The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority was established in the mid-1990s and it has grown into a massive, complex bureaucracy. Its budget is approaching $3 billion. Its many activities range from operating a central laundry to establishing standards while operating a …
Home-Care Model is Failing Manitoba
We know our population is aging, and a recent study by the University of Manitoba shows the province could need up to 5,000 personal care home beds by 2030, or approximately 300 to 350 beds per year. If we are …
It’s All About Patient Flow
It seems every time we watch the news these days, there is some item about ambulances being unable to unload patients at the emergency room, or about ER wait times increasing or failing to meet some arbitrary target. We all …
Expensive System, Mediocre Outcome
It often seems as though it is impossible to have a non-emotional discussion about health care because the issues are frequently distorted for political reasons. So what is the state of health-care delivery in Canada and Manitoba compared with other …
A Better Way to Fund Hospitals
Hospitals in Canada consume about 30 per cent of health care spending, and are funded using a model known as block or global funding. This model results in a fixed or global amount of funding being distributed to the hospital. …
Canada’s Health Care System Rewards Mediocrity
There are defenders of the status quo who view any suggestions for reform with suspicion, but every aspect of our modern society is subjected to continuous review, change and improvement. The same process should be applied to hospital funding in Canada. If we are to improve we must change what we are doing.