As part of bringing improved healthcare services into the 21st century, the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) created the Réseau Universitaire Intégré de Santé et Services Sociaux (RUISSS) in 2003. A portion of Quebec’s territory was assigned to each of the province’s four Faculties of Medicine (McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke and Université Laval), with the intent to facilitate specialized care, medical education, and medical research throughout the province’s many regions.
The reorganization of the health care system in 2015
In February 2015, the National Assembly adopted An Act to modify the organization and governance of the health and social services network. This law consolidates a majority of the health and social services at the core of a Réseau Territorial de Services (RTS) to either a Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CISSS) or Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS).
“This reorganization is an opportunity to harmonize practices and improve the flow of services through the merger of various institutions to the benefit of users and the public.” The MSSS website describes the organizational profile and the highlights of the network reform.