The Bell Curve
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the “publishing event of the decade.” The Bell Curve was a phenomenon selling over 400,000 copies. A remarkable achievement for 840 pages of social science, filled with numerical tables, statistical...
the politics of breast cancer
battling cancer may be easier than battling political and economic interests “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. And Canadian researchers are involved in a big one. It’s the...
Long-term care funding: a deeply flawed mess
Provincial governments across Canada are facing increasing public demands for more long-term care beds. Alberta is resisting these demands. Instead, it’s overhauling the long-term care system and making better use of existing beds. “It’s...
A new performance reporting system for Alberta Health Services
same junk, different package Alberta Health Services (AHS) released its newly redesigned performance reporting system on Wednesday. AHS says the new system “follows several months of planning and consultation with stakeholders, including clinicians,...
More PR From the Health Quality Council of Alberta
Just before Christmas the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) released the Continuity of Patient Care Study. It’s a disturbing report. Disturbing, because it uses the case of Greg Price, a 31-year-old cancer patient, to highlight problems with...
Bigger is not always better
BC’s new emergency department at Surrey Memorial Hospital is a disaster while Alberta’s superlab is one waiting to happen. CALGARY, AB, Nov 17, 2013/ Troy Media/ – Big changes were promised when Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne fired the Board...
Alberta pipeline safety report another case of the ol’ bait and switch
We need evidence-based decision-making, not decision-based evidence making CALGARY, AB, Sep 2, 2013/ Troy Media/ – When it comes to pipeline safety, there’s no place like Alberta. Last week Alberta Energy Minister Ken Hughes released a comprehensive...
Some good news/bad news for Albertans on healthcare
The bad news is that Official Administrator Janet Davidson’s report may not result in any productive change at all CALGARY, AB, Sep 13, 2013/ Troy Media/ – Albertan’s received some good news on Tuesday concerning their healthcare system. Five...
Alberta’s healthcare queue jumping inquiry a waste of $10 million
All that money just to state the blindingly obvious CALGARY, AB, Aug 22, 2013/ Troy Media/ – Yesterday Justice John Z. Vertes released his Health Services Preferential Access Inquiry Report on allegations of healthcare queue jumping in Alberta. The...
The myth of accountability
Despite what auditors and lawyers say, you either get it, or you don’t CALGARY, AB, Aug 15, 2013/ Troy Media/ – Everybody is all for accountability. Especially for everyone else. The public demands it of politicians. Corporate leaders demand it...