Wooing doctors in various ways
This week’s edition of who is saying what about public health care is compiled by Pat Van Horne.
Physician recruiters pulling out all the stops
“Some recruiters have the advantage of wooing doctors with six-figure signing bonuses funded by local governments, a trend that some experts say puts poor towns at a disadvantage. Other recruiters take small but crucial steps to set their communities apart. One found a chess club for a doctor’s children. Another regularly calls daycares seeking spots for the children of physician prospects. Still another starts the recruitment process years in advance by building relationships with local high-school students gunning for careers in medicine. . . Physician recruiters have special insight into what doctors from Canada and abroad are looking for. Their on-the-ground knowledge could be particularly valuable as health policy makers grapple with the fact that, according to a recent federal report, Canada is short nearly 23,000 family doctors,” reported Kelly Grant for the Globe and Mail, February 11, 2025
Orillia thinks it has a solution: make doctors city employees in a city-run clinic?
“The province wants to connect everyone to a doctor in five years. We think we can do it in a year. There’s a lot of work ahead, but we think it can be done,” said Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac to the Toronto Star, February 9, 2025.
Alberta Health Services CEO says she was fired for investigating procurement deals and private surgical contracts
“Allegedly, (Alberta Premier Daneille) Smith’s staff pressured health officials to approve over half a billion dollars in private health care contracts to a businessman who bought them seats in NHL luxury boxes in return for the favour. Then Smith fired a CEO who tried to investigate. . . No other premier in Alberta history could survive 48 hours under the cloud of suspicion Smith now faces. Over half a billion dollars makes Sky Palace look like a sandcastle. If her cabinet and MLAs aren’t meeting to discuss, it’s a dereliction of duty,” said University of Alberta political science professor Jared Wesley, to The Tyee, February 27, 2025
Manitoba health care workers need to see more results from increased hiring
“Where are they? Because nurses are not seeing the impact of having more nurses in the system,” said Manitoba Nurses Union President Darlene Jackson.
“Right now, there are at least 1,000 vacant allied health positions … (The province is) not on track to fix health care,” said Jason Linklater, president Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals, adding that there is a disconnect between the government’s figures and what its members are seeing in hospitals and other health-care facilities, Winnipeg Free Press, February 11, 2025
Manitoba government pledges more for long-term care beds
“When you have new beds, that’s good, but we are still trying to advocate about staff shortages, advocate for funding adjustments that could address rising operational costs, and there’s also the funding we want to modernize aging infrastructure. . .(More beds) will alleviate the pressures, but… what we hope to see from this, is the government look at this with innovation in mind, that there’s an opportunity here to move away from institutionalized living,” said Gladys Hrabi, CEO of Manitoba Association of Residential and Community Care Homes, which represents 23 non-profit care homes in the province, to the Winnipeg Free Press, February 6, 2025 and Global News, February 7, 2025
Ontario political parties all promising better health care
“We had people looking online for us. We were continually searching online to find places to add our name to wait lists. . . Anyone who mentioned going to a doctor, I would say, ‘Are they taking patients? Could you ask on our behalf?’” said Navan, Ontario resident Louise Lee, who adds the health care system in Ontario to CBC News, February 10, 2025
New Corner Brook hospital overflowing, old hospital pressed into service for those awaiting long-term care, and others
“Transitional care is different. It provides a home-like setting. And it provides the supports for people to do for themselves, to get out of bed, get dressed, with assistance . . .There was master planning done around the needs of health care for this area. We are at a point now, we are in this facility now for nine months, and it is unfortunate that people are having that experience and we take that very seriously. We have been working diligently on plans. . .We are committed to getting this right and meet the needs in this community,” said Teara Freake, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services’ vice-president for the western zone, to CBC News, February 10, 2025
Climate crisis impacting health care workers too
“Health systems are made up of people who are often members of the same disaster-stricken communities they serve. However, to date, existing studies have focused primarily on health service provision during climate-related emergencies, rather than their specific impacts on health system workers. . . Our research suggests that central to building resilience in health service workers is an organizational culture led by transformative leadership that: fosters a sense of trust; prioritizes open communication, flexibility and training; and encourages the use of mental health supports,” wrote Christopher Buse, Assistant Professor, Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Sandra Smiley, MD Candidate, University of British Columbia and Tim K. Takaro, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, The Conversation, February 11, 2025
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