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Over the past thirty years, groundbreaking innovations have saved and transformed thousands of lives of Canadians with cancer. Immunotherapies and precision medicines in particular have made huge strides for many cancer types, including lung, prostate and melanoma, sometimes turning a diagnosis people dread into something that requires less invasive treatments. However, some cancer types are far more difficult to treat: they are particularly aggressive and very hard to eradicate, including rare lung tumours, glioblastoma, as well as pancreatic, liver and gynecological cancers. Other countries have dedicated research programs for hard-to-treat cancers, while the world’s top medical centres are developing new diagnostics and medicines, often using tried-and-true therapeutics combined with new treatments. What can Canadian researchers, clinicians, cancer agencies and patient leaders do differently to shift the survival curves and help cancer patients live longer and with a better quality of life?    Featuring: Robert Bick, Co-Lead, Health Policy Consultant, CanCertainty Anita Angelini, Vice Chair, Brain Cancer Canada Dr. Rodney Ouellette, Sr. Researcher, Founder, Atlantic Cancer Research Institute Dr. Barbara-Ann Millar, Radiation Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Moderator: Fred Horne, Policy Consultant Brain Cancer Canada and Novocure are pleased to participate in this Longwoods Leadership Discussion

Canadian provinces are struggling with affordability, access and equity as populations age and demand rises. This episode compares Canada’s provincial systems with Australia’s states, highlighting Australia’s stronger performance on equity and health outcomes and examining how private insurance operates alongside public medicare. The authors call for low‑cost, high‑impact collaboration: federal‑led comparative analyses, data sharing, personnel exchanges and joint research to identify adaptable policies and practices that improve primary care access, reduce fragmentation and address inequities in both countries. Healthcare Policy, Volume 20, Issue 4, August 2025 Authors:  Michael Pervan, Chief Executive Officer, Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority, Sydney, Australia Jason M. Sutherland, Phd, Editor-in-Chief, Director, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC This podcast was created using an AI generated voice. 

The Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC) is an innovative, collaborative healthcare program launched in 2020 to provide timely, rural-focused care, connecting patients with virtual or in-person support from family doctors and paramedics, reducing ED visits, and managing non-urgent needs, acting as a crucial link for residents without regular primary care.   Featuring: Robert McKay, Practice Leader, Healthcare Delivery, IQVIA Dr. Jonathan Fitzsimon, Family Physician, Medical Lead, Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centres

How Can We Better Protect Older Canadians – A Booster Shot for Canada’s Vaccine Policies With Canada’s age demographics continuously shifting, policymakers and science hubs have invested in strategies that can better serve our social, economic, and healthcare infrastructures. This session will focus on the latter, highlighting recent advancements for optimizing infectious disease mitigation through vaccination, and deconstructing the necessary strategies to bolster healthy aging via immunization. With vaccination as a cornerstone for public health, this dynamic and engaging panel of global experts will discuss where we stand in Canada regarding the current state of vaccine uptake, knowledge dissemination and vaccine education, and the potential future of precision immunization. Participants will gain insights into how policy developments and innovative strategies can drive these advancements and their impact on our public healthcare system. Featuring Dr. Ronald F. Grossman, Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto Laura Tamblyn-Watts, CEO, CanAge, Jennifer Chan, Executive Director, Policy and Government Affairs, Merck Canada Moderator: Bill Dempster, President, 3Sixty Public Affairs

Ontario faces a significant challenge: 2.5 million Ontarians do not have a family doctor or any other access to primary care, and that number is projected to grow to 4.4 million people in 2026. This challenge is even greater for people in Ontario living with complex, difficult to manage chronic diseases as they struggle to access the comprehensive, team-based care they need, close to home and in communities. The journey of health system transformation requires the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative models of team-based care. This panel discussion will explore tangible solutions to achieve Ontario’s ambitious goal of connecting every Ontarian with team-based primary care within five years. We will examine the success of exemplar models like Best Care, a physician-led integrated chronic disease management program that has avoided up to 24000 hospital bed days over three years, saving the health system more than $37 million in hospitalization costs. Access to team-based primary care for effective chronic disease management is how Ontario can improve patient experience and outcomes, improve the provider experience and create millions of dollars in savings across the continuum of care. This event is supported by Best Care who aspires to set Ontario Health on a path to improve lives of those living with chronic diseases and reduce the health system costs. Information on Best Care can be found at www.argi.on.ca Featuring Dr. Christopher Licskai, CEO, Best Care Kimberly Moran, CEO, Ontario Medical Association Wendy Smith, Executive Director, Nipissing Wellness Ontario Health Team Moderator: Dr. Cathy Faulds, Board Chair, Best Care and Ontario Medical Association

