Monday, November 23, 2009
From the Edmonton Journal "Capital Notebook", November 23rd
Real Friends of Medicare
The Friends of Medicare has registered " Friendsofmedicare.ca"and " Friendsofmedicare.org."
But they didn't register "Friendsof-Medicare.com."
Go to that address and it bounces you to a page with a link to the "real friends of medicare."
"You can be sure that the "so-called, self-proclaimed Friends of Medicare" would never post a link to a site with such real truth!!"
Where does the link lead? To the Alberta Health site.
Alas, the person who registered the domain name has concealed their identity, but the site's one follower is named Ronaldo.
An alias perhaps?
The Friends of Medicare has registered " Friendsofmedicare.ca"and " Friendsofmedicare.org."
But they didn't register "Friendsof-Medicare.com."
Go to that address and it bounces you to a page with a link to the "real friends of medicare."
"You can be sure that the "so-called, self-proclaimed Friends of Medicare" would never post a link to a site with such real truth!!"
Where does the link lead? To the Alberta Health site.
Alas, the person who registered the domain name has concealed their identity, but the site's one follower is named Ronaldo.
An alias perhaps?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Hospitals poised for funding change
New plan also applied to nursing homes
By Jodie Sinnema, Edmonton JournalNovember 14, 2009Comments (11)
Alberta is set to make radical changes to the way nursing homes and hospitals are funded, the boss of the province's health superboard says.
Starting April 1, Alberta Health Services will begin moving toward what it calls "activity-based funding" in nursing homes. That is based on the health of residents.
The same funding model will be rolled out in hospitals, designated assisted living centres and emergency medical services in April 2011.
That will standardize funding across the province and create incentives for nursing home operators to take patients with higher needs, said Stephen Duckett, CEO of Alberta Health Services.
"What we're trying to do is have some sort of equity across the province and also equity for the proprietor," said Duckett, after giving a speech at the Edmonton Petroleum Club.
"At the moment, there is no incentive on a proprietor to take more dependant people. Their entire incentive is to take less-dependent people."
That leaves more dependent people in hospitals, waiting for placement in the community, Duckett said. In Alberta, about 400 people are in this situation each day.
"If we actually pay proprietors to take the more-dependent people, they're more likely to do so."
Duckett said there is currently no consistency in how nursing homes are funded.
"Essentially, each of the previous (health) regions developed different ways of paying for the capital costs of nursing homes, different ways of paying operating costs and different effective prices for the stay," Duckett told the Economics Society of Northern Alberta. Alberta Health Services is now using a tool, created largely by the University of Michigan Institute of Gerontology, that clusters residents into 30 groups that represent their needs and how much they cost the health system.
Starting in April, Alberta Health Services will fund nursing homes based on the patient needs. For instance, homes will get a certain amount of money for a patient with Alzheimer's who is also incontinent, and another cash infusion for a patient in a wheelchair who needs to be hooked up with IV medications. Less money will go to homes with less-complicated patients.
"We're not actually looking to save money per se with this change in April 2010, but obviously, in equalizing the payments, we've got to make sure we don't set the rate so that they are always the most expensive, but set the rates as an efficient rate," Duckett said.
"When I arrived here, there didn't seem any rhyme or reason in how different hospitals got funded and how different nursing homes got funded, so in the end, the amount of money you got was the result of a lobbying exercise and what we're trying to do is make it a fair basis for funding."
Jane Ruseski, an economics professor at the University of Alberta, said she thinks highly of activitybased funding in health.
"Moving from a global budget system, which is what's in place, to one in which hospitals or nursing homes or whoever the provider is has an incentive to think more carefully about the services that are providing to the patients, I think puts in the right financial and economic incentives to help improve outcomes and quality of care," Ruseski said.
She said as long as the funding adequately compensates nursing homes, such a system would work. Much detailed research has been done in other countries, she said, that accurately estimates how much individuals with certain conditions cost the system.
"The payment system, if set up properly, should absolutely recognize that heterogeneity in patients and have payments that adequately reflects that heterogeneity," Ruseski said.
But David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, worries the province could lowball the costs, forcing operators to charge extra fees to top up their income.
"Creating provincial standards for nursing care including funding is a very good idea," Eggen said. "What we're concerned about with activitybased funding is you could be setting a low bar of public funding."
"
jsinnema@thejournal.canwest.com
New plan also applied to nursing homes
By Jodie Sinnema, Edmonton JournalNovember 14, 2009Comments (11)
Alberta is set to make radical changes to the way nursing homes and hospitals are funded, the boss of the province's health superboard says.
Starting April 1, Alberta Health Services will begin moving toward what it calls "activity-based funding" in nursing homes. That is based on the health of residents.
The same funding model will be rolled out in hospitals, designated assisted living centres and emergency medical services in April 2011.
That will standardize funding across the province and create incentives for nursing home operators to take patients with higher needs, said Stephen Duckett, CEO of Alberta Health Services.
"What we're trying to do is have some sort of equity across the province and also equity for the proprietor," said Duckett, after giving a speech at the Edmonton Petroleum Club.
"At the moment, there is no incentive on a proprietor to take more dependant people. Their entire incentive is to take less-dependent people."
