News Release

Doctors' group supports Nurse Practitioners

December 13, 1994

Health Minister Ruth Grier today (December 13) announced the re-institution of training programmes for Nurse Practitioners in Ontario. The Medical Reform Group of Ontario, representing over 200 Physicians, applauds this move as an important step forward in primary care reform in Ontario.

These new Nurse Practitioners will work primarily in health care teams involving Physicians, Social Workers, Nutritionists, Physiotherapists, and Occupational Therapists. Nurse Practitioners will focus on providing basic clinical care, treatment, advice, and information. They will have special training that will allow them to identify, investigate and treat specific illnesses.

Strong evidence from well-designed and executed research studies supports Nurse Practitioners' effectiveness and efficiency in providing certain aspects of primary care. For a defined set of health problems Nurse Practitioners provide care equivalent to or better than Physicians and at less cost to the health care system.

Some individuals and groups have voiced concerns that in a time of limited budgets, the training of new health care providers may be imprudent. However, Nurse Practitioners will not bill OHIP (the Ontario Health Insurance Plan). Instead, they will be salaried health professionals working within a health care team.

The Ministry is recognizing the strength of the health care team in its initiative to train Nurse Practitioners. By creating an opportunity for Nurse Practitioners to enter the health care system, not in competition to, but in concert with doctors, The Medical Reform Group of Ontario sees the Nurse Practitioner initiative as an important step on the road to health care reform in Ontario.

Medical Reform Group Physicians who will speak on the Nurse Practitioner Issue:

Dr. Rosana Pellizzari
Dr. Ian Scott
Dr. Mimi Divinsky
Dr Gordon Guyatt
Dr. Murray Enkin
Dr. Jim Sugiyama
Dr. Catherine Oliver

Medical Reform Group of Ontario

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