Investing in Cardiac Care: OAC’s Statement on the 2025 Ontario Budget
Keeping Heart Health and Cardiac Care in Focus
Last week, the Ontario Association of Cardiologists (OAC) offered recommendations to the provincial government ahead of the 2025 Ontario Budget. Our goal was to highlight the urgent need for dedicated investment in cardiac care—both in hospitals and in community-based clinics.
With the release of the 2025 Budget, we welcome the government’s continued investment in the health care system, particularly in expanding access to primary care, modernizing hospital infrastructure, and improving system capacity. These are important and welcome steps.
At the same time, we note that the budget did not include specific funding for cardiac care or chronic disease management—despite heart disease remaining one of the leading causes of death and hospitalization in Ontario. We remain committed to working with government and system partners to ensure cardiac care continues to receive the attention and support it deserves.
OAC’s Key Recommendations Remain:
- Support the full continuum of cardiac care in both hospitals and the community
- Strengthen coordination between primary and specialist care
- Address access barriers for underserved and rural patients
- Expand capacity through flexible outpatient care models
- Invest in prevention, chronic disease management, and cardiac rehabilitation
Read More:
For more information, please contact:
Tim Holman, Executive Director
Ontario Association of Cardiologists
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.ontarioheartdoctors.ca
📍 410-250A Eglinton Ave. East, Toronto, ON M4P 1K2
📞 416-487-0054 | 1-877-504-1239 (toll-free)
2025 OAC Cardiology Clinical Practice & Financial Management Seminar: A Resounding Success
The Ontario Association of Cardiologists proudly hosted its 2025 Cardiology Clinical Practice and Financial Management Seminar on Saturday, April 26th at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto.
A packed room of attendees heard impactful presentations and participated in lively, moderated discussions covering key topics such as:
- Understanding billing best practices to support efficient, quality-focused care
- Preparing for upcoming changes to the Echocardiography Quality Improvement (EQI) Program
- Planning career transitions across different stages of cardiology practice
- Integrating AI into clinical workflows
- Navigating the influence of regulatory oversight on your practice.
The event was extremely well-attended and offered outstanding networking opportunities, bringing together cardiologists from across Ontario to exchange ideas, gain valuable insights, and strengthen professional connections.
Dr. Shekhar Pandey, Mr. Steve Udvari, Dr. Amr Moustafa, and Ms. Jessie Zhao provided insights on billing best practices that support quality care delivery and effective practice management.
Dr. Robert Wald, Ms. Shireen Persaud, and Dr. Tony Sanfilippo shared perspectives on upcoming changes to echocardiography accreditation and what they mean for cardiologists in Ontario.
Midday Prize Draw
Dr. Lebei Pi was the winner of a special draw prize (a pair of Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses), presented by OAC Executive Director Tim Holman and 2025 Seminar Chair Dr. Rakesh Bhargava—part of a lighthearted interlude during the networking lunch break.
Dr. Atul Jaidka, Dr. Chi-Ming Chow, and Mr. Andrew Pyle offered perspectives on early practice setup, technology adoption, financial planning, and career longevity.
Dr. Rakesh Bhargava, Mr. Neil Abramson, and Dr. Ken Melvin discussed the importance of understanding and addressing regulatory challenges that arise within a cardiologist’s day-to-day practice.
Thank you to all our speakers, moderators, sponsors, and attendees for making this seminar such a success!
OAC Secures Exclusive Savings to Support Members’ Practices
The OAC is dedicated to maximizing value for its members by negotiating exclusive pricing agreements on essential medical products. Through strategic partnerships, OAC continues to use its collective strength to help members save on key supplies for their practice.
OAC – Lantheus MI Canada Definity® Pricing Agreement
Since 2021, OAC has had a pricing agreement with Lantheus MI Canada for Definity® echocardiography contrast agent. This agreement was renewed for another three years in 2024, ensuring that OAC members continue to receive preferential pricing on this essential diagnostic ultrasound enhancing agent.
OAC – CHS Ltd. Partnership Provides Price Discounts on Norav Medical Products
In January 2025, OAC was pleased to announce a new partnership with Canadian Hospital Specialties Ltd. (CHS), a leading distributor of medical equipment, to offer price discounts on Norav Medical Stress Systems. This partnership provides significant savings on high-quality diagnostic equipment, including stress and resting ECG systems, with comprehensive service and maintenance plans available.
This collaboration reflects OAC’s commitment to advocating for its members’ financial and professional interests by securing cost-saving opportunities on premium medical equipment and supplies.
For more information or to take advantage of these offers, OAC members can contact:
- Lantheus Definity® Pricing: Please reach out to OAC for details.
- Norav Medical Stress Systems via CHS Ltd.: Contact Jeff Corbett, Cardiac Specialist, CHS Ltd. at [email protected] or 416-859-2613.
For general inquiries, contact OAC at 416-487-0054 or toll-free at 1-877-504-1239.
OAC’s Commitment to Echocardiography Quality: Supporting the EQI Program
The OAC has been a long-time supporter of the Ontario’s echocardiography standards, maintained by Ontario Health – CorHealth Ontario, and the provincial Echocardiography Quality Improvement (EQI) Program, which accredits all echocardiography facilities in the province. OAC remains committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the program continues to uphold the goals of high-quality echocardiography services and optimal patient outcomes, while also maintaining fairness and sustainability for echocardiography providers.
As part of our ongoing efforts to support our members, OAC has collaborated with Accreditation Canada to provide guidance and resources on navigating the EQI accreditation process. Most recently, in November 2024, OAC hosted its third joint webinar with Accreditation Canada, offering echocardiography providers important updates, insights into program trends, and practical advice on achieving and maintaining accreditation. These sessions serve as a valuable opportunity for OAC members to stay informed and engaged with the evolving standards and expectations of the EQI Program.
