AB Rural Health Review
EDMONTON AB- After many communities have seen their
hospitals closed or cut back, the Alberta government has set up an committee
to look at issues in rural health care.
CBC
has quoted Jack Hayden, president of the Alberta Association of Municipal
Districts and Counties, as saying: "Maybe some of the health services under
the reforms could be performed in more rural settings and maybe that would
shorten some of the waiting lines and maybe that, in fact, would be cost-effective
for some of the regions."
The 11 member committee will be chaired by Redwater
MLA Dave Broda and will have five other MLAs, representatives from four
health regions and a special advisor from Alberta Health and Wellness.
BC Adds $2.25M to Rural Initiatives
PRINCE GEORGE- B.C. Health Minister Colin Hansen announced
on Monday a $1M plan for specialist locums and increased the rural education
action plan funding from $1M to $2.25M.
Only certain specialists are eligible for the
locum program and only certain towns (Campbell River, Comox/Courtenay,
Cranbrook, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Nelson, Port Alberni, Powell River,
Prince George, Prince Rupert/ Kitimat, Smithers, Terrace, Trail and Williams
Lake) are designated. Read the CBC story
and government posted
details on current rural incentives.
Fergus Hosts Mac's Rural
Day
FERGUS ON - First year medical students, a rural hospital,
clinical skills teaching, what a great combination. Last month, forty
winners of the Rural Family Medicine Day lottery descended on Groves Memorial
Hospital in Fergus Ontario. This was the third Rural Family Medicine
Day organized by McMaster, the first two were held in Grimsby. Read
more about it in the Guelph
Mercury
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Register
for our 11th Conference
April
24-27th 2003 srpc.ca/RR2003
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Notice of 2003 SRPC Nominations
President Elect:
Trina Larsen-Soles, Golden,
BC
Treasurer Elect:
Mary Ellen McColl, Saanichton,
BC
Secretary Elect:
Maurice Lamarche, Shawville,
QC
Student Rep to Council:
Todd K.Young, Guelph, ON
OB Committee Chair:
Brian Geller, Meadow Lake
SK
these candidates have
been acclaimed and will assume their positions after the SRPC AGM in Kelowna |
$60M for Northern Premiers
YELLOWKNIFE NWT- Territorial leaders were upset at
the PM for recognizing that per capita funding for health in the north
is inadequate and then doing nothing about it in either the health accord
or the budget. Yesterday's $60M deal will help them care for the
high morbidity and large transportation costs for rural and remote populations.
Health care in the north includes expenses such as Medivac
travel to southern Canada facilities which consumes $28.5 million a year
in Nunavut alone. In the Northwest Territories, only five of its
28 communities have a doctor. Only two communities provide birthing services
and expectant mothers have to be flown to these centres two weeks before
their due dates, and cared for far away from their families and loved ones.
An agreement was long in coming as the fed didn't meet with
the premiers for over two weeks. Tensions were running high and Health
Minister Anne McLelland was asked to cancel her scheduled visit to Yellowknife
Feb. 24th.
"Rural health initiatives
should be designed to provide equity in both access to health care and
in health outcomes."
- Roy Romanow, Commission
on the Future of Health Care 2002 |
The 'Rural News' is copyright
© 2003 Society of Rural Physicians of Canada
Articles published in the rural news are opinion of
the author(s) unless specifically identified as SRPC policy
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