Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #abhealth

Most recents (24)

The arguments for dropping mask mandates in hospitals are insane. The lack of logical reasoning & critical thinking is both astonishing & frightening. This is madness that will literally lead to continued mass disabling from #CovidIsNotOver & other airborne diseases. #AHS #Ableg
Covid causes brain damage. Repeat infections worsen the risk of long term harm.
#CovidIsAirborne #CovidIsNotOver
Read 3 tweets
We are down to the last few days of the election and I will end my series on Family Medicine with these graphics from @Albertadoctors

How bad is the state of Family Medicine in #Alberta compared to the early days of the UCP?

Well, read on:

1/x
The number of Family Doctors accepting new patients overall in AB has dropped from 887 to 209, with the South Zone taking a near obliteration.

(I actually think this is an overestimation for all zones because many of these are walk in or niche docs only)

2/x Image
Compared to the populations they serve, this is a dramatic loss and explains why you can't find a Family Doctor if you lose yours...

#abhealth

3/x Image
Read 10 tweets
šŸ§µWhen challenged on paying out of pocket for healthcare, Danielle Smith often brings up the Canada Health Act as a defense.

But Smith is not a fan of the Canada Health Act and has been seeking ways around it.

#ableg #abpoli #abhealth
1/šŸ§µ
Danielle Smith contemplates if the Canada Health Act needs to be thrown out due to its principles, such as universality which she argues should not cover all hospital and physician services.
2/šŸ§µ
One of the simpler ways for Smith to get around the Canada Health Act is to have a friendly federal government in power.

The next clip is from April 2022 where she is talking with Gordon Tulk, the person who originally gave her the idea of health spending accounts.
3/šŸ§µ
Read 9 tweets
Over four years in government, the UCP have failed to lower surgery wait times and theyā€™ve actually increased, according to data available from the Government of Alberta. šŸ§µ

#ableg #abhealth #abvote #abelxn23 #cdnhealth
According to the Governmentā€™s own data:

More than 70,000 Albertans were waiting for surgeries in May 2019. That number has increased to 74,000 as of February 2023.
According to the Governmentā€™s own data:

From April 2019 to January 2023, median wait times have increased for hip replacements from 18.7 to 26.3 weeks and knee replacements have increased from 20.6 weeks to 36.9 weeks.
Read 11 tweets
@ABDanielleSmith

Let's do some education on contraception here. A thread (that I doubt you will ever read but here I go)

#abhealth #abpoli #ableg
1. Universal coverage of contraception is not a subsidy to insurance companies. Insurance companies only cover a percentage of meds, rarely 100%. There is still pay out of pocket costs, and for young women, even this small cost isn't always affordable
2. IUDs can be up to $500. Insurance companies will only pay for 1 per year. So if it falls out, gets embedded, there's side effects, etc, they can't get another through insurance for at least a year. This usually falls on the doctor to find a "free" one
Read 11 tweets
NEW from @ParklandInst.
These are stories of the challenges health-care workers face every day. It's taking a toll on their physical and psychological well-being.Ā #ableg #abhealth ImageImage
The crisis in health care is not over. Governments in Alberta have neglected health-care workers for decades. We need more people and we need to improve working conditions to ensure once we have them, we keep them. #abhealth #ableg ImageImage
Read 3 tweets
An Edmonton womanā€™s name was added to the list of thousands of Albertans who canā€™t find a family doctor after she was notified she lost hers through a lottery. šŸ§µ

#ableg #abhealth #cdnhealth #yeg
Mona Koch has had the same family doctor for eight years, but in November she received an email informing her that due to changes in her practice, Kochā€™s doctor would no longer be able to continue providing medical care to her.
Koch, 62, learned that because other doctors left the clinic, her doctor would be taking on some of their patients, forcing her to drop some of her own patients.
Read 7 tweets
NEW: Drug poisoning deaths in Alberta have surpassed 1,000 for 2022.

According to the provincial data, 123 drug poisoning deaths occurred in November, 120 of those were opioid-related.

#ableg #abpoli #abhealth #yeg #yyc
The total number of opioid deaths in 2022 currently stands at 1,346.
For comparison, in November 2021, there were 173 opioid deaths.

November 2020 recorded 114.

November 2019 recorded 43.
Read 6 tweets
Tonight, the UCP defeated my Bill 201: The Public Health Care Delivery Standards Act, which would have had a major impact in ensuring Albertans get the healthcare they need.

Let me tell you what it would have done for you. šŸ§µ

#ableg #abhealth
The Bill would have set standards for emergency room waits, ambulance response, the time it takes to see a doctor and so on. Where those times werenā€™t being met ā€” where you werenā€™t getting the care you deserve ā€” government would have to provide additional resources.

#AbLeg
The legislation has been endorsed by many in the medical community, including Dr. Trevor Theman, a former chair of the board of the Health Quality Council of Alberta, and Alberta Medical Association president-elect Paul Parks.

