International Physician Job Market Changes Hitting Home in Canada

Starting in 2013, some graduating Canadian Sub-Specialists found themselves competing for jobs in an apparent decreasing job market, particularly in Canada’s major urban centres of Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. Consequently, some are now seeking jobs, both permanent and locum, in Canadian tertiary hospitals in smaller urban centres, the USA and overseas. At the same time, […]

In Hansard … Rural emergency services in Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Saskatchewan Last Thursday, on the last day of the fall session of the Saskatchewan legislature, the government was asked about reduced emergency services at a number of small rural hospitals, and Premier Brad Wall alluded to the two Collaborative Emergency Centres the government has opened, adopting the Nova Scotia model. “I think rural Saskatchewan and […]

HealthForceOntario strategy falling short, AG says

Ontario has not met its goal of having the right number, mix and distribution of health-care professionals to meet its needs, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said in her 2013 annual report released this week. This is despite $3.5 billion being spent on the government’s HealthForceOntario Strategy over the last six years. The lion’s share of […]

Canadian Emergency physicians call for action

The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) has released a position paper listing recommended national wait-time benchmarks for various stages of an emergency department visit. It also says hospital wait times for these benchmarks should be reported on a national basis, and performance linked to incentives and infrastructure investment. The CAEP says the problem of […]

Canadian Study finds for-profit seniors’ care deficient.

Study finds for-profit seniors’ care deficient   Serious concerns about the state of elder care in Alberta have been raised in a report from the Parkland Institute in Edmonton. It found a significant gap in staffing levels between facilities, a situation that is “far more dire in for-profit facilities.” The report said that based on […]

It is now a Race Against the Clock to meet needs of aging population: CMA

Preparing for an aging population is a race against the clock, the Canadian Medical Association said in a pre-budget submission to the Commons Finance Committee Wednesday. The CMA wants Ottawa to invest in a pan-Canadian continuing care strategy focused on seniors. (Submission at www.cma.ca/multimedia/CMA/Content_Images/Inside_cma/Submissions/2013/Pre-Budget-Submission-2013-2014_en.pdf)

Family doctors grade Ottawa’s health-care performance

Family doctors grade Ottawa’s health-care performance The College of Family Physicians of Canada has given the federal government poor grades for its involvement in health care. In a report card released Wednesday, the College gave colour-coded scores for five areas “where the federal government has a role in making or keeping our health care system […]