The power of a rethink: Reimagining healthcare from a clean sheet of paper

Ontario’s healthcare system is heading toward crisis. Changing demographics and rising costs are converging on a trajectory that will consume half of all program spending within a decade, while access and outcomes continue to decline. The result is a system that is simultaneously unaffordable and unsustainable. This keynote argues that incremental fixes can no longer keep pace with structural decay. Drawing lessons from Ontario’s experience, it challenges policymakers and public leaders to embrace a “clean sheet of paper” mindset — rethinking from first principles how healthcare is organized, funded, and delivered to build systems that truly work for the people they serve.