When more beds aren’t enough
Alberta’s provincial health authority has recently come under fire by opposition party MLAs and activists alike for closing 77 Calgary long-term care beds damaged by the June floods. The angry reaction demonstrates the common misperception that a shortage of beds is the major cause of persistent waiting lists for long-term care. Like other […]
More health specialists not the answer to health system woes
It was only a decade ago that headlines in Canada were filled with pessimism about the nation’s critical doctor shortage. Wait times for specialists were increasing, doctors were leaving for the U.S. and patients couldn’t find a family doctor. Yet a recent study from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada notes […]
It’s déjà vu all over again
The most surprising thing in the recent coverage of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada study, which notes that as many as one in six newly-graduated medical specialists can’t find a job, is that anyone finds these results startling. They’re not if you’ve been paying attention. The die was cast […]
Canada fares better than the U.S. on value for health-care dollars, but lags behind other developed nations
Here’s a fact most Canadians probably don’t know: Canadians live longer than people in the United States. Specifically, women in Canada live an average of 83 years, compared to 80 in the United States; men live over 78 years on average compared to 75 in the United States. Why is this the case? There […]
Growing demand on need to tackle income inequality
A disturbing but fleeting fact graced the news of the day on Jan. 2, 2014. As of 1:11 p.m. on Jan. 2, top CEO compensation had exceeded what the average Canadian worker would earn all year. That average Canadian earned just under $47,000 in 2012. It took the top 100 CEOs of Canada just over […]
‘We need a government to say sugary drinks are not cool’
NEW YORK CITY—During my recent visit to Canada, I had a chance to meet Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity expert for EvidenceNetwork.ca and an assistant professor in family medicine at the University of Ottawa. He is also the founder and medical director of Canada’s Bariatric Medicine Institute, so I figured he knew a thing […]
How an inadequate minimum wage linked to poorer health outcomes, for everyone
At some point of almost every day in my office, I feel frustrated and powerless. At that moment, I find myself standing with my patient on the edge of a chasm: ill health lies in the crevasse below, good health lies on the other side. And we cannot, between us, build the bridge to […]
Informal caregivers critical in confronting dementia challenge
Approximately 750,000 Canadians have some form of dementia—a progressive, terminal illness of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. By 2031, that number will double to 1.4 million. The direct and indirect costs of caring for Canadians with dementia are projected to rise from the present $33-billion, to nearly $300-billion by 2040. That’s more […]
Comparing U.S., Canadian health-care systems
NEW YORK CITY—One thing Americans and Canadians can agree on is that we don’t want each other’s health-care systems. In truth, most Americans don’t know how Canada’s system works and Canadians don’t know much about the U.S. system. What Americans know has come mainly from the negative talking points of politicians and others who […]
Wait times a matter of management, leadership
Dealing with the problem of long wait times for primary care physicians, specialists, procedures, and emergency rooms is a management issue. Long wait times are a consequence of poorly organized, poorly coordinated and unintegrated care, not simply an issue of funding. This was well-recognized by provinces and the federal government. As a result, in […]
