8 January 2012, 10:16 PM
Today, I participated in a press conference at Toronto city Hall to highlight the health risks from the impending city budget cuts. The press conference was organized by Russ Ford, executive director of LAMP (Lakeshore Area Multiservice Project) and Dr. Roy Male a family doctor at Regent Park Community Health Centre also spoke. In my statement I had three messages for the Mayor and Council:
1. Toronto faces serious health issues now, before any cuts to existing programs
2. The proposed cuts would make the current situation worse
3. There are alternatives that must be considered before we compromise the health and well-being of Toronto’s citizens
Read the City report on proposed cuts. You can follow the ongoing coverage at the Toronto Star’s City budget site.
11 December 2011, 2:24 PM
It’s ground hog day everyday for Canadian health policy
Sometimes it seems like the Canadian health policy debate is caught in a time warp. We’re told that health care costs are rising unsustainably, that aging baby boomers will be the death knell for medicare (and all western civilization), and the only hope is to go private, as quickly as possible.
During a CBC Current program on April 12, 2011 I was provoked to say, “It’s Ground Hog Day every day. I wake up and we’re having the same stupid health care debate.”
But, I think the true story is:
1. Most of health care’s problems are due to antiquated, provider-focused processes of care
2. Health Care costs are not “out of control”
3. The aging population won’t break the bank
4. We need to complete Tommy Douglas’s vision for the Second Stage of Medicare — a patient-friendly delivery system focussed on keeping people healthy.
5. The real issue should be how we spread these proven innovations
On November 30th I participated in Ottawa evening panel discussion on the future of Medicare sponsored by the Canadian Health Coalition. You can see the whole evening including Roy Romanow’s keynote presentation.
You can read my November 11, 2011 Toronto Star op ed and you can see my slide presentation to the Ontario Economic Council.
17 November 2010, 7:41 PM
Professor Evelyn Shapiro died in Winnipeg on November 10th at the age of 84. Evelyn was a pioneer in gerontology and home care research and policy. She was also a mentor to me. In 1973/74 I had the pleasure of completing an elective in medical school with Evelyn on home care services. Evelyn has been a life-long inspiration on my work.
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9 November 2010, 8:21 PM
I have an op ed in today’s Toronto Star on Medicare’s good run. The Canadian Institute for Health Information released their annual health spending numbers two weeks ago. Health care costs have decreased their share of the economy or Gross Domestic Product (GDP) slightly in 2010 - from 11.9% in 2009 to 11.7% after shooting up from 10.7% in 2008. It turns out that almost the entire increase in 2009 was due to shrinkage in the economy not increased spending.
The graph below summarizes the Canadian spending data and indicates what the results would have been for 2009 and 2010 with 1998-2008 rates of economic growth. I have put together a few slides which summarize the new data for Canada and Ontario. Please use them and distribute them.
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4 August 2010, 12:49 PM
The Canadian Medical Association yesterday released a report, “Health Care Transformation in Canada”. The report was to be released at the CMA annual meeting August 22-25th in Niagara Falls but was released this week because the premiers are meeting in Winnipeg to discuss health care, amongst other issues.
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