That leaves more dependent people in hospitals, waiting for placement in the community, Duckett said. In Alberta, about 400 people are in this situation each day.
"If we actually pay proprietors to take the more-dependent people, they're more likely to do so."
Duckett said there is currently no consistency in how nursing homes are funded.
"Essentially, each of the previous (health) regions developed different ways of paying for the capital costs of nursing homes, different ways of paying operating costs and different effective prices for the stay," Duckett told the Economics Society of Northern Alberta. Alberta Health Services is now using a tool, created largely by the University of Michigan Institute of Gerontology, that clusters residents into 30 groups that represent their needs and how much they cost the health system.
Starting in April, Alberta Health Services will fund nursing homes based on the patient needs. For instance, homes will get a certain amount of money for a patient with Alzheimer's who is also incontinent, and another cash infusion for a patient in a wheelchair who needs to be hooked up with IV medications. Less money will go to homes with less-complicated patients.
"We're not actually looking to save money per se with this change in April 2010, but obviously, in equalizing the payments, we've got to make sure we don't set the rate so that they are always the most expensive, but set the rates as an efficient rate," Duckett said.
"When I arrived here, there didn't seem any rhyme or reason in how different hospitals got funded and how different nursing homes got funded, so in the end, the amount of money you got was the result of a lobbying exercise and what we're trying to do is make it a fair basis for funding."
Jane Ruseski, an economics professor at the University of Alberta, said she thinks highly of activitybased funding in health.
"Moving from a global budget system, which is what's in place, to one in which hospitals or nursing homes or whoever the provider is has an incentive to think more carefully about the services that are providing to the patients, I think puts in the right financial and economic incentives to help improve outcomes and quality of care," Ruseski said.
She said as long as the funding adequately compensates nursing homes, such a system would work. Much detailed research has been done in other countries, she said, that accurately estimates how much individuals with certain conditions cost the system.
"The payment system, if set up properly, should absolutely recognize that heterogeneity in patients and have payments that adequately reflects that heterogeneity," Ruseski said.
But David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, worries the province could lowball the costs, forcing operators to charge extra fees to top up their income.
"Creating provincial standards for nursing care including funding is a very good idea," Eggen said. "What we're concerned about with activitybased funding is you could be setting a low bar of public funding."
"
jsinnema@thejournal.canwest.com
| Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 1:11 pm
Alberta Health Services is under fire for its plan to possibly cut more than 1000 jobs.
The cash-strapped superboard is considering eliminating 660 positions that are vacant and buying out 550 employees who are interested in taking a severance package.
Many of these jobs are in administration although an undetermined number of health jobs are also included.
Critics say making these cuts would cripple our health care system.
David Eggen from Friends of Medicare tells 660News this makes no sense because there's already a shortage of workers in our system.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees believes Albertans will suffer simply because the superboard wants to save some cash.
The group says during these tough times we need to be able to rely on our public services but that can't happen if these cuts are made.
Alberta Health Services is under fire for its plan to possibly cut more than 1000 jobs.
The cash-strapped superboard is considering eliminating 660 positions that are vacant and buying out 550 employees who are interested in taking a severance package.
Many of these jobs are in administration although an undetermined number of health jobs are also included.
Critics say making these cuts would cripple our health care system.
David Eggen from Friends of Medicare tells 660News this makes no sense because there's already a shortage of workers in our system.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees believes Albertans will suffer simply because the superboard wants to save some cash.
The group says during these tough times we need to be able to rely on our public services but that can't happen if these cuts are made.
Monday, November 9, 2009
USA insurance casts their eye on Alberta
American healthcare reform could hurt Canada
Aaron Burnett 2009-11-08 20:09
American democrats are hailing it as a historic moment for their nation.
The U.S. House of Representatives has narrowly passed a trillion-dollar bill aimed at overhauling the American healthcare system.
The legislation now goes to the Senate.
However, the historic vote to pass a public health care bill in the United States may lead to more private insurance in Canada.
That warning comes today from the Friends of Medicare.
Executive Director David Eggen tells 660News private insurers in the United States are going to be trying to make up for lost business, by looking north.
Eggen adds, that as American insurers begin more aggressively marketing to provincial governments, especially Alberta, it may be more tempting to de-list certain services, leading to more out of pocket health expenses for the average person.
Aaron Burnett 2009-11-08 20:09
American democrats are hailing it as a historic moment for their nation.
The U.S. House of Representatives has narrowly passed a trillion-dollar bill aimed at overhauling the American healthcare system.
The legislation now goes to the Senate.
However, the historic vote to pass a public health care bill in the United States may lead to more private insurance in Canada.
That warning comes today from the Friends of Medicare.
Executive Director David Eggen tells 660News private insurers in the United States are going to be trying to make up for lost business, by looking north.
Eggen adds, that as American insurers begin more aggressively marketing to provincial governments, especially Alberta, it may be more tempting to de-list certain services, leading to more out of pocket health expenses for the average person.
Banner Headline in Red Deer Today!
Red Deer Advocate
Protesters seize day
By Laura Tester - Red Deer Advocate
Published: November 09, 2009 6:19 AM
Updated: November 09, 2009 9:59 AM
1 Comment More than 600 protesters marched along city streets Saturday to show their disdain for Progressive Conservative health-care cutbacks in what could be Red Deer’s largest anti-government rally ever.
