Honourable senators, February is Heart Month, so I rise to shed light on an issue of critical importance: heart failure, a condition that affects over 750,000 Canadians and claims countless lives each year. I also wish to highlight the HeartLife Foundation, a national patient-driven organization that is dedicated to engaging, educating and empowering those living with heart failure, advocating for a better quality of life, necessary policy changes and raising awareness of this life-threatening condition.

The HeartLife Foundation, in collaboration with esteemed partners, has developed the National Heart Failure Policy Action Framework, a comprehensive action plan designed to navigate the complexities of heart failure care in Canada. This framework aims to introduce a patient-centred national standard of care, bridging gaps in our health care system and ensuring that every Canadian living with heart failure receives the support, treatment and dignity they deserve.

From province to province, there are tremendous gaps in access to proper testing and effective care, and little understanding of how the system is working for patients. The economic ramifications are staggering. It stands as one of Canada’s most burdensome health conditions, with costs expected to soar to $2.8 billion annually by 2030. Currently, heart failure accounts for $575.2 million in hospital costs annually, not to mention the immeasurable human cost borne by patients and their families.

This disease is not just a medical crisis but a significant economic strain, underscoring the pressing need for the implementation of the National Heart Failure Policy Action Framework. The framework emphasizes early detection, multidisciplinary care and continuous evaluation, guided by the profound insights of patients and caregivers. International studies demonstrate that remote monitoring and multidisciplinary care can reduce heart failure-related hospital readmissions by 89% and costs by 63%. In Canada, these interventions could translate to a staggering annual cost savings of nearly $600 million for newly diagnosed patients.

Honourable senators, I encourage you to get to know the HeartLife Foundation and their patient founders, as I have. Reach out and consider how we can transform the landscape of heart failure care in Canada, ensuring a healthier, brighter future for all Canadians living with this condition.