Health Infrastructure

797 articles:
Wait times
Emergency Care
Quality Improvement
Funding
by Junayd Hussain Noor Al-Kaabi

We need to do more: Advocating for refugee health after arrival in Canada

Canada is considered a “world destination” for refugees, but are we doing enough to support their unique health needs?

by Noah Ivers

Do we have the political will to ensure effective, equitable health care?

COVID-19 has exposed the longstanding frailty of our health-care system. The truth is that every flu season, our hospitals burst at the seams. Hard-working health-care workers have held the system together so far. It’s past time to create the system they deserve.
by Luiza Radu

The situation is dire but not hopeless: More must be done to protect our health-care workers

COVID-19 has created unprecedented burnout levels among health-care workers, causing serious mental health crises. The situation is dire – but not hopeless. We need a multifaceted approach to alleviating burnout. Here's what such an approach looks like.
by Sahil Gupta

Granola bars, gift cards and phone chargers: The little extras nurses carry to get colleagues and patients through tough times

Nurses hold the health-care system together, even as many are suffering from burnout and leaving the profession. In this photo-essay, nurses speak about the little things they carry with them to stay motivated and connect with patients and colleagues.
by Sarah Newbery

Shortage of physicians, support systems puts health care in northern Ontario in jeopardy

The holistic style of community care that is the backbone of health care in rural northern Ontario is in jeopardy. If we care about equity, those in northern Ontario must have equitable access to the opportunity to live and die well in their communities.
by Kirstin Weerdenburg

Children’s visits to emergency departments surge as winter looms

Pediatric emergency departments are seeing record numbers of visits since some families can’t see their family doctors or go to walk-in clinics. More patients mean longer waits, hindering care for some children with emergency conditions.

by Iris Kulbatski

Sorry Not Sorry: How a hospital complaint system perpetuates harm after medical error

When hospitals harm patients, patient-relations departments provide insincere apologies and resort to other tactics to shield hospitals from accountability. I experienced this while coping with medical errors my late dad suffered as a cancer patient.
by Anne Borden King

Secondary losses: The impact of the pandemic on Canadians with cancer

We're only beginning to understand the "secondary losses" of the pandemic. The immediate future of health care will likely be defined by the appearance of illnesses that flourished among the forgotten, patients who were inadvertently neglected.

Restoring dignity: A teenager’s insights into inpatient psychiatric admission

As a 19-year-old with bipolar disorder, I waited eight hours in the ER for a doctor. My brain may not have been bleeding, but I felt like my brain was on fire. Here's what I learned about improving care for patients experiencing a mental health crisis.
by Catherine Varner

Hospitals in crisis: Emergency personnel in southwestern Ontario sounding the alarm

Emergency departments in southwestern Ontario are at a breaking point. Crowding has reached unprecedented – and dangerous – levels, forcing patients to wait close to 20 hours and leaving some regions without available ambulances.
by Keeley Watt Rachel Tkach Kyra Thompson Riley White Kathryn Preiss Jordyn Stratychuk Lisa Guirguis

Are pharmacists really the most accessible health-care providers?

Pharmacists claim to be the most accessible health-care providers – but recent research has found that pharmacies in Alberta are often not very accessible to people with disabilities or mobility issues.

by Larry W. Chambers Rebecca Correia

Dementia care in need of province-wide network in MINT condition

Ontario does not have a standardized primary care model for dementia. But for other prevalent health conditions, Ontario has provincial clinical networks. Such a network should be established for dementia care too. Here's why.
by Catherine Varner

‘Do I really need this in my life?’ Concerns grow over violence in ERs

Emergency departments are struggling to deal with staff shortages, and the violence that health-care workers face is a big reason why people are quitting the field. Doctors and nurses are calling for measures to curb the violence.
by Miranda Caley

Love for grandmother ‘a driving force’ during pandemic

Nathan Stall is a geriatrician and scientist who fought against the heartbreaking toll that the pandemic had on the elderly and those in long-term care. We're profiling him as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.
by Maddi Dellplain

Vaccines aren’t even the half of it

Family and emergency physician Erin Bearss led the vaccine rollout in six Toronto long-term care homes. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.
by Shelley Allen

Social workers are essential workers, too

Throughout the pandemic, social workers have been vital, and they will be needed more than ever as we move toward recovery. It's time we recognized that social workers are essential workers too.
by Seema Marwaha Sabina Vohra-Miller Ripudaman Singh Minhas

Breaking the cycle of racism and bias in health care

COVID-19 has laid bare racial disparities in health. Three medical professionals talk about the structural racism in health care they have seen during the pandemic – and what needs to be done to address it.
by Larry W. Chambers Madeleine Smith

Let’s invest in helping more seniors stay at home – and stay active

As the percentage of elderly Ontarians increases, we should spend more of our tax dollars not on care homes, but rather community-based services that will help seniors age at home.
by Robyn McClelland

She was jilted at the neurosurgery altar but found true love in pediatrics

A doctor reflects on her passionate romance with neurosurgery, her devastating break up on Match Day, and how she then found a soulmate in pediatric intensive care.
by A coalition of civil society organizations and individuals

Groups call on federal parties to commit to removing barriers for internationally trained health professionals

Federal party leaders must address longstanding barriers to the licensing and employment of internationally educated health professionals. Doing so would not only address inequities – it would greatly improve our health-care system.

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