Hospital Readmission Epidemic

Hospital Readmission Epidemic

The last thing anyone wants after spending time in the hospital is a return trip... yet almost one in five Medicare patients who are discharged from a hospital will be back within the month, according to a recent New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) study. For patients with heart failure, it's even higher -- the readmission rate is about one in four.

Why are these numbers so high, and is there anything patients and family members can do to prevent this from happening? I called Eric Howell, MD, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and chief, division of hospital medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, to ask for advice. Dr. Howell is himself a hospitalist (a physician who specializes in the care of hospital patients), so he has much to say about this problem and how to prevent it from happening.

First of all, he pointed out that some repeat visits are inevitable simply because some patients are quite sick. "Patients with chronic diseases, such as heart failure, diabetes, renal failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are vulnerable to emergency situations which, in turn, can lead to readmission even with the best care," he noted.
Preventable Causes of ReAdmission

Dr. Howell identified several reasons why readmissions often happen and shared advice on what patients (and their loved ones) can do to reduce the likelihood of landing back in the hospital...

Transition plan. A key contributor to the problem of frequent readmissions, in Dr. Howell's opinion, is inadequate preparation for the patient's transition from hospital to home. "Patients typically spend about a half-hour with a doctor on the day of discharge," says Dr. Howell. "But it takes much longer than that for patients to learn how to take care of themselves after a complicated hospital stay, particularly one that is shorter than it used to be, as is the case with many hospitalizations."

What to do: Patients being discharged should understand their medical condition, the related test results, and what they need to do to manage their illness or recovery. Make sure you clearly understand how to take a new prescription, including how to adjust dosages if necessary. Get detailed written instructions on how to carefully monitor aspects of your condition -- for instance, heart failure patients are told to weigh themselves daily and to call the doctor if there is a significant change, because this is a sign of trouble.
Confusion at home. With limited guidance before leaving the hospital, it's common for patients to feel overwhelmed once they get home, most especially those who live independently without others around to remind them what to do. This can lead to mixing up or missing doses of medicines... forgetting specific instructions... problems caring for surgical wounds... and difficulty in performing the prescribed exercises to prevent pneumonia or to speed healing. Also, patients may not recognize early symptoms that should trigger a call to the doctor, so that minor problems don't become major ones.

What to do: If possible, someone else (a friend or family member) should be with you during the discharge discussion to take notes and help you remember the instructions.
Who's in charge? Another issue is that patients don't always know which doctor should be called if a problem arises when they are at home. Since many hospital patients are admitted through the emergency room, it's not unusual that your primary-care physician (and not everyone even has one) wouldn't know you were in the hospital at all. Then, given the increasing reliance upon hospitalists to oversee in-patient care, your personal doctor may or may not have been involved during your hospital stay. So, Dr. Howell says, you can't just assume that your doctor has been updated with your latest information or discharge instructions.

What to do: When you return home, call your doctor, at minimum. Better yet, schedule a visit so he/she can take over your care. Dr. Howell strongly suggests asking your hospitalist to contact your doctor when you are discharged to open up communication and share information about your condition and treatment. "When doctors communicate, there are fewer errors and less likelihood the patient will need to be readmitted to the hospital," notes Dr. Howell.

The Empowered Patient: Take Responsibility
It is less likely that you will have to head back to the hospital if you take steps at the time of discharge to learn how to manage your own care. Dr. Howell provided this checklist of proactive patient steps to facilitate a safe and healthy transition from hospital to home...
From your discharging doctor (or nurse)...

Get a clear and complete explanation of what is wrong... a list of medications you need to take and their dosage instructions, along with information on why each one is important... and details of all other aspects of your care at home, including what you should eat, how wounds should be dressed and so on.
Ask the hospitalist whether he/she has spoken to your primary-care physician -- if not, request that this be done.

Ask about signs and symptoms you should be on the lookout for... learn which ones require a call to the doctor... and find out which doctor you should call (the hospitalist or your personal physician) if a problem does arise.

Make sure you get copies of your discharge summary and your medical records, both of which you then can take to your own doctor at your next visit. (While the hospital will send the discharge summary to your doctor, this can take 30 days -- which can be too long.)
Once home, make an appointment with your own doctor to follow up. Bring all related paperwork, along with the name of the hospitalist who discharged you who can provide more information on your condition and treatment, if that turns out to be necessary. The more information everyone (including you) on your health-care team has, the better off you will be.
Source(s):

Eric Howell, MD, associate professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, chief, division of hospital medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
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New Technology to Monitor Health and Safety

New Technology to Monitor Health and Safety
I'm impressed by some new technologies I am seeing and reading about that have the potential to improve the quality of life for people with chronic health problems -- and most particularly for elderly men and women who want to continue to live independently. I'm talking about devices that measure and track data, such as weight and blood pressure, over time, others that nudge people to take medications or perform physical therapy exercises, and yet others that send an alert to a designated recipient if something seems amiss -- for instance, on a morning when the monitored person doesn't get out of bed or there is a precipitous rise or drop in his/her blood pressure. In worst-case scenarios, a call is placed to 911 so that life-saving help comes quickly.
"Chronic health issues are driving this market and the development of these devices," says Susan Ayers Walker, managing director of the SmartSilvers Alliance and the Digital Health Summit at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, the world's largest annual consumer-technology trade show, where such products are typically introduced.
The field itself is new, but the technology isn't, I was told by Jeffrey Kaye, MD, director of the Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center at Oregon Health & Science University. He said the real breakthroughs are in the adaptations. For example, products like Life Alert -- worn as a pendant or wristwatch -- already enable seniors to call for help if they fall and can't get up or if another emergency occurs. Now a new product from Grandcare uses motion sensors to get the same result without the need to push a button or wear a device. Another product monitors heart failure patients to measure water retention through weight gain. "Now you can instrument a standard bathroom scale to send a signal to a health professional with simple software that charts a patient's weight within certain parameters," he explains.

Here are some of the technologies currently in use or being developed...
Home monitoring:
Grandcare systems (www.grandcare.com) offers a customizable combination of motion sensors, weight monitoring, prescription reminders, general messages from family and more. The system also gives seniors other reasons to want to interact with it... a TV interface can provide users with updates of photos, local weather, news and more.
Prescription monitoring:
For patients taking several medications but who are not sick enough to require full-time care, MedSignals (www.medsignals.com) monitors up to four prescriptions at a time, records when the pills are taken, and sends information to a designated party (a family member, doctor or other caregiver) to monitor use.
GlowCaps (www.rxvitality.com) are special prescription bottle tops that flash and play music when it's time to take a pill... order refills for you... and send a weekly report on use (caps can monitor when and how often they are opened) to physicians and family members.
Assisted living:
Elite Care (www.elitecare.com), an assisted-living facility in Oregon, uses monitoring technology to help care for its residents, assuming that the patient has granted permission to be monitored. Behavior and cognitive function are monitored unobtrusively to track changes that can signal decline or the onset of disease.
We're Not There Yet...
These products are available but expensive, and at present, few are covered by insurance. Also, standards for devices still are being developed. Add in concerns about privacy (who gets to see this electronic medical information and what can be done with it)... liability (if the system makes a mistake, who is to blame?)... and physician participation (do doctors have the capability to handle all this data?), and it becomes clear that there are still some kinks to be worked out with these systems.
Even so, their time is surely coming. Major companies, such as Microsoft (www.healthvault.com), Google (www.google.com/health), GE, Philips and Intel, are already hard at work on their own plans and products. Industry standards and design guidelines are being developed (www.continuaalliance.org).
Source(s):

Jeffrey Kaye, professor of neurology and biomedical engineering, director, NIA - Layton Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center and NIA-ORCATECH -Oregon Center for Aging & Technology, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland.
Susan Ayers Walker, managing director, SmartSilvers, www.smartsilvers.com/.

--
Back to Eden communities
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Merry CHRISTmas

Have a great holiday by giving of yourself in the spirit of Christ. Help others in need and you will gain true and needed satisfaction.

The rank commercialism -where 40% of total sales are made in one month -loses the original meaning of Christmas . Give of yourself not things please and get back to the original family tradition of good charity and cheer.

in reference to: Blogger: Blogs I'm following (view on Google Sidewiki)

Money is no problem if you are connected

The Highly Profitable Business of Vaccines

Exactly how the swine flu story will play out remains to be seen, but there is one business sector that may secretly be hoping for the worst -- vaccine manufacturers, that are more than $1 billion richer, a number that will soar far higher if, in fact, the winter outbreak is as bad as many fear.

Halo-worthy as vaccine makers may seem, the truth is that Big Pharma is motivated by more than a desire to save humankind, given the enormous profit potential from a successful vaccine. New blockbuster products and manufacturer-friendly legislation have combined to make the global vaccine market even larger and more lucrative than ever. In fact, the vaccine market is growing even faster than the market for regular pharmaceutical drugs, bringing in as much as $20 billion or more, by some estimates. That's because the markup on vaccines is larger than on pharmaceutical drugs, making them especially profitable. However, as the use of vaccines has expanded exponentially in recent years, so have concerns regarding their safety and efficacy.

Vaccine Risks
Vaccines have enabled us to take major steps forward in public health, virtually eradicating devastating diseases, such as polio and smallpox, says Larry Sasich, PharmD, MPH, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy in Erie, Pennsylvania. But vaccines are drugs, he points out, and all drugs carry some risks. Though rare, vaccines have been known to cause seizures, brain damage and even death.
In the early 1980s, consumers deluged manufacturers with lawsuits, most especially parents whose children had suffered complications after inoculation with the problematic DTP vaccine (immunization against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, or whooping cough). Fearing the public health consequences if vaccine makers responded by reducing production or pulling out of the market altogether, the federal government passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 to shield manufacturers from liability.

 
Legislated Protection from Liability
The 1986 act created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which protected vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits and set compensation standards for people injured by their products. For example, compensation for vaccine-related deaths is limited to $250,000 -- a fraction of what might be awarded by a jury in a civil trial if, say, a child had a fatal vaccine reaction. In truth, this amount of money is like pocket change to drug companies, and they aren't even the ones who must pay up -- the federal government writes the check. This protection may help get important vaccines to market faster, but it doesn't do much to ensure safety, because vaccine manufacturers are shielded from consequences for products that turn out to be problematic or even dangerous.
Also, vaccines are genetically engineered and competitors are forbidden by law from duplicating them. This gives manufacturers a virtual monopoly on their products. Since they never have to face competition, biologic-based vaccines continue to generate big profits for years and years and years.

Gardasil: A Cautionary Tale
Protecting manufacturers this way puts consumers at risk. In 2006, for example, despite sparse data to support its safety and effectiveness, Merck introduced and aggressively marketed Gardasil, a new vaccine designed to protect girls and young women from cancer-causing strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Among their questionable marketing tactics, the firm gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in "grants" to medical associations to develop educational materials promoting the vaccine. Even worse, Merck made substantial campaign contributions to state legislators -- as it lobbied them to make Gardasil mandatory for girls attending public schools.
Yet, this vaccine doesn't vanquish a deadly disease such as polio or smallpox. Rather it protects against four viruses that comprise 70% of the HPV strains that cause cervical cancer -- and even if they've received the vaccine, women still require regular screening for the disease. While study results published in the August 2009 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) note that Gardasil has a safety record in line with that of other vaccines, serious complications (including an increased risk for potentially fatal blood clots) have been reported. Gardasil is also painful and painfully expensive. The three-shot series costs $400 to $1,000, which is only sometimes covered by insurance, and last year brought in $1.4 billion in sales for Merck... amazing, given that there's no evidence yet how long immunity will even last or whether booster shots will prove necessary. Thus far, the vaccine has been successful in preventing HPV infections that precede cervical cancer, but since this type of cancer takes years to develop, only time will tell whether Gardasil protects against cervical cancer itself.

Moving Forward: The Debate Continues
Even in the face of a pandemic, it remains impossible to reach a consensus regarding vaccines and whether they should be mandatory. Consumer advocates argue for greater regulation and higher standards (e.g., for new vaccines and other drugs, medical devices and procedures), while industry insists that government should keep its hands off. As for the vaccine shield protecting Big Pharma from liability, some legislators talk of getting rid of it while others say it should be strengthened.

Dr. Sasich told me that he personally believes that vaccines have the potential to do enormous good for society and that the vaccine shield enables science and technology to move forward faster and more efficiently. While I agree that many immunizations save lives, I am skeptical about some of the more recent entries into the vaccination arena, such as Gardasil. Perhaps manufacturers need a stick as well as a carrot -- financial responsibility for failures as well as windfall profits for success -- to motivate them to ensure that vaccines are safe, necessary and effective before introducing them on a large-scale basis to the American public, much less making them mandatory.
Source(s):

Larry Sasich, PharmD, MPH, pharmacist and assistant professor of pharmacy practice, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Pharmacy, Erie, PA.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


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Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
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"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