#ableg #abhealth
Read 7 tweets
Dr. Mark Joffe here! I am happy to connect with Albertans in my official capacity as Albertaā€™s chief medical officer of health - after navigating some unexpected Twitter account issues. (1/9)
I know many of you are interested in my thoughts on what is proving to be a very challenging respiratory virus season. As CMOH, I ask you to take all the actions you can to protect yourself and each other. Hereā€™s howā€¦2/9
ā˜‘ļøChoose to stay up-to-date with all your vaccinations & speak to a physician or other care provider if you have questions. Vaccines are available, safe & free. Getting vaccinations can mean the difference between a few days at home sick, weeks in a hospital, or even worse. 3/9
Read 9 tweets
Earlier today, Albertaā€™s NDP released newly obtained data that shows there were 9,600 unfilled ambulance shifts in Calgary alone from January to October of this year.

Response times and the length of time paramedics spend in hospitals have also increased. šŸ§µ

#ableg #abhealth
This is a crisis. Emergency care isnā€™t reliably there for Albertans.

We need a government that will do better. That will:

āž”ļø Respect frontline workers and make it clear we have their backs;
āž”ļø Restore funding cut from healthcare by the UCP;

...
#ableg #abhealth
...

āž”ļø Introduce a new model that will bring care closer to home in Alberta communities;
āž”ļø Provide improved mental health supports for paramedics;

And thatā€™s just a start.

#ableg #abhealth
Read 4 tweets
I hear from first responders who are exhausted and suffering ā€” as the crisis in our hospitals backs up into emergency response. šŸ§µ

#ableg #abhealth
Firefighters are now more often the first on scene, working to stabilize patients waiting for EMS to arrive. That wait is getting longer and longer.

#ableg #abhealth
I want you to know that our plan isnā€™t to FIRE our way to a better health care system, as the Premier is doing right now.

We are going to HIRE.

#ableg #abhealth
Read 7 tweets
When almost all frontline staff tell the public, the media & anyone who will listen that EMS leadership is CORRUPT, maybe someone in a position of power needs to take action!

We donā€™t yet know how much $$ these 6 ā€œleadersā€ have stolen.

What we do know ā€¦ 1/
Is that staff have been saying for YEARS that the top 3-4 tiers of EMS need to be replaced. If they are good ppl, they will earn their way back in.

We also know that EMS is small & other leaders have likely been complacent in some of the other unethical practices occurring. 2/
An example? The Chief Paramedicā€™s wife, stalking FB in order to make complaints abt EMS frontline staff. Causing the staff members extreme stress, suspensions & discipline. What did the staff do to deserve this? Told the public the TRUTH abt the EMS crisis. 3/
Read 11 tweets
Constitutional law experts, correct me if I'm wrong, but am I reading that @ABDanielleSmith's Sovereignty Act allows the @Alberta_UCP to theoretically force Alberta Health/AHS to do any of the following, without it going through the legislature:

#abpoli #ableg
1. Delist and defund abortions, and quite possibly make it illegal for providers to perform them, as they could theoretically disagree with the Supreme Court's R v. Morgentaler?
2. Force all AHS hospitals and the CPSA to remove any masking policies in facilities or clinics because they don't agree with COVID masking recommendations (maybe they can do this anyway without this law right now, but have chosen not to...yet)
Read 7 tweets
New: Ninety-four Albertans died from opioid-related drug poisonings in August, which is a 25 per cent reduction compared to the same month last year. Between Jan and Aug, a total 976 people have died, nearly identical to the same time period in 2021 (969). #abhealth #abpoli
Premier Danielle Smith just said that the recovery-oriented strategy undertaken by the UCP has reduced opioid deaths by 51 per cent year over year. It's not clear where that number is from. There was a 46 per cent reduction in August (94) from a peak last November (174). #abpoli
The UCP took power in 2019. That year, 626 Albertans died from opioid overdoses. In 2020, there were 1,179 deaths. In 2021, 1,614. That means fatalities jumped by 88 per cent from 2019 to 2020, and 37 per cent from 2020 to 2021. #abhealth #abpoli
Read 3 tweets
Nothing from the UCP to get Albertans a family doctor, nothing to address the specific calls from frontline paramedics to reduce wait times, and nothing to get childrenā€™s medication in the hands of Alberta parents. šŸ§µ

#AbLeg #abhealth
The new round of chaos Danielle Smith is inflicting on health care will make the situation worse. Health care workers deserve leadership that will listen to them and support them.

#ableg #abhealth
Danielle Smith has absolutely no mandate to create the chaos, cost, and conflict that todayā€™s announcement will generate.

#ableg #abhealth
Read 7 tweets
I want to take a moment to speak directly to all of the young Albertans who are considering making the choice to leave our province.