The Canadian Thoracic Society COPD Guidelines were updated in the Fall of 2023. The evidence based recommendations represent a significant change in the pharmacological management of COPD when compared to the previous versions. They represent a pro-active management approach to improve quality of life, reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations and reduce the mortality associated with COPD. In this seminar, an update will be provided as to the new guidance and a discussion on the need for provincial formularies to reassess how patients and physicians access COPD specific medications.   Featuring: Dr. Paul Hernandez, Respirologist and Professor, Dalhousie University Dr. Jean Bourbeau, Pulmonologist and Professor, McGill University Dr. Brandie Walker, University of Calgary Moderator: Dr. Mohit Bhutani, Director, Asthma and COPD Clinics, University of Alberta

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can introduce clarity to the clinical journey for the most-challenging diseases and treatment pathways.  AI brings power to consume large disparate data sets and transform information into succinct, actionable insights with the power to identify opportunities to reduce avoidable costs, predict medical events, and, ultimately, improve patient care. But developing, implementing, and interpreting to drive actionable results can be challenging without the right data, the right process, and the right actions to be successful. This session will focus on approaches for clinical decision support and identifying opportunities to engage providers with actionable care gaps aligned to best-practice guidelines. Featuring: Helen Angus, CEO, AMS Healthcare Matthew Hackenberg, Associate Product and Strategy Director, AI for Healthcare, IQVIA

Gene therapy has emerged as an exciting innovation for Canadians with rare diseases. As more gene therapy treatments gain approval in Canada, there is promise for transforming and advancing healthcare, especially in areas of high unmet need. Access to those new therapies, however, remains challenging. Join us to discover the untapped potential of gene therapy in Canada as this panel of experts addresses the barriers to access and explores innovative solutions to overcome them, ensuring every Canadian who needs it can access gene therapy with timely, equitable, and effective delivery.  Featuring: Durhane Wong-Rieger, President and CEO, Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders Dr. Jerry Teitel, Medical Director, Hemophilia Treatment Centre·St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto David Page, Consultant, Safety and Supply of Coagulation Products, Canadian Hemophilia Society Graham Statt, Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta Moderator: Carly Weeks, VP, Public Affairs, Communications and Stakeholder Relations, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Ontario healthcare landscape. There was a time when Canadians could confidently claim theirs was the best health system in the world. Time to face reality – that is no longer true. The system faces major challenges, with access to care at the top of the list of concerns. Despite spending more on healthcare than most developed countries, we struggle to create enough capacity to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and aging population. What can we do to break out of this chronic decline and bring back a sense of vibrancy and optimism to the healthcare enterprise? Brian and Michael will discuss current trends and new ideas with the potential to change the narrative and address the explosive growth in the seniors demographic that is already upon us. There is lots to be optimistic about, if you know where to look. We need to think differently to create a different dynamic. Featuring: Brian Golden, Sandra Rotman Chair in Health Sector Strategy, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto Dr. Michael Guerriere, President and Chief Executive Officer, Extendicare

Insights on the struggles of life limiting experiences and understanding end-of-life care for patients, care providers and medical professionals. Patients and their caregivers require physical and emotional care, especially as they enter the later stages of life. Failure to attend to personhood can be as subtle as being kept waiting for an appointment, as insidious as being required to wear a plastic hospital bracelet that tracks patients according to an institutional number or code, as jarring as being referred to as an aberrant body part - the proverbial "GI bleed in room two" or "breast tumor in room three." This conversation on Dignity in Care will describe what healthcare providers need to know about the humanity and tone of care; and how they can engage in these facets of care in a thoughtful and meaningful way that will satisfy their patients' needs to be seen and appreciated as "whole persons." Featuring Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and a Senior Scientist, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute and Nancy Lefebre, Senior Vice President and COO for the Business of Caring, SE Health

After decades of research and innovation, cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are unlocking new ways to revolutionize medicine. Distinct from traditional pharmaceutical treatments, CGTs represent highly precise and innovative approaches that target the underlying causes of genetic and acquired diseases with the aim of treating, preventing and potentially curing disease. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the positive impact that CGTs such as CAR T-cell therapy – a blood cancer treatment that modifies T cells to target and eliminate cancer cells – have had on Canadians. With thousands of CGTs in development to treat diseases from cancers to rare disorders to type 1 diabetes and chronic heart failure, the novelty and highly technical nature of these therapies create new opportunities for improved health outcomes for Canadians, but successful integration will require a new playbook from those who assess, deliver and receive care. From regulation to health technology assessments, reimbursement and education, we must ensure that our health systems are prepared to integrate these new innovations so that Canadians have access to potentially life changing treatments. This Longwoods Leadership Discussion is funded by The Cell and Gene Therapy Round Table, a group of Canadian pharmaceutical companies interested in policies related to cell and gene therapies. Featuring: Dr. Bob Bell, Former Deputy Minister of Health, Ontario, Dean Duffin, Patient Advocate and Kids Cancer Care Board Member, Dr. Ronan Foley, Clinical Hematologist, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton Health Sciences, Dr. Elise Héon, Staff Director, Ocular Genetics Program Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children and Moderator: Avis Favaro, Health Journalist

