EVENT: 2020 Annual Health Action Virtual Assembly

Posted: October 14, 2020

(October 29, 2020)

On Saturday October 24, more than 300 registrants joined us as we held our Annual Health Action Virtual Assembly. A myriad of health care topics were discussed during the assembly, with topics ranging from how COVID-19 has affected health and non-health settings & racialized groups, the legal actions surrounding long-term care as a result of COVID-19 & the legal implications of decades of health care cuts, the experience of front-line workers during the pandemic, the impact of for-profit long-term care on care levels & how for-profit homes dealt with COVID-19 outbreaks, the B.C private clinics court challenge and what’s next, what is happening with health care funding provincially and federally, and the lessons from the first wave of COVID-19 in Ontario. Thank you to everyone who joined our assembly!

Please find below links to the recordings of each session from the assembly and the presentation slides used by the speakers.

Opening Plenary: Quick Briefing: Tracking The Spread of COVID-19

Recording of this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icC5o7c3QR8

Presentations: The slides used by Sane Dube, from the Alliance for Healthier Communities, can be found here.

Human Rights, Discrimination Against the Elderly and Ontario’s Health Cuts

Recording of this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulr11RmS47o

Presentations: The slides used by Gary Will, lawyer at Will Davidson Law, can be found here.

Presentations: 1) The slides used by Dr. Danyaal Raaza, doctor with CDM, can be found here.

2) The slides used by Usman Mushtaq, from the B.C Health Coalition can be found here.

3) The slides used by Dr. Gordon Guyatt, professor at McMaster, can be found here.

The Almighty Dollar: What is Happening with Federal and Provincial Funding for Health Care?

Recording of this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izm5GsTxtgM

Presentations: The slides used by Sheila Block, senior economist at the CCPA, can be found here.

The slides used by Doug Allan, researcher at CUPE, can be found here.

Closing Plenary

Recording of this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhPhCYz8r4M

October 16 update: There is just one week left for registration for our Annual Health Action Assembly. We are really pleased because we have a really amazing set of guest speakers and are looking forward to seeing you all there! Please see below for the full list of speakers including new ones and the full agenda. If you are having any issues with registering please email us your email, phone number, organization name, city and choices for sessions and we can register you. If possible, please pay the 10 dollar Assembly fee as it helps cover the cost of the assembly.

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2020 Annual Health Action Virtual Assembly

Saturday October 24^th 9:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M

Conference will be held virtually via Zoom

At our annual assembly we set our action plan and strategy for the year. We also provide a mini-conference on the top priority issues and this year’s line up of speakers is really amazing. Please take a look below. Please register to attend as per the instructions here. Thank you all for all you do to protect and improve public medicare for all. It is important now, more than ever.

How to Register

Registration is required to attend. When you register, you need to select which sessions you wish to attend. Please see the choices below in the agenda.

Deadline to register: Thursday October 22 at 5 p.m.

Please Register and choose which sessions you would like to participant in here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kdemhpzIqGtRI4ZCd3Lr3ZJWdhXcvr1an

Fees

Assembly: 0-$10 sliding scale.

If you are able to pay the Assembly Fee, please do so because it is needed to help cover our costs of organizing the Assembly.

Payment and Contact

You can pay online here: https://store.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/products/copy-of-health-action-assembly-annual-conference-1

or send us a cheque to: 15 Gervais Dr. Suite 201, Toronto, ON, M3C 1Y8

If you have any questions please contact us at: EMAIL: ohc@sympatico.ca or PHONE: 416-441-2502

Agenda

9:00 A.M. Opening Plenary

Quick Briefing: Tracking The Spread of COVID-19

Health and Congregate Care Settings: Megan Lee, OHC Campaigns
Non-health Care Industries and Schools: Riley Sanders, OHC Campaigns
Migrant Farmworkers: Tracey Ramsey, former MP, Co-Chair Windsor Essex Health Coalition
Racialized and Low-Income Households: Sane Dube, Alliance for Healthier Communities

Followed by Annual Report and Action Plan draft

10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Please Choose One Session

Human Rights, Discrimination Against the Elderly and Ontario’s Health Cuts

Jane Meadus, Lawyer, Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
Gary Will, Lawyer, Will Davidson Law, the law firm that is filing some of the class actions against for-profit long-term care homes
Natalie Mehra, Executive Director, Ontario Health Coalition
Adriel Weaver, Lawyer, Goldblatt Partners

Fighting for Health Care Workers’ Rights, Experiences Under COVID-19 and SARS

Tim Deelstra, Facilitator, UFCW
Michael Hurley, President, OCHU/CUPE
Katha Fortier, Assistant to the President, Unifor
Sharleen Stewart, President, SEIU
Nicole Butt, Manager of Litigations, ONA

Revera Inc. and For-Profit Long-Term Care: Lessons from COVID-19

Shalom Schachter, Lawyer, Member of Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition
Kevin Skerrett, Pension Specialist, Ottawa Health Coalition
Shelley Smith, PSW, Unifor

11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Please Choose One Session

Victory Against For-Profit Clinics in the B.C. Court Challenge: What’s Next?

Dr. Gordon Guyatt, Distinguished Professor of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics who testified at the trial
Dr. Danyaal Raza, Doctor, Canadian Doctors for Medicare, intervenors in the court challenge
Usman Mushtaq, B.C. Health Coalition, Intervenors in the court challenge

The Almighty Dollar: What is Happening with Federal and Provincial Funding for Health Care?

Doug Allan, Researcher, CUPE
Sheila Block, Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M. Lunch Break

1:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. Closing Plenary

Lessons from the First Wave

Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos, Associate Teaching Professor and Long Term Care Advocate
Dr. Amit Arya, Palliative Care Physician
Mina Sulimankhil, RPN, Liuna Long-term Care Worker
Natalie Mehra, Executive Director, OHC

Followed by Action Plan Discussion and Finalization & Adjournment.