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
http://www.backtoeden.bravehost.com/
"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
--

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

Where is the most government control - Communist China or the USA?

An interesting - and hilarious - take on China/U.S. relations Tuesday, March 17, 2009 from the S&A Digest:

Today the federal budget accounts for nearly 30% of GDP - the most since WWII. Add in the highly regulated and highly subsidized health care industry and you've got the government in control of nearly half the economy. Now add in the banking system - which couldn't exist without the FDIC, which would already be insolvent without the backing of Congress. Now add in the insurance industry, which will surely collapse next. Now add in all the state governments' spending and employees.
Most Americans don't understand: The government is now running most of the economy, by a wide margin. And who keeps the government afloat? The Chinese.
Think about that for a little while... The so-called "Communist" Chinese, whose government makes up about 10% of China's GDP and who control the No. 1 freest city in the world (Hong Kong), are now paying for the most government-controlled economy in the world - the so-called "land of the free."

Central planning did not work in the USSR- the top down management and funding from the central committee model was flawed because it did not provide products and services to diverse market segments or the grassroots effectively. Competition, and more de-centralized market choice improved conditions in Russia. Is there a lesson here for the entrenched Ministry of Health and Long Term planning -an organization that dictates market conditions and is a protected public health service monopoly? QJ

Stop talking -help caregivers

CARP to Governments: Caregivers Already Overburdened

CARP has been pressing governments to recognize the tough challenges faced by informal caregivers. We were asked to comment on a Ministry of Health and Long Term Care research and consultation paper outlining the strategic avenues governments might explore to ensure that caregivers in 2033 are better supported than they are today. CARP welcomes the initiative; Caring About Caregivers: Policy Implications of Long Range Scenario Planning is an exhaustive paper that proposes innovative solutions and makes a compelling case for supporting informal caregivers. So why put off until tomorrow, much less to 2033, what we SHOULD already be doing today? advocacy@carp.ca

"You have to agree with this message and if you do sign the Carp petition . " Here are some facts

By 2031 the number of older adults requiring formal or informal assistance will have increased by 200%, currently;

Today only 7% of older adults are in institutionalized settings.
However, it is imperative that this not divert our focus away from the need to help caregivers today, in 2009.

• There are currently 5 million Canadians who provide care to family members or friends, many of them face heavy levels of burden and cannot cope. Family caregivers today are already absorbing an ever-increasing part of health care costs and contributing hundreds of millions of hours of unpaid labour.
• In 1999, an economic assessment of family caregivers valued their work at $5 billion dollars per year but today, their labour could be worth as much as $12.3 billion per year!

These caregivers are reporting high levels of financial, emotional and health-related stress including lost wages and medical expenses.

• A quarter (26%) of Canadians reported they had cared for a family member or close friend with a serious health problem in last 12 months.
• Of these caregivers, 22% took upwards of one month off work and 41% used personal savings.
• As a result of their work almost 8 in 10 caregivers report suffering emotional difficulties, 7 out of 10 reported they needed respite, 54% reported financial difficulties and 50% reported weaker physical health.

We should be asking what the government is doing with our health money . Private caregivers are subsidising the public care system . Where is the value for money or the fairness in this? This is a clear case of elder abuse and caregiver abuse by the Ministry . Stop this outrage and waste of your money -sign the petition QJ

ProActive Rants: Leo Teahen - April 11,1936 -March 6,2009 The casino gunslinger and warrior

ProActive Rants: Leo Teahen - April 11,1936 -March 6,2009 The casino gunslinger and warrior

ProActive Rants: Time for a civil servant wage rollback

ProActive Rants: Time for a civil servant wage rollback

New Ideas for American Healthcare

New Ideas for American Healthcare

its broken -lets fix it

It's easier to criticize what's wrong than to figure out how to solve just about any problem -- let alone one as massive and messy as our healthcare system. So, it seemed a pretty good idea when President Obama's Health Policy Transition Team asked for input on how to heal our sick system -- urging everyone with ideas or interest in the topic to host grassroots sessions in their own communities. Thousands of people in all 50 states volunteered. James Gordon, MD, former chairman, White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy, and founder and director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC, was among those who accepted the challenge."