šŸ§µ#ableg #yyc #yeg #cdnpoli #abpoli
I know things look bleak under the UCP. From cutting the youth minimum wage to raising the cost of your tuition, they have trampled on the opportunities this province once presented for you to build your future.

But I promise you change is coming. #ableg #yyc #yeg
The @albertaNDP will make it a core priority to undo the UCP governmentā€™s attacks on young peopleā€”and to build up our province so that young people want to move HERE instead of move away. #ableg #yyc #yeg
Read 12 tweets
It's one month since Danielle Smith was sworn in as Premier.

Here are a few things she's done IN ONE MONTH. #ableg šŸ§µ 1/15
She began by calling people who refused vaccination "the most discriminated against group that I've ever witnessed in my lifetime."

From day one, she had no understanding of the province she wants to lead, or the struggles of the diverse people who call Alberta home. šŸ§µ 2/
She refused to give people in Calgary-Elbow representation because she was afraid of losing in #yyc.

(If Smith won't run here herself, someone else could have run for the UCP. But apparently she thinks Calgarians don't deserve a representative.) šŸ§µ3/ globalnews.ca/news/9189193/dā€¦
Read 14 tweets
One of the saddest impacts of the pandemic in 2022 is this belief that our personal choices are more important than our impact on others. That because itā€™s our choice and doesnā€™t hurt us personally then itā€™s ok- ā€œpersonal responsibilityā€ā€¦As a healthcare worker in 2022,
I can unequivocally state this sentiment couldnā€™t be further from the truth. Our actions may not always have direct impacts on others that we can see, but they do impact others. And the longer governments place ā€œpersonal choiceā€ as the be all, end allā€¦I have very little hope for
us. And itā€™s just plain sad. So I gear up for a weekend of witnessing the impacts of ā€œpersonal choicesā€ and the suffering that accompanies said impacts. I gear up knowing this winter has hell in store for so many, because as a society we canā€™t see past our own selves.
Read 9 tweets
I was recently #BlockedByDanielleSmith but it doesn't matter because her political career is effectively over after this next election. A "Conservative" that can't win in #YYC can't win the province. Just too damned extreme for the business class. #abpoli
And before all the inevitable "don't get complacent" replies I'll say the same thing for Smith as I did for Poilievre: #abpoli #cdnpoli
Read 39 tweets
āš ļø This Tweet Has Graphic Images āš ļø

Today I was driving in the NE in and around the neighbourhoods when I was about to turn around and head home when I saw someone flag me down.

A older gentleman and his girlfriend asked me if I had any water or anything to eat. @cmcalgary
I pulled over, put my flashers on. I got out to grab them some water and snacks and saw the older gentleman limping & in obvious pain.

When I say hobbling I mean every few steps he stopped to catch his breath because he was in so much pain.

Thatā€™s when I said Iā€™d come to them.
I grabbed some bottles of water, snacks, some backpacks, and asked them if they needed anything else.

He told me his bandages had dried to his skin and that he was refused care at a place here in Calgary when he asked for a dressing change.

#homelessness #HomelessCrisis #YYC
Read 22 tweets
Reasons why my 6 month old baby was vaccinated for #COVID19 today, a thread by a mom and a doctor.

Read on...šŸ§µ

1/9
1. Safety: The Moderna vaccine was tested on over 11 000 kids and they found no 'red flag' side effects. The usual was seen like a sore limb or fussing/crying. But even more serious side effects in older age groups, like Myocarditis, was not found in under 5 yrs old

2/9
2. Efficacy: The vaccine isn't as effective against the new variants, it's true. However in the 6mo - 2 yrs group, it had about 51% efficacy against Omicron variants. That's similar to some years of the flu vaccine & we know the flu vax helps reduce severity & spread

3/9
Read 10 tweets
Yesterday, Alberta Health Services reported that every Edmonton hospital is pushing patients into hallways in an attempt to free up space in overwhelmed emergency rooms. šŸ§µ1/8
Hallway medicine is an urgent signal of a healthcare system in crisis. My heart goes out to all the Albertans who are being treated in a busy hospital hallway, to their families, and all the frontline healthcare professionals being forced into this situation. 2/8
Early August is supposed to be the quieter time of year for emergency rooms. I'm deeply concerned about where we will be in the early fall when respiratory illnesses and other demands on our hospitals traditionally increase. 3/8
Read 8 tweets
Monkeypox is an international public health emergency. Yet, no planned response from the Alberta government. Why?

What we know:
- Currently, 99% of the Monkeypox cases are occurring in the gay, bi and MSM community.

- Vaccines are over 85% effective
- Monkeypox is not a ā€œgay diseaseā€

- Monkeypox is not an STI

- Anyone can get Monkeypox; it is mostly transmitted through close personal and intimate contact
- Monkeypox is not known to be life threatening but about 10% of people infected require hospitalization, which adds strain to an already overburdened health care system

- Isolation and contract tracing are important but not enough to stop the outbreak
Read 6 tweets

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