Mélanie Bourassa Forcier, Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke, CIRANO Researcher and Fellow, joins the Commissioner of Health and Welfare's team as Deputy Commissioner of Ethics and Regulations.

"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Me Mélanie Bourassa Forcier as Assistant Commissioner of Ethics and Regulations. I am delighted to be able to team up with her, particularly in the context of the mandate on care and housing for seniors entrusted to us by the government. I am confident that her expertise and skills will make a significant contribution to our work", said Joanne Castonguay, Commissioner of Health and Wellness.

The new Deputy Commissioner will focus on work related to the ethical, regulatory and institutional issues and barriers to implementing health system change, including those recommended by the Commissioner. She will also be heavily involved in the mandate on care and housing for seniors.

Me Mélanie Bourassa Forcier has been Full Professor at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Sherbrooke since 2010 and directs the Master's programs in Health Law and Policy and in Law and Life Sciences. She is also a member of the Commission de l'éthique en science et en technologie. Previously, she sat on the Board of Directors of the Montreal Heart Institute for nearly 5 years, where she chaired the Risk Management and Vigilance Committees. She holds a Doctorate in Law from McGill University, a Master's degree in International Health Policy with a concentration in Health Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Master's degree in Biotechnology Law from the Université de Montréal and a Bachelor of Laws (summa cum laude) from the University of Ottawa. She has conducted and published extensively on the subject of access to health care and health services, health innovation and the integration of digital health in a performance perspective.

The Commissioner of Health and Welfare is responsible for assessing the results achieved by the health and social services system and for providing the population with the elements necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the actions taken by the government with respect to major issues in the health and social services field.