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Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Manitobans voted to ‘fix' health care; it's quite possibly beyond repair
Opinion There is a story behind the story of longer waiting times for priority surgical procedures, and Manitobans are not going to like it. This week, the Canadian Institute for Health Information released its annual snapshot of priority surgical wait times. In Manitoba, as is the case across the country, more people are waiting longer to have surgeries to treat cancer, remove cataracts and replace hips and knees. Politically, this is bad news for provincial governments that are often judged by voters on the ability to provide timely health care. That's certainly true in Manitoba, where the NDP rode to victory in the 2023 election largely on its bold plan to fix the tattered health-care system. Despite adding nearly 18,000 additional MRIs and 91,000 more CT scans between 2020 and 2024, the median wait time for both diagnostic procedures had gone up, writes columnist Dan Lett. (The Canadian Press) Premier Wab Kinew and his government have, since that victory, been working to keep that promise. However, as the CIHI report this week showed, the situation is getting worse, not better, despite increased investments. Although the fact that provinces are falling behind is newsworthy, it is the low-hanging fruit in this story. The really alarming details can only be found by asking 'why' we're in this predicament. First, the basic numbers. CIHI tracks the volume of 'priority procedures,' which includes hip and knee replacements, cataract removals and cancer surgeries. In Manitoba, the data shows that median wait times went up in all categories and are now longer than they were in the pre-pandemic era. This is happening even though the total number of surgeries is, in Manitoba and across the country, increasing. Between 2019 and 2023, CIHI reported total surgical volume for priority procedures went up by five per cent. However, over the same period, Canada's population increased by seven per cent, and there has been a 10 per cent increase in surgical demand for people 65 years and older. Every province in this country is ready, willing and somewhat able to spend more money get more surgeries done. But without the nurses and doctors, it's a moot point. In Manitoba, the Kinew government has been rushing out announcements on increased surgical slates, including a pledge to complete up to 800 additional hip and knee replacement surgeries in Selkirk. The same is true for diagnostic tests. Despite adding nearly 18,000 additional MRIs and 91,000 more CT scans between 2020 and 2024, the median wait time for both diagnostic procedures had gone up. In terms of the macro demographic forces, we're losing ground. And the situation becomes worse when you consider two additional factors. First, our overall health as a nation is much worse now than it was when COVID-19 struck. To avoid a killer virus, patients with chronic health issues stopped going to their doctors, exacerbating existing conditions and promoting new illnesses. So, as we cancelled or delayed procedures, people got sicker and now require much more complex health-care treatment. The second factor is, of course, the continued shortage of nurses and doctors. Every province in this country is ready, willing and somewhat able to spend more money get more surgeries done. But without the nurses and doctors, it's a moot point; you can't make an insufficient pool of health care professionals work 24-7 to make up ground. Today, we're spending more money to do more procedures, and the situation is getting worse. That is the legacy of provinces that did not meet the needs of a growing and aging population before COVID hit. The shortage of medical professionals is acute now, but it's not a problem that you can lay at the feet of any one government. You could go back to the mid-1990s, when the provinces, en masse, trimmed medical and nursing school admissions in a moronic bid to control health-care costs. (Yep, that happened, look it up.) However, there have been some more recent, equally moronic mistakes made. When former premier Brian Pallister led the Progressive Conservatives back to power in 2016, he started a systemic starvation of health care that not only ignored the wait-times crisis, but angered most nurses and doctors. Nurses, in particular, were enraged at ill-fated plans to reorganize the Winnipeg hospital network and close several emergency rooms. All without, apparently, an iota of consideration about how nurses would react. Well, they didn't like it, and not only did it encourage older nurses to retire, it drove others to the private agency system, where they could choose where and when they wanted to work at a premium cost to the public system. The reaction by the Tory government to this conversion of forces was underwhelming. Each year, Pallister and his successor, Heather Stefanson, would pat themselves on the back for a history-making investment in health care. While it was true the budget for health care went up modestly each year to new heights, it wasn't enough to keep up with inflation or population growth. That