useful natural remedy information

Helping to Fight Influenza Naturally

Woodson C. Merrell, MD
Beth Israel Medical Center

 ublic health officials are scrambling to prepare for what may be one of the most challenging flu seasons ever. Seasonal influenza, combined with the continuing presence and possible winter worsening of H1N1, is a daunting prospect. Vaccines for both have been developed, but as of this date, the H1N1 vaccine is still in short supply.
If past experience is a guide, as the seasonal flu peaks in January or February, an estimated 50 million Americans will be infected by it, with an average of 36,000 deaths -- and this is not counting the new H1N1 threat.
Prevention is critical. This includes frequent hand washing and avoidance of crowded spaces. The only FDA-approved remedies available for either classic influenza or H1N1 are vaccines and Tamiflu-class medications. Nevertheless, there are principles and practices that can offer immune support and symptom control. The supplements in this article (available online, from health-food stores and pharmacies) may warrant a place in our medicine chest this year as we seek to be as healthy, and flu and cold-free as possible. (Caveat: None of these have been specifically studied for H1N1 flu.)
OSCILLOCOCCINUM
Taken at the first sign of symptoms, this over-the-counter homeopathic remedy has been shown to reduce both the duration and severity of flu.
In a study published in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, researchers found that 17.1% of patients with flulike symptoms who took Oscillococcinum (pronounced o-sill-cox-SEE-num) recovered within 48 hours, compared with 10.3% of those taking placebos. Another published study from the venerable Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009 confirmed Oscillo's effectiveness in combating the flu.
Particularly for people sensitive to the Tamiflu-class of medications, this is one of the only substances with published effectiveness against influenza.
Important: Oscillococcinum works only when taken within three days of symptom onset.
Dose: One vial of pellets under the tongue, three times daily, for no more than three days. If it hasn't worked by then, it won't.
CHINESE HERBAL FORMULAS
These are important aids to help the immune system as it struggles to fight flu as well as colds. Few Western clinical studies have looked at these formulas, but the experience of practitioners in the US as well as a history of successful use for hundreds of years in Asia indicate that Chinese herbals can be both safe and effective at relieving cold and flu symptoms and can shorten the duration of illness.
These products typically contain six to 10 different ingredients, including herbs such as forsythia, isatis, andrographis and astragalus. Some of the components have antiviral effects... others increase immunity... and others address specific symptoms, such as congestion or fever.
Important: Use only formulations that have been produced in the US, which has the highest quality-control standards. Some herbal products imported from China have been found to contain toxic levels of lead or mercury. Good brands include Wellness Formula by Source Naturals and Cold Away by Health Concerns.
Dose: Follow the label instructions. A typical dose is three tablets taken three times daily, as needed.
ECHINACEA
I recommend echinacea for general immune support. The herb fell out of favor when it was reported in a 2005 study in The New England Journal of Medicine that it was no better than a placebo for treating and preventing colds.
However, in 2007, The Lancet published a meta-analysis of studies comparing echinacea with a placebo for preventing or shortening the duration of the common cold. Echinacea was found to be effective. The researchers also discovered that echinacea seemed to reduce the severity of cold symptoms.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that was published in Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Therapeutics stated that echinacea significantly reduced symptoms when it was taken soon after the onset of symptoms. This finding has been replicated by many other studies.
Echinacea appears to be most effective when combined with other herbs that synergistically strengthen immunity and relieve upper-respiratory infections.
Dose: Follow label directions. I recommend taking echinacea in combination with other herbs, such as black elderberry. Good brands include Esberitox, Insure and Immunotone.
Caution: Don't take echinacea if you have an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's or lupus. It increases levels of TNF-alpha, an inflammatory substance that needs to be lowered in patients with these conditions.
ESSENTIAL OIL INHALATION THERAPY
Inhalation therapy is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms of colds or flu. It also can help prevent illness because it kills viruses in the upper-respiratory tract.
When you're in a crowded place (such as a movie theater or an airplane), remove the cap from a bottle of essential oil, such as tea tree oil. Take several sniffs with each nostril. Do this every one to two hours. Tea tree oil's compounds have been shown to have both antiviral and antibacterial effects.
For symptom relief: Pour steaming water into a bowl, along with a few drops of tea tree oil, or any of a number of essential oils (rosemary, oregano or combination products such as Thieves Oil Blend, or even Vicks VapoRub -- a blend of camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol). Drape a towel around your head to trap the steam. Then lean forward, close your eyes and breathe in the vaporized oils. It's the fastest way to relieve congestion and sinus pressure, as well as provide an excellent germicidal effect.
MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS
Medicinal mushrooms, including shiitake, maitake and reishi, have been shown to have significant immune-stimulating properties, and people who maintain a strong immune system are far less likely to get colds or flu. Mushrooms are used both preventively and during an illness that challenges the immune system. Unlike many immune-boosting herbs, mushrooms do not seem to lose their effectiveness with prolonged use.
Dose: Eat one or more of these mushroom varieties a few times a week throughout the cold and flu season. Or take a supplement that includes a mushroom blend, such as New Chapter Host Defense.
VITAMIN C AND ZINC
Vitamin C has been shown to be somewhat effective at preventing and treating upper-respiratory infections. A study published in Advances in Therapy in 2002 found that people taking vitamin C had significantly fewer colds than those taking placebos. They also had a shorter duration of severe symptoms -- 1.8 days, compared with 3.1 days for those in the control group.
Zinc oral lozenges often are used to reduce symptoms, including cough, nasal discharge and sore throat.
Caution: Recently the nasal form of zinc in one form of Zicam was shown to inhibit the sense of smell.
Dose: Up to three zinc lozenges daily for maximum of three or four days. For vitamin C, a typical dose is 1,000 milligrams (mg) daily, divided into two or three doses to avoid stomach upset or diarrhea.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Stop fanatic political agendas and correctness actions

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Brant-Knights of Columbus

Brant-Knights of Columbus Turning pain into gain

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada - Advocacy, Benefits, Community & Zoomer.

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada - Advocacy, Benefits, Community & Zoomer.: "CARP was quick out of the gate when a news report surfaced that a group of seniors, walking along a city trail as part of their exercise regimen – a regimen they paid someone to conduct, with the warm-up walk just one of several elements – were harassed and photographed by a city bylaw officer. He apparently wanted the organizer to pay for a city permit."

Brant-Knights of Columbus

Brant-Knights of Columbus -a renewal approach

Incompetence at any level is sickening

"Health records scandals making all Canadians sick
Posted By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN
Posted 3 hours ago


Nine years ago, the feds and Canada's 13 provincial and territorial governments announced a $10-billion plan to develop computerized medical records for every Canadian.
Federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser will report next year on the progress of the Electronic Health Records (eHealth) project, based on her audit of federal efforts and similar probes by her counterparts in five provinces. But what we already know suggests billions of taxpayers' dollars may have been wasted.
Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter has just issued a scathing report on his province's EHR efforts, concluding the government lost control of the project, which began in 2002, and has spent $1 billion with little to show for it, leaving its future mired in controversy."

Time to fix it or lose it -Pr

ProActive Rants: Sunridge – Back to Eden - A Personal Care Option..

ProActive Rants: Sunridge – Back to Eden - A Personal Care Option..

B.C. Health Minister supports private care

B.C. Health Minister supports private care: "B.C. Health Minister supports private care"


The government ended up contracting out many of the procedures to private clinics as a way to catch up. Logic not dogma prevails to help those that need health services OJ

Tobacco Book

Tobacco Book: "“ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
“ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
Join my biggest crusade yet and get the inside scoop
on the surprising health BENEFITS of smoking...
-a intersting view from contrarian MD Douglas -qj"

Tobacco Book

Tobacco Book: "“ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
Join my biggest crusade yet and get the inside scoop
on the surprising health BENEFITS of smoking... “ARE YOU SMOKING ENOUGH TO STAY HEALTHY?”
Join my biggest crusade yet and get the inside scoop
on the surprising health BENEFITS of smoking..."


worth a read -by the contrarian doctor Douglas QMB

Gmail - What the Gov't Won't Tell You About Health Care Reform - siegholle@gmail.com

Gmail - What the Gov't Won't Tell You About Health Care Reform -

More on US health reform

Not a good way to save the health system

Not a good way to save the Heath system

In a blistering letter to Ontario doctors, the group says Hudson must also resign because he's "not competent" to lead the agency's board.


"We are at a crossroads in transformation where one path is carved out by seemingly entitled individuals who appear content to waste hundreds of millions of taxpayers' hard-earned money and who are not held accountable," states the letter signed by president Dr. Douglas Mark.


