Earlier this week, Doctors Manitoba President Dr. Nichelle Desilets spoke before an audience of nearly 300 people at the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Her keynote, The State of Health Care in Manitoba, offered a checkup on the system focused on what has changed over the past few years and where the province still needs to go. 

Following the keynote, a panel discussion featured Jonathon Lyon, President and CEO of the Health Sciences Centre Foundation, Dr. Kent Stobart, President and CEO of CancerCare Manitoba, and Doctors Manitoba CEO Theresa Oswald. 

Here are the highlights: 

Recruitment Gains, but Gaps Remain

Dr. Desilets highlighted significant improvements in physician recruitment. Rural communities now have 118 more doctors compared to 2022, when Doctors Manitoba released its Rural Health Summit recommendations. Gains have come from expanded medical training, international recruitment, reduced administrative burden, and incentives to support rural and northern practice. 

“These are meaningful gains in a short period of time,” said Dr. Desilets. However, she noted, ​“every rural region in Manitoba still lags behind comparable regions elsewhere in Canada. Progress is real. Momentum matters. And we cannot take our foot off the gas.” 

Province-wide, Manitoba has added 285 doctors. While the province still sits below the national average for physicians per capita, the gap has narrowed from a peak of 445 physicians two years ago to 246 today. Last year’s net gain of 164 physicians was the largest in Manitoba’s history and the largest increase of any province.

Access Challenges and Retention Risks

Primary care access is improving, yet 187,000 Manitobans still do not have a family doctor. ​“We have some of the longest ER wait times in the country, and it’s one of the most visible pressure points in the system,” she said. 

Retention remains one of the biggest risks going forward. Manitoba is keeping only about two-thirds of its medical graduates, one of the lowest rates in Canada, and continues to lose more physicians to other provinces than it gains. 

Reducing administrative burden, modernizing outdated technology, and investing in team-based care are all critical to improving retention. Dr. Desilets also underscored the need for culture change and rebuilding trust in a system where it has been eroded. 

The evidence shows the system is better than it was in 2023 but still behind Canadian and international benchmarks. ​“Even with the progress so far, our health system is nowhere near good enough,” said Dr. Desilets. ​“But it can be.” She described 2026 as a pivotal year that must focus on reducing unnecessary administrative burden, investing in interoperable digital systems, rebuilding trust, and expanding team-based care. 

Health Leaders Weigh In

Dr. Stobart spoke about how pressures across the entire system are affecting access to care. ​“Getting people into our centre is hard. That’s where we’re seeing issues, and it’s the part we don’t control. We get regular messages asking why people aren’t getting in and that’s the frustration. The will is there, but the system is strained,” he said. 

He also emphasized the need for major improvements in how health information is shared across Canada. ​“The future of healthcare depends on building the data infrastructure that helps us answer questions we haven’t even thought to ask yet. Better data systems will allow us to be proactive instead of reactive,” he said. ​“Our data must be able to talk across cities, provinces, and the entire country.” 

“Patients pay the price when our systems can’t communicate. We can’t accept that anymore. Yes, it’s painful when you’re changing the data system. But it needs to be done for the patients. We need to suck it up and get it done.” 

He noted that a bill sent to the Senate early February that focuses on data interoperability could be one of the biggest game changers in Canadian health care. 

Foundations and the Future Workforce

Lyon spoke about the vital role foundations play in strengthening the health system and supporting recruitment and retention. ​“We’re educating more people, we’re recruiting more people. The question now is: can we keep them here? This is where the foundation becomes essential in helping us secure the kind of cutting-edge technology that convinces young physicians to stay.” 

He noted that foundations can accelerate progress when traditional funding paths are limited. ​“A foundation can lean in and say yes when others say no. That’s the power we bring to the system.” He pointed to the Da Vinci surgical robot as one example of how investment in innovation can help attract more physicians to Manitoba. ​“Investing in innovation doesn’t just improve care; it helps us attract and retain top medical talent.” 

“When we invest in advanced tools, we’re not just improving care. We’re building the workforce that will care for all of us when we need it most,” he said. 

Dr. Desilets’s message was one of determination and optimism for the future of health care in the province. ​“With the right focus, the right investments, and physicians and front-line providers as partners, Manitoba can build one of the best health care systems in Canada.”