Throngs of people climbed off chartered buses from Calgary and Edmonton in order to attend the Stop the Cuts! rally organized by Public Interest Alberta, Friends of Medicare and other lobby groups.
Organizers believe the protest was the biggest ever in the city.
The province aims to reduce health care costs overall by three per cent and as part of that has called on some nurses and other professionals to take early retirement. Several hundred hospital beds will close in Calgary and Edmonton.
David Eggen, executive director for Friends of Medicare, said their main purpose was to target the 1,200-some delegates attending the two-day Progressive Conservative annual general meeting at the Capri Centre, rather than the party leadership.
“We know there’s a lot of anger,” said Eggen. “We see that from the polls and we see that from the attempts to cut health care and education.”
According to one recent poll, the party’s popularity has dipped to a 16-year low while the upstart right-wing party Wildrose Alliance is gaining ground.
“I am sure that the size of the rally won’t be lost on Mr. (Ed) Stelmach and the whole cabinet,” Eggen said.
The boisterous group chanted “no more cuts!” and banged on pails as they marched towards the hotel. Some carried signs with messages of “Defend Medicare” and “Bye, bye Ed” while members from some of Alberta’s largest unions waved flags.
Traffic was halted for about 10 minutes as the marchers crossed Gaetz Avenue to their destination. Some drivers beeped horns as a sign of solidarity. Several Mounties and security personnel watched while the group paraded peacefully around the hotel parking lot.
Despite their best intentions, the protesters’ pleas were not heard inside the hall where Tory members gave one of two standing ovations to Premier Ed Stelmach on Saturday. He received 77.4 per cent support from party faithful to continue as leader.
Stelmach said later the government will remain a “strong supporter of public health.”
“The ministry of health will not see a reduction in funding,” Stelmach said. “They didn’t see a reduction last year and they won’t this coming year. There will be an increase in that department because our senior population is increasing, we have more people moving into the province, we’re doing more in terms of various surgeries.”
Money must also be set aside for widespread health issues like flu pandemics so there are enough resources to treat sick people, Stelmach added.
Guy Smith, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, called Stelmach “a decent man” after meeting him for the first time on Friday.
“The trouble is, he’s got people in his party who are pushing policies that are damaging to Albertans,” Smith said.
Stelmach’s vow to rein in government spending has Smith concerned.
“We haven’t seen an increase in spending in public services,” said Smith, who represents about 76,000 health care, government and municipal workers. “We didn’t get the kind of increases in staff resources even during the good times.”
Chris Leclerc, 18, of Red Deer, protested because he wants “adequate health care for all.”
“You have to try and figure out ways to make it better, and stop screwing up things,” Leclerc said.
Albertans have been outraged over the Calgary Flames getting H1N1 flu shots ahead of others and the province’s general handling of H1N1 vaccination clinics.
“If people are upset about the Calgary Flames, there are people who are jumping the queue all the time,” said Gail Desmoulins of Calgary. “People who have money can jump the queue to get an MRI or CAT scan ahead of those who can’t afford to.”
ltester@reddeeradvocate.com
Protesters seize day
By Laura Tester - Red Deer Advocate
Published: November 09, 2009 6:19 AM
Updated: November 09, 2009 9:59 AM
1 Comment More than 600 protesters marched along city streets Saturday to show their disdain for Progressive Conservative health-care cutbacks in what could be Red Deer’s largest anti-government rally ever.
Throngs of people climbed off chartered buses from Calgary and Edmonton in order to attend the Stop the Cuts! rally organized by Public Interest Alberta, Friends of Medicare and other lobby groups.
Organizers believe the protest was the biggest ever in the city.
The province aims to reduce health care costs overall by three per cent and as part of that has called on some nurses and other professionals to take early retirement. Several hundred hospital beds will close in Calgary and Edmonton.
David Eggen, executive director for Friends of Medicare, said their main purpose was to target the 1,200-some delegates attending the two-day Progressive Conservative annual general meeting at the Capri Centre, rather than the party leadership.
“We know there’s a lot of anger,” said Eggen. “We see that from the polls and we see that from the attempts to cut health care and education.”
According to one recent poll, the party’s popularity has dipped to a 16-year low while the upstart right-wing party Wildrose Alliance is gaining ground.
“I am sure that the size of the rally won’t be lost on Mr. (Ed) Stelmach and the whole cabinet,” Eggen said.
The boisterous group chanted “no more cuts!” and banged on pails as they marched towards the hotel. Some carried signs with messages of “Defend Medicare” and “Bye, bye Ed” while members from some of Alberta’s largest unions waved flags.
Traffic was halted for about 10 minutes as the marchers crossed Gaetz Avenue to their destination. Some drivers beeped horns as a sign of solidarity. Several Mounties and security personnel watched while the group paraded peacefully around the hotel parking lot.
Despite their best intentions, the protesters’ pleas were not heard inside the hall where Tory members gave one of two standing ovations to Premier Ed Stelmach on Saturday. He received 77.4 per cent support from party faithful to continue as leader.
