Essentially, we believe that what health care is looking for and what the cooperative model is so strong at providing is a patient and family-centred approach. Based on the core values and principles of cooperatives, organizations that offer health services through cooperatives are inherently patient-centred because they are member-owned. Our members actually have a vote and take part and are engaged in providing services based on what they feel are needs.
This is creating a buzz in health care organizations, be they regional health authorities or local health integration networks in Ontario, that patient and family-centred care is what we should be operating. Cooperative health organizations have actually been doing that for years.
Secondly, the citizen ownership is, again, by definition, a way of participating in the design and delivery of health services. We have built-in mechanisms to make sure that we're engaging our membership on a regular basis and responding to their needs.
The cooperatives also have increased capacity to engage citizens to take responsibility for their own health, which is an inherent part of improving the health of our population.
We have a great capacity to creatively respond to unique community needs. We are often filling in the cracks in the system. So for the cracks that are not addressed through other formal health care processes, cooperatives are able to address more nimbly and devise programs and services to address those needs.
And of course, we are supportive of the cooperative family, so cooperatives help support other cooperatives, both in development and in sustenance.
We have a strong organizational capacity due to the various governance models involved in setting up and establishing co-ops. We also have a great capacity to support various health disciplines to form effective working relationships in the delivery of health services. So for instance, physician group practices that are remunerated on a salary basis reduce some of the competition that is often inherent in a fee-for-service model and allow us to work more collaboratively with other disciplines to provide the care that people need to address the social determinants of health.
I want to shift now and talk a little bit about what the federal government can do to support health care cooperatives, because this is essentially why we're here, to try to give you some ideas or some food for thought about what the government can do to support cooperatives, because we see this as an efficient and effective model.
First of all, work toward ensuring education about the cooperative model is in the curricula of law, commerce, business schools, and even right down to basic public education. We are publishing a graphic novel, also called a comic book, about the birthplace of medicare, but also about the creation of community clinics 50 years ago in Saskatchewan as a way of getting that information out to youth.
Secondly, we want to ensure that the cooperative model is considered and advocated for in federal and provincial economic development and health service delivery initiatives.
Thirdly, we believe it's important to support provincial and federal cooperative associations to educate the public about the advantages of cooperative model, and to assist groups to form cooperatives through the development of business plans, incorporation, and through access to developmental funding.
Finally, we believe it's important to sponsor the study and dissemination of information about successful cooperative health delivery in other countries, because there are lots of excellent examples out there that we can emulate and we have much to share and much to learn in terms of the development and sustenance of cooperatives.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to address the committee. We'd be pleased to answer questions.