"Not even the Minister of Health, David Caplan, as he turns a blind eye to the shenanigans of his trusted leaders at eHealth who show up over and over again in various health care organizations with a trail littered with costly programs but questionable results."


Hudson hasn't returned calls for comment.


EHealth, which is tasked with creating electronic health records in Ontario, has ignited a political storm for questionable spending and awarding nearly $5 million in untendered contracts.

Sarah Kramer was abruptly removed as president and CEO on Sunday amid the furor over eHealth, which allowed consultants who were paid about $2,700 a day to bill taxpayers for minor purchases like tea and snacks.

This is sad and we wonder who is in charge and if there is anu accountability OJ

Genetics -Future medicine trend?

Your Doctor Is Wasting Your Time... and Your Money
By Rob Fannon, editor, Phase 1 Investor

I'd like nothing more than to fire my doctor...

Anyone else sick of scheduling appointments, only to wait for 30 minutes (or more) before hearing your name called? Then, if you're lucky, you get 10 minutes with a harried physician who shares nothing you didn't already know. When did doctors cease being healers? Most are nothing more than informed technicians, cranking through protocols and patient numbers to make ends meet.

I don't need a doc to check my blood pressure, take my temperature, rub my lymph nodes, and hand me an antibiotic... for whatever ails me.


I prefer the do-it-yourself model.

The secret to good health is information, discipline, and prevention – in that order. A discerning eye can gather more than enough qualified information on the web for any and all medical conditions. And of course, with enough self-discipline, diet and exercise are always the best prescription for most health-related matters. No two steps do more to prevent illness.

Still, all the web surfing, whole-grain bread, and wind sprints in the world can't trump one element of our health and wellbeing: our genes.

The next frontier for medicine is genetics. As patients, we can look forward to knowing which diseases are in our future based on a genetic fingerprint. Armed with a readout mapping our DNA and forecasting the medical conditions we'll likely encounter, we can fire the family doctor and head straight to the specialist who can actually cure us.

As investors, we've got to realize this day is coming faster than we may have thought...

Of course, not every genetics wonder-company is investable. Take my experience last summer, for example. For $1,000, I shipped my DNA to Iceland. There, scientists at deCODE Genetics (DCGN) scanned my genes to determine my risk of various cancers, heart-related disorders, brain diseases, as well as oddball tests for male pattern baldness and alcohol-flush reaction.

But the whole thing was a bit of a letdown. Most of the results were too vague. And based on my family history, I already know I have European ancestors, a thinning hairline, brown eyes, and a "slightly elevated" risk for many diseases. Obviously, I can't fire my doctor quite yet.

Without a sufficient payoff, expensive testing services like deCODE's won't attract meaningful numbers of customers. Patients – and the insurance companies that will foot the bill –need clear, definitive answers that have an immediate use in order to pay for such tests.

That is the key to making money in personalized medicine today. And that's what I look for when I make an investment in the "personalized medicine" boom...

One of my favorite companies in this sector – one I think has done it "right" – is Genomic Health (GHDX).

Genomic Health's Oncotype DX test measures the aggressiveness of breast cancer via a molecular snapshot of the tumor. Based on the results, patients and doctors make informed decisions about whether or not to pursue grueling and costly chemotherapy treatment.



Results Are in from Iceland
Why You May Never Take a Regular Drug Again
Most important, Oncotype DX offers an appealing cost-benefit proposal for insurance companies. These payers are more than willing to shell out $3,700 for the test if it reduces the number of $35,000 chemotherapy treatments they pay for.

Clear, definitive answers that result in an immediate action plan... that's the winning formula for genetic-screening services. It's why deCODE is headed for bankruptcy and why I think Genomic Health is a bargain today...


Great assessment and a hopeful future solution to the current care crisis QJ

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada: "Make Predators ExtinctMake Predators Extinct"

Dont be a victim -fight back QJ

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." - Larry Elder
Predator: n.
1. An organism that lives by preying on other organisms. 2. One that victimizes, plunders, or destroys, especially for one's own gain. In the wild, predators use jaws and talons. In the human world, predators use trust and influence

Elder Abuse

We have taken several steps to address this very serious issue.

For example, in March 2007, our Government established the National Seniors Council to provide us with advice on all matters related to the well-being and quality of life of seniors. The first priority given to the Council by our Government was to examine the serious issue of elder abuse in Canada. After a year of extensive consultations with seniors, community and social groups, as well as other concerned Canadians, the Council released its report on elder abuse. It clearly outlined the magnitude of the problem of elder abuse in its many forms, including physical, financial, psychological, sexual and neglect.

Our Government fully understands that this is a complex problem that cannot be solved by one level of government or one organization. We recognize that combating elder abuse requires all of us to do our part to stop such unspeakable mistreatment. That is why, at the federal level, we are increasing our efforts.

We have introduced the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative, under which we invested $13 million over three years to help seniors and others recognize the signs and symptoms of elder abuse, and also to provide information on what support is available. A key element of that commitment includes a national public awareness campaign, which we will be launching very soon.


The ministers promise to CARP - lets see if she can deliver OJ

CARP Health Care Survey Results

The results of the CARP survey indicates that improvements are needed to how health care is delivered in Canada QJ

Government out of step with out of country care

Consistent with our findings in the past, most respondents, despite their high ratings of their care at home, are willing to travel outside the system if they had to and to expect reimbursement. Almost 40% said such care should be reimbursed by the Canadian health care system without conditions. Many more (59%) said that there should be reimbursement with conditions. Only 2% said there should be no reimbursement. Belief in full unconditional reimbursement is far higher in Quebec (53%) than elsewhere.
Only 30% thought that reimbursement should require prior approval. 27% thought approval could be given after treatment was started or completed and over 42% said reimbursement should just require a referral from your doctor. In Quebec, that figure was even higher (48%).
Clearly, the policy makers that insist on strict application of the prior approval requirements are way out of step with CARP ActionOnline readers who answered our survey and we will be drawing this response to their attention.
These survey results, based on over 5,600 CARP ActionOnline readers, are considered reliable within plus or minus 1.4 % 19 times out of 20.

expensive overlap and duplication

Read full article...

Paramedics and patients are constantly bombarded with fire services even though we have notified our communications office and asked them to cancel fires assistance. Apparently, according to Mr. Scharf (fire management), our council members implemented this "can't cancel fire services" policy. When paramedics arrive at a scene, fire services are still rushing through traffic with their bells and whistles blaring, to needlessly arrive at the same place as paramedics. Then they are sent back, as we don't need them, although some of them stick around unnecessarily.

