Hospitals are a joke, where is all the Alberta money going???

[Azure]

Originally Posted by millhouse11

I dunno, last time I was at emergency was when my wife miscarried. In the waiting room, not one native. this was at the foothills. There was one homeless dude...he was white. A bunch of elderly people. Some white 20ish guys came in because of a fight. One dude that was in the bed next to my wifes, and he was completely wasted. About 16...and white. AH, and the crazy lady...she was entertaining to listen to as she rambled on about her cats. She was white. We were only there for 20 hours, so I can't judge about the rest of the days and the year. It must've been a freak night because there weren't any natives. Maybe they had a pow-wow, or maybe they were at the Peter Lougheed. hmmm.
I did go to Canmore emergency once, and we were in and out of there in a couple of hours. Mostly young white people with broken limbs. There was a native family there. Their 10 year old son was pretty sick...couldn't have been the flu though, must've been on something. <sarcasm>

Wow, whats with people completely misreading what I said?

I swear some people see the word 'Native' and go gung-ho crazy to accuse whoever said it of being racist.

[millhouse11]

Originally Posted by Azure

Wow, whats with people completely misreading what I said?

I swear some people see the word 'Native' and go gung-ho crazy to accuse whoever said it of being racist.

Dude, I never said you were racist. I was just stating what I noticed when I was at the hospital the couple of times I've been there. This year was my first time in years to be in emergency...before that was the childrens hospital for my kids. Your observations could've been what you've seen. Maybe you spend alot more time there than I do, or know nurses and doctors. I sure don't.

I'm metis, my mom is cree and has a huge family. I have an aunt who started her own logging company, and made her millions, and I have two uncles who are the stereotypical drunks. The rest of the family are quite respectible. We're non-status, so we don't get any treaty money, and we've never received a handout...which I'm against, but that's a whole other discussion.
My father's side was the side that did everything to milk the system. One uncle who only purchases stolen goods. One uncle who just milked insurance for a 'back' injury that he no longer had. an Aunt who won't work because she's too sick from chain smoking, etc. Damn whities.

[SeeGeeWhy]

From: http://www.finance.alberta.ca/public...stq/report.pdf

13.407 Billion out of 38.051 Billion (35%) in expenses will go towards "health and wellness" in 2008.

1.393 Billion out of 8.974 Billion (15.5%) in capital will go towards health facilities and equipment in 2008.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

There is a problem here in Lethbridge where the natives out on the reserve are calling an ambulance for an "emergency", so they get picked up and taken to the hospital in town here, where suddenly they are feeling OK...............when really they just needed a ride into town to party for the weekend. Since they don't have to pay the ambulance fee, it's no big deal to them.........meanwhile a real emergency goes down and there aren't enough resources.

It probably shouldn't have, but that made me laugh. What a scam. Is it actually true though? Kinda has the makings of an urban myth. If it is true, it isn't "the natives", it's a few people.

Seems like an awful hassle just to get a ride into town though, faking it all the way into the hospital, and then being that shameless and just walking away.

You'd think hitchiking would be easier. But I guess the ride you called would sure get there quick.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by millhouse11

Dude, I never said you were racist.

I'm sorry, but that is bullcrap and you know it. The obvious implication that you had put forth with your post was that he was racist when he said that there were more natives in the health care system. I don't think that anyone is going to imply that white people are exempt from being a burden on the system as you seem to suggest. Past that look at the socio-economic status of people who are in the hospital all the time for substance abuse issues or other mental health related problems (FASD for instance). They are on the lowest wrung of society and they live a life of extreme poverty, and for whatever reason the natives make up a significant portion of this population. It isn't racist, it is just looking at the facts so as to find a potential solution for the problems which are plaguing our health care system

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

It probably shouldn't have, but that made me laugh. What a scam. Is it actually true though? Kinda has the makings of an urban myth. If it is true, it isn't "the natives", it's a few people.

Seems like an awful hassle just to get a ride into town though, faking it all the way into the hospital, and then being that shameless and just walking away.

You'd think hitchiking would be easier. But I guess the ride you called would sure get there quick.

