'we are ready to get down to work': santé québec is officially in operation
“we are at the starting line of a long-distance race to transform the network," writes geneviève biron.
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as of sunday, responsibility for the province’s health-care system has been transferred to santé québec, a new agency launched in april to overhaul the health-care network. “for the first time, a crown corporation, with no political agenda, with a board made up of independent members, brings all the establishments in the network together in a single organization rather than more than 30 different entities,” said santé québec executive director geneviève biron in an open letter dated dec. 1.
“not everything will be fixed tomorrow, but it is possible to do better,” she wrote.
when her appointment was announced at the end of april, biron, who led private provider biron health group from 2014 to 2021, said her main focus would be improving access to services. she said santé québec would make the health-care system “more human and more efficient.”
“i arrive here today with a different view of our health system. i want to contribute to an innovative approach and a vision,” she said.
“i think we’re all aware things have to change.”
biron’s first job is to find nearly $1.5 billion in savings.
the gazette reported in november that santé québec is contemplating, as a last resort, “a selective reduction of services” to the population in a four-phase plan to slash $1.5 billion in spending within the province’s beleaguered health network.
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quebec’s spending on health and social services has nearly doubled to $60 billion in 2024-25 from about $35 billion six years ago. the government had previously absorbed hospital deficits caused by inflation but, as the gazette reported, santé québec told health-care managers in a november meeting to find savings in their budgets to absorb all inflation-related expenses — about $600 million. and regional health authorities have been ordered to cut spending by $900 million. the government has posted a deficit of $11 billion this year.
“in consolidating establishments into a single organization, we give ourselves a broad vision that offers the possibility of optimizing the network as a whole,” biron wrote in her open letter. “how? by gaining mobility, by eliminating tasks that are being duplicated, in more efficient sharing of tools and best practices, including research and teaching.
“we think it’s possible to have a system in which the population can be fully confident and which is there when they need it.
“we are at the starting line of a long-distance race to transform the network and respond to the growing needs of the population.”
acknowledging in the letter that the winter season is accompanied by increased demand for health-care services, biron said: “we are ready to get down to work to meet the increased demand.”
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santé québec wants to “instil positivity in the network and in the population,” biron said in her letter.
since arriving on the scene, she has travelled to different regions of the province and met “hundreds” of the 330,000 people working in the health and social-service system, biron wrote in her letter. “they are committed and devoted, but tired of cynicism,” she said.
she said in her letter that “a game plan to pick up the pace of the transformation of the network” will be proposed “in the coming months.”
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