ProActive Rants: Senior centre seeks donations of books, puzzles and plants - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

ProActive Rants: Senior centre seeks donations of books, puzzles and plants - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

construtive spring cleaning - help others and help yourself 

Board Heads In Wrong Salary Direction - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA

Board Heads In Wrong Salary Direction - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA: "Board Heads In Wrong Salary Direction
Posted By

Overpaid for what they do - citizens finally speak out -QJ-- good for them "

Douglas md's -Daily Dose Health Digest for the week

Dr Douglas always has something interesting to say - he is not fond of those that profit from others misery-those that write self serving and obvious research reports- always worth a read

 

•  watch out for your daughters
• drug testing - why job holders and not welfare recepients
• drug more gouging
• uneessary prostate treatments -cure is worse research

Stop shelling out your cash for yesterday's solutions. What I talked about in the Daily Dose this week... Vegetarians more likely to have eating disorders Hang on to your carrot stick. There's actually a new study that's got something negative to say about vegetarianism. It turns out that many people who are vegetarians have made this "lifestyle choice" because they think it will help control their weight—as opposed to simply swearing off meat for the principle of it. Because of this, some people are now saying that vegetarianism is a sign of an eating disorder. Read the full story. Not-so-great wall of China: Imported drywall could be toxic Yet another Chinese-made good is threatening the health of people here in the U.S. Florida homeowners have complained that the drywall in their homes, which was imported from China, is not only giving off a foul odor like sulfer, but is also emitting corrosive gases that are destroying home appliances. So you can just imagine what it's doing to people's lungs. Read the full story. States battle over drug tests for welfare recipients Believe it or not, some states have shot down bills that would require drug tests for people on the welfare rolls. As if it's not bad enough that we have 20 million illegal citizens of Mexico getting health benefits from the U.S. taxpayers, now it seems that it's just fine to be paying people to sit around and take drugs instead of taking a job and contributing to society. Where does it end? Wonder drug aimed at creating wonderful profits for Big Pharma It's no secret that Big Pharma companies allow their marketing departments to have an undue amount of influence on their research and development departments. There's one new drug in the works that has "marketing gimmick" written all over it. The drug in question is known as the "Polypill" – it's a 5-in-1 pill that's designed to fight heart disease. Read the full story. Daily Dose readers can now tap into the minds of other health-conscious readers at http://clicks.douglassreport.com//t/AQ/FZU/GPs/C4Y/AQ/AmRRXw/Sskv Copyright (c)2009 by www.douglassreport.com, L.L.C. The Daily Dose may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission.

--

Back to Eden communities
Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
New Beginnings -23 Richards Ridgetown

backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Public reader input- Public speak out

HARMONY DISCONCERTING ( on tax gouging)

Sir:Down through the years there have been famous illegal or unethical "transfers" of wealth. The Great Train Robbery, for example, or the heist of an armoured car in Montreal a few years back, or the Enron debacle, or more recently the Stafford and Bernard Madoff successes in parting people from their money. There have also been some notable team efforts with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or Bonnie and Clyde. However, there is a new team in action -- McGuinty and Duncan about to lighten our wallets through tax harmonization.
This massive cash grab is quite simple. We will now pay combined provincial and federal taxes on all services such as haircuts, manicures, stamps, real-estate closing costs, all the way up to new homes, depending on the value of the house, and on hundreds of personal items and foodstuffs.

Our federal and provincial governments are doling out massive sums of money to bolster our economy and need to take more of our money from us to fund it. Any government suggestions that this is "revenue neutral" because of one-time rebates to be mailed out two months before the next provincial election are pure horse feathers. Much like the insincerity of McGuinty's aim that the health tax implemented several years back is not a tax.

There are some amazing coincidences in the timing of this long reach of the combined governments to increase their take from us. For several years, McGuinty has been complaining loudly about the unfairness of equalization payments from Ottawa and that Ontario is being short-changed. Now, all of a sudden McGuinty is silent on this subject. Another interesting tidbit is that in the next federal election, there will be 21 new seats in the House of Commons from Ontario.

On a related subject, King Stevie's Quebec strategy has exploded in his face. He needs those Ontario seats. Last but not least, Stevie is providing a $4.3 billion "incentive" (bribe?) to Ontario to complete the sales tax harmonization.
Let's see: 21 new Ontario federal seats that could offset Conservative losses in Quebec, $4.3 billion coming to Ontario from Ottawa, sudden cessation of complaints from Toronto about Ottawa's unfairness to Ontario, and the federal Conservatives and provincial Liberals actually romancing again. Could there be a connection to all of these phenomena? Probably not even the Shadow knows . . . -- H. David Goldsmith Chatham

DON'T LET THE SRC GO TO WASTE ( on waste of public assets)

Sir:Recently, I was driving through Dealtown. I was on my way to a client's home, when I was amazed by what I saw. From a distance, I was under the impression that there was a large resort or retirement complex that I was unfamiliar with. A closer look, and a little research later, I realized what I was looking at was the Southwest Regional Centre, former health-care facility for the developmentally challenged.

Not growing up in Essex or Kent County, I was oblivious to the fact there existed such a facility here. In fact, my wife, born and raised in Windsor, always joked with her friends growing up that mentally ill people were shipped off to London or St. Thomas for psychiatric help. She was unaware that Southwest Regional Centre was nearby, let alone such a big and beautiful property with loads of potential.

The reason for this letter is to not only make known what it is we are letting go to waste, but to encourage the surrounding area to make something of this potential disgrace. To let a piece of property and architecture not be used to its full potential should be a crime. The value in the lakeside property alone is worth a mint.
In these economic trying times, why let it sit there unused, destined to become an eyesore unless it is maintained and loved. What we need to do is to fully examine all the possibilities in order to maintain the property and invite a new owner to provide stimulus in these desperate times.

Dealtown is barely large enough to be on many maps. Why not, as a boost for Dealtown and the surrounding area, we band together to save the Southwest Regional Centre?
The possibilities are endless -- a retirement community, tourist resort, educational facility, etc.
There is also the chance that if certain organizations were aware of its existence they may look at expanding or moving to the area. What about entertainment studios, training facilities, even a return to use as a health-care facility? -- Dave Richardson Windsor

SEEK HOSPITAL CLARITY ( On the need for real information not government spin)

Sir:To those who depend on Sydenham District Hospital, do not be fooled by tricky messaging. If you listen closely to what the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance said, you would have heard the term, "new facility," not "new hospital," for Wallaceburg.

The CKHA, when asked if this "new facility," which has not been approved nor funded as yet, would be a hospital with an emergency department, the answer is, there is a long planning process to go through before they will know that. When asked since they do not know if there will be an emergency department, how can they close the medicine beds effective July 27, since these are vital for a functioning emergency department, the answer is they need to support the efforts of the CKHA to save money. One answer contradicts the other. Which is it? The CKHA needs to get rid of the mumble jumble and be straight and honest with the users of SDH. Will the "new facility" for Wallaceburg contain an emergency department or will it not? If the answer is "yes" or "we do not know" then how can you close the medicine beds effective July 27?

Call Ken Tremblay (519- 437-6000), Gary Switzer (519-351- 5677) and Maria Van Bommel (1- 800-265-3916) and ask them for an answer. The people who depend on SDH deserve a clear, decisive and honest answer now. -- Jeff Wesley SOS Chair
Article ID# 1527562

ProActive Rants: Put the Breaks on Big Auto Bailouts

ProActive Rants: Put the Breaks on Big Auto Bailouts

HIV-positive man found guilty of first-degree murder - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

HIV-positive man found guilty of first-degree murder - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA: "HIV-positive man found guilty of first-degree murder"

SOS wary of new hospital talk - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA

SOS wary of new hospital talk - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA: "SOS wary of new hospital talk
HEALTH CARE: Wesley believes it won't have an ER
Posted By BOB BOUGHNER, THE DAILY NEWS
Posted 4 hours ago


Despite talk of a new hospital in Wallaceburg, the Save Our Sydenham Committee is forging ahead.
'It's just more babblegap to confuse the issue,'' Jeff Wesley, SOS spokesman, said yesterday.
Wesley said he's convinced the plan is to build a 'glorified primary and urgent care clinic with no emergency room.''
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance officials said Tuesday they plan to replace the 55-year-old Sydenham campus and the 50-year-old Public General campus in Chatham."

