ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
- 7/21/2020
Hoax call diverted resources during struggle to adapt to COVID-19: care home
A long-term care home in North Vancouver that was the site of Canada's first confirmed COVID-19 death says it received a hoax call as the outbreak began that created "needless fear'' and compromised health and safety. The Lynn Valley Care Centre was also the location of the country's first known outbreak on March 6. It would become one of British Columbia's deadliest, killing 20 residents among the total 76 residents and staff infected. - 7/21/2020
B.C. aims to clear surgery backlog in 15 months if COVID-19 surge doesn't happen
British Columbia's health minister says the province has hired more staff and increased operating-room hours to catch up on cancelled surgeries but a significant surge in COVID-19 cases could impact recovery. Adrian Dix said Tuesday that 32,400 procedures were postponed or not scheduled as of mid-March to retain beds that may have been needed for COVID-19 patients. - 7/20/2020
N.S. health authority successfully recruiting IMGs despite pandemic
Katrina Philopoulos, the Nova Scotia Health Authority's director of physician recruitment, told the CBC the pandemic has caused delays bringing new doctors to the province. Indeed, in April the CBC reported that 13 doctors from the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States that were due to start working in the province were held up at the border due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. But Philopoulos said since then four IMGs have been allowed in. - 7/20/2020
Researchers seek Canadian healthcare workers for study on moral distress during pandemic
A team from Lawson Health Research Institute is seeking 500 Canadian health care workers to participate in a study on moral distress and psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will complete online surveys once every three months for a total of 18 months. The goal is to better understand the pandemic’s impact on health care workers in order to minimize moral distress and support wellbeing during future pandemic events. - 7/20/2020
Addiction and the pandemic
For most jurisdictions where they were legal, alcohol and marijuana were available at every stage of the pandemic. In North America, the shops selling marijuana and alcohol were deemed an “essential service” which meant that they were open throughout the pandemic, in the same way as grocery stores and pharmacies were open. - 7/20/2020
Patients must be connected to doctors who know them best
During COVID-19, most doctors have set up virtual offerings for patients so we need to double down on our efforts to ensure continuity of care - 7/20/2020
Families and the pandemic
- 7/20/2020
Ontario hospital union holds five minute protest to fight emergency orders
Front-line staff in Ontario hospitals held a five-minute, in-hospital protest on Tuesday as their union continues its fight against the proposed extension of the province's emergency orders. The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, a division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, said it does not want the province's emergency order extended in its current form because their collective bargaining agreement would be suspended. - 7/20/2020
Alberta eye doctors ask to bypass AMA, negotiate directly with government
Suggest a change in legislation so they can opt out of AMA - 7/19/2020
Feds order supplies to give two doses of COVID-19 vaccine when its ready
The federal government is ordering more than 75 million syringes, alcohol swabs and bandages so it can inoculate Canadians as soon as a COVID-19 vaccine is ready. Procurement Minister Anita Anand says Ottawa intends to stockpile enough vaccine supplies to give at least two doses to every Canadian whenever a vaccine is available.