No kidding.............I know people who work at the hospital and at the jail, they are the ones who told me about it. From what I recall, they dont just jump out of the ambulance when it gets to town but they actually waited in emergency for awhile to make it seem legit. Have you been to Standoff? I don't think many people would pick up a hitch hiker there.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by millhouse11

Dude, I never said you were racist. I was just stating what I noticed when I was at the hospital the couple of times I've been there. This year was my first time in years to be in emergency...before that was the childrens hospital for my kids. Your observations could've been what you've seen. Maybe you spend alot more time there than I do, or know nurses and doctors. I sure don't.

I'm metis, my mom is cree and has a huge family. I have an aunt who started her own logging company, and made her millions, and I have two uncles who are the stereotypical drunks. The rest of the family are quite respectible. We're non-status, so we don't get any treaty money, and we've never received a handout...which I'm against, but that's a whole other discussion.
My father's side was the side that did everything to milk the system. One uncle who only purchases stolen goods. One uncle who just milked insurance for a 'back' injury that he no longer had. an Aunt who won't work because she's too sick from chain smoking, etc. Damn whities.

I agree 'handouts' and stuff like that is a whole other thread, I'm just trying to say that from what I've seen, in my area, Natives are creating the biggest strain to the system.

[missdpuck]

I can't say I really know how your (Canadian) health care works. Here we have the problem of illegal immigrants using the emergency room for what would ordinarily be considered regular office visits. That ties up the doctors,so triage or not, you can go there half bleeding to death and you have to wait because an illegal has six kids with runny noses already in. Then you get angry because not only are youbleding to death but you are paying to wait for someone who will never have to pay at all!! And then, I know I get kinda mad at myself about my anger because some of these people really are sweet hardworking people. You want to help, but...who has the answer I don't.

[Bagor]

Sorry to hear about your grandmother H & L.

Originally Posted by lchoy

Another major thing that needs fixing. We need to get people to be nurse aids since no one wants to do that job when they can make the same working at Tim Hortons. Nurse aids are important, but unfortunately they are at the bottom of the nursing food chain. Training is only a 2 year certificate, but in our rich province, people strive to be LPNs and RNs.

Simply not true. Nurse aid training is minimal (weeks, if even that). A bit of lifting and handling.

2 years training, for what?

Originally Posted by lchoy

Lastly, from a personal perspective. I spent a year working under the public health and prevention division in health. Things would be a lot better if people just took better care of themselves. The huge drain from chronic disease is largely preventable. It's just cheaper for prevention than treatment. This will get worse as experts forecast that our generation may be the first to have a lifespan lower than our parents. Cut back the drinking, quit smoking, eat a more balance diet so that you can reduce the chances of needing continuing care beds and other more advanced medical services.

Agreed ... however unhealthy lifestyles or not the biggest strain put on today's healthcare system. It's from the elderly population and will only get worse as the baby boomers start to age. Fact of life, the older you get the parts start to wear down.

The thing is Calgary (and Alberta) has grown at an above normal rate that few could have predicted hence the increased pressure on the system, coupled with the already mentioned aging population. Need to give it time to react and there is IMO no quick fix. As you need a thneed said at least new facilities are being built.

I was in the UK and Ireland this summer and people were asking me about Canada saying how the Alberta Government had been running ads to try and recruit skilled HC workers with the promise of fast tracking immigration.

Alberta's employment minister Hector Goudreau has been sent to this country to 'target' those tempted by a new life overseas.
It is one of the most audacious recruitment raids since Australia poached a million Britons - known as the Ten Pound Poms after the ship fare they paid - in the 1950s and 60s.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/a...-emigrate.html

Originally Posted by flamey_mcflame

Nurses making a 100,000 dollars a year. Good grief.

Where d'ya get that figure from? CHR wages are 30.80 -> 40.43 an hour.

That's ~ 60K starting to 79K Max.

https://calgaryhealthregion.ats.hrsm...gi?jobid=98458

The prices have to be competitive or they'll leg it to the states.

As for Ontario being no 1. Not from my experience, I'll leave it at that .....