" This illustrators what happens to those that over promise and do not deliver or has cried wolf to often. The skepticism is well earned and the vigilence by the citizen is needed ' QJ

Records show more evidence of hospital data manipulation: Opposition - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Records show more evidence of hospital data manipulation: Opposition - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Records show more evidence of hospital data manipulation: Opposition
Posted Wed Apr 1, 2009 9:33am AEDT
The Victorian Opposition says it has evidence to suggest more hospitals have manipulated patient waiting lists.
The Government commissioned an independent audit of the Royal Women's Hospital, which found that some data has been falsified.
The Opposition's health spokeswoman, Helen Shardey, says freedom of information records indicate that other hospitals, including the Austin and the Royal Melbourne, are fudging the figures."

Manipulating infomation for self serving gain -is not original. Vigilence, audits and the freedom of inomation act are weapons to ensure that the system is truly transparent with nothing to hide.

QJ

SOS targets trustees - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA

SOS targets trustees - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA


Volunteer hospital board of trustee members were put on the hot seat during last night's Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Tri-Board meeting.

Conrad Noel, vice-chairman of the Save Our Sydenham committee, asked trustees to vacate their seats so they can be replaced with people who are interested in representing the interests of the community.

He was one of three local residents to address hospital trustees about community concerns over the Hay report to the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network, recommending the closure of the Sydenham District Hospital emergency department.

Wallaceburg Coun. Sheldon Parsons served notice there are 220 applications for membership with the SDH corporation and the number is growing.

He hopes to see that number grow to 1,000 to have voting power to elect representatives to fill what he understands is three of seven positions on the SDH board, which will be up for consideration at its annual meeting on June 22.

SOS chairman, Jeff Wesley, told the tri-board it seems like every five years Wallaceburg has to fight to keep services at SDH.

Another tool in the accountabiiity arsenal - target the public directors and trustees - So far the SoS group is adding pressure to all the right points- to be continued- QJ
"Now we're at the point where a lot of people are fed up," Wesley said.

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada: "Ontario Budget 2009: No Major Gains in Healthcare

There are no major healthcare gains for older Canadians in this budget. $223 million of the 1.1 billion already set aside for the Aging at Home Strategy will be spent in 2009-10. This spending represents an increase from the $94 million spent in 2008-09. The money will be administered by the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) and is meant to also provide an integrated continuum of community-based services, home care services as well as caregiver support. Because service plans are to be determined by the LHINs according to local need, they will vary across jurisdictions.
Answers to the question of how exactly the LHINs will deliver these services have been nebulous at best and there is yet to be a comprehensive report to explain how the LHINs propose to spend the money. CARP hopes that the LHINs will provide an interim report before the money has been spent. The Aging at Home Strategy is one of the initiatives the province is using to shorten ER wait times. CARP has argued that wait times should not be shortened at the expense of ‘alternate level of care’ patients (ALC). These post-acute patients are often sent to other health care facilities to shorten ER wait times. According to Judith Wahl, executive director Advocacy Centre for the Elderly: “ALC patients are quite often not ready to return home. Their needs are such that they are unable to function on their own, and need rehabilitation and more comprehensive care then families are often able to provide.” These patients are sometimes being forced to take placement in a (LTC) facility, sometimes many miles away from their friends and/or family, and in some instances, are being pushed into private retirement homes.
The budget states there will be"

Lhin, CKHA 'Raping' Sydenham Hospital - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA

http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1497548

Sir:Over the years, I have been privileged to work with many outstanding
gifted people. The individuals whom I admired the most were from
Wallaceburg and surrounding area.

H. W. Burgess was the driving force to build a hospital in Wallaceburg
to serve the population of our area and Walpole Island.

Mr. Burgesswasa renowned and successful businessman who gathered the
capital and volunteer labour to build our hospital.

He was the first chairman of the board of directors.

Next was Wilfred Webber who owned a farm just west of Wallaceburg in
Chatham Gore Township.

He almost lived on the site while the construction of the hospital took
place.

Don Benn was the third chairman, a well-known businessman of Wallaceburg
and owner of Benn Iron Foundry.

Malcolm Crawford was a farmer, owning property in Dover Township and
area. Al Cousins, a Wallaceburg businessman was next.

Then came Dean MacDonald, a Wallaceburg businessman and owner of Mac
Construction, Elric Construction, etc.; Dean Ewing, a farmer in Chatham
Township and Chatham Gore; Tom McGregor a lawyer with a home in Chatham
Township; Jackie Dalgety, a successful businesswomen; and Peggy
Lombombard, a high school teacher and granddaughter of H. W. Burgess.

There were so many board members over the years I cannot list them all.
Their heart, and dedication to the Sydenham District Hospital were
unlimited. They were not paid money for their positions; their reward
was to see the hospital grow and expand to be successful in service of
health to all the people of Wallaceburg, Walpole Island and area.

Having been on the board of directors for several years, I look back
with pride and thank those who not only donated money, but volunteered
their time and energy. For more than 40 years it was a family --
doctors, nurses, staff and board members that gave many, many hours of
volunteer work to keep this hospital always in the black. What I enjoyed
the most was the happy felling of being part of the family.

Continued After Advertisement Below

Advertisement

I have been to the hospital several times in the past two weeks and I do
not get the feeling of family.

I do not see the pictures of the past chairmen or directors, or plaques
of the donators and the volunteers.

Frank Martin, with donated supplies, built the beautiful gazebo out
front.

There are so many people who donated money, time and supplies to the
Sydenham District Hospital.

I am proud of Jeff Wesley for his fighting stance on what is happening
to the Sydenham District Hospital.

I am also proud of Chief Joe Gilbert protecting Walpole First Nation and
the citizens of our area.

We need more men of their calibre to lead the masses.

To sit back and watch the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and the LHIN rape
our hospital and tear our family apart is a crime.

The LHIN is a buffer for the minister of health and the premier.

When things go wrong the LHIN will get the blame and the minister and
his office will offer their regrets.

We have a beautiful country that is being taken over by bureaucrats on
every level; municipal, provincial and federal. We are complacent, but
someday people will say enough is enough and rebel.

We are losing our rural control to Toronto. I cannot understand how a
board of Torontonians can tell us what is best for our area.

Stand alongside Jeff Wesley and Chief Gilbert and save our Sydenham
hospital!

To see the hard work, dedication and donations over the years being
destroyed by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and the LHIN is not only
depressing, but disgusting. When Jeff Wesley and Chief Joseph Gilbert
call on you for help, please support them immediately!

Speaking of help, where are our members of our federal and provincial
Parliament?

They should be alongside Chief Joseph Gilbert, Jeff Wesley and the
community-minded citizens who are fighting for the health and safety of
Wallaceburg, Walpole Island and surrounding area.