Featuring: Kimberley Hanson, Chief Executive Officer, HealthPartners Dr. David M. Kaplan, Vice President, Quality, Ontario Health Dr. Karen Cross, Chief Executive Officer, MIMOSA Diagnostics Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe, Senior Scientist, Women's College Hospital Research Institute Amir Naseri, Senior Director, Pharmacy Services Strategy & Innovation Shoppers Drug Mart Moderator: Dr. Tamara Wallington, Chief Health Promotion and Environmental Health Officer, Public Health Ontario Improving the Prevention, Management, and Treatment of Diabetes and Other Chronic Diseases in Ontario In Ontario, diabetes affects 1 in 3 people and contributes to 30% of strokes, 40% of heart attacks, 50% of kidney failure requiring dialysis, and 70% of all non-traumatic lower limb amputations. It is also a leading cause of blindness. The toll on patients and caregivers is significant as is the impact on the healthcare system and economy. In November of 2020, Longwoods hosted an event Diabetes Care and Management for Ontario focusing on the need for more to be done to support people in Ontario living with diabetes. The following year, the Ministry of Health’s 2022/23 mandate to Ontario Health directed the agency to “work in partnership with the Ministry of Health to develop a chronic disease strategy addressing prevention, management and treatment, with an initial focus on diabetes.” This mandate was renewed in 2023/24 with an added emphasis to complete the development and proceed with implementation of the strategy. In parallel to the commitment made by the Ontario government, in October 2022 the federal government tabled the Diabetes Framework, another important step in the journey to reduce the rising rates of the diabetes epidemic. We are now at a pivotal time with government commitments being made to reduce the rates of the disease and the unsustainable burden it places on our province, population, and health system. Our panel of thought leaders and healthcare experts will reflect on the current state of diabetes in Ontario and the plan moving forward to develop and implementation a provincial strategy. #diabetes #diabetescare #novonordisk #chronicdisease #healthcare #healthcanada #longwoods #diabetestreatment #diabetesmanagement #diabetesprevention

Leigh Chapman, Chief Nursing Officer, Health Canada with Tim Guest, CEO, Canadian Nurses Association and Carly Weeks, Health Reporter, The Globe and Mail discuss why Retention is critical to today’s health workforce challenges in the context of a global nursing shortage. This title “You can’t recruit your way out of a crisis” follows the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Congress, co-hosted by the CNA in Montreal, July 2023. The issue of the global nursing shortage was brought to the forefront as one of the most prominent issues in today’s global health landscape. In this talk, these nurse leaders will cover current issues, and strategic solutions for the future of nursing. With a focus on how we got here, and where we’re going, the discussion topics will include retention, ethical recruitment, and improving work environments for nurses. The speakers will also highlight their hopes for the future of nursing and Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system.

The Ontario Long Term Care Association represents 70% of Ontario's long-term care homes.  In four years, the oldest of the baby boomers’ generation will turn 80. By 2040, Ontario’s population over that age will nearly double. Listen to today's conversation with Donna Duncan, CEO for the Ontario Long Term Care Association as we discuss this issue and many more.   

Phyxable – a world-class virtual care provider – and its partners, Micron Digital and Wizcraft Design Build Inc., have been selected by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as one of five Canadian companies to contribute to its “Health Beyond Initiative” for 2023.   By initiating a leading role in deep-space healthcare innovation, Canada can position itself on the international stage as a pioneer in the delivery of remote healthcare and, thereby, in the development of resources and technologies that can be used in deep space and in remote or rural areas on Earth. Healthcare strategies and technologies developed to support crew members on deep-space missions could be used to empower healthcare providers serving those in remote regions. Considering the needs of healthcare delivery in deep space and remote regions are in many ways comparable, it can be expected that their solutions will likely overlap. The lessons learned from healthcare projects in deep space can be adapted to remote healthcare delivery for underserved populations. These healthcare innovations have the potential to be radically transformative for national healthcare delivery, lowering costs, and improving health outcomes for all.