Prevention must become the new primary care. Dr. Gordon said this means that the "true primary care" should be a focus on wellness through the use of nutrition, exercise, stress management and mind-body approaches before resorting to symptom-suppressing tactics like drugs and surgery. As one participant, a mother of three, put it, "breathing, moving, learning how to shop [for healthy products]" should be mandated as primary care. With better wellness strategies, the cost of illness management naturally declines.

Retraining... for everyone. The group recommended lots of role-shifting and retraining in integrative approaches to healthcare in order to change the paradigm from disease-focused to wellness and prevention. They also recommended adopting a view of healthcare that combines treatment modalities for better outcomes. "Nothing will change if people remain stuck in the old model that no longer works," Dr. Gordon told me. "Surgeons ought to understand the role of self-care and group support -- people will always need surgery, but we also need to emphasize how to prepare for surgery... and how to recover in a more healthful way."

Mitigate the influence of profiteers, most notably pharmaceutical companies. The group supports banning direct-to-consumer drug advertising.


Free education, strings attached. A plan for transforming the system for the selection and education of health professionals should emphasize ideals, not economics, a "primary devotion to science in the service of people, to patients, not profits," said Dr. Gordon. The group proposes free education for healthcare professionals -- and in return, requiring compulsory public service from all physicians, nurses and other health professionals.

Change starts with children. The Department of Education should become a central agency in health promotion and disease prevention, teaching kids how to be healthy. Dr. Gordon pointed out that at present, health education to children is "largely negative -- don't smoke, don't drink, don't have sex -- and largely ineffective." Parents' responsibility to act as good role models should be reinforced.

Stop the malpractice insanity. We need a new "sane alternative to the current overpriced, counterproductive, indeed destructive system of malpractice insurance." The group proposed a national fund to fairly compensate patients in a way similar to workmen's compensation. "The practice of defensive medicine has been destructive to the delivery of quality healthcare," Dr. Gordon said.

Write a new research agenda. Expenditures for medical research should be reallocated to serve different priorities -- the budget should set an agenda for true health, rather than one that advances profit potential. Specifically, the group recommended that the $30 billion-plus budget of the National Institutes of Health be reconfigured, dedicating approximately 20% to studying the effectiveness of prevention, self-care and wellness... 20% shifted away from the single-intervention studies that now predominate and toward the study of comprehensive, integrative and individualized programs of care (e.g., mind-body therapies, nutrition and exercise interventions for arthritis and heart disease) for the chronic illnesses that beset our population (and consume healthcare dollars)... and 10% allocated to single-intervention studies for research on non-patentable approaches, such as herbal remedies and musculoskeletal manipulation. The remaining 50% would be spent, as it is now, on basic science research and the study of single interventions.

Aim higher. Healthcare should be envisioned as promoting personal, emotional, social and spiritual fulfillment -- programs should be designed to manifest this perspective.

Hire a boss. Dr. Gordon told me he believes this last recommendation is particularly urgent, and will facilitate all the others and help ensure their sustainability. A small, but powerful agency, a White House Office of Health and Wellness, should be established to ensure the government continues to respond to the ongoing and changing health needs of Americans. The mandate would be to enforce accountability of governmental bureaucracies to a vision of real healthcare for all Americans.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

As the discussion moves into legislation, with debates already underway on what specifically needs to change about our current system, it presents an opportunity to get things right. You may agree with these ideas or not... you may have heard other plans you think are better... or you may have ideas of your own you believe strongly in. Now is the time to speak up. If you like these ideas, Dr. Gordon asked me to ask you -- readers of Daily Health News -- to pass them along to President Obama (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20500 or at www.whitehouse.gov/contact or by fax at 202-456-2461) and to Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD, special advisor for health policy to the director of the Office of Management and Budget at eemanuel@omb.eop.gov or at www.fedspending.org/contact.php or fax at 202-395-1005. You can also contact Senator Tom Harkin at harkin.senate.gov/c/ and Senator Barbara A. Mikulski at mikulski.senate.gov/Contact/contact.cfm. He also asked that you forward him a copy of your communications at jgordon@cmbm.org. "If even half the people who read this do something, we can make change happen," he said

This US approach has equal merit in Camada and the world-QJ

Unsustainable Healthcare System Needs Better Value for Money

This is self explainatory -Unsustainable Healthcare System Needs Better Value for Money . Get involved fill out the questionare -QJ

