Canada’s healthcare system is at a critical juncture as it continues to face workforce challenges with respect to capacity —a challenge which had long persisted before the pandemic made it into a crisis. The gap between the number of healthcare professionals needed to deliver quality care and the actual supply of available professionals is huge and will continue to widen over the next 10 years if nothing more is done. That is one of the narratives emerging from Health Canada’s recent Workforce Education, Training and Distribution Study. While recruitment strategies remain an important part of the solution, experts agree that we cannot simply recruit our way out of this challenge. Instead, a multifaceted approach is needed—one that balances workforce retention, role optimization, and strategic investments in education and training.

Health Canada’s recently released report, Caring for Canadians: Canada’s Future Health Workforce, offers a comprehensive look at the current state of health workforce education, training, and distribution in Canada across five professions critical to primary care delivery. The study provides valuable insights into the systemic barriers preventing the efficient development and deployment of healthcare professionals and proposes actionable recommendations for addressing these challenges.

In this episode of The HQ Podcast, we explore the findings of this significant study and the implications for Canada’s healthcare workforce and those responsible for developing these professionals. Joining us is Dr. Geneviève Moineau, Chief Medical Workforce Advisor at Health Canada and Chair of the Caring for Canadians: Canada’s Future Health Workforce report. Dr. Moineau has dedicated her career to advancing medical education and workforce planning, having previously served as President & CEO of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) and now serving as Vice-President of the World Federation for Medical Education. With her extensive experience in education, policy, and workforce strategy, Dr. Moineau provides key insights into what needs to happen next to develop a sustainable health workforce for the future.

What will it take to match the supply of healthcare professionals with system needs and demand? How do we ensure that educational institutions, regulators, and employers work collaborate and coordinate to develop the workforce we need? And what risks do we face if we fail to address these structural gaps? Tune in as we dive into these pressing questions with one of Canada’s foremost experts in health workforce strategy.

Key Discussions:

The State of Canada’s Healthcare Workforce

What are the most pressing challenges facing Canada’s health workforce today?
How does the Caring for Canadians report help us understand the scale of the issue?

Education and Training as a Workforce Solution

What role does the education system play in addressing the workforce supply gap?
How do professional associations, colleges, governments, regulators, and employers influence workforce training and distribution?

Overcoming System Barriers

Why isn’t simply adding more education seats enough to fix the problem?
How can we address misalignment between educational institutions and workforce needs?
What systemic obstacles need to be removed to increase efficiency in training and licensing healthcare professionals?

Innovations in Workforce Development

What are some emerging strategies or models that show promise in closing the workforce gap?
How are different provinces and territories approaching workforce development?

Next Steps and Policy Recommendations

What recommendations from the Caring for Canadians report should be prioritized?
How have provincial and territorial governments responded to the findings?
What actions are needed to ensure long-term workforce sustainability in Canada’s healthcare system?

About Our Guests:

Dr. Geneviève Moineau

Chief Medical Workforce Advisor, Health Canada

Vice-President, World Federation for Medical Education

Dr. Moineau was appointed Health Canada’s Chief Medical Workforce Advisor in August 2023 to support the federal response to current health workforce challenges. In this role, she led the this study mandated by health ministers with the resulting report, Caring for Canadians: Canada’s Future Health Workforce, approved in January 2025 at the Heath Minister’s Meeting. She has advised on budget 2024 initiatives, and engaged with health workforce, health professions education, regulation and accreditation leaders across the country to support collaboration in addressing health workforce issues in Canada now, and into the future.

In January 2023, Dr. Moineau also became Vice-President of the World Federation for Medical Education, a position she continues to hold. Prior to her appointment at Health Canada, Dr. Moineau completed a 10-year term as President and CEO of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) on June 30, 2023.

She is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa and has privileges in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Helpful Links and Resources:

Guest: Dr. Geneviève Moineau | LinkedIn

Caring for Canadians: Canada’s Future Health Workforce | Read the Report

Health Canada | Website

Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) | Website

Tell Us What You Think

We welcome your feedback about the HQ Podcast so we can continuously improve and create episodes that our listeners want to hear. Please take a few moments to fill out our short survey:  Click Here

Don’t forget to subscribe to The HQ on your favourite podcast player and leave us a review!