made working in health care a much less-attractive option. And then the pandemic hit and the hole got exponentially bigger. Related Articles Northern MRI unit to benefit all patients, minister promises Northern MRI hits the mark, but better access needed across the province April data offers glimmer of hope on ER, urgent-care wait times Nurse fights to be heard after medical emergency kicks off 72-hour hospital odyssey Team of front-line workers to tackle hospital wait times Directive to better inform cardiac patients awaiting surgery 'great start' but not enough, family who lost mother says Heart patients to receive written timeline for surgery, minister announces Long road to recovery: ER, urgent care wait times return to disastrous levels It will be hard to find a better example of how 'penny-wise-and-pound-foolish' management can undermine a crucial public service. Today, we're spending more money to do more procedures, and the situation is getting worse. That is the legacy of provinces that did not meet the needs of a growing and aging population before COVID hit. We now face two possible fates. We accept the prospect of years and years of increased investment in a bid to catch up from the deficit we're in now. Or we accept that we've reached the point where there is no catching up. Dan LettColumnist Dan Lett is a columnist for the Free Press, providing opinion and commentary on politics in Winnipeg and beyond. Born and raised in Toronto, Dan joined the Free Press in 1986. Read more about Dan. Dan's columns are built on facts and reactions, but offer his personal views through arguments and analysis. The Free Press' editing team reviews Dan's columns before they are posted online or published in print — part of the our tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Ottawa Citizen
7 days ago
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
Queensway Carleton Hospital interested in developing transitional housing on federal land, MP says
Article content Article content Kaite Burkholder Harris, the executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, said there is obvious potential of such a housing project near an Ottawa hospital, and that the link between healthcare and housing is 'so clear.' Article content In 2022-2023, patients in Canadian hospitals, who were also experiencing homelessness, had an average stay of 15.4 days, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. The national average was eight days. Article content Burkholder Harris pointed to Dunn House, a social medicine housing initiative in Toronto, as a potential model for the Ottawa project. The development is a four-storey modular building on land owned by the University Health Network. Article content It has 51 units for unhoused people who were frequently admitted to the hospital. Article content Burkholder Harris said there is a 'good opportunity' for the Queensway Carleton Hospital to follow the lead of Dunn House, which was the first facility of its kind in the country, according to the University Health Network. Article content Article content 'I think it's really demonstrated the value of being able to provide really deeply supportive housing, but with a healthcare lens, and if it's close to the hospital like that, it makes a huge difference too in terms of the access to services,' she said. Article content Cheryl Forchuk, a health researcher at Western University, said that those who experience homelessness age more rapidly and often accumulate chronic illnesses to the point that 'you would think I was talking to a geriatric population.' Article content Stress caused by a lack of secure housing leads to higher rates of arthritis, lung disease and even early onset dementia, Forchuk said. Article content It's why Forchuck has advocated for permanent housing solutions rather than mere transitional housing, which she says is a stop-gap measure. Article content 'Transitional housing is not a home, and so ultimately, people need homes,' said Forchuk, who studies the link between housing and homelessness. Article content Article content Vandenbeld said the hospital has begun developing its proposal, but it's unclear whether it has submitted it to the federal government. Article content Moving forward, Vandenbeld said she wants to ensure the land is transferred to the hospital, which will be the first domino to fall before the discussion can turn towards partnerships and funding for the project. Article content She added that the sooner the land is committed to the hospital, the easier it will be to string partnerships together for development. Article content 'It's very hard to get any funding to build when you don't actually have a commitment on the land, right?' Vandenbeld said. Article content There is also a second adjacent property in the federal land bank at 1730 Robertson Rd., which Vandenbeld said could be of interest to the hospital for another project later down the road. For, now her focus has been on bringing the first project to fruition. Article content 'It's going to be a challenge to find all the pieces and put them together,' Vandenbeld said. 'But looking at who is already committed on this, I'm very optimistic about it.'
