March 21, 2017 The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of the Province of Ontario Room 281, Main Legislative Building Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1 The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care 10th Floor, Hepburn Block 80 Grosvenor Street Toronto, Ontario M7A 2C4 Dear Premier Wynne and Minister Hoskins, On behalf of the Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario (RTSO) Board of Directors and as a member of the Ontario Lung Health Coalition, we would like to reiterate our support and the need for Bill 71, Lung Health Act, 2016. Over 3,200 registered respiratory therapists are working in a variety of practice settings as efficient, effective members of interdisciplinary teams, improving health outcomes and quality of life for our patients across the continuum of care. We have been adapting our practice to align with health system transformation priorities and are seeing significant improvements, for example, in primary care respiratory education programs (To, 2008, Licskai, 2010). We believe that a coordinated, integrated approach to respiratory care guided by initiatives included in the Lung Health Act will benefit all Ontarians. The novelle approaches designed will surely provide a model exemplar for other jurisdictions! Just yesterday during an Ontario Hospital Association presentation, Deputy Minister Bob Bell spoke highly of the leadership, improved outcomes, and gains for Ontarians with various cancers and heart disease because of the work of Cancer Care Ontario and the Ontario Cardiac Care Network. The more than three million Ontarians dealing with chronic and infectious respiratory conditions deserve the same! With a strong focus on quality, health equity, smoking cessation, preventive approaches to care and other key elements aiming to keep Ontarians healthy, and at home, the province is well positioned to be able to meet the challenge of the aging population. With approximately one million Ontarians with chronic obstructive lung disease today, we believe the Lung Health Act will enable better health, better life as we move toward the future. In that context, we strongly encourage passage of Bill 71, Lung Health Act, 2016. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you would like to pursue any further discussion or need additional information. Respectfully submitted, Rob Bryan RRT-AA, A-EMCA President, Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario …2 Wynne, Hoskins - 2 - CC: Ted McMeekin, MPP, Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough Jeff Yurek, MPP, Elgin--Middlesex—London France Gélinas, MPP, Nickel Belt Gilles Bisson, MPP, Timmins-James Bay Jim Wilson, MPP, Simcoe-Grey Hon. Yasir Naqvi, MPP, Ottawa Centre George Habib, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lung Association - Ontario References: T To, L Cicutto, N Degani, McLimont S, Beyene J. 2008. Can a community evidence based asthma care program improve clinical outcomes? Medical Care. 46(12):1257-1266. Licskai C, Sands T, Ong M, Paolatto L, Nicoletti I. 2012. Using a knowledge translation framework to implement asthma clinical practice guidelines in primary care. Int J Qual Health Care. 24(5):538-46. .