Santé Québec suspends 2 major IT projects

The CEO of Santé Québec, Geneviève Biron, meets the media after her appointment by the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, standing beside her on Monday April 29, 2024. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)

Santé Québec is suspending its project to modernize the payroll and procurement management in the health-care system, the Finance and Procurement Information System (SIFA).

The Crown corporation is also postponing the Digital Health Record (DSN) for six months.

The Canadian Press confirmed this information, first reported by Radio-Canada, with two sources.

In a written statement, Erika Bially, vice-president of information technology at Santé Québec, emphasized that the DSN and SIFA are two “pillars” of the digital transformation the government wants to implement, particularly to modernize tools and improve the system’s efficiency.

“However, the conditions essential to their success are no longer in place. In this context, we are making the difficult but responsible decision to take a step back and postpone the launch of the two DSN showcase sites and temporarily suspend the SIFA project,” said Bially.

Health Minister Christian Dubé commented on X that Santé Québec’s decision was responsible ”in a context where the conditions for success for these two projects are not currently in place."

“We entrusted the IT projects to an experienced team at Santé Québec precisely to ensure sound and rigorous project management,” he added.

Since the SAAQclic fiasco, several people working in the health-care system have shared their concern that a similar failure could happen with digital patient records.

“These decisions are part of our commitment to successfully integrate the digital tools the network needs, while ensuring sound management of the public funds dedicated to these projects,” Bially explained in her statement.

Dubé had allocated $95 million to fund the DSN pilot projects. The estimated cost of this project is $307 million. To date, $248 million has been spent, according to information made public on the Quebec government’s Information Resources Project Dashboard.

Refusal of physicians to participate in NPDG tipped the scales

Both general practitioners and specialists have decided not to participate in NPDG activities. This is part of their pressure tactics in the context of heated negotiations with the government.

This was one of the factors that led to the postponement of the digital projects. “The contribution and commitment of physicians remain conditions for the success of several components of the project, including training, preparation, and finalization of clinical content,” says Santé Québec.

The Financial, Procurement, and Human Resources Information System (SIFRAH) project “aims to replace outdated information systems with an integrated, modern solution covering finance, procurement, and human resources,” says Santé Québec.

SIFRAH is expected to cost $430 million, of which just over $65 million has been spent to date.

“In 2024, the SIFA component began its implementation phase, while the SIRH component remains in the planning stage. Since the project was transferred to Santé Québec, a comprehensive assessment has been conducted. It confirmed that adjustments are needed in terms of scope, budget, and schedule. In May 2025, a request for an increase was submitted and is awaiting approval by the Council of Ministers. In the meantime, activities have continued at a slower pace, which has inevitably had an impact on the planned progress,” according to the Crown corporation.

It is awaiting a decision from the Public Procurement Authority, which is analyzing the contractual management of digital projects in public organizations. Recommendations will also be made to ensure the sound management of the SIFA project.

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The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Oct. 2, 2025.

By Katrine Desautels, The Canadian Press