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Canada's health care system collapsing as surgeries rise but patients suffer longer waits and deadly delays
What do waiting for joint replacements, vision blurring behind cataracts, and anxiously waiting for radiation therapy have in common? They're all stories in Canada's healthcare struggle, as revealed in a new June 12 report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Canada performed 26 percent more hip replacements, 21 percent more knee replacements, 11 percent more cataract surgeries, 7 percent more cancer surgeries, and delivered 16 percent more MRIs and CT scans between 2019 and 2024, But under the surface, deeper problems persist. A shrinking share of patients received care within national time benchmarks: only 68 percent of hip replacements and 61 percent of knee replacements were done within the 26-week target, down from 75 percent and 70 percent in 2019. Radiation therapy within the 28-day goal dropped from 97 percent to 94 percent, and urgent hip‑fracture repairs within 48 hours fell from 86 percent to 83 percent. Most alarming, median waits for prostate cancer surgery increased by nine days, to 50 days; other cancers rose by one to five days. Live Events CIHI and experts point to several root causes: 'Health systems are managing multiple challenges, including an aging and growing population, rising demand for procedures, and health workforce shortages,' CIHI noted in a release. 'More scheduled procedures are being performed to meet growing demand.' Canada's aging population Those 65+ grew 19 percent faster than the overall population in five years, combined with workforce shortages. Anesthesiologists are up just 6 percent, orthopedic surgeons only 3.5 percent, while demands soar. Hospitals also juggle crowded ORs, stretched beds, and emergency cases. Dr. James Howard, chief of orthopedics at London Health Sciences Centre, warns that patients now arrive 'later… with more complex problems,' a factor that drags on wait times. What can be done? CIHI suggests concrete steps: centralized booking systems, better wait-list triage, and shifting low-risk surgeries to outpatient or private clinics. A promising pilot in one province showed day surgeries for hips and knees rose from 1 percent to over 30 percent, cutting costs, freeing hospital beds, and helping urgent cases. Performing more procedures is only half the battle. Ensuring timely, equitable access is the rest.
Cision Canada
04-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
CIHI and GEMINI team up to modernize hospital data and improve patient care
TORONTO, June 4, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and Unity Health Toronto's GEMINI Network have formalized a 3-year partnership. They will work together to ensure that rich clinical information can drive research, quality improvement and system-wide health care transformation, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Together, CIHI and GEMINI will explore ways to optimize near real-time hospital data to support the development of a pan-Canadian, integrated hospital data system. This system will enhance access to high-quality, standardized data for research, performance monitoring and quality improvement. CIHI is funded by Health Canada to support modernization of hospital data across Canada, and the GEMINI partnership aligns seamlessly with this mandate. GEMINI is Canada's largest hospital clinical data research network, helping health care providers and researchers understand and improve patient outcomes through advanced analytics and real-world data. "CIHI is proud to partner with GEMINI to unlock the full potential of hospital data in Canada," said Dr. Anderson Chuck, President and CEO, CIHI. "Together we are laying the groundwork for more responsive, data-driven health systems that deliver better care for all Canadians." About the partnership This partnership marks an important step forward in strengthening Canada's digital health ecosystem and accelerating the use of data to support smarter, safer and more equitable care. Transforming hospital data requires collaboration across health systems and other sectors. The CIHI–GEMINI partnership will build on digital health innovations, reduce duplication, improve timeliness and facilitate data sharing. By combining GEMINI's expertise in AI and advanced analytics with CIHI's trusted role in data standards, this collaboration will modernize CIHI's data systems, transform rich hospital clinical data into actionable insights to improve patient care, advance the development of sovereign AI models that reflect Canada's diverse populations, and strengthen connections with AI institutes and partners to support the responsible adoption of AI in health care. "We're excited to work with CIHI on this important initiative," said Dr. Fahad Razak, GEMINI Cofounder and Internist, St Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto). "Together, we can create a data infrastructure that not only meets today's needs but also drives continuous learning and improvement across the health system." About CIHI The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing essential health information to all Canadians. CIHI works closely with federal, provincial and territorial partners and stakeholders throughout Canada to gather, package and disseminate information to inform policy, management, care and research, leading to better and more equitable health outcomes for all Canadians. Health information has become one of society's most valuable public goods. For more than 30 years, CIHI has set the pace on data privacy, security, accessibility and innovation to improve Canada's health systems. CIHI: Better data. Better decisions. Healthier Canadians. About Unity Health Toronto Unity Health Toronto is Canada's largest Catholic health care provider with a wingspan across Toronto's core. The breadth of services we provide, strengthened by community partnerships and academic affiliations, positions us as a national model for collaborative, integrated, high quality care as we work to build a stronger, resilient and equitable health system for all. Guided by our mission and values, we aim to provide the best care experiences at every stage of our patients' health journey, from pediatric to primary care, urgent and acute care, specialty programs, seniors care, rehabilitation, long-term care, palliative care and advanced care for the most complex patients. Our strength lies in the combined expertise of our sites: a community academic and acute care hospital at St. Joseph's Health Centre, a research-intensive academic health sciences centre at St. Michael's Hospital, a campus of care for seniors, rehabilitation and long-term care at Providence Healthcare and a constellation of satellite clinics offering community-based and primary care. As a leading Canadian health research institution and learning destination of choice for health professionals, we are advancing health care for all united by one vision: The best care experiences, created together.
