Alberta to get $1 billion more in health care funding in 2014-15

[shermanator]

Funding will now be based on per capita as opposed to whatever method they used before.


http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...759/story.html

[FFR]

I wonder if throwing more money at the system will actually start to fix things.... Or just result in higher salaries...

[Nehkara]

It will be nice to actually have some breathing room now... things have been pretty stressful at AHS since the last budget.

A lot of my friends/coworkers lost their jobs.

There are DEFINITELY good places to put this money.

The expansion of the Peter Lougheed Centre had to be halted as they ran out of money... the building is built but they have never been able to actually construct the new ER and most of the other units inside the new building.

The second phase of the South Health Campus needs to get going.

They are building a new Tom Baker Cancer Centre at the Foothills Hospital, and that will take a good amount of money too.

Calgary needs a cyclotron for PET imaging.

Maybe they can afford to run extended hours at MRI facilities throughout the province to decrease that wait times?

[Azure]

How much private money in the form of donors does Alberta get? Just asking out of curiosity. You read every once in a while that some rich person has donated a bunch of money to build a new ward at a hospital in the States.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Azure

How much private money in the form of donors does Alberta get? Just asking out of curiosity. You read every once in a while that some rich person has donated a bunch of money to build a new ward at a hospital in the States.

I know there's a huge Bud McCaig building at Foothills. The Seaman brothers have donated a bunch as well I believe.

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

Maybe they can afford to run extended hours at MRI facilities throughout the province to decrease that wait times?

This would be nice, or maybe build a few more MRI machines? What is more cost effective extra hours, building a new machine, or subbing the work out to a private company?

[Azure]

There are existing private MRI providers in Calgary, aren't there? Why can't they sub our appointments to them?

[GP_Matt]

I am pretty sure it is all because of cost. The public MRIs aren't running at 10)% right now because the budget isn't there to staff them.

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by GP_Matt

I am pretty sure it is all because of cost. The public MRIs aren't running at 10)% right now because the budget isn't there to staff them.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by fotze

Should start taxing snowboards and skis and floor hockey sticks to pay for all these MRI's.

Or granite counter tops.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by FFR

I wonder if throwing more money at the system will actually start to fix things.... Or just result in higher salaries...

I was trying to calculate in my head how many new managers AHS can hire with this.

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Or granite counter tops.

Or Ice

Or the swimming pool

Actually I should just put my self down to save taxpayers money, how do I hurt myself swimming

[Nehkara]

Private MRIs are usually of poor to very poor quality. Much better bet to fully staff AHS MRIs and run them around the clock.

[aaronck]

That cash could buy a whole lot of computer equipment they can warehouse and not use for year end budget burning. I wish that more money was devoted directly to patient care, and not executives, non medical equipment etc.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

Private MRIs are usually of poor to very poor quality. Much better bet to fully staff AHS MRIs and run them around the clock.

Is there any evidence that this is the case? I'm seriously interested in knowing, I've always told myself I'd pay to jump the MRI line if needed, but if there is an objective quality difference that might change my view.

[Regulator75]

A billion more dollars = a million more people wanting to move here.

[puckluck2]

If this system is broke then I wonder how it will look fixed. Cross the border and you'll see what broke really looks like.

[crazy_eoj]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

If this system is broke then I wonder how it will look fixed. Cross the border and you'll see what broke really looks like.

Cross the pond and you can see what it looks like fixed. Parallel public and private systems that serve people much better than our broken system.

Comparing to the USA is like saying at least the Flames aren't the Oilers as if Pittsburgh and Boston don't even exist.

[kirant]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Is there any evidence that this is the case? I'm seriously interested in knowing, I've always told myself I'd pay to jump the MRI line if needed, but if there is an objective quality difference that might change my view.

I'd be curious about this too - Do you happen to know the specs of the private MRI machines?

I know 3T is a bit more expensive, but I thought those were fairly reasonable for acquisition. Granted, Telsa do not equal necessarily equate to resolution (and I still find people arguing about which one is technically superior in voxel size), but they are more effective for most brain and body injuries as far as I'm aware.

Do most private Calgarian ones run 1.5T for flexibility?

[Azure]

I am also wondering what the quality of a private MRI is like.

Lots of conflicting reports out there as to the results and if it is worth it or not.