Over the past year, SAC-Ontario has engaged with the Ministry of Health’s Health Workforce Regulatory Oversight Branch to advance the scope of practice for S-LPs and audiologists in Ontario. Throughout these meetings, we emphasized the importance of enabling S-LPs and audiologists to work to the full extent of their competencies. Ensuring both professions’ expertise is used efficiently supports access to care and reduces bottlenecks in the health system, particularly in underserved areas.

In early June, SAC submitted updated scope of practice proposals, building on recommendations previously developed by the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. These proposals reflect member feedback and include, but are not limited to, amendments to current scope of practice statements, the addition of select controlled acts, and the removal of existing limitations that restrict direct referrals for both professions.

SAC had the opportunity to detail how the proposed scope changes would improve system efficiency, decrease service delays, and enhance patient outcomes. We will continue to keep members informed as new developments unfold.

In April 2025, SAC wrote a letter to Saskatchewan’s Minister of Education, Everett Hindley, following up on several items from our February 3 meeting. We also took the opportunity to acknowledge that we were pleased to see an emphasis on student literacy in the 2025-2026 Budget, with the Government of Saskatchewan dedicating an additional $2 million to advancing the work of the ministry and education partners to improve kindergarten to Grade 3 reading levels across the province.

In our letter, we asked whether the expertise of speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) had been solicited for this project and reiterated that, as noted in our new SAC Position Paper on the Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in School-based Literacy, S-LPs are the preeminent regulated healthcare professionals recognized as experts in oral and written communication.

On August 19, we received a written response from the Minister’s office, thanking us for the Position Paper and confirming important next steps. The letter stated that, in the 2025-2026 year, “a provincially approved reading screener will be implemented in every publicly funded school to help teachers identify students who may require additional supports in learning to read.”

The response also highlighted that a key action to improve reading levels in the primary grades is the renewal of K-Grade 3 language arts curricula, and that the ministry plans to consult with speech-language pathologists to critically examine these curricula.

SAC plans to follow up with the Director of Student Achievement and Supports at the Ministry of Health to ensure S-LPs’ expertise continues to be included in this important work.

On May 23, 2025, the University of Saskatchewan marked the 60th anniversary of its School of Rehabilitation Sciences with a special gala event celebrating the past, present, and future of rehabilitation education in the province.

As a part of this celebration, SAC-Saskatchewan Regional Advocacy Manager Jennifer Cameron-Turley was invited to speak about the profound impact the school’s newest offering – the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program (MSLP) – will have on the profession and on communities across the province. The program is set to welcome its first cohort in September 2026.

Also, in attendance to help celebrate were Saskatchewan Regional Advocacy Committee member and S-LP Randa Tomczak, and University of Saskatchewan S-LP Implementation Coordinator and S-LP Kara Broks.

The MSLP program at the University of Saskatchewan will be the newest speech-language pathology program in Canada and the first of its kind in the province.

See more information about the new program here.

Listen to YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts: Kara Broks and Tami Turner talk about designing the province’s first Master’s programs in Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology and share with listeners why this work means so much to them.

Passed into law on May 7, 2025, Bill 55 introduces significant changes to Alberta’s healthcare system, particularly in the governance and delivery of public health services.

Key highlights:

• Public Health Reorganization: All public health functions from Alberta Health Services (AHS) to a newly created agency, Primary Care Alberta.
• Impact on Front-Line Programs: Services such as newborn screenings, communicable disease control, well-baby clinics, routine immunizations, and health promotion programs will be transferred to the new agency.
• Government Oversight: Medical officers of health will now report directly to the provincial government rather than AHS.

These changes have also introduced some temporary uncertainty as it remains unclear which AHS employees will be affected. Negotiations with the various healthcare unions in Alberta may be required to determine the outcome of staff reallocations.

Lastly, this legislation has caused public health experts to raise questions about the independence of the healthcare system and what effects having more direct control by the Premier and cabinet ministers may have.

SAC-Alberta is monitoring the situation closely and will continue to seek opportunities to attend consultation sessions and raise the concerns of SAC members.

You can read more in this news article.

SAC-Saskatchewan is working to improve access to ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists in Saskatchewan by supporting a direct referral pathway from S-LPS and audiologists. The current system requires patients to see a family physician before being referred to an ENT, a step that can delay care and create unnecessary barriers for patients who have already been assessed by an S-LP or audiologists.

To address this, we are continuing to work with representatives from the College of Speech Language Pathologists & Audiologists Saskatchewan (CSASK) and a working group composed of S-LPs and audiologists. Together, we’re advocating for a more efficient system that recognizes the expertise of regulated professionals to initiate referrals when appropriate.

As part of this imitative, we met with the University of Saskatchewan Division Lead in Otolaryngology, Dr. Russ Murphy, and gained some excellent feedback regarding referral criteria. We have also met with a representative from another association who has been successful in going through the direct referral process.

Next, SAC-SK will continue working with partners to refine referral criteria and explore the steps required to implement this model in Saskatchewan. This work is an important part of our broader efforts to improve access to timely, patient-centered care in the province.

SAC-SK is working with CSASK, CAA, and a provincial working group to improve access to ENT specialists in Saskatchewan through direct referrals from S-LPs and audiologists.

We’ve submitted a joint letter with CSASK to the Saskatchewan Medical Association and continue to consult with groups who’ve implemented similar pathways.

On May 16^th, 2025, Alberta’s Premier, Danielle Smith, announced the decentralization of the Ministry of Health. In line with the broader decision to split Alberta Health Services into several smaller agencies, each new healthcare body is now overseen by its own Minister.

This decision is largely congruent with the Government of Alberta’s plans to have more specialized agencies oversee the various pillars of healthcare.

As of May 16^th, 2025, the new portfolios and their related ministers are as follows:

• Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services
• Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services
• Rick Wilson, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
• Jason Nixon, Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services.

Many questions remain about how these changes will affect healthcare professionals, S-LPs, audiologists, and other rehabilitative medicine specialists. It is not yet clear which agency will oversee these roles or how services will be coordinated under the new structure.

SAC is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to keep members informed as more details become available.

For more background, see this article.

SAC has recently received a growing number of inquiries about the Assistive Devices Program (ADP). We are pleased to share that we will be meeting with ADP to discuss long-term solutions, including the formal recognition of audiologists as the front-line professionals responsible for prescribing hearing aids.

SAC strongly supports streamlining the patient journey in hearing healthcare. Updates to current guidelines are necessary to protect the public, uphold standards of care, and ensure equitable access to safe, high-quality hearing services for all Ontarians.

We will continue to engage with members, stakeholders, and ADP, and we look forward to sharing future developments.