Stelmach said later the government will remain a “strong supporter of public health.”
“The ministry of health will not see a reduction in funding,” Stelmach said. “They didn’t see a reduction last year and they won’t this coming year. There will be an increase in that department because our senior population is increasing, we have more people moving into the province, we’re doing more in terms of various surgeries.”
Money must also be set aside for widespread health issues like flu pandemics so there are enough resources to treat sick people, Stelmach added.
Guy Smith, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, called Stelmach “a decent man” after meeting him for the first time on Friday.
“The trouble is, he’s got people in his party who are pushing policies that are damaging to Albertans,” Smith said.
Stelmach’s vow to rein in government spending has Smith concerned.
“We haven’t seen an increase in spending in public services,” said Smith, who represents about 76,000 health care, government and municipal workers. “We didn’t get the kind of increases in staff resources even during the good times.”
Chris Leclerc, 18, of Red Deer, protested because he wants “adequate health care for all.”
“You have to try and figure out ways to make it better, and stop screwing up things,” Leclerc said.
Albertans have been outraged over the Calgary Flames getting H1N1 flu shots ahead of others and the province’s general handling of H1N1 vaccination clinics.
“If people are upset about the Calgary Flames, there are people who are jumping the queue all the time,” said Gail Desmoulins of Calgary. “People who have money can jump the queue to get an MRI or CAT scan ahead of those who can’t afford to.”
ltester@reddeeradvocate.com
Calgary Sun
Although tough economic times are forcing all provincial ministries to tighten next year's budgets, the health department will in fact receive an increase in cash, according to Premier Ed Stelmach.
The premier made the comments Saturday night after Friends of Medicare protested recent cuts to the health-care system outside the Tory party's annual general meeting in Red Deer.
"The ministry of health will not see a reduction in funding," said Stelmach.
"It may not be the 10-12 percent that we normally see, but there will be an increase in that department because our seniors' population is increasing and of course we have more people moving into the province."
Friends of Medicare executive director David Eggen is doubtful Stelmach will follow through on his commitment.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Eggen said yesterday.
"They've been saying that they need to cut and then they say they need to invest, and cut and invest -- let's see which one they pick.
"All evidence points to the fact that they have been choosing the cut door -- if they want to choose the invest door now, that's great."
Eggen added the government's annual 10-12% boosts to the health care budget have been "pretty flat" over the last two decades in relation to the population and the once-booming economy.
TARINA.WHITE@SUNMEDIA.CA
The premier made the comments Saturday night after Friends of Medicare protested recent cuts to the health-care system outside the Tory party's annual general meeting in Red Deer.
"The ministry of health will not see a reduction in funding," said Stelmach.
"It may not be the 10-12 percent that we normally see, but there will be an increase in that department because our seniors' population is increasing and of course we have more people moving into the province."
Friends of Medicare executive director David Eggen is doubtful Stelmach will follow through on his commitment.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Eggen said yesterday.
"They've been saying that they need to cut and then they say they need to invest, and cut and invest -- let's see which one they pick.
"All evidence points to the fact that they have been choosing the cut door -- if they want to choose the invest door now, that's great."
Eggen added the government's annual 10-12% boosts to the health care budget have been "pretty flat" over the last two decades in relation to the population and the once-booming economy.
TARINA.WHITE@SUNMEDIA.CA
Sunday, November 8, 2009
front page! good work friends
Flu fiasco spurs 700 to protest health cuts
Nurses, senior groups, students gather at Friends of Medicare rally
By Archie Mclean, Edmonton JournalNovember 8, 2009Comments (8)
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
Several hundred protesters organized by the Friends of Medicare protested outside the Alberta Progressive Conservative annual meeting and convention at the Capri Centre in Red Deer on Saturday, November 7, 2009.Photograph by: Calgary Herald, edmontonjournal.comAs Progressive Conservative delegates tucked into lunch Saturday at their convention, about 700 people gathered outside to protest government cuts and hospital bed closures.
They waved banners, blew whistles and chanted, "No more cuts."
For them, the strong show of confidence by party members for Stelmach was beside the point.
"It was a message to the delegates that Albertans don't want to see Klein-style cuts in 2009," said David Eggen, the head of Friends of Medicare, who helped organize the protest.
Many of the protesters were union members from the United Nurses of Alberta and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
Eggen said the high turnout was spurred in part by the government's response to the H1N1 pandemic.
"People saw that as a test of the superboard, and it failed," Eggen said.
The coalition that organized the rally included seniors groups, advocates of the disabled, students and more. They came from as far away as Medicine Hat, Eggen said.
Jay Smith arrived from Edmonton to rail against what he said is privatization of health care in the province.
"I dislike the sharks in society, those who are predators," he said, motioning to the hotel hosting the convention.
The protesters marched around the outside of the hotel grounds before crossing the road and dissipating.
amclean@thejournal.canwest.com
Nurses, senior groups, students gather at Friends of Medicare rally
By Archie Mclean, Edmonton JournalNovember 8, 2009Comments (8)
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
Several hundred protesters organized by the Friends of Medicare protested outside the Alberta Progressive Conservative annual meeting and convention at the Capri Centre in Red Deer on Saturday, November 7, 2009.Photograph by: Calgary Herald, edmontonjournal.comAs Progressive Conservative delegates tucked into lunch Saturday at their convention, about 700 people gathered outside to protest government cuts and hospital bed closures.
