Category Archives: What if

Add your voice – Friends of Medicare

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Alberta has passed Bill 11, which allows for a two-tier healthcare system to exist. The result will see people with the necessary finances paying to jump the healthcare queue while those without such monetary resources waiting longer for their medical care.

With this reality taking shape in Alberta, the potential is that other provinces might follow suit.  To prevent this from happening, please consider sending this letter to Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel asking her to enforce the Canada Health Act.

Will other hospitals do the same?

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Photo by    www.kaboompics.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/plush-toy-in-top-of-blankets-4886897/

If you are in an emergency room on Vancouver Island and see carts being wheeled around filled with items such as blankets, neck pillows, and stuffed animals, you are probably in one of urgent care facilities that are implementing “Comfort Carts.” The single-use items on the cart are given to seniors as way to help individuals feel more comfortable as they wait to receive healthcare. “‘And gosh, does it ever feel good when you see the smile on a senior’s face, or the comfort, that look of relief when you ­provide those kinds of items to a senior in distress.'”

Click here to read more about this initiative.

Exciting Preventative Medicine Initiative

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@thegrittynursepodcast

The math finally adds up: It’s cheaper to pay for rent than for an ER bed. 📉🏥 Toronto’s UHN is launching a $1 million fund to prove that housing is a clinical intervention. When 100 patients account for 4,300+ ER visits, the system is broken. By providing stable housing, we aren’t just saving lives—we’re saving the healthcare system millions. Led by Dr. Andrew Boozary and the Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine, this program treats housing as a “social determinant of health.” By preventing evictions and providing stable homes, UHN is reducing ER overcrowding and improving long-term recovery for the city’s most vulnerable. This video breaks down why prescribing housing is the most cost-effective way to fix the Ontario healthcare system. 🇨🇦 Is “Social Medicine” the future of Canada? Let’s talk below. 👇 #toronto #housing #health #healthcare #fyp @Andrew Boozary MD @University Health Network

♬ original sound – The Gritty Nurse (Amie Varley)

Susie’s Story

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@cbcsasknews

Susie Silvestri spent tens of thousands of dollars in pursuit of a cure for her rapidly progressing ALS at the Dr. Goodenowe Restorative Health Center, a private, unregulated facility in Moose Jaw, Sask. An expert says Silvestri’s story exposes alarming gaps in health care system oversight. (Reporting: Geoff Leo/CBC; Editing: Priya Bhat/CBC) | #healthcare #als #canada #usa #news

♬ original sound – CBC Saskatchewan

Gamer role in hospital?

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Photo by mzacha on Freeimages.com

One of the things people experience when they are a patient in a hospital is boredom. This is especially true for children. Check out this video and see how a hospital in Scotland has addressed this issue. Will other hospitals do the same?

“Profitizing” Healthcare?

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In this episode of “The Breakdown,” Nate and Chris engage in a conversation about the new model of urgent care that is being proposed for Airdrie, Alberta. If you have not already seen this video, you may wish to take the time to do so.

Insurance won’t cover hospital bill in Florida

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Photo by <a href="/photographer/comstock-images-83747">Comstock Images</a> on <a href="/">Freeimages.com</a>
Photo by Comstock Images on Freeimages.com

Imagine that you have been on vacation in Florida. While at the airport, awaiting your flight home to Canada, you suffer a cardiac arrest. You are rushed to a local hospital where you are treated.

Prior to embarking on your holiday, you confirmed that you had the necessary medical insurance. Therefore, when you were receiving medical treatment in the Florida hospital, you believed that all costs incurred would be covered by your medical insurance. Imagine your surprise when, upon submitting the hospital bill of over $600,000, you were told something very different. “‘Oh, we’re not paying “‘

Click here to read the news story.

Amplifying the Patient’s Voice

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Martha’s Rule is a new policy that aims to give patients and the patient’s families greater voice in the the care their loved one is receiving without the fear of retribution or the like. Had this rule existed in 2021, perhaps Martha’s outcome would have been very different.

As Martha’s mother said, “‘I desperately wish that I’d felt able, with no fear of being the target of ill-temper or condescension, to ask for a second opinion from outside the liver team when I became concerned about Martha’s deterioration.’”

Click here to read about Martha’s Rule.