We are excited by all that OPA has accomplished this year on behalf of our members and the profession overall. While advocacy never really stops, we are taking a moment to reflect on our successes.
1. Significant Progress on Scope of Practice Implementation
The Government of Ontario announced plans to implement regulations allowing physiotherapists to order diagnostic imaging (X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and diagnostic ultrasounds). OPA’s relentlessly advocated through:
- Ongoing meetings with the Ministry of Health
- Meetings with the Premier, Minister of Health and MPPs across the province with our members
- Submitting detailed scope of practice submissions
- OPA’s CEO presenting to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on Bill 2, showing the importance of scope implementation to keep pace with other provinces and increase labour mobility.
- Building relationships at Queen’s Park, including meeting with Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones. We also met with MPP France Gélinas, Physiotherapist, who spoke about scope of practice implementation in the legislature.
- Writing letters for member’s meetings with Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones
We hope to see movement on the scope of practice implementation in 2026!
2. Advancing Physiotherapists’ Role in Primary Care: OPA successfully advocated for physiotherapists to be recognized in Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan. We:
- Received a letter from the Deputy Premier & Minister of Health and Dr. Jane Philpott as the Chair of the Primary Care Action Team. We were pleased to see the recognition that Primary Care Teams should be made up of family physicians or nurse practitioners along with nurses, physician assistants, social workers, physiotherapists and other health care professions.
- Presented at multiple primary care conferences. OPA staff shared the evidence that PTs on interprofessional teams can increase patient attachment rates by approximately 425 rostered patients (24%), particularly important since 20-30% of primary care visits involve musculoskeletal conditions.
3. Strong Member Engagement, Education & Resources: OPA hosted successful events and provided members with helpful resources. This included:
- OPA’s InterACTION conference with over 300 attendees
- Northern Ontario District’s conference Physio North 2025, inspiring attendees and providing them the opportunity to network
- A Provincial Election Toolkit empowering grassroots advocacy with MPP candidates
- An Understanding and Navigating Auto Claims Guide
4. Recognition and Award-Winning Communications: OPA’s communications and marketing continue to expand and reach new audiences with effective strategies.
- Our “New Voices, New Ideas & New Opportunities” campaign won multiple prestigious awards including a Silver Telly Award and three gold Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards. We effectively showcased the association’s evolving leadership and value to members.
- We also launched a bold new website which is easier to navigate and is a reflection of OPA’s commitment to transparency and accountability. OPA’s new website and its key features were driven by members’ feedback and drove every decision.
5. Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Commitment: OPA continues its commitment to have equity, inclusion and diversity embedded into everything we do.
- OPA developed a position statement advocating for improved Jordan’s Principle processes. With Indigenous Services Canada committed to reforming the administration, OPA is pushing for:
- Reduced systemic barriers that prevent access to physiotherapy services
- Culturally safe service delivery with collaborative community co-design
- Continuity of care through longer-term contracts with trusted partners
- Increased administrative capacity with transparency to address backlogs
- Recognition of physiotherapy as essential preventive and early intervention care
Support the advocacy work we do on behalf of the physiotherapy community in Ontario. Join OPA/CPA!
