nursing profession to influence and promote healthy public policy.

    As RNAO outlined in Creating Vibrant Communities: RNAO’s Challenge to Ontario’s Political Parties, there is both a strong human rights rationale and compelling public health evidence that demands collective action on the social inequities that drive health inequities. It is completely unacceptable that in a province as affluent as Ontario that there could be a twenty-one year difference in life expectancy in the five kilometer distance between a high-income and a low-income neighbourhood in Hamilton. Just as we now strive to base decisions on how best to improve an individual’s health condition based on evidence and how to improve health-care services based on evidence, it is imperative that the Government of Ontario use clear evidence to reduce the avoidable and unnecessary premature deaths due to poverty and income inequality. This international multi-disciplinary evidence been compiled by the World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. There is an international consensus that “governments have a responsibility for the health of their peoples, which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures.”

  • Submission: Transitional Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario ‘Draft Controlled Acts Regulation’
    September 9, 2013

    The Registration Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses (RNs) working in all roles and sectors in Ontario. Our mandate is to promote healthy public policy and the role of nurses in shaping and delivering health services now and in the future. RNAO is pleased to provide a written submission to the Transitional Council of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario as part of the consultation process on a proposed controlled acts regulation.

  • Submission: Plasma donations in Canada
    July 25, 2013

    The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is gravely concerned by the recent precipitous movement by Health Canada to support the for-profit plasma industry thereby risking the safety and integrity of Canada's blood supply system.

  • Submission: Support Children’s Health
    November 26, 2012

    Three recent ground breaking reports exemplify RNAO’s influential work: Primary Solutions for Primary Care; Enhancing Community Care for Ontarians (ECCO): A Three Year Plan; and RNAO’s Submission to the Government of Ontario’s Senior Care Strategy. The three, are central pillars to improve health system integration and ensure Ontario becomes a high-performing health system that achieves the ‘triple aims’ of improved patient experiences, enhanced population outcomes, and health system cost-effectiveness. The focus of these work is on locating care coordination and system navigation within primary care, with a strong emphasis on health promotion, disease prevention, chronic disease prevention and management, and mental health – resulting in a system that is upstream and more responsive to the public’s needs.

  • Submission: Ontario's Senior Care Strategy
    September 5, 2012

    On Monday, September 10, RNAO submitted a comprehensive approach to the MOHLTC for developing an evidence-based and integrated Seniors’ Care Strategy with the goal of improved mental, physical and social health outcomes, while leveraging existing resources, minimizing structural duplication and upholding a stronger publicly-funded, not-for-profit health system.

  • Submission: Bills 13 and 14 are About Saving Lives and Improving Well-Being
    May 25, 2012

    RNAO appreciates the opportunity to present this submission on Bill 13, An Act to amend the Educational Act with respect to bullying and other matters (or Accepting Schools Act, 2012) and Bill 14, An Act to designate Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in Schools and to provide for bullying prevention curricula, policies and administrative accountability in schools (or Anti-Bullying Act, 2012) to the Standing Committee on Social Policy.

  • Submission: Getting Serious about Deficits
    April 19, 2012

    Getting Serious about Deficits

    Yes, Ontario has a deficit problem. But it’s not just a budgetary deficit…

  • Submission: Proposal Feedback: Regulation of Physician Assistants under the Regulated Health Professions Act
    April 1, 2012

    Proposal Feedback: Regulation of Physician Assistants under the Regulated Health Professions Act

    1. In your view, does the applicant meet the ‘risk of harm’ threshold? In other words, has the applicant demonstrated that Physician Assistants pose a risk of harm to the health and safety of the public if the profession is not regulated under the RHPA? (Please explain the rationale for your position. You may include evidence and/or citations where applicable.)

  • Submission: Transforming the Health-Care System (CNA)
    December 14, 2011

    RNAO Recommendations to the CNA National Expert Commission on Transforming the Health-Care System

    Address income inequality as a key determinant of mental and physical health, linked to lower life expectancy, greater exposure to environmental damage such as climate change and toxics, decreased educational performance, increased violence and decreased social mobility.

    Strengthen Canada’s publicly-funded, not-for-profit health care system and reject efforts to commercialize or privatize health care delivery.

    Oppose the negotiation of comprehensive trade agreements that seek to undermine the ability of governments to regulate or implement programs in the public interest such as publicly-funded, not-for-profit health care.

    Support examples of successful innovations that are proven to produce better outcomes and value within the publicly-funded, not-for-profit system, such as the 80/20 program for late-career nurses, Registered Nurse First Assists and advance practice nurses, targeting 70 per cent full-time nurses in all sectors, new nurse graduate guarantee initiatives, long-term care best practice coordinators and all RNs and NPs working to full scope.