They waved banners, blew whistles and chanted, "No more cuts."
For them, the strong show of confidence by party members for Stelmach was beside the point.
"It was a message to the delegates that Albertans don't want to see Klein-style cuts in 2009," said David Eggen, the head of Friends of Medicare, who helped organize the protest.
Many of the protesters were union members from the United Nurses of Alberta and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.
Eggen said the high turnout was spurred in part by the government's response to the H1N1 pandemic.
"People saw that as a test of the superboard, and it failed," Eggen said.
The coalition that organized the rally included seniors groups, advocates of the disabled, students and more. They came from as far away as Medicine Hat, Eggen said.
Jay Smith arrived from Edmonton to rail against what he said is privatization of health care in the province.
"I dislike the sharks in society, those who are predators," he said, motioning to the hotel hosting the convention.
The protesters marched around the outside of the hotel grounds before crossing the road and dissipating.
amclean@thejournal.canwest.com
Hundreds protest outside Tory AGM
5:20PM
EDMONTON/630 CHED
11/7/2009
Hundreds of protesters have gathered outside the hotel in Red Deer, where Progressive Conservative delegates are voting on Premier Ed Stelmach's leadership.
The protest, organized by the group Friends of Medicare, is aimed at hospital bed closures and other government cuts to health care.
David Eggen with Friends of Medicare says they can make a difference. "We believe that the exercising of our democratic right to speak out does have an effect on policy in the province of Alberta. And Albertans are smart too, they know that their services are in jeopardy, they know how to stand up for themselves."
Eggen adds around 1,100 people took part in today's protest.
Inside the hotel, 1,300 Tories were eating lunch and listening to the premier answer questions.
Stelmach faces a mandatory leadership review vote the Tories hold after every general election and the results will be announced this evening.
Although some Tory veterans have been calling for a change in leadership, Stelmach is expected get a fairly strong endorsement from the delegates. (cp,blb)
5:20PM
EDMONTON/630 CHED
11/7/2009
Hundreds of protesters have gathered outside the hotel in Red Deer, where Progressive Conservative delegates are voting on Premier Ed Stelmach's leadership.
The protest, organized by the group Friends of Medicare, is aimed at hospital bed closures and other government cuts to health care.
David Eggen with Friends of Medicare says they can make a difference. "We believe that the exercising of our democratic right to speak out does have an effect on policy in the province of Alberta. And Albertans are smart too, they know that their services are in jeopardy, they know how to stand up for themselves."
Eggen adds around 1,100 people took part in today's protest.
Inside the hotel, 1,300 Tories were eating lunch and listening to the premier answer questions.
Stelmach faces a mandatory leadership review vote the Tories hold after every general election and the results will be announced this evening.
Although some Tory veterans have been calling for a change in leadership, Stelmach is expected get a fairly strong endorsement from the delegates. (cp,blb)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Follow the quotes...
Time province gets swine flu story straight
Government's mixed messages of past week put most vulnerable at risk
By opening the swine flu vaccination to everyone last week, the government inadvertently undermined the program so that now, at least temporarily, it's open to no one.
The government likes to say it's a victim of its own success, that 400,000 Albertans were immunized the first six days. The fact is, the government is a victim of its own muddled communications and mixed messaging.
Getting 400,000 people inoculated is an impressive feat, but it would be much more impressive if all of those vaccinated were in the highrisk groups and did not include average, healthy Albertans frightened into jumping the queue, so to speak, while pregnant women and toddlers waited at the back of the line.
The government insists it did not issue any mixed messages. No?You decide.
Here is Health Minister Ron Liepert early last week: "I urge all Albertans to go out and get immunized."
And here is Premier Ed Stelmach: "We're not asking only those highrisk groups to get the vaccine first. It's open to all."
The government couldn't be more clear; it was telling all Albertans that, not only are the doors open to all, all should open the doors.
But here's Liepert again, later in the week: "The message isn't any different today than it was four days ago. We would encourage those who are not at high risk to be patient and wait, those who are at high risk, please go and get your vaccination. Nothing has changed."
Here he is last Friday, admitting health officials should have targeted more of the high-risk groups: "In hindsight, that's probably something we should have done is have specialized clinics."
Here he is on Monday talking to reporters: "There is no mixed message coming from us."
And here he is on Monday in the legislative assembly talking about what he said last week: "I announced at that time that our efforts would focus on high-risk groups first, but I also said that we would not turn anyone away, and Albertans heard that message."
Which message did they hear? That we should focus on high-risk groups? Or that vaccination clinics were open to everyone? That's not a mixed message?
The problem with treating everyone equally in a swine flu pandemic is that this strain of swine flu doesn't appear to be particularly democratic. It doesn't treat everyone the same. It doesn't target the usual flu victims-- the elderly--but instead goes after those who usually weather the flu --the young and healthy.