-- Rex Crawford Dover

Parsons uses FOI to obtain information - Chatham Daily News - Ontario, CA

http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1497544

Parsons uses FOI to obtain information Posted By ERICA BAJER, THE DAILY
NEWS

A Wallaceburg councillor is using the province's Freedom of Information
legislation to try and access a report on the physical condition of the
Sydenham hospital.

Sheldon Parsons handed an FOI request to Erie St. Clair Local Health
Integration Network CEO Gary Switzer yesterday.

Switzer said the LHIN doesn't have a copy of the 2005 infrastructure
study compiled by Stantec Consulting. However, he plans to forward the
FOI request to the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care.

Parsons didn't hand CKHA the FOI request, because hospitals are exempt
from the legislation.

"We believe that you have the authority to get it," Parsons told
Switzer. "We believe it was used as background data for the Hay report."

The councillor said Chatham- Kent Health Alliance has denied requests
from the Save Our Sydenham committee to hand over the full report.

People are fighting to save their care system -Chatham-Kent

SOS seeks full report

HEALTH CARE: Wants report before Friday's meeting

Posted By TREVOR TERFLOTH, THE DAILY NEWS

Save Our Sydenham members want the full story on the physical condition of the Wallaceburg hospital.

The group requested a 2005 infrastructure study commissioned by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance from Stantec Consulting.

However, CKHA CEO Ken Tremblay had denied the full report to SOS, saying a Powerpoint summary was already given to them.

SOS chairman Jeff Wesley said the group needs the information to prepare for Friday's public meeting with the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network in Wallaceburg.

"We're a grassroots organization. We don't have paid staff," he said. "They've asked us for solutions -- we want to give them solutions."

Earlier this year, the LHIN received a report that recommended the closure of the Sydenham Campus emergency department.

Wallaceburg Coun. Sheldon Parsons criticized Tremblay and the hospital on the council floor during Monday's meeting, saying SOS deserved to have the Stantec information.

Yesterday, Parsons said it was his understanding that one copy of the report would be released to Rob Browning, the municipality's chief administrative officer.

As of yesterday afternoon, the councillor was still waiting for the report. He was unsure of the timeframe for its release.

"They've authorized a copy," Parsons said. "I'm going to be allowed to look at it."

Tremblay couldn't be reached for immediate comment.

 four-year-old Stantec report, but hadn't seen it personally.

He gave an update on the emergency department issue at the LHIN board yesterday and said the public is providing much feedback.

Some concerns raised include rural availability of care, patient transportation and travel time.

"They're very, very valid concerns," Ganter said.

The Hay Group had recommended the Sydenham Campus become an urgent-care centre.

Ganter said the LHIN is still collecting information and also speaking with officials from such a facility in British Columbia.

"We want to understand what the pros and cons are," he said.

Friday's community meeting will take place at 7 p. m. at Wallaceburg District Secondary School.

Presentations will be made and the community will have the opportunity to share their views about the Hay Group's report.

"Comment - good for the SOS citizen group for trying to get an accounting of their public money and save their hospital and care system . The customer is King- it is good to see a demonstration of this new principle. Don't except the standard excuses for bad service or bad public decisions " Q-J

--

Solution: Pilot proposal to improve the Ontario Health Care system

Proposal for Pilot Scale Modifications to the Ontario Healthcare System

Executive Summary

The Ontario healthcare system is in need of an overhaul. Not only are costs skyrocketing, but also the public perceives that the treatment of patients is critically ill with unacceptable waiting times. Real and needed procedures are being cut while the administrative costs of the system continue to escalate unabated.

The last two statements are keys to the puzzle. In the Brantford health catchments basin, The recent removal of beds from the Willett Hospital in Paris is a prime example. These beds have allowed the Brantford General Hospital an additional $10 million without doing anything to reduce waiting times or improve patient care. A full-fledged hospital is turned into a glorified office building. The LHIN has consequently approved a new CHC building to reduce waiting times after 2 local care facilities have been decommissioned. These are indications that the system has been bureaucratized; with internal patient delivery standards compromised and that a total collapse of the system could be imminent. The present system is financially unsustainable, the golden age of health has become tarnished with limited service, that is very expensive and that is not user friendly.

Healthcare is too critical a service to be allowed to collapse. The system needs major corrective surgery to survive. To date, successive governments appear to be "tinkering" with solutions that have little apparent positive impact to the patient or caregiver. What this means is more of same with large infusions of cash and absolutely no real improvement. The Supreme Court has deemed that Healthcare is a Section 7 Charter of Rights issue. This means that an "out of the box solution is required – sooner rather than later.

The Ontario Government is now in a bind. If delays in service provision cause damage or death, the Supreme Court's decision could put the government in the crosshairs of litigation. This proposal can form the basis of a "due diligence" defense. The government can also legitimately claim that they are trying something new and different in Ontario – something that has worked in Europe and which has a good chance of working here. It is a no-lose option.

What follows is an out of the box solution. This is somewhat similar to what the Swedish public health used to be, before it was radically reformed and competitively re-invented. Add to that some innovative revenue streams, and we may have options for the government to allow them to extricate themselves from a situation that has been brewing for 15 to 20 years.

There must be radical surgery for the business of providing healthcare systems. We can no longer afford to have unimaginative and ill-conceived tinkering. We need full blown, out of the box solutions for the system to avoid implosion and collapse.

Let us consider healthcare as a business for a moment. If a business is alienating and not delivering services to its customers, and its costs are soaring, there are really two solutions - let it die, which is not an option, or restructure and re-invent it to deliver better service. What are the reality pill options?

We propose to expand the customer and revenue base to allow the system to breathe again. To date, expanding the system revenue base has meant that the government has to cough up more public "taxpayer" money. This solution means that the people have to pay and that the administrative bureaucracy expands to "take care of" the investment, particularly at the provincial level. The spending priorities are obviously misaligned.

Our proposed solution involves a reduction in the bureaucracy. It also involves a reduction in government involvement. What would happen if healthcare became a profit centre instead of a cost centre, or an increasing sinkhole for public money? "Private Healthcare", screams the bureaucrat. No, it is just an opportunity to make money by providing service for non-Ontarians in the worldwide market place. Medical tourism is a proven and accepted practise

See full proposal

"Last year Canadians spent $172 billion a year up from $79 billi0n in 1997. What accounts for these increases and how can Canadians receive better value for money? This proposal could be part of the solution." QJ

S. Holle BS MBA
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
http://www.backtoeden.bravehost.com/
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Pilot proposal to improve the Ontario HealthCare system

How to turn the tables on taxpayer ripoffs in self defense

Canadian Healthcare -a free service or ride for whom?

How do we turn the tables on America's ultimate rip-off (the HEALTHCARE SYSTEM) and get real results-better medical care and put thousands of extra dollars in your pocket each year by reducing unnecessary public health spending.

There's no question that the healthcare industry is Canada's biggest rip-off. As a professional caregiver with a dozen years inside this industry, I've seen things that would make your head spin.

The healthcare system is primarily set up to benefit the drug companies- the insurance companies- and the countless middlemen who have weaseled their way into the system. It is a big business where the customer is manipulated for special agendas that have little to do with providing good , timely, cost effective care to those that need the health service

A report by the independent consultancy firm, Milliman & Robertson, Inc., reports that as many as 60% of all surgeries performed in the U.S. are unnecessary. Did you know, for example, that in one recent year, according to the nonprofit group Public Citizen, the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the Fortune 500 had higher profits than the other 490 companies (from all the other industries) combined!

