Jean Rochon

Jean Rochon (born July 29, 1938 in Montreal, Quebec) is a former Canadian politician and Member of National Assembly of Quebec. He was a Cabinet Minister for several Ministries from 1994 to 2003 when the Parti Quebecois formed the government under the leadership of Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry.

Rochon went to several universities from 1958 to 1973. He first obtained a bachelor's degree in arts from the Universite de Montreal, before obtaining a law degree (in 1961) and then a degree in medicine from the Universite Laval. He later went at Harvard University and obtained a master's and a doctor's degree in public health.

After being a director for the faculty of department of social medicine at Laval, Rochon was the head of a major report on the state of health and social services in the provinces from 1985 to 1987 when the Liberals and then-Premier Robert Bourassa were in power. He tabled several propositions in order to reform the health care system including faster health care service by introducing what was called the "Virage ambulatoire" which saw the increase of home health care services. He adopted several of those proposals when he was named the Minister of Health following his election in the Charlesbourg district in the 1994 elections. His measures were heavily criticized as several hospitals and beds across the province were closed and several doctors positions were lost during the PQ reign. After the 1998 elections, he was named Minister of several other portfolios until his retirement in 2003. His seat was won by Eric Mercier in the Quebec general election, 2003, who defeated Parti Quebecois candidate Sylvie Tremblay.