Tessie Sanci

Tessie Sanci joined Hill Times Publishing in 2017, and has specialized in comprehensive health policy coverage ever since. She became a deputy editor at The Hill Times in May 2025. Her work on stalled federal efforts to include nurse practitioners in public health plans resulted in a Registered Nurses Association of Ontario Media Award in 2025. She also received an Ontario Community Newspaper Association Award in 2026 for her feature writing. Sanci began her journalism career more than 15 years ago in the Greater Toronto Area covering local news and then the financial services sector. Contact her at tsanci@hilltimes.com.

Provincial-territorial health ministers ‘welcome’ extra year of mental health, home-care dollars, but want ‘assurance’ that longer deals are coming, says Manitoba minister

The ministers have been pushing Ottawa for months to continue 10-year deals that were to expire next March. Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel announced another year of funding, but it’s unclear whether the agreements will continue past 2028.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 26, 2026

Electricity in winter not a ‘convenience’ but ‘a matter of public safety,’ says Yukon energy minister, as territorial officials seek feds’ help to reduce energy poverty in the North

During a recent House committee meeting about affordability challenges, Yukon Energy Corporation’s Rod Savoie noted Ottawa is looking north for critical minerals, defence, and economic development: ‘Reliable electricity is fundamental to all of this.’

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 25, 2026

New clinical guidelines committee moves forward after 2024 breast cancer screening debacle

‘The methodology has to be rebuilt,” says new committee chair Dr. David Keegan about a research process that was previously criticized for being insular and relying on outdated data.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 19, 2026

Future of Emergency Treatment Fund up in the air as March 2027 deadline draws closer

NDP health critic Gord Johns says the lack of news about the fund’s future—which helps communities with their response to the toxic drug crisis—past next spring is an ‘insult’ to groups that are building programs.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | September 22, 2026

Pharmaceuticals, digital health data, and men and boys’ health top Minister Michel’s agenda this fall

With the health file not a priority for this government, the question becomes how will Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Canadians ensure that health system needs ‘are still cutting through the noise’ of U.S. trade problems, says consultant Danielle Flieler.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | September 21, 2026

‘Bureaucratic burden’: Liberal MPs Gould, Sidhu, and Sen. Loffreda back up Celiac Canada’s request for simpler medical tax credit process

Celiac disease patients are required to keep and submit hundreds of food receipts for their gluten-free items in order to receive financial relief from the federal medical expense tax credit, according to Celiac Canada’s Melissa Secord.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | September 14, 2026

Pharmascience and AstraZeneca Canada among most active in pharma lobbying for 2026

‘This is an industry that is as important to the country as the aerospace industry, as the automotive industry,’ says Jim Vounassis, CEO at Pharmascience.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | August 24, 2026

HIV rate climbs as uncertainty rises about future of dedicated Community Action Fund

‘Our concern has grown over the last year because the folks at PHAC have been really non-committal about what’s happening to the funding program beyond March 2028,’ says Michael Kwag of the Community-Based Research Centre.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | August 23, 2026

Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Cancer Society lead health lobbying in 2026

Both groups lauded the introduction of Bill S-5, which requires that digital health data be shareable across different technology systems, this past winter. CMA past president Dr. Margot Burnell says her organization has been lobbying for this type of legislation for decades.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | August 9, 2026

Finance and health ministers to discuss health funding, but Carney doesn’t commit to extending bilaterals for mental health, home and community care as premiers say they’re facing ‘fiscal cliff’

A series of funding deals will expire next March and premiers are urging that those be renewed. ‘My hope is that we can reach a solution quickly, put the health issue behind us, [and] have certainty for our own budgeting processes,’ said B.C. Premier David Eby.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 27, 2026

Feds’ pharma task force says cutting time to get medicines onto public plans should be a priority with a three-month deadline

The federally appointed group’s report released on July 24 says the multi-year process between Health Canada’s approval and drug pricing negotiations is contributing to companies ‘deprioritizing Canada for product launches.’

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 24, 2026

‘Collective alarm-raising’: advocates wonder about future of rare disease, mental health, and home-care bilateral deals as March 2027 deadline looms

Health Minister Marjorie Michel’s office says governments don’t typically make decisions on funding deals until the year they expire. But CMHA B.C. CEO Jonny Morris says the lack of clarity is creating risk about the future of programs, staffing, and maintaining the positive impacts of funded programs.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 20, 2026

Nutrition North subsidy needs a revamp, says ITK president Obed

While a third-party report focuses on improving the subsidy’s administration, ITK leader Natan Obed says a new transparent model ‘more explicitly focused’ on people—not retailers—who experience food insecurity is required.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 13, 2026

Bains, Aboultaif, and Loffreda line up to show support for Kidney Foundation’s framework policy

Liberal MP Parm Bains is an advocate after finding out 25 years ago that he has a single kidney. The news compelled him to make lifestyle changes, which is why awareness and early detection of kidney problems—as well as other conditions—is important, he says.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 12, 2026

Former Trudeau PMO staffer describes ‘power up close’ and moving the needle on gender equality in new book

Elise Maiolino says she wrote the book to highlight the previous Liberal government’s ‘historic’ work on gender policy, and the important role of staffers who are sometimes seen as ‘second-class citizens’ in politics.

feature | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 6, 2026

Health Minister Michel has not asked AG to investigate Canada Health Infoway spending, wants a third-party audit

Conservative Health Committee member Dan Mazier and NDP health critic Gord Johns say the review should only be conducted by the AG, with Johns wondering how much a third-party audit will cost Canadians taxpayers.

news | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 5, 2026