The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is the Government of Ontario ministry responsible for administering the health care system and providing services to the province of Ontario. The current minister is Eric Hoskins.
Services and Programs
Ontario Drug Benefit Program - prescription drug coverage for people age 65+
Ontario Health Insurance Plan
Trillium Drug Program - prescription drug coverage for people under 65
Long-term care
Home care
Community and Public Health
Health Force Ontario
The Ministry also regulates hospitals and nursing homes; operates psychiatric hospitals and medical laboratories; and co-ordinates emergency health services for the Province.
The Ministry once operated ambulance services outside of major cities in Ontario, but the services were off-loaded to municipalities circa 1998.
The Public Health Act of 1882 created the Provincial Board of Health of Ontario, as it was originally known, and which was the first permanent health care administrative body in the Province. In 1925 it became the Department of Health. In 1930, the Department of Hospitals was established under the direction of the first Minister of Health; that Department became a division of the Department of Health in 1934.
Insured hospital services and insured physicians' services, introduced in 1959 and 1966 respectively, were combined under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) in 1972. The Department of Health became the Ministry of Health in 1971, and then the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in June, 1999.
Note: This is not a complete list
The Ministry of Health was renamed the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in 1999, and subsequently Elizabeth Witmer was the final Minister of Health and the first Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Forbes Godfrey (April 17, 1924 – September 16, 1930)
John Robb (September 16, 1930 – July 10, 1934)
James Faulkner (July 10, 1934 – October 12, 1937)
Harold Kirby (October 12, 1937 – August 17, 1943)
Percy Vivian (August 17, 1943 – January 7, 1946)
Russell Kelley (January 7, 1946 – August 8, 1950)
Mac Phillips (August 8, 1950 – December 22, 1958)
Dr Matthew Dymond (December 22, 1958 – August 13, 1969)
Thomas Wells (August 13, 1969 – March 1, 1971) First time
Albert Lawrence (March 1, 1971 – February 2, 1972)
Richard Potter (February 2, 1972 – February 26, 1974)
Frank Miller (February 26, 1974 – February 3, 1977) Premier of Ontario, February 08, 1985 – June 26, 1985
Dennis Timbrell (February 3, 1977 – February 13, 1982)
Lawrence "Larry" Grossman (February 13, 1982 – July 6, 1983)
Thomas Wells (October 11, 1983 – December 5, 1983) Second time
Keith Norton (July 6, 1983 – February 8, 1985)
Alan Pope (February 8, 1985 – May 17, 1985)
Philip Andrewes (May 17, 1985 – June 26, 1985)
Murray Elston (June 26, 1985 – September 29, 1987)
Elinor Caplan (September 29, 1987 – October 1, 1990) Mother of David Caplan
Evelyn Gigantes (October 1, 1990 – April 18, 1991)
Frances Lankin (April 22, 1991 – February 3, 1993)
Ruth Grier (February 3, 1993 – June 26, 1995)
Jim Wilson (June 26, 1995 – December 9, 1996) First time
David Johnson (December 9, 1996 – February 21, 1997) Interim Minister of Health
Jim Wilson (February 21, 1997 – October 10, 1997) Second time
Cam Jackson (July 27, 1998 – June 17, 1999) As Minister of Long-Term Care which was subsequently combined with the Minister of Health in 1999
Elizabeth Witmer (October 10, 1997 – June 17, 1999)
Ministers of Health and Long-Term Care
Elizabeth Witmer (June 17, 1999 – February 7, 2001)
Helen Johns, named Associate Minister under Witmer
Tony Clement (February 8, 2001 – April 14, 2002, April 15, 2002 – October 22, 2003)
Dan Newman, named Associate Minister under Clement
George Smitherman (October 23, 2003 – June 20, 2008)
David Caplan (June 20, 2008 – October 6, 2009)
Deb Matthews (October 7, 2009 – June 2014)
Eric Hoskins (June 2014– )
Dipika Damerla, named Associate Minister for Long-Term Care (June 2014-)