Vancouver Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: Lack of access to primary care is bankrupting our health-care system
On a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon recently, a healthy young man came to my emergency department with a sore throat and cough, worried that he may have strep throat. He told me, 'I cannot believe I had to tell the same story about what brings me here six times to six different people in the ER. This is absolutely ridiculous.' As I explained the workflow in the ED and apologized to the patient, I thought to myself what will likely shock the patient more is that their visit to the ED that day will likely cost taxpayers more than six times than if they went to their family doctor or a walk-in clinic for the same problem. On average, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, every time a patient visits an ED, it costs taxpayers between $304 and $323 , whereas it would normally cost between $40 to $50 if the patient went to their family physician or a walk-in clinic instead. In a family physician's office, a patient would normally tell their story once to the doctor, who will come up with a diagnosis and management plan. However, in the ED, they would often tell the same story to the registration clerk, the triage nurse, the flow coordinator nurse, the bedside nurse, sometimes a medical student or resident, then the attending physician. Each time they tell their story, it costs taxpayers more money. The patients often get more frustrated as well. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In addition, the services of every health-care worker the patient comes in contact with in the ED — from the lab and ECG techs to the X-ray and CT techs to the nurses and social workers and pharmacists — often would cost more than if they were delivered outside the hospital due to the frequent overtime pay required as a result of dire staffing shortages . For example, the ED physician fee alone for that visit for a sore throat could cost taxpayers up to three times what it would cost for the entire family physician or walk-in-clinic visit, depending on the time of day. However, over 20 per cent of Canadians do not have a family physician. Even more are not able to access their doctor on an urgent basis. I cannot count the number of times I have been told by patients that they are not able to get an appointment with their family doctor until two or three weeks down the road, or that their family physician only does phone appointments. Likewise, the walk-in clinics close to the ED I work at oftentimes only offer phone appointments or have very limited spots that get filled up quickly. As a result, I increasingly see patients coming to the ED for non-emergent conditions. From sore throats and coughs, to skin infections and UTIs, to rotator cuff injuries and rashes, to prescription refills and chronic pain, on some days, more than a third of the patients I see on an ED shift have presentations better suited for a walk-in clinic or their family physician. Frequently, people blame patients for coming to the ED with non-emergencies. However, it is not the patients' fault that the ED is the only place where they can access timely care. Why would any patient wait over five hours for a sore throat or prescription refill if they were able to see their primary care provider urgently? Woven into the creed of being a Canadian is the tenet that access to health care is a basic human right. Every Canadian deserves ready access to a family physician. An underappreciated cause of our current crisis is that family doctors often get paid the same if they do a phone appointment and send the patient to the ED for a physical exam or stitches, compared to seeing them in person and providing additional services such as laceration repairs or skin biopsies or joint injections. While countless excellent family physicians provide fantastic and timely care regardless of the incentives, we should reward family physicians who provide in-person visits, who go the extra mile to arrange urgent outpatient investigations and referrals, and who provide ample same-day appointments to patients with urgent concerns. We must also train far more family physicians than we do right now. There are innumerable bright young Canadians who would be eager to become family physicians if given the chance. In 2024, there were six times more Canadians who want to become physicians — including many who would love to become family physicians if given the chance — than there are medical school spots in Canada. We need to vastly increase the number of spots in our medical schools and create streams that are earmarked specifically for training family physicians. Our total spending in health care is $9,053 per Canadian , or $12.40 out of every $100 that Canadians make. With our aging population, health-care costs will continue to skyrocket. Despite this, countless Canadians cannot see a doctor when they need to and end up going to the ED for their primary care. If this crisis is not fixed soon, more and more people are going to end up going to the ED for non-emergencies, and taxpayers would have to pay much more to maintain our health-care system. With innovation, collective determination and political will, we can fix this crisis. And we can do it in a way that does not bankrupt our health-care system. Dr. Danny Liang is an emergency physician in the Greater Vancouver area and a clinical assistant professor at UBC.