· Kickbacks and referral fees are common .The practice for illegally marketing drugs, for ailments they never even meant to treat is common.

o It is common to prescribe drugs and tests that were absolutely worthless

· I've seen older folks literally die because of incompetent medical treatment

· I've seen insurance companies cheat policyholders

· I've seen the Ministry of Health cheat policyholders and taxpayers by denying service, denying care service in a timely manner, and promoting higher cost products and services at the expense of lower cost better care alternatives

· I’ve seen regulated or “over regulated “care in its worse case nightmare scenario

o Over inflated health cost paid or 'over paid' by the taxpayer

§ 28$ /km legislated transportation costs

§ 1500 $/day shared room rates

§ Obscene drug charges- 1700$ plus for drops of medicine administered in less then 5 minutes

The list goes on and on. That's incredible, isn't it? This is not a pretty reality picture nor the public spin and information regularly promoted by the people who have a hand in your care pocket and are feeding from the public trough. It is time to realize that if you are an American or Canadian over the age of 40, you are almost certainly being ripped off by the healthcare system.

I'm here to tell you today that you don't have to take it anymore. Get involved and take your care system back and reduce the waste of this critical industry.

What are today‘s common taxpayer rip-offs and beefs?

Rip-off one -Healthcare

Last year Canadians spent $172 billion a year on health care, up from $79 billion in 1997. What accounts for these increases in spending and how can Canadians receive better value for their Healthcare dollars? Did you know that the average annual health cost for a average family of three is estimated to be $18, 000. Or that the average cost of common drugs is:

§ Cancer – 80K? Sight - 15 K? Other -?

A system that instead of just foolishly risking people’s money also risks peoples lives

Rip-off two- Cost of ownership increasing

Real estate prices are dropping but real estate taxes are sky rocketing and costs of ownership are increasing –with new ridiculous regulated fees, higher energy costs, higher finance charges.

Rip-off three- Government administration cost waste You overpay your taxes to the most wasteful multi-tiered government in the world. Thousands of dollars could be saved with a wiser use of resources Rip-off four- Government self-entitlement programs The financial markets are down by 50% over last year. Yet government entitlement programs, bonuses pay millions to administrators, and government employees at the expense of the existing competitive market reality. A market corruption factor that must be addressed. Do something about it – be heard If you are sick of the waste, the endless self serving talk, if you believe that institutions (such as government , finance, health just to name a few) should be accountable to you - the customers on main street, you must do something about it. If you are tired of getting ripped off by the institutions that are supposedly there to serve you but don’t or are tired of watching the government flush away the value of your savings and assets ……. and if you are tired of everyone trying to get their hands on your money, by proclaiming to do so “in your best interests” you should do something about it If you are tired of the hypocrisy, greed and want to re-build the respect and a return to fairness in our institutions -you should promote and stand for basic operating principles and common sense Join the Taxpayers Coalitions – we care as you do in the wise use of our resources – contact respondfeedbacknow@yahoo.ca

Patient transfer a $700 regulated waste of limited resources?

A discusting waste exposed by Christina Blizzard

Patient transfers an area for savings

A recently released study on ambulance transfers provides an interesting glimpse into a shocking hidden cost of health care.

Fully-equipped ambulances, staffed by trained EMS paramedics, are increasingly being used as an expensive form of health buses to transport patients to non-urgent care.

That's according to a study by University of Toronto researchers, who found that of the approximately 400,000 patient transfers each year, just over 80% are non-urgent, routine patient transfers.

"Primarily, these are for physician appointments, dialysis or returning to the facility they came from or home," said lead researcher Victoria Robinson in an interview.

Large urban areas can sometimes control transfer costs by using private transportation companies.

Those simply don't exist everywhere, so smaller towns and cities, northern and rural areas depend on ambulances for transfers.

"This practice diverts resources from more emergent requests," the study finds.

One of the outcomes of hospital restructuring that occurred in the 1990s is that patients no longer get one-stop shopping when they're hospitalized. One in three patients admitted to hospital has to be transferred elsewhere for treatment.

"Every day in Ontario there are approximately 3,000 hospital admissions. It is now up to 1,375 patient transfers," Robinson said. She estimates the average cost of a transfer at a staggering $700.

Patient transfers overall are costing the health-care system more than $280 million annually.

"The results call into question the use of sophisticated, highly-trained, expensive patient transfer resources to provide routine medical services in Ontario," says the report.

EMS service is provincially mandated and regulated, but is administered locally.

The researchers were able to track statistics because of changes to the transfer system that happened during the SARS outbreak of 2003. In the GTA, SARS was in part transmitted by inter-facility patient transfer.

During SARS, the old way of one hospital calling another to set up a transfer ended and a new system that screens for infectious diseases was implemented. No transfer can take place without authorization. A transfer often occurs when a patient arrives at an ER suffering from a condition that hospital isn't equipped to handle. Or, frequently, patients are transferred between hospitals for services such as dialysis -- often as many as three times a week.

While 70% of all transfers are within a 25-kilometre distance, some are longer. Those involving pregnant women and newborn babies require travelling a median of 40.3 km for re.

"The problems with transfers in general is that they are lower priority," Robinson said.

"A 911 call will always take priority.

"An emergency transfer is going to take priority over a non-urgent transfer, and a non-urgent transfer could be that dialysis appointment.

"Even though that is non-urgent, to that patient, they have to get that care and if it is delayed it's going to have an impact on their care," she said.

Clearly any system that is costing taxpayers $700 for patient transportation that could easily be handled by a taxi is unsustainable.

Let's see now: An average trip of 25 km costs us around $700. That works out to around $28 per km. At least you don't have to tip the paramedics.

Still, there has to be a cheaper and more effective way.

As health care becomes more regionalized and hospitals start to specialize in cancer care, cardiac, pediatric care and so on, this province will have to find a cheaper, more sensible way to move patients around.

Health spending watch group
backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
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"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care

Happy St Patrick's day- how goes the performance accountability war?

a little irish humour for you

Happy Saint Patrick's Day.

On or about 420 A.D., a Christian missionary supposedly rid Ireland of snakes. Ever since then, those of Irish decent – and those who just want to drink like they are – have celebrated this event by feasting on corn beef and cabbage, slamming down steins of green beers chased by shots of Glen Livet, and tossing buckets of green food coloring into the Grand River.

While Ireland remains free of snakes today, the MOH and the Brantford Site,and CCAC is slithering with them. But Saint Patrick is nowhere to be found. So our political leaders have decided the best way to get rid of the little snakes on the Canadian health Street is to send in bigger LHIN snakes from Toronto to Brantford after 4 years of extensive consultation and study .This is fondly known medically as the HCH maneuver.

Nothing good can come from this if not customer controlled.

After all, once you throw a few snakes together, it doesn't take long before they create a whole colony-the golden CHC health administrators colony. The gestation period for most snakes is about 60 days. So I'm guessing we have until the beginning of summer before the next generation of venomous reptiles strikes at the local health market. Sorry private options and real solutions are not permitted but public input is .

Who wouldn't drink a green beer for that? Cheers S
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backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care