Strategic Direction 1:

Transform Health Human Resource Planning

Work in leading the transformation of Health Human Resources (HHR) planning has continued and productive discussions have taking place with the Ministries of Health and Colleges and Universities (MCU), the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), Ontario Health (OH) and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). Specifically, at the summit hosted by NOSM University held on November 29, 2022, stakeholders agreed on the following system-level initiatives:

• Data Coordination Table: This needs to be initiated in a way that is collaborative (i.e., OH, OMA, NOSM University). There are many sources of data, yet an incomplete picture of both current need and current gaps, as well as an inability to forecast future need. There is a need for a Data Coordination Table that can help provide necessary insights in both the short and long terms, aligning workforce projections to population projections.
• Strategy Table: There are multiple organizations implementing tactics for improving the physician workforce in Northern Ontario, however these tactics are neither coordinated nor clearly specified in a short or long-term strategy. There is an urgent need for a Strategy Table that can create the “glue” by which the tactics can be coordinated, implemented, and evaluated.

A review of the Northern Ontario Academic Medicine Association (NOAMA) Alternate Funding Plan (AFP) has started and will be conducted by Dr. Robert Bell, former Deputy Minister of Health, and former CEO of the University Health Network.

Participation in multiple tables on planning for expansion of medical education programs and developing new health sciences programs have also occurred.