Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Five examples of how hubris in public health could lead to repeated mistakes
Thursday, July 3rd, 2025
Here are five examples: … The pandemic isn’t over when hospitalizations have temporarily slowed… Long COVID’s effects have been downplayed despite life-altering and long-lasting health effects… Ignoring uncomfortable truths is not a public health strategy… Public health should never be weaponized by political agendas… A transparent, national inquiry is essential to maintaining trust in public health.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
Primary care in Canada is suffering and doctors want input on how to fix it
Monday, June 30th, 2025
OurCare — the largest public conversation about primary care in Canadian history. Over 16 months, nearly 10,000 people across the country shared their experiences and hopes for the future through a national survey, citizen panels and community around tables. Despite differences in geography, age, and background, people largely agreed on what needs to change… six statements make up the OurCare Standard — a bold, people-powered vision for what primary care in Canada should look like.
Tags: featured, Health, mental Health, participation, standard of living
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Six ways public health care makes our economy stronger
Thursday, June 26th, 2025
Prime Minister Carney has put attracting investment in Canada at the top of his agenda. The economists remind him that public health care is a major economic pillar, supporting employment, innovation, and fiscal efficiency, all of which contribute to Canada’s economic resilience amidst global uncertainties and trade pressures. Six ways Medicare makes our economy stronger:
Tags: economy, Health, mental Health, standard of living
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
We are CEOs of two leading health centres and decided it was time to align our specialties
Thursday, June 26th, 2025
For decades, mental and physical health care in Canada have been separated — in policy, practice and perception… People living with mental illness often face significantly poorer physical health outcomes… people receiving treatment for physical conditions, such as cancer or heart disease, often face mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety, that can impact recovery, long-term outcomes and even survival. This fragmented model fails to treat the whole person, leading to delayed diagnoses, repeat hospital visits and ultimately, worse health outcomes.
Tags: Health, ideology, mental Health
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Alcohol is a ‘neurological sledgehammer’ that is harming society in more ways than we realize
Monday, June 23rd, 2025
… alcohol has “received an almost free pass when it comes to changes in policy and public opinion.” … The so-called “alcohol deficit” — caused by the cost of alcohol’s impact on the health-care and criminal justice systems, by lost productivity, by vehicle collisions, law-enforcement costs — reached an all-time high of $6.4 billion in Canada in 2020 and $1.9 billion in Ontario… Alcohol is a main cause of disability and premature death. It causes health problems, including liver disease, cardiovascular issues, several types of cancer and mental-health disorders.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, jurisdiction, mental Health
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
As Ontario pumps millions into private health care, public health will continue to suffer
Wednesday, June 11th, 2025
Private facilities seem like a quick fix, but it leaves the public system with fewer health-care workers, which only further exacerbates public wait times. It’s a domino effect that’s difficult to stop. But stop it must. Longer-term strategies are needed. Ontario’s decision to fund primary care teams is a major step in the right direction, but simultaneously funding private facilities will only further erode access to public ones. It’s a downward spiral that Ontario continues to actively fund… Half a billion dollars spent on private health facilities leaves half a billion dollars less to pay for public ones.
Tags: featured, Health, ideology, privatization
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
‘Nation-building’ projects should also reflect Canadian values
Wednesday, June 11th, 2025
In his 2021 book, Value(s): Building A Better World For All, Mr. Carney reflects thoughtfully on the corrosive impact of inequality and unhealthiness, and how more equal societies are more resilient. He also writes about seven key values that are essential for building a better world: solidarity, fairness, responsibility, resilience, sustainability, dynamism, and humility, all laced with compassion. The way to embrace those values is to invest in programs that make people healthier and more equal…
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, standard of living
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Healthcare in Ontario – The Next Chapter
Thursday, June 5th, 2025
The purpose of this bulletin is to summarize the PC’s healthcare platform… Generally, the platform emphasizes improving access to essential services, addressing workforce shortages, and investing in critical health infrastructure to meet the growing needs of the province’s population. The PC’s health-related commitments as part of the 2025 election reflect many of the commitments made by the party in the last provincial election in 2022
Tags: budget, Health
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Health care advocates need to keep up the pressure on Mark Carney
Thursday, June 5th, 2025
Upon becoming the Liberal Party Leader on March 9, Carney said, “In America, health care is a big business. In Canada, it’s a right.” He did not say it is universal and public. When he mentioned pharmacare and dental care he tagged it with “for those who need it.” That sounds just like a fill-in-the-gaps program, and not a universal program… He doesn’t mention that Canada is the only developed nation with a universal health care system that does not have universal coverage for both dental care and prescription drugs.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, rights
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
The solution to Canada’s health-care woes? Build something new.
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025
Canada does not need to replace its health system. However, it does need to evolve into one that harmonizes operations across provinces, supports staff, and provides patients with real alternatives when local options fall short. A sustainable system won’t be built on rationing, complexity or territorial thinking. It will depend on scalable infrastructure, smart workforce planning and cross-border collaboration.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »