Losing Patients with the Canadian Health Care System
Perhaps you are a relatively healthy person and therefore feel little need to concern yourself with the plight of patients and doctors featured in news headlines across the country. Like a majority of Canadians you tend to believe that when you have a serious injury or illness that our health care system will provide the best medical care to ensure the best possible outcomes and quality of life.... [Read more]
Excellent Care For All is Just an Act
A new piece of legislation aimed at improving the quality of patient care in Ontario received Royal Assent on June 8th. The Excellent Care for All Act, 2010 comes into law as the province is desperately trying to contain its escalating health care costs in an effort to reduce its $21 billion dollar deficit. The title of the act implies the provision of high quality care for everyone in Ontario, but... [Read more]
The Untimely Death of Madeleine Mendoza: A Husband’s Journey from Medical Tragedy to Patient Safety, Part II
A retired business systems analyst, Ed Mendoza recalls tackling his share of complex problems throughout his working career. Little did he know that one day he would be forced to question the logic of one of the largest systems in our country – Canadian health care. The untimely death of his wife Madeleine in March 2003 raised many questions about the quality of patient care and the accountability... [Read more]
The Untimely Death of Madeleine Mendoza: A Husband’s Journey from Medical Tragedy to Patient Safety, Part I
Ed's favorite photo of his wife Madeleine “I’d like to tell you about Madeleine and who she was as a person. Can I do that?” asked widower Ed Mendoza. “Yes, tell me about her. I’d like to hear more about her,” I said. And so begins the story of Madeleine Mendoza’s untimely death. She enjoyed talking to everyone she met and was genuinely interested in what... [Read more]
Private Matters Concerning Public Health Care
The government of Alberta is feeling the heat after halting bankruptcy proceedings against a private surgical facility in Calgary. The Health Resource Centre (HRC), owned by Networc Health Inc., performed about 1,000 orthopaedic surgeries for the government in 2009. Anticipating future increases in its government surgical contract, the HRC entered into a lease agreement with the Cambrian Group of... [Read more]