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? That’s a question the Health Council of Canada will be asking Canadians as it launches its Value for Money consultation. The new website, http://www.CanadaValuesHealth.ca
allows Canadians to engage in discussions via blogs, comments and surveys. The Council has published a background paper entitled Value for Money: Making Canadian Health Care Stronger

It’s clear that maintaining the status quo is not an option. Recent reports indicate that we can’t keep allocating a larger and larger share of our budget to health care in order to buy marginal improvements in the system. Those dollars are diverted from other budgets that also contribute to health outcomes. In other words, we run the risk of making society sicker by draining other public spending budgets. And what’s worse, in a recent Frontier Centre for Public Policy/Health Consumer Powerhouse report that evaluated countries from a patient perspective, Canada was ranked last in return on investment. When compared to 29 European countries, we got the least bang for our buck.

“The proposal to assess Value for Money in the Canadian health care system could not have come at a better time. During an economic downturn, escalating health care costs can exert the wrong kind of political pressure – cutbacks or privatization.” Said Susan Eng, CARP VP, Advocacy.

Whereas part of the solution will be to tap into the estimated 30% waste in the system, the discussion will also involve values, and maybe even challenge our assumptions. As Canadians, we are generally very proud of our universal healthcare system, which we consider to be vastly superior to the American for-profit model. But are these really the only terms of the debate? We might perhaps look to some of the more successful European models and see where they have produced better health outcomes. We might also highlight the importance of accountability: when setting benchmarks we also need to consider indicators, measures, and consequences if healthcare goals are not met.

What the Health Council’s report clarifies is that the aging population is not the main cause of ballooning health care costs. Let us dispel this myth once and for all with a breakdown of the numbers: a rise in the use of procedures and services accounts for 48% of spending increases, inflation places second at 27%, population growth accounts for 14% and longer life spans only 11%.
The Health Council is set to report on the results of its facilitated discussion in a few months. “The objective of this consultation isn’t to tell health professionals how to do their job: it’s to design a more coordinated and efficient health care system that embraces what we will collectively define as being of value in health care,” said Eng. Don’t forget to have your say by filling out the CARP E-healthVFM/ Survey
and by visiting the Health Council website at http://www.CanadaValuesHealth.ca


Click here
for an executive summary of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy/Health Consumer Powerhouse Euro-Canadian Healthcare Index report.

Nurse practitioner in Branttord

Nurse practitioner is back. This is welcoming news , after a 3 year service gap -where did the money and patients go -we have our nurse pratitioner back to provide a vital and needed service in the underserviced city core. "Panagiotou will work with collaborating physician, Dr. Arash Zohoor, who works at Brantford General Hospital." Welcome back we need you and more like you...... QJ

Serving health core needs By HEATHER IBBOTSON, EXPOSITOR STAFF

The downtown nurse practitioner clinic will be reborn on Monday with the return of nurse practitioner Laurie Panagiotou.

The clinic, operated by Aberdeen Health and Community Services, will run out of 220 Colborne St. in space donated by the city's social services department.

Clinic hours will be 9 a. m. to 5 p. m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Both appointments and walk-ins are accepted. Patients are welcome from the city and county.

"I'm excited. I'm really looking forward to providing what I can to the citizens of Brantford," Panagiotou said in an interview on Wednesday.

Panagiotou, who has been a nurse practitioner since 1999, was beloved by her patients when she staffed the clinic from 2003 to 2006.

The reopened clinic will help "to bridge the gap in the doctor shortage," said Amber Cowan, manager of volunteer services and community development with Aberdeen.

"We're excited to have her back," Cowan said.

The mission of the downtown clinic will be to serve the needs of patients who do not have a family physician, Cowan said.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education and training in primary health care nursing. This expertise allows them to diagnose and treat minor illnesses, conduct pap smears, and order diagnostic tests such as X-rays and ultrasounds. Nurse practitioners may also prescribe certain medications, but no medications or narcotics will be kept on site.

Panagiotou will work with collaborating physician, Dr. Arash Zohoor, who works at Brantford General Hospital.

When Panagiotou is presented with an illness or medical situation outside the scope of her practice, she can consult with Zohoor or transfer the case to him, she said.

The Aberdeen agency originally opened a downtown clinic in 2003 at St. Andrew's Church on Darling Street, but after the January 2006 church blaze, the clinic relocated to the city's social services office on Colborne Street. The clinic operated there, staffed by Panagiotou, until 2006, when she left the post. Another nurse practitioner was recruited, but she too left in mid-2007.

A second nurse practitioner clinic operating out of Slovak Village on Sixth Avenue closed its doors in November 2007.

The closures left hundreds of patients without anywhere to turn.

In 2006, the downtown clinic served between 500 and 700 patients, Panagiotou said.

She said she is eager to reconnect with some of her former clients and meet new ones. "I've had a soft spot for Brantford," she said.

Aberdeen is also planning for growth and a possible second local clinic by participating in the provincial government Grow Your Own Nurse Practitioner Program. A registered nurse is currently being "grown" in the nurse practitioner training program and will be on board with Aberdeen by the end of the year, Cowan said.

Nurse practitioners to head 3 new Ontario clinics

An excellent use of existing skill to solve patient problems and destream the medical gridlock and increase medical capacity - QJ

Nurse Practitioners a solution

Nurse practitioners in Ontario can treat common illnesses and injuries, and order diagnostic tests. (CBC)The Ontario government is going ahead with three new clinics headed by nurse-practitioners, the first of 25 set to open by 2012.

The clinics will focus on primary care, including chronic disease management and health promotion, the Ministry of Health said Friday.

They are intended to fill gaps in primary care, especially the shortage of family doctors.

"Today’s announcement is the answer thousands of people have been waiting for," Wendy Fucile, president of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, said in a comment posted on the ministry's website.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education in health assessment, diagnosis and management of illnesses and injuries.

As well as treating common ailments and injuries, they can order lab tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures.

Ontario’s first nurse practitioner-led clinic, which opened in Sudbury in 2007, provides health care to about 2,000 patients, the ministry said. Nurse practitioners are increasingly popular, but still represent a tiny proportion of the nearly 258,000 registered nurses in Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Information reported in 2007.http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/02/20/nurse-practitioner.html?ref=rss

Between 2003 and 2007, the number of licensed nurse practitioners almost doubled to 1,346, the institute said. Every territory and province except the Yukon Territory had licensed nurse practitioner programs in 2007, it said.

The three new clinics in Ontario will be opened in Belle River, about 30 kilometres east of Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.

Cleared of wrongdoing, cancer expert calls for inquiry

more injustice- Interesting that the system can take such a long time to right a wrong- an inquery is in order so that others do not have to endure the same qj


Last Updated: Friday, February 13, 2009 | 10:23 AM ET
CBC News
A Halifax doctor wrongfully accused of endangering patients is calling for a public inquiry into his 6½-year suspension from practising cancer medicine.

A review board recently cleared Dr. Michael Goodyear of all allegations of wrongdoing.

"The old saying in life is you can't fight city hall. But occasionally Erin Brockovichs come along, and they do," Goodyear told CBC News in his first interview since his vindication.

In 2002, Goodyear was treating cancer patients at the QEII Health Sciences Centre and was a researcher at Dalhousie medical school when a colleague complained about his choice of drugs and therapies.

Goodyear's supervisor filed an official complaint with the hospital, claiming Goodyear was endangering the safety of his patients. The hospital suspended his privileges pending an investigation.

That investigation process was supposed to take 40 days. Instead, it lasted 6½ years.

Goodyear was allowed to keep teaching at Dalhousie, but it was only a fraction of his former duties. His financial problems grew over the years. His house is under the control of a bankruptcy trustee and he sometimes wears hand-me-down clothes from former patients.

Making right choices - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

Making right choices - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA: "Making right choices
FINDING A PHYSICIAN: New web page, new hotline launched by provincial ministry
Posted By MAGGIE RIOPELLE, SUN MEDIA

People can now find a health-care provider with the click of a mouse or by dialing the phone. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Wednesday launched a new webpage at www.ontario.ca/healthcareoptions, as well as its new hotline to find physicians for people without a family doctor -- Health Care Connect -- at 1-800-445-1822.
Premier Dalton McGuinty called the new service a way to connect Ontarians to more health-care options.
'This tool will help Ontarians make the right health-care choices,' McGuinty said on his website.
'The best health-care service may be closer than people think.'"


