As part of the implementation of the Excellent Care for All Act (ECFAA), the Ontario government is consolidating the former Ontario Health Quality Council and five other health care improvement organizations and programs into one organization called Health Quality Ontario (HQO). As of April 1, 2011, the Ontario Health Quality Council is part of Health Quality Ontario, with an expanded mandate to:
- Publicly report on the quality of Ontario's health system;
- Support continuous quality improvement; and
- Promote health care that is based on the best available scientific evidence.
The five other organizations being merged into HQO are: the Medical Advisory Secretariat of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee, the Ontario Health Technology Evaluation Fund, the Centre for Healthcare Quality Improvement, and the Quality Improvement and Innovation Partnership.
This consolidation will save $2 million over the next three years, which will be reinvested into frontline health care. Health Quality Ontario will ensure that all future health care investments are based on the best evidence and will work to improve the quality of patient care while simultaneously reporting on quality indicators.
According to Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews, "Health Quality Ontario will bring together organizations with the same goal—to drive quality improvement in Ontario's health care system—under one roof and help to make Ontario's health care system more transparent, accountable and focused on patient-driven care. Ultimately the work of this organization will help Ontarians by improving access to high quality, evidence-based health care."
Sources:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/news/release/2011/apr/nr_20110411_1.aspx
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/news/bulletin/2011/docs/bg_20110404_1.pdf
http://www.ohqc.ca/en/mandate.html
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ms/ecfa/pro/ecfa_hqc.aspx
http://www.changefoundation.ca/news.html