One of those was a 13-year-old Ontario boy, Evan Frustaglio, who died just a few days after contracting the disease and who, in the words of his father, has become the face of the H1N1 virus. It was Evan's heartbreaking and shocking death, and an announcement by health officials that they were running out of vaccine, that helped trigger a national stampede to the vaccination clinics --and triggered grumbling from coast to coast about long lineups and closed clinics.
In that way, Alberta is not alone. No government in Canada is going to escape criticism, no matter its political stripe.
In Alberta, we have the opposition Liberals attacking the governing Conservatives.
In Ontario, it's the other way around: "Only in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario would prisoners be moved to the front of the line while pregnant women and children wait in the rain for hours," said the leader of Ontario's Conservative opposition, Tim Hudak.
Some frustrated Torontonians waiting in line have shouted slogans such as, "This is not a third-world country."
The federal government is, predictably, under attack from opposition critics, but the country's chief public health officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, may have inadvertently put the "panic" into pandemic by telling all Canadians that getting a flu shot is a civic duty: "Being immunized is important, not only for protection of ourselves, but for those around us--because, if I'm not sick, I can't make anybody else sick...I will be immunized, because the last thing I want in the world is to cause anybody else to be sick, let alone to be severely ill or to die."
That's sort of what the Alberta government was telling people last week, even while it also tried to focus on high-risk groups.
For all their talk of last week's "success," members of the Alberta government realize they have a public relations problem. You don't close vaccination clinics in the midst of a pandemic without upsetting the people those clinics are supposed to inoculate.
That's why Premier Stelmach cancelled an appearance on Monday morning to open the Calgary Ring Road and instead huddled in his office with Liepert and the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health Andre Corriveau.
It's some consolation that virtually every other province is in the same miserable boat.
No jurisdiction has figured out how to make the system run smoothly.
Alberta wasn't the only province giving its citizens a mixed message.
Today, the government will have a new message, one aimed at encouraging high-risk Albertans to get a vaccination, while bluntly telling the rest of us to wait.
Let's hope the message is that clear and unmuddled.
gthomson@thejournal.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Government's mixed messages of past week put most vulnerable at risk
By opening the swine flu vaccination to everyone last week, the government inadvertently undermined the program so that now, at least temporarily, it's open to no one.
The government likes to say it's a victim of its own success, that 400,000 Albertans were immunized the first six days. The fact is, the government is a victim of its own muddled communications and mixed messaging.
Getting 400,000 people inoculated is an impressive feat, but it would be much more impressive if all of those vaccinated were in the highrisk groups and did not include average, healthy Albertans frightened into jumping the queue, so to speak, while pregnant women and toddlers waited at the back of the line.
The government insists it did not issue any mixed messages. No?You decide.
Here is Health Minister Ron Liepert early last week: "I urge all Albertans to go out and get immunized."
And here is Premier Ed Stelmach: "We're not asking only those highrisk groups to get the vaccine first. It's open to all."
The government couldn't be more clear; it was telling all Albertans that, not only are the doors open to all, all should open the doors.
But here's Liepert again, later in the week: "The message isn't any different today than it was four days ago. We would encourage those who are not at high risk to be patient and wait, those who are at high risk, please go and get your vaccination. Nothing has changed."
Here he is last Friday, admitting health officials should have targeted more of the high-risk groups: "In hindsight, that's probably something we should have done is have specialized clinics."
Here he is on Monday talking to reporters: "There is no mixed message coming from us."
And here he is on Monday in the legislative assembly talking about what he said last week: "I announced at that time that our efforts would focus on high-risk groups first, but I also said that we would not turn anyone away, and Albertans heard that message."
Which message did they hear? That we should focus on high-risk groups? Or that vaccination clinics were open to everyone? That's not a mixed message?
The problem with treating everyone equally in a swine flu pandemic is that this strain of swine flu doesn't appear to be particularly democratic. It doesn't treat everyone the same. It doesn't target the usual flu victims-- the elderly--but instead goes after those who usually weather the flu --the young and healthy.
One of those was a 13-year-old Ontario boy, Evan Frustaglio, who died just a few days after contracting the disease and who, in the words of his father, has become the face of the H1N1 virus. It was Evan's heartbreaking and shocking death, and an announcement by health officials that they were running out of vaccine, that helped trigger a national stampede to the vaccination clinics --and triggered grumbling from coast to coast about long lineups and closed clinics.
In that way, Alberta is not alone. No government in Canada is going to escape criticism, no matter its political stripe.
In Alberta, we have the opposition Liberals attacking the governing Conservatives.
In Ontario, it's the other way around: "Only in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario would prisoners be moved to the front of the line while pregnant women and children wait in the rain for hours," said the leader of Ontario's Conservative opposition, Tim Hudak.
Some frustrated Torontonians waiting in line have shouted slogans such as, "This is not a third-world country."
The federal government is, predictably, under attack from opposition critics, but the country's chief public health officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, may have inadvertently put the "panic" into pandemic by telling all Canadians that getting a flu shot is a civic duty: "Being immunized is important, not only for protection of ourselves, but for those around us--because, if I'm not sick, I can't make anybody else sick...I will be immunized, because the last thing I want in the world is to cause anybody else to be sick, let alone to be severely ill or to die."
