We waited for a long time and it’s finally here: the bill on access to health data (also known as Bill 19) was tabled on Friday, December 3 by Minister Christian Dubé. My first takeaway from his speech at the press conference was his willingness to give internal and external researchers active in the health care network timely access to health data in an effort to improve the quality of care and better manage the network. A refreshing message, to say the least. This is an important move by the Quebec government, which seems determined to be among the leaders on this issue. The key aspects of Bill 19 are interesting and modernize the existing legislative framework, although several questions persist. We will take the time to analyze it in depth and consider various scenarios in order to propose improvements as needed. Montréal InVivo, in partnership with a group of major players in Québec’s life sciences ecosystem intends to intervene in the upcoming parliamentary consultations and committee process to ensure that the specific needs of the companies in this sector are properly taken into account in the final legislation. Once again, the devil is and will once again be in the details…
On another note, we are just a few weeks away from closing the books on 2021, a year still marked by the pandemic. The time has therefore come for us to look back at the work we have done and the successes achieved. For me, the highlight of the year was the massive participation in EFFERVESCENCE last April. It was a risky gamble for the organizers, but you came through and strengthened the event’s position as a signature conference for Québec’s life sciences sector. This bodes well for the next edition in May 2022.
My other takeaway is the incredible work done by the Montréal InVivo team this year. In the context of a certain fatigue with working from home, the team was able to regroup and adapt to a new way of doing things. They were able to take on more responsibilities and start new projects in areas that were new to the organization. Without question, the team continued to demonstrate its passion and commitment to the sector. I have no doubt that you will join me in congratulating and thanking the team for a job well done.
Finally, I would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season with family and friends (no more than 10 to 25 at a time, at least for now…). I also hope you have the chance to recharge your batteries to start the new year off right. And we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store for 2022!