Blog post by Nils Clausen, CMEPP CEO
A trade war with the United States isn’t something Canada expected, much less wanted. Even now, as the US president see-saws erratically on his tariff plans, we know our hospitals are depending on us to help them navigate this confounding and challenging situation.
Considering the impact of disruptive threats from the US, it’s not surprising that the Canadian government is moving quickly with retaliatory measures. A majority of Canadians might agree with these measures, but according to Canadian procurement lawyer Paul Emanuelli, retaliatory tariffs are a mistake and could actually put extra pressures on the Canadian marketplace.
Mr. Emanuelli was speaking to over 500 participants at a webinar organized by HealthPRO Canada. His view is that we need to stay calm and embrace a rational approach that de-politicizes the procurement process. “Procurement should be declared a ‘no fly zone’,” said Emanuelli, “so we can continue to do our day-to-day work and support the peaceful delivery of public services across the country.”
As we think about the best ways to limit our vulnerability, I agree that we need to take a calm and measured approach.
CMEPP is looking closely at our US suppliers and considering how a trade war could impact equipment management services to our hospitals. In simple terms, we know this situation could have a damaging – and dangerous – effect at a time when our hospital members are already facing shortages, financial strain, and increased downtime of critical systems and equipment.
In fact, any resolutions that disrupt our healthcare supply chains could quickly take us back to the dark days of the pandemic and I don’t think any of us wants to go there.
As individuals, we can take concrete steps to oppose the threats – and I’m delighted to see it happening. Our options as organizations are much more complicated. But there are some strategic ways we can navigate this crisis. Some of them are already in play:
- Think partnerships: In the face of these threats, we need to strengthen our alliances with our healthcare partners and work together. As HealthPRO CEO Christine Donaldson put it, “Now more than ever, collaboration and alignment are critical.”
- Speak out to our elected officials: Tariffs could have a significant impact on the healthcare system, our staff and patients. We must work closely with the federal and provincial governments to safeguard the safe provision of equipment and services.
- Stay true to our values: We’ll continue to seek input from our hospital Participants and Suppliers and ask about their policies and decisions. We’ll also stay grounded in the reasons we provide the services we do – efficient medical equipment management that enables healthcare workers to focus on patient care.
This is a difficult distraction, and we don’t have all the answers. But, by deepening our partnerships and standing together, we’ll figure it out. I related to Emanuelli’s final hockey analogy that we can’t win the game and protect our sovereignty by spending time in the penalty box; we need to be on the ice. CMEPP is a proud Canadian organization, defending the public interest and facilitating the safe and effective delivery of healthcare services.