That's sort of what the Alberta government was telling people last week, even while it also tried to focus on high-risk groups.
For all their talk of last week's "success," members of the Alberta government realize they have a public relations problem. You don't close vaccination clinics in the midst of a pandemic without upsetting the people those clinics are supposed to inoculate.
That's why Premier Stelmach cancelled an appearance on Monday morning to open the Calgary Ring Road and instead huddled in his office with Liepert and the province's Chief Medical Officer of Health Andre Corriveau.
It's some consolation that virtually every other province is in the same miserable boat.
No jurisdiction has figured out how to make the system run smoothly.
Alberta wasn't the only province giving its citizens a mixed message.
Today, the government will have a new message, one aimed at encouraging high-risk Albertans to get a vaccination, while bluntly telling the rest of us to wait.
Let's hope the message is that clear and unmuddled.
gthomson@thejournal.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Friends of Medicare Agrees with the Calgary Herald!
Calgary Herald
Health minister must resign
Editorial
Calgary HeraldNovember 3, 2009
Health Minister Ron Liepert must resign his cabinet post. He has lost the confidence of Albertans with his botched handling of the H1N1 vaccine program. The buck ultimately stops with Liepert, who sent Albertans grievously mixed messages, and deflected the blame for the long lineups and this week's clinic closures, while backtracking and flip-flopping on policy statements. He even pointed an accusing finger at the media for chronicling the confusion he is ultimately responsible for.
In a column published in Monday's Herald, Liepert claimed poor planning was not responsible for the chaos, but it is obvious that it was. Liepert claims vaccine availability was the real culprit--yet, that doesn't appear to have figured into the province's plans when it received 400,000 doses to kick off the program. Liepert said it was always a priority that high-risk people would get the shots first, but the message given Albertans was that nobody would be turned away, so naturally thousands of healthy people showed up to get their shots. If vaccine availability was the driving force behind the government's rollout plans, then the messages should have been tailored to reflect that.
Dr. Andre Corriveau, chief medical officer of health, said Monday that vaccinations were never targeted for the entire population, which contradicts what Premier Ed Stelmach said last week. Corriveau was appointed by the provincial government and directly reports to Liepert. That should be enough to make Albertans question how much of the buck-passing is political, but in the end, Liepert must take ultimate responsibility for the chaos. Stelmach should request Liepert's imminent departure. It would be the first demonstration of leadership shown since the vaccine fiasco unfolded. A new vaccination plan targeting high-risk people only, with strict enforcement, is to be unveiled Tuesday. Liepert's resignation deserves to be unveiled along with it.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Health minister must resign
Editorial
Calgary HeraldNovember 3, 2009
Health Minister Ron Liepert must resign his cabinet post. He has lost the confidence of Albertans with his botched handling of the H1N1 vaccine program. The buck ultimately stops with Liepert, who sent Albertans grievously mixed messages, and deflected the blame for the long lineups and this week's clinic closures, while backtracking and flip-flopping on policy statements. He even pointed an accusing finger at the media for chronicling the confusion he is ultimately responsible for.
In a column published in Monday's Herald, Liepert claimed poor planning was not responsible for the chaos, but it is obvious that it was. Liepert claims vaccine availability was the real culprit--yet, that doesn't appear to have figured into the province's plans when it received 400,000 doses to kick off the program. Liepert said it was always a priority that high-risk people would get the shots first, but the message given Albertans was that nobody would be turned away, so naturally thousands of healthy people showed up to get their shots. If vaccine availability was the driving force behind the government's rollout plans, then the messages should have been tailored to reflect that.
Dr. Andre Corriveau, chief medical officer of health, said Monday that vaccinations were never targeted for the entire population, which contradicts what Premier Ed Stelmach said last week. Corriveau was appointed by the provincial government and directly reports to Liepert. That should be enough to make Albertans question how much of the buck-passing is political, but in the end, Liepert must take ultimate responsibility for the chaos. Stelmach should request Liepert's imminent departure. It would be the first demonstration of leadership shown since the vaccine fiasco unfolded. A new vaccination plan targeting high-risk people only, with strict enforcement, is to be unveiled Tuesday. Liepert's resignation deserves to be unveiled along with it.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Clinics closed
Will reopen soon with new plan to target vaccine at high-risk groups
By ALYSSA NOEL, SHAWN LOGAN, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 1st November 2009, 5:03am
The province has shut down all H1N1 vaccine clinics for at least a day in the wake of shortages across the country, health officials announced yesterday.
The clinics are expected to reopen tomorrow or early Tuesday with a strict screening process in place to weed out those who aren't in the high-risk group, said Dr. Gerry Predy, medical officer of health for the province.
"We're asking people to be calm. There will be more vaccine. There will be enough for everyone who wants it," he said.
CLINICS OVERWHELMED
Initially, clinics were scheduled to run until Nov. 13. It's not clear how long they will now remain open.
Yesterday's surprise announcement came hours after the Edmonton area's seven clinics were overwhelmed with long lineups, forcing them to stop accepting new patients by 12:30 p.m.
There were no details available yesterday on how people will be screened at clinics.
Predy said officials will be working throughout the weekend, looking at provinces that have had screening in place, in order to come up with a plan.
