Alberta closing hospital helipads...

[HotHotHeat]

Apparently they don't meet new transport Canada regulations.

Maybe not the hugest of deals, but this is a prime example of government officials being idiots. Chaps my ass. This service saves lives every day.

Helicopter landing pads are being closed at eight Alberta hospitals.
The closures begin Tuesday and will last two months. The medical choppers will have to land at municipal airports and transport patients by ground ambulance instead of landing directly at hospitals.
The affected hospitals are in Didsbury, Consort, Sundre, Barrhead, Castor, Wainwright, Westlock
and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.
Alberta Health Services says the helipads don't meet new regulations by Transport Canada .. But a Transport Canada official says none of its rules have changed.

Looks like Calgary's pads are staying open?

[Methanolic]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

Apparently they don't meet new transport Canada regulations.

Maybe not the hugest of deals, but this is a prime example of government officials being idiots. Chaps my ass. This service saves lives every day.

Helicopter landing pads are being closed at eight Alberta hospitals.
The closures begin Tuesday and will last two months. The medical choppers will have to land at municipal airports and transport patients by ground ambulance instead of landing directly at hospitals.
The affected hospitals are in Didsbury, Consort, Sundre, Barrhead, Castor, Wainwright, Westlock
and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.
Alberta Health Services says the helipads don't meet new regulations by Transport Canada .. But a Transport Canada official says none of its rules have changed.

Looks like Calgary's pads are staying open?

Agree!!!

Angered again by the Idiots in charge, but not at all surprised.

[FanIn80]

This Stelmach guy has to go. Historically, I haven't paid much attention to Provincial politics, but I've had all I can take of this clown.

When's the next election anyway? Come to think of it, who else is there? I don't even know what the Provincial Libs are up to these days...

[CrusaderPi]

I'm not sure the Premier of Alberta has much to do with Transport Canada.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by CrusaderPi

I'm not sure the Premier of Alberta has much to do with Transport Canada.

Alberta Health Services says the helipads don't meet new regulations by Transport Canada .. But a Transport Canada official says none of its rules have changed.

This might be a bad sign, but I'd trust the word of a no-name departmental clerk from the Canadian Government over an official announcement from our current Alberta Government.

I don't know anything about the heli-pads, my comment was directed entirely at the bit I just quoted.

[rubecube]

Stelmach is ######ed.

[SteveToms]

http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/Re...5.htm#foreword

If that is what they use, then the rules haven't changed in 2 years.

[CrusaderPi]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

This might be a bad sign, but I'd trust the word of a no-name departmental clerk from the Canadian Government over an official announcement from our current Alberta Government.

I don't know anything about the heli-pads, my comment was directed entirely at the bit I just quoted.

duh @ me for a lack of reading comprehension.

[Madman]

From the title, I thought they were all closing in Alberta - that would be devastating.

[Azure]

Another reason to vote WildRose next election.

[mykalberta]

Why are there hospitals in...

Sundre - 2500 people

Didsbury - 4500 people

Consort - 500 people

Barhead - 4200 people

Castor - 930 people

Westlock - 5000 people.

All there should be in these dying centres of rural alberta is a helipad in these towns/villages to transport patients to hospitals in cities whose size warrants the expense.

The governemt should close the hospitals affected, put in a helipad be be done with them. The atrocious costs of health care are choking this province.

Until the Wildrose party gets rid of the nutbars - the can stay a forgotten memory. Alberta neither wants nor needs them. Procduce a party policy devoid of the crazys, and weed out those members running who will eventually tear this party down - and maybe I will consider voting for them.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Azure

Another reason to vote WildRose next election.

I don't think I'd go that far.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

All there should be in these dying centres of rural alberta is a helipad in these towns/villages to transport patients to hospitals in cities whose size warrants the expense.

That makes no sense to me. You are telling me it costs less to have each and every patient add some sort of ambulance bill to their heath care tab?

If the patient is seen in a small town or a major city; there will still be certain fixed costs; like salaries, medicines, consumables, etc. But if an ambulace bill within Calgary, I can't see a ground ambulance from Barrhead to Edmonton being less than $1000, and I'm not sure what STARS costs, but let's say it's $5000 per trip. (Making these numbers up, so bear with me.)

If that hospital treats 2 people per day that would need to be moved, and another 2 emergencies per week that require STARS, that is $100,000 per month in ambulance costs. I cannot see a small hospital costing that much to operate. Keep in mind we aren't talking Rockyview size of hospital; most small town hospitals are smaller than the doctors offices that you and I visit.

Never mind the PITA factor for anybody needing basic care like a broken arm. Also, where would the call be made from? Does the average patient get to decide if he needs an air ambulance? Or would you need some sort of triage centre.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I don't think I'd go that far.

That far???

Which is it, we are too fiscally conservative for you or too socially moderate?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by First Lady

That far???

Which is it, we are too fiscally conservative for you or too socially moderate?

Whoo boy. I'm probably going to regret this in the morning... Maybe before I start, I should just point out that my intention isn't to piss anyone off... I'm just trying to make my point and maybe ask a few questions along the way. Anyhoo, here goes...


I'm just a two-party kinda guy.

I figure if some of the best people from the fringe parties were to join the two main parties, they might actually be able to get something done. The way it is now all they're really accomplishing is vote splitting... at best.

It's a shame, really.

Take the Green Party, for instance. Why doesn't some of these people just join the Libs or PCs so they can actually be elected and allowed to effect some real progress? Campaigning as a party that will never get elected sounds like they're just going through the motions and making a bit of noise along the way (once every election).

