Our new Federal Min of Health and what she thinks!

[Alies Maybee]

This came into my inbox today from Canada Healthwatch about Minister Marjorie Michel's positions coming from her various podcasts/talks:

Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel laid out a series of positions on The Gritty Nurse podcast pointing to big changes underway inside federal–provincial health agencies.
The government is poised to accelerate drug and medical device approvals, AI-adoption, and changing models of care.
“Before becoming a leader, we have to be in the game. Right now, we are not.”
Michel criticized Canada’s regulatory culture as economically uncompetitive, describing Health Canada as overly restrictive:
“The posture of Health Canada was always protecting, protecting ... we added a lot of layers.”
She said she is personally driving deregulatory changes:
“This is why I am pushing my department… moving fast, removing the red tapes, facilitating the clinical trials ... And this is why I am on it like 24 hours a day.”

Violence in hospitals:
Asked by podcast host Amie Archibald-Varley whether the federal government would consider tying health transfers to nurse–patient staffing ratios or to provincial compliance with occupational safety standards, Michel replied:
“We had that conversation ... at my last FPT. And because we had a presentation from the nurses about harassment and violence. I think I already asked Health Canada to see how we can support them better by ... raising awareness.”
When pressed on whether provinces are failing to enforce existing occupational health laws, she said:
“I wouldn’t say that. I think it’s very complex.”

Men’s health strategy:
The Minister said she is launching a national boys’ and men’s health strategy “very soon,” and that the men’s health strategy will encompass digital harms.
“I am also including all this social media, gambling ... in my strategy, because it impacts a lot of young men.”
Though regulation of social media platforms formally falls to the Department of Canadian Heritage, a federal stance toward regulating the internet under the auspices of health would be a new development.
Rapid AI-adoption, unclear guardrails:
The Minister predicts that in a few years’ time, “we'll have a very different healthcare system.”
She said the government is very keen to prevent Canada from becoming a passive consumer of foreign tech:
“If we don't move fast and if we are not embracing it, we will be buyers but not innovators.”
The push for speed comes as international regulators are reporting dramatically increased malfunction rates for AI-enabled surgical devices compared to non-AI counterparts.
On the health workforce:
The Minister also discussed a permanent move away from physician-centred care:
“... we won't ever have enough doctors to take care of the health of Canadians. And now we have nurses that are well trained and who are doing the work and more and more, they will take their space.”
Canada Healthwatch reached the Minister’s office asking for clarification on regulatory approvals, AI oversight, and a federal stance on hospital safety. No response was received by publication time.

[Chris Johnston]

@Alies-Maybee Thanks for this Alies, I went looking for the podcast in question and found it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJUdrz8Rxe8

The minister came across as a true politician’s politician - lots of words that said little and committed to even less. She turned most things - even violence - back on the people most affected to take action. Disappointing but not surprising.

Given her background as a psychologist, it was certainly no surprise that she’s chosen to focus primarily on mental health issues, but only to the extent of asking people - men in particular- what they want and need. No commitment to what will happen after that - so it could be years of consultation that will raise hopes and expectations while producing very little change.

She mostly passed the buck on AI, and somewhat gave the impression that she thinks it’s mostly in the future but not here yet. She’s absolutely right that healthcare will look very different in five years, but I doubt she’ll have much to do with the changes.

By contrast Amie, the woman behind the Gritty Nurse podcast, asked serious questions that deserved more concrete answers. Personally, I’d have more confidence in seeing actual progress if their roles were reversed.

[Deb Baranec]

@Alies-Maybee, thank you for sharing Ailes. I agree with Chris J and I also wanted to add, there is no mention about increase funding for research and clinical trials. No real concrete plans laid. Sounds like the leader down south, they have a plan, just not going to voice it, write etc.. a lot of hot air

[Alies Maybee]

@Chris-Johnston disappointing. We shall have to see if and how we can continue to move ahead on the AI file. Perhaps through ISEAD?

[Jenna Kedy 0]

@Alies-Maybee Ooo this is a lot! Honestly, I have mixed feelings. I get the push for innovation as healthcare does need to move faster, and things like AI and new models of care have real potential but at the same time; speed without strong guardrails makes me nervous. As a patient, “less red tape” can quickly turn into less protection. I’m not anti-AI at all as I’ve seen how it can actually improve care like AI scribes helping doctors be more present but if we rush it without clear accountability, transparency, and patient voices at the table, we risk building systems that look impressive but don’t actually work for people. Basically: yes to innovation, but not at the cost of safety, trust, and real lived experience being part of the process!

[Alies Maybee]

@Jenna-Kedy-0 tough balancing act. There is a lot happening though perhaps not at the ministerial level. PAN has just been asked to be part of a Collaboratorium of players led by CIHI and CIHR whose vision is to leverage what has already been done to have near real-time data available to all -

• with trust, sovereignity

• collect once, use many times

• organize a federal ecosystem to provide this (presumably the Collaboratorium)

More on this soon as I will be posting an opportunity for involvement in 1 of 3 working groups that PAN is involved in. It is quite exciting and I get the sense is led by folks fed up with constant consultations who want action.

[Jenna Kedy 0]

@Alies-Maybee This actually feels like a shift! For once, it’s not just more consultations as it’s giving “let’s use what we already have and actually do something” Near real-time data, collect once use many times, and a focus on trust + sovereignty is incredible. From my lived experience lens, people are tired of repeating their stories into systems that don’t connect. We need action, not another round of “tell us your thoughts.” If this Collaboratorium is really being led by folks ready to move then I’m in. Excited to see the working group opportunities as this is where it gets real!!!