This sounds terrific and meets the key conditions of allowing clients choice to services that the public pavs for . Technology can make the difference as pointed out in the bedgridlock myth which was busted.( See Gridlock Myth Buster at the Pro-Active Rants blog.} Using technology was recommended. Hopefully there will be no glitchs in its execution- time will only tell - Q_J

Injured man dies after rejection by 14 hospitals - Yahoo! Canada News

Injured man dies after rejection by 14 hospitals - Yahoo! Canada News: "There was also the high-profile death of a pregnant woman in western Nara city in 2006 that prompted the government to establish a panel to look into the hospitals' practice of refusing care.
In that case, the woman was refused admission by 19 hospitals that said they were full. She died eight days later from a brain hemorrhage after falling unconscious during birth.
Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe told a parliamentary committee last year that the rising number of elderly patients hospitalized for months was taking up space that could be used to treat emergency cases.
Masuzoe urged the development of a community-wide support system to ease the burden on hospitals. The government also announced plans to increase the number of doctors and improve co-ordination among ambulances, emergency call centres and hospitals."

Gridlock is a world wide problem - a commuity wide support system to ease the burden on hospitals is a good idea OJ

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada

not a bad review - 80% of carp readers approved of the udget measures- QJ

CARP - A New Vision of Aging for Canada: "Budget 2009: CARP's Full AnalysisBudget 2009: CARP's Full Analysis"

The healing potential of stem cells — XCell-Center

The healing potential of stem cells — XCell-Center: "The healing potential of stem cells
No matter how big a human becomes, it all began with an ovum and a sperm cell. This means that cells exist which have the potential to form a complete human. The first cells to arise from a fertilized ovum are described as totipotent ('potent for everything'). After a few days in the womb, the blastocyst forms. The cells contained in it are called embryonic stem cells. They are still very unspecialized and have the ability to divide endlessly and to develop into all of the 220 human cell types. However, a whole human cannot arise from these few cells. They have lost their toti-virility and are described as pluripotent ('potent for a lot'). As soon as the human's development is completed, these former all-arounders will have changed into mature, differentiated cells taking over a specific function in our body, for example neurocytes which conduct electric impulses, muscle cells which contract and the ß-cells of the pancreas which produce insulin.
However, skin renews itself throughout adulthood, injuries heal and hair grows. Right to the end of our lives, we have cells which are very unspecialized, can divide often and help the organism to regenerate and repair itself. These cells are called adult stem cells. To date, adult stem cells have been found in nearly every body tissue, for example in the skin, the brain, the blood, the liver and the bone marrow."

Weeky respite program a good idea

We have heard of artificial bed gridlock ,cutting nurses in the "supposed golden age " of Canadian medicine in what appears to be a badly mismanaged misaligned care system in constant crisis that alway sneeds more money to provide less community or customer services. It is encouraging to see occasional light in the darkness with programs that work for the customers in need - PR

John Noble Home pilot project offers weekly respite for seniors dealing with early stages of memory loss Posted By HEATHER IBBOTSON, EXPOSITOR STAFF

Thursdays are days to remember for a group of seniors coping with the early stages of memory loss. The 11 current participants in the John Noble Home Day & Stay program enjoy informal chats, games, outings and activities that encourage them to stay engaged with a world that is slowly slipping away.
"If you're alone, you're in a cocoon," said group member John Stulen.
"A group like this is a real lifesaver. It gives you confidence."
The participants are outpatients in the early stages of memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease or related dementia.
The Day & Stay program is a pilot project that began last July. It has already piqued the interest of other facilities across the province, said program co-ordinator Carol Howarth.
"It's unique. There's not one like it in Ontario," she said.
Each Thursday, a John Noble Home van picks up participants at their homes and delivers them to the facility for an afternoon of friendship, recreation, entertainment, activities and dinner.
The program's purpose is to improve the quality of life for people in the early stages of memory loss by providing resources, support and socialization opportunities.
"It gives them back some control," Howarth said.
It's also "the highlight of the week," according to Stulen.