Maybe I'm just politically naive, but if I was someone who really wanted to change the way this province looks at the environment, I wouldn't look to join the Green Party and wind up tossed aside by the voters. I would join the Conservatives or Liberals (based on my other beliefs) and try to work within in order to effect real change.

As for the Wild Rose party (which someone else mentioned), it's even more baffling. I can understand the Green Party, since their focus is on something that no other party really stands for (as a primary platform at least)... but what's the deal with Wild Rose? They seem like they're just another version of spend/don't spend, abort/don't abort.

Why don't these guys just get in the game? This is a real question. I've put a lot of thought into this over the years (not specifically the Wild Rose, just fringe parties in general). The only answer I can come up with is they just want to do things their own way. The thing is, I'm going to vote for people who want to do things my way... and I think I'm a pretty typical voter.

As an aside, if you look at the Bloc at the federal level... Short of a coup, these guys are never going to form the Government. Why don't they dissolve and join with the Liberals or Conservatives? Heaven forbid French-Canadians actually get some real representation for once. Seriously. If I was from Quebec, I would be pissed that my "representation" came in the form of a hack, fringe-party that stands solely for dividing the country I live in. I'd be spending a lot of time wishing they'd just get their heads out of their asses and join a real party, and then make sure that that party pays attention to the issues that were important to me as a French-Canadian. I'm not even going to mention the NDP. Until they replace Layton, they might as well not even exist.

Again, I'm not exactly a politics major or something like that - but then again, maybe a little political naivety is what this country/province needs. Maybe the real problem is there are too many political majors and rocket surgeons treating this country like a giant chess board... when we're really just 30 million people trying to live our lives.

...annnnnnnd done.

[Traditional_Ale]

^Take the bag off your head.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by ken0042

That makes no sense to me. You are telling me it costs less to have each and every patient add some sort of ambulance bill to their heath care tab?

If the patient is seen in a small town or a major city; there will still be certain fixed costs; like salaries, medicines, consumables, etc. But if an ambulace bill within Calgary, I can't see a ground ambulance from Barrhead to Edmonton being less than $1000, and I'm not sure what STARS costs, but let's say it's $5000 per trip. (Making these numbers up, so bear with me.)

If that hospital treats 2 people per day that would need to be moved, and another 2 emergencies per week that require STARS, that is $100,000 per month in ambulance costs. I cannot see a small hospital costing that much to operate. Keep in mind we aren't talking Rockyview size of hospital; most small town hospitals are smaller than the doctors offices that you and I visit.

Never mind the PITA factor for anybody needing basic care like a broken arm. Also, where would the call be made from? Does the average patient get to decide if he needs an air ambulance? Or would you need some sort of triage centre.

No town under 8000 people need a hospital. The most they need is a clinic with a handful of doctors and nurses to deal with the minor stuff. Anything else should be handled by air ambulance. You could essentially replace all these hospitals and probably more with 1 or 2 helicopters on a stand by basis. Which means you replace probably over 100 unionized employees with 4-8 private contractors that dont constantly bitch about salary and which dont go on strike every 4 years and hold this province hostage when they do it. In a perfect world those clinics would be privately operated and charge back there services to the province (to stay in line with the Canada Health Act) there my maximizing resources.

A full time nurses salary is 70k+/year include OT and you get over 100K with 200K+ for a doctor. The cost of a bed in this provice a few years ago was slated at 30k / month. Its probably upwards of 50k+. The salary costs dont include the pension that comes with those jobs.

There is no way that the capital outlay costs for 2 helipcopters + pilots is more than what it would cost to run those hospitalzs for 2-3 years max. If you want to reduce your upfront costs you lease the helicopters. You could further reduce it by bludozing these hospitals and selling the realestate back to the towns. Most of these hospitals are likely in choice locations now which could eventually be sold for a slight profit.

Living in rural alberta has its benefits and its downfalls. The benefits being you dont have to deal with noise/traffic - the downfalls being you shouldnt have a hospital. The taxation income from those citizens for sure dont cover the cost of operating these hospitals.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Living in rural alberta has its benefits and its downfalls. The benefits being you dont have to deal with noise/traffic - the downfalls being you shouldnt have a hospital. The taxation income from those citizens for sure dont cover the cost of operating these hospitals.

Wow. I thank god you are not running our provincial heath care. I can not imagine the strain on the health care system if we only relied on major centers for urgent medical care.
Besides that, the number of people that would die everyday if it wasn't for these small hospitals would be staggering!
Your statement screams of someone that has only lived in a city and has never been to a small town. That you are some how better and get healthcare because you choose to live in a city, where as the farmer and his family who's wheat and cattle feed you, doesn't deserve the privilege of easy access to medical care so in his time of need when every second counts, he has to wait for a freaking helicopter!

[Azure]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I don't think I'd go that far.

How come?

Right now, I consider it a BIG step up on the Liberals or Conservatives.

[Azure]

Pincher Creek has 3,500 people and a hospital.

We also have 12 doctors, and probably the most efficient health care in the province. The hospital is a big reason for that.

A couple years ago, all the doctors got together and built a good-sized clinic right next to the hospital. This lowered the strain on hospital staff, and allowed some of the specialists we have here(yes there are a couple)....to practice their trade properly.

I have no problem with a hospital in smaller towns. The problem is getting doctors to go there. Here, we live right beside the mountains, right beside Waterton, right beside Castle Mountain, not far from Fernie, a short drive from BC.....so its very appealing to young doctors looking to settle down somewhere.

Up north? Not so much.