Your January 2026 media report

In January, RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar and CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun penned an op-ed about the need to utilize Ontario’s public health system as opposed to for-profit surgical centres. In the Toronto Star (Jan. 20), they wrote that “While reducing wait times is a goal we all share, funding private, for-profit expansion while publicly funded operating rooms sit underused and nurses remain unavailable is not the solution.” They also highlighted that a two-tier system introduces risks for patients who are not monitored around-the-clock like they are in a recovery room setting. Also, if a complication rises after their surgery at a private clinic, the patient may need to be transferred to a local hospital for additional care. “Ontario can reduce wait times and strengthen equity by taking decisive steps to reinforce — not abandon — the public not-for-profit system,” argue Dolkar and Grinspun. 

Grinspun also wrote an op-ed published in The Hill Times (Jan. 21) about the impact of far-right ideologies on health care. She focused on two bills recently passed in Albera that affect evidence-based care. Bill 13 restricts regulators from requiring training in anti-racism, cultural safety, unconscious bias, gender equity and 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion. “These are not political preferences — they are the bedrock of safe, ethical care,” wrote Grinspun. Bill 9 shields new restrictions on gender-affirming care for youth under 16, police pronouns and gender identity in schools, and ban transgender girls from amateur female sports. The Alberta government used the notwithstanding clause to push through this legislation. “When governments override clinical judgment and weaken regulatory safeguards, [nurses’ and other health professionals’] ability to provide safe, compassionate and evidence-informed care is threatened.” 

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