Don Drummond on healthcare reform

Lessons the healthcare sector can learn from the business world was the topic addressed by Don Drummond (MA’77, LLD’10), former Chief Economist for TD Bank and Chair of Ontario’s Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services. His presentation on April 15 drew a capacity crowd of students, faculty and staff.

Having recently made more than 100 recommendations on healthcare reform to the Ontario government, Mr. Drummond reflected, “I think we need to have an honest assessment of the healthcare system. It dramatically needs an overhaul.”

Citing an aging population and rising healthcare costs that see Canada spending in excess of 30% more per capita than the average Western nation, he argued in favour of finding new ways to organize the country’s healthcare system. “We are not running it efficiently; we are spending more than we need to spend,” he said.

While healthcare spending needs to be better managed, the solution, he emphasized, is not the drastic cuts seen in Ontario in the 1990s.

An integrative approach to healthcare that focuses on quality of care, instead of quantity of services performed, is the key to improving the end results of healthcare investment, he said.

The presentation launched The Monieson Centre’s new research theme that explores ‘The Business of Healthcare.’ According to Centre Director Dr. Scott Carson, “The Business of Healthcare is related both to the role that management processes can play in healthcare delivery, and what business innovation and discovery can contribute to the quality of patient care.”

Driven by collaboration, the Centre engages researchers from business, health sciences, applied sciences, policy studies and other related disciplines, to create break-through knowledge at the intersection of business and public policy. The Business of Healthcare theme continues the Centre’s tradition of linking academics, business leaders and policymakers to develop research-based solutions to real-world problems. The ultimate goal, Dr. Carson noted, is “to link ideas to action” through dissemination of research in top-tier academic journals and at conferences, as well as by hosting industry-oriented speaker series, summits and events.