When clinics opened last Monday, Predy told reporters that officials were asking only high-risk people to get the shot but didn't do any screening because it would eat up too much time, snarling long lines even further.
At-risk groups include pregnant women, children six months to less than five years old, people under 65 with chronic health problems, people living in remote communities and health-care workers.
"In retrospect, we still think it was the right thing to do given the information we had," Predy said.
More than 300,000 Albertans have been vaccinated in just a week with a supply of more than 600,000 doses, he added.
But with an expected reduced shipment coming this week, the province decided to revamp its approach.
"We still have enough vaccine to carry through with the (high-risk-only) vaccination campaign," Predy said.
Meanwhile, critics charged the province dropped the ball by not screening for those most in need of H1N1 shots right off the bat.
ANSWERS DEMANDED
After a week of long lines and confusion over who should be eligible for the vaccine in the first days of the campaign, the move to limit flu shots to only at-risk groups has Liberal Leader David Swann demanding answers.
"They failed to prioritize the most in need: the vulnerable people at risk of serious illness and death and they need to answer for that," said Swann, who spent the day visiting people waiting in line for the shot at the Brentwood clinic in Calgary.
"They opened up the floodgates and that was inappropriate."
Swann said the province has been working on its pandemic plan for a decade and one of its main tenets was to identify and treat those most at risk of contracting a virus first before targeting the general population.
Instead, the province opened mass immunization centres, relying on the goodwill of Albertans to stay home unless they fit the profile outlined for those most at risk of succumbing to the virus.
So far, the virus has been responsible for 14 deaths in Alberta.
"They need to let the health professionals take over and get the funding they need to get all the proper resources in place to do this right," Swann said.
David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said the province didn't clearly communicate its plans and now people most in need of the vaccine are paying the price.
"My main concern is how they chose to get the message out there about who should get that shot," he said.
"The government seems to be contradicting Alberta Health Services and saying everybody should get the shot when obviously there are a number of high-risk people who should be the priority."
For more information, visit albertahealthservices.ca.
ALYSSA.NOEL@SUNMEDIA.CA
Will reopen soon with new plan to target vaccine at high-risk groups
By ALYSSA NOEL, SHAWN LOGAN, SUN MEDIA
Last Updated: 1st November 2009, 5:03am
The province has shut down all H1N1 vaccine clinics for at least a day in the wake of shortages across the country, health officials announced yesterday.
The clinics are expected to reopen tomorrow or early Tuesday with a strict screening process in place to weed out those who aren't in the high-risk group, said Dr. Gerry Predy, medical officer of health for the province.
"We're asking people to be calm. There will be more vaccine. There will be enough for everyone who wants it," he said.
CLINICS OVERWHELMED
Initially, clinics were scheduled to run until Nov. 13. It's not clear how long they will now remain open.
Yesterday's surprise announcement came hours after the Edmonton area's seven clinics were overwhelmed with long lineups, forcing them to stop accepting new patients by 12:30 p.m.
There were no details available yesterday on how people will be screened at clinics.
Predy said officials will be working throughout the weekend, looking at provinces that have had screening in place, in order to come up with a plan.
When clinics opened last Monday, Predy told reporters that officials were asking only high-risk people to get the shot but didn't do any screening because it would eat up too much time, snarling long lines even further.
At-risk groups include pregnant women, children six months to less than five years old, people under 65 with chronic health problems, people living in remote communities and health-care workers.
"In retrospect, we still think it was the right thing to do given the information we had," Predy said.
More than 300,000 Albertans have been vaccinated in just a week with a supply of more than 600,000 doses, he added.
But with an expected reduced shipment coming this week, the province decided to revamp its approach.
"We still have enough vaccine to carry through with the (high-risk-only) vaccination campaign," Predy said.
Meanwhile, critics charged the province dropped the ball by not screening for those most in need of H1N1 shots right off the bat.
ANSWERS DEMANDED
After a week of long lines and confusion over who should be eligible for the vaccine in the first days of the campaign, the move to limit flu shots to only at-risk groups has Liberal Leader David Swann demanding answers.
"They failed to prioritize the most in need: the vulnerable people at risk of serious illness and death and they need to answer for that," said Swann, who spent the day visiting people waiting in line for the shot at the Brentwood clinic in Calgary.
"They opened up the floodgates and that was inappropriate."
Swann said the province has been working on its pandemic plan for a decade and one of its main tenets was to identify and treat those most at risk of contracting a virus first before targeting the general population.
Instead, the province opened mass immunization centres, relying on the goodwill of Albertans to stay home unless they fit the profile outlined for those most at risk of succumbing to the virus.
So far, the virus has been responsible for 14 deaths in Alberta.
"They need to let the health professionals take over and get the funding they need to get all the proper resources in place to do this right," Swann said.
David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare, said the province didn't clearly communicate its plans and now people most in need of the vaccine are paying the price.
"My main concern is how they chose to get the message out there about who should get that shot," he said.
"The government seems to be contradicting Alberta Health Services and saying everybody should get the shot when obviously there are a number of high-risk people who should be the priority."
For more information, visit albertahealthservices.ca.
ALYSSA.NOEL@SUNMEDIA.CA
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