"We learn from each other," he said. "Being together makes you feel better."
Norma Wilson, a former nurse who once worked with dementia patients, said she has learned a lot from the program after being diagnosed herself last year.
There is also the all-important sense of camaraderie, said Mary Pongrac.
A diagnosis of dementia carries with it a huge stigma and participants need to learn that it is OK to talk about the condition and its impact on their lives, Howarth said.
The idea used to be to hide the condition and "put it in the closet," she said.
The group's focus is to speak out and put a spotlight on the importance of early diagnosis, treatment and cialization, she said.
Memory loss is "not contagious," said group member Bruce Kyle.
Members talk with each other and with program counsellors about the frustration and loss of control over one's life that comes with memory loss.
"It's a shock to find out there's something wrong that can't be repaired," Stulen said.
Robert Nelles, a volunteer at John Noble Home, said his wife has termed the experience "frightening and overwhelming."
Nelles had already been volunteering at the John Noble Home for two years, spending time with patients in more acute stages, when his wife Marion was diagnosed last fall with a type of advancing memory loss.
Nelles, who lives near Waterford, said that both he and his wife had started to notice something was off.
He said the clincher came when an ordinary shopping trip turned frightening. Marion, who also suffers from the pain and exhaustion of polymyalgia, had driven to Simcoe alone to buy groceries. When she trundled the cart to her car, she found herself unable to unload the bags and she had to ask a stranger for help.
Tired and stressed, she finally settled in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition, only to realize she had no idea how to get home.
"She sat there for 10 or 15 minutes before it dawned on her," her husband said.
Marion is now also a member of the Thursday Day & Stay group and Robert has added Thursdays to his volunteer rotation.
"I think the group has gelled, like a ball team," he said, adding that members seem at ease talking with each other and sharing their stories.
"When they do that, everyone learns," he said.
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MORE INFORMATION
If you are looking for more information, call the Day & Stay program at 519-754-4065 or the Alzheimer Society of Brant at 519-759-7692.

more information - backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com

- The 10 Biggest and Deadliest Heart Myths - siegholle@gmail.com

http://mail.google.com/mail/?account_id=siegholle%40gmail.com#inbox/11eb653ec832a22f

How Many of These Deadly Fairy Tales Do You (and Your Doctor) Still Believe?CAUTION: Ignorance may be very hazardous to your healthWhy has the number of heart attacks increased by 27 percent over the past 20 years? What's going on here?Don't we know more about how to prevent heart attacks than ever?Haven't we been swallowing our statins, lowering our cholesterol, and eating fat-free foods?Could we be mistaken about some things?Dr. Michael Mogadam certainly thinks we are. His research -- proven by his amazing success with even high-risk patients -- is turning conventional wisdom about heart health upside down.Word is getting out.

But the medical community is slow to change.That's why, if avoiding a heart attack or stroke is important to you, I want you to be among the first to know...

The 10 Biggest and Deadliest Heart MythsMyth #1 -- Heart disease and heart attacks are an inevitable part of aging.Myth #2 -- Cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease and heart attacks.Myth #3 -- Blood pressure drugs help you avoid heart problems and live longer.Myth #4 -- Aggressive, "type A" behavior increases your risk of a heart attack.Myth #5 -- Low-fat, low cholesterol diets are good for you and your heart.Myth #6 -- Any exercise is always good for your heart.Myth #7 -- There are two kinds of cholesterol: Good and bad.Myth #8 -- You should eat less salt.Myth #9 -- You should lose weight if you're "overweight."Myth #10 -- There's no way to absolutely, positively avoid a heart attack.If you believe any of these outdated fairy tales, this Special Report will be a real eyeopener. And possibly a real lifesaver.
Because the truth is...Truth #1 -- Your risk of a heart attack does NOT have to increase as you age. (In fact, keep reading and you'll learn how to completely eliminate it!)Truth #2 -- Most people who die of heart disease have low or normal cholesterol levels. Focus on cholesterol and you can easily overlook much more important risk factors. Truth #3 -- Blood pressure drugs usually don't help you live longer or lower your heart attack risk (unless you follow the advice in this Special Report).Truth #4 -- Being an aggressive, "type A" personality is perfectly harmless to your heart. But certain overlooked emotions do skyrocket your risk.Truth #5 -- Low-fat, lowcholesterol diets are even worse than useless (and so depressing). They can actually harm you. (We'll tell you how.)Truth #6 -- Strenuous exercise can actually increase your risk of heart disease by 10,000 percent.Truth #7 -- There's good, good cholesterol and bad, good cholesterol. Likewise, there's bad cholesterol and REALLY bad cholesterol. (Many die because they don't know this information.)Truth #8 -- Only some people benefit from eating less salt. Eating too little salt can actually be harmful.Truth #9 -- Likewise, only some people considered "overweight" really need to lose weight for their heart health. It depends on one factor.Truth #10 -- You can absolutely, positively eliminate any risk of a heart attack for yourself and those you love