Through continued advocacy and collaboration, OAC remains dedicated to ensuring that Ontario’s echocardiography services meet the highest quality standards while advocating for fair and reasonable processes for providers.
For more information or to access resources from our latest webinar, please contact OAC at 416-487-0054 or toll-free at 1-877-504-1239.
Virtual Care: An Integral Part of Total Health Care Delivery
The pandemic has forced Ontario’s health care system to adjust and find a balance in caring for COVID-19 patients as well as patients with other health issues. While this has required the provincial government to make some difficult decisions, such as ramping down at times non-emergent or non-urgent surgeries and procedures to preserve system capacity, the pandemic has also presented new opportunities to enhance the delivery of medical care. A good example is the expanded use of virtual care and the experience this has given providers regarding the advantages of this method of delivery.
In general, virtual care is intended as a tool for use by a physician who will at other times see the patient in person according to their needs. It is not intended for use by physicians who would not otherwise see the patient in person, and who cannot provide the patient with appropriate in-patient services, testing and follow up as needed in a location that is geographically accessible to the patient.
In March 2020, the Ontario government introduced virtual care fee codes in the OHIP Schedule of Benefits on a temporary basis. This change allowed for payment of physician consultations and assessments when provided to patients and/or patient representatives by telephone or video conferencing. These codes have been essential to maintaining patient access to medical care during the pandemic while limiting the spread of COVID. It is also now evident that, when used appropriately, it can be a valuable component of a total care delivery package.
The key advantages to virtual care include:
- Convenience to patients, who are able to stay at home (or work) and still receive care.
- Flexibility of scheduling, including extension of hours to evenings and week-ends.
- Reduced cost to patients for travel and parking.
- Environmental benefits related to reduced travel.
- Improved access and safety for the frail and elderly.
- A greater opportunity for participation in the patient visit by family members.
- Reduced likelihood of transmission of infectious diseases to patients from the medical facility itself including of COVID and seasonal flu.
The virtual care fee codes allow Ontario’s cardiologists to see patients remotely, while at the same time provide in-office care under strict public health protocols when diagnostic testing or an in-person physical exam is needed. Those who need to be seen or want to be seen, are seen in-person; and those who prefer virtual care, where medically safe, are accommodated.
The OAC strongly supports virtual care and believes it should be expanded and made an integral part of total health care delivery. To do so effectively, three things are required.
First, the temporary virtual care fee codes in the OHIP Schedule of Benefits, which are set to expire on September 30, 2022, must be made permanent.
Second, the constituent element definitions of consultations and assessments contained in the OHIP Schedule of Benefits including the medical circumstances requiring an in-person physical exam, must be updated (the current definitions are more than 40 years old) to fully leverage virtual care services today and beyond the pandemic.
Third, professional guidance for employing virtual care services must be developed for each medical specialty, to ensure all physicians understand when and how virtual care services can best be employed in delivering overall patient care. The OAC has undertaken the development of such professional guidance for Ontario’s cardiologists and looks forward to sharing it with the government and other provincial regulatory authorities.
OAC Expertise: A Source of Clinical Expertise in Public Policy Development
The OAC is recognized by the Ontario government and its agencies as an important source of clinical expertise in the public policy development process. Throughout 2017-18, the OAC was called upon to provide clinical experts to assist in the following initiatives led by agencies of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care:
- Remote Cardiac Monitoring Health Technology Assessment
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Health Technology Assessment
- Heart Failure Care in the Community Quality Standard
The OAC welcomes these consultation opportunities with the Ontario government to ensure that provincial public policies reflect sound cardiac clinical practice.
Improving Fairness for Echo Facility Owners within the EQI Accreditation Program
Revised Facility Agreement
In November 2017 the OAC was pleased to announce the creation of a revised EQI program Facility Agreement.
Reaching consensus on an agreement that addressed our member’s concerns required months of discussions involving our legal advisors, the legal team of CorHealth Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Echocardiography facility owners are now assured that outstanding legal concerns with the EQI program have been addressed.
- The indemnity clause has been removed.
- There is a guaranteed role for a physician in the second review of a facility, if required.
- A new, independent appeal process has been created, which will involve cardiologists approved by OAC.
- There is now greater certainty in resolving issues should the Ministry withdraw funding for the EQI program in the future.
- Protection of personal health information has been strengthened.
The OAC is proud of the role it played on behalf of its members, to improve fairness in the program. Furthermore, we are pleased by the commitment of CorHealth Ontario to work collaboratively with the OAC on the ongoing development, assessment and improvement of the EQI Program.
OAC-OntarioMD Collaboration Results in New Provincial Cardiology EMR Specification
Improving EMR products used by Ontario cardiologists and their staff was the guiding principle behind two years of collaborative work involving the OAC and OntarioMD. Those efforts resulted in the release of a new provincial Cardiology EMR specification in November 2017.
“We are very pleased with the end result of this collaboration with the OAC. The EMR Cardiology 1.0 Draft for Use…is a solution that will not only lead to enhanced care for cardiac patients in Ontario, but can serve as a model for other specialties and jurisdictions.” – Sarah Hutchison, CEO OntarioMD
EMR Cardiology 1.0–Draft for Use comprises a set of functional requirements that are fundamental to the clinical practices of Ontario’s cardiologists. Through its publication, EMR vendors are now better informed of the digital health care needs of cardiologists and better positioned to develop EMR solutions that enhance cardiac patient care and clinical practice efficiency. The specification can be found on OntarioMD’s website.
OAC members should ask their EMR vendor to review and consider options for building the specification’s features into the product they are using.