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Overview

Official designation for the only francophone university teaching hospital: a priority for the Franco-Ontarian community

The issue:

Hôpital Montfort is part of the solution to the challenge of improving access to French-language services in Ontario. An official designation by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MHLTC) is a necessary step in obtaining a permanent French-language teaching program for physicians and health professionals. Without the next generation of health-care providers, Ontario's entire Francophone community runs the risk of losing access to services in French.

The French-language program in medicine offered by the University of Ottawa and its principal hospital partner must be recognized and supported in the same manner as other medical programs in Ontario.

Background:

• The University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine offers Ontario's only French-language program in medicine.
• Hôpital Montfort and the University of Ottawa have had a partnership agreement for several years. Students come to the hospital for clinical practicums in a Francophone environment.
• The French-language program offered by the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine relies mainly on Hôpital Montfort to deliver clinical practicums for future physicians as well as residents working towards various specializations. Furthermore, the 2005 partnership agreement between the hospital and the Faculty clearly confirms that 'Montfort is the only general teaching hospital in Ontario that ensures primary and secondary care services in French to the Franco-Ontarian community, in a Franco-Ontarian environment.' 
• Hôpital Montfort continues to increase the number of Medicine Teaching Days (MTD) in order to meet growing demand. In less than 10 years, the number has almost tripled, going from 6,457 in 2001-2002 to 18,700 MTDs for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The number is expected to rise to 34,000 MTDs by 2016 in response to ever-increasing needs. This ambitious goal requires an unprecedented commitment and time investment on the part of Hôpital Montfort's teaching staff.
• The lack of an official designation recognizing Hôpital Montfort's teaching status means that its physicians are not compensated at the same level as their colleagues in other facilities.

Urgent action required:

• The lack of an official teaching designation from the MHLTC deprives:
• The Francophone community of official recognition for its contribution in addressing Ontario's health human resource shortage.
• Hôpital Montfort of the funding required for it to properly fulfill its teaching mandate. 
• Hôpital Montfort's teaching physicians of the privileges enjoyed by their colleagues who hold identical teaching responsibilities in other Ontario facilities. Urgency is required in resolving this situation in time for the April 2012 agreement between the Ontario Medical Association and the MHLTC.
  

In other words, the future of French-language health education is at stake. This is also a matter of fairness towards the Francophone community, which has a right to equal treatment with respect to health education and quality health-care services in French.

Historical precedents:

Hôpital Montfort, in the 2001 Ontario Court of Appeal judgment, was entrusted with a mandate to maintain the French language, transmit francophone culture, promote solidarity among the Franco-Ontarian minority and play an essential role in preventing any form of assimilation. The hospital's teaching role was acknowledged and, in fact, constituted a major element in justifying opposition to its closure. In order to successfully fulfill this mandate, the hospital must receive official recognition for its teaching and research role from the MHLTC.

This official recognition as a designated university teaching hospital under the list of Group A hospitals (Regulation 964, R.R.O 1990 of the Ontario Public Hospitals Act) is necessary to ensure that future generations of Francophone physicians will be available to meet tomorrow's needs.

Hôpital Montfort meets the two criteria outlined in the regulations:

• An affiliation agreement with a recognized Faculty of Medicine in Ontario.
• Recognition by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada with respect to the validity of post-graduate instruction in obtaining a certification in one or more specialties recognized by the College.

 Information:
Communications
Lucie Laurion, Director of Communications
613-746-4621, ext. 2049

Hôpital Montfort is a Francophone institution that delivers quality care in both official languages, within an academic setting and works with its partners
to improve communities’ health.