In the months following the election I have had many meetings about health and wellbeing. We have met with both health service providers and citizens.
With so much of the provincial budget dedicated to healthcare, it is important the system is working effectively and that waste is minimal. So, in January we have focussed our community outreach program (The Public Circle) on learning more about the system in Saanich North and the Islands.
The process started with two meetings with service providers on Salt Spring Island and in Sidney. My intent is two-fold, become better informed and build/strengthen community networks. I believe connecting people is very powerful. While the government addresses the issues at a provincial level, well connected people on the ground, begin improving the system in the ways they can in the community.
Our meetings attracted nearly 90 health professionals. The agenda was simply to get to know each other and our role in the system. I have a lot to learn. Hearing from service providers is one step in my education. On Saturday January 20th, I am hosting in my constituency office a Community Dialogue on Health to hear about residents experience accessing the healthcare system.
My constituency office staff and volunteers took extensive notes of everything we heard in our initial consultations. So, this is just a very brief summary on only a few of the issues we have heard so far.
Social determinants of health
There was wide agreement among health professionals that housing is a major concern. The quality and stability of a person’s housing goes a long way in determining their physical and mental wellbeing. Housing is one of many social determinants of health. I heard clearly that it is critical to understand the contributing factors on the health and wellbeing of people that are not necessarily in the control of the Health Ministry.
Enough money
One important takeaway was that there is a belief that there is enough money in the system. That said, there is agreement that it needs to be spent more efficiently. Clearly, health professionals are an excellent resource for identifying and solving many of the problems, we just have to provide opportunities for them to share.
Access to primary care
Many people in our riding do not have a family doctor. This strains the rest of the healthcare system as citizens use services, such as the emergency room, for issues that could otherwise be solved by a health practitioner. There are many factors contributing to this challenge, changing expectations on work/life balance, how health providers are paid and how many doctors we are training, are just a few. All three parties in the Legislature committed to a new model of primary care delivery. Community care centres with multiple health disciplines (i.e. doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses) working as a team, will help ensure people are better serviced by the system. The government has not yet introduced these important changes to primary care and they cannot come soon enough!
Mental health and addictions
It is no secret that our province has serious mental health and addictions issues to address. Mental illness is not discriminatory, it is impacting every demographic in our society. In recent years we have become acutely aware of this as we hear more and more news of the unacceptable increase in overdoses. Mental health workers are feeling the impact and we need to support them better! Thankfully, we now have a ministry specifically tasked with working toward that end.
Elder care
The population in our riding is aging. As a result, the local healthcare system is under duress. Changes to how we deliver health services to an aging population must be strategic and must have flexibility and adaptability. Since there are more people who require a greater level of service, we need to rethink how and where seniors access the healthcare system. More support in the home and for care providers, can relieve pressure in a cost effective way. But, we also need to find ways to decrease the isolation many seniors experience through more access to elder day programs so they can remain connected and contributing to their community.
Youth care
There is a substantial concern about the limited health services for youth. This must change! Decisions we make while we are young impact the rest of our lives and have a long-term impact on the healthcare system. Specifically, we lack mental health programs. Currently, services are inconsistent and this does not build confidence that the government cares about youth. Also, it does not allow health professionals to make strong connections and provide the support that youth need at a critical point in their lives.
Where to go from here?
Finally, our healthcare system’s focus is illness, we must spend more resources on wellness and prevention. As Lao Tzu said, “take care of difficult things while they are still small.”
There are many incredible people deeply invested in delivering the best health services they can. I am thankful that so many people took time out of their busy schedules to meet and inform me and my team. I am excited about the potential! We will share the findings of all our community consultations with my colleague Sonia Furstenau (BC Green Caucus health critic), and the Ministry.
On January 24th, I am hosting Hon. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, to a public Town Hall at the St. Paul’s United Church in Sidney. This is an excellent opportunity to hear from Minister Dix and ask him directly about the system. Visit my events page for more information. I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.
This IS exciting, thank you, so much. With regards to smaller problems becoming BIG; the air quality/pollution from now both winter toxic wood burning smoke & likely more and more summer wildfires, all makes breathing a huge financial burden not only on our medical system, and on our individual pockets (more asthma meds, masks air purifiers for homes, purple air quality meters to measure pm2 “etc.” )but also results in preventable & unnecessary medical diseases (causes way more problems for young children, productivity, cancers, heart disease…) We can no longer ignore the air pollution from second hand wood smoke. 🙂
Struggling to recruit family doctors from abroad? How about employing your nieghbor who can take are of your primary health care needs? He/She is a Family Nurse Practitioner and I am trained/educated to take care of nearly anything your family doctor can.
Hello Nicholas. Thank you for your comment. We heard from a lot of Nurse Practitioners in our initial consultations. There is no question that we need to provide for opportunities for Nurse Practitioners in our system! It will be one of the big opportunities we express to the Minister! Adam
I am confused by your posting, since you told me you had no interest in dealing with anything to do with my concerns about the lack of care, concern, policy and treatment for Lyme Disease patients, including me, in our constituency or anywhere, because it was not in your portfolio. I was referred to Sonia Furstenau as the Health Critic, and you were going to pass the presentations/binders I gave you on to her. As of last week, these binders had still not been passed on to her.
Please clarify here, since we have not spoken since I left your office in tears in November.
If there’s been a change of direction, i want to be on the bus!
A pre-invite would have been nice, since it is impossible to book Handydart on less than 2 week’s notice.
PS – I posted this as a comment on Facebook, but can not find the post now. I commented on your share of the event.
PPS – I was in bed in recovery after having a major physical & emotional crash after that very disappointing meeting. Sorry if you don’t like my criticisms, of if you find them to be personal affronts to your (ego?) but I am not being a jerk – I am being direct, truthful, and persistent. I am not going to go away.
Hello Caroline. Thank you for your message. We are undertaking a broad consultation on the delivery of health care services in the whole riding. We are certainly hearing specific issues as we did with respect to the issues and concerns you raised, and these need specific attention which we are passing along to Sonia and the Ministry as they arise. To find out information about are extensive public outreach program you can visit our events page and sign up for our newsletter in which we promote well in advance of our work. Thanks again! Adam
Adam – I am totally impressed with the fact that you are holding public events, and that you are putting health care as a priority. I feel that we can’t get sidestepped into thinking that we have to create a duality in which illness is de-emphasized and wellness is accentuated. That is not exactly what is required in order to go from a fixation of illness toward a state of wellbeing.
Those who have experienced catastrophic illness need to be able to systematically deal with their experiences, and make their histories of worth, in sorting out policies and road blocks – so that people can in fact be a part of the process of envisioning and achieving well being.
Dr. Brian Goldman of CBC’s WHITE COAT BLACK ART has been moving toward a viewpoint that patients have to be included in the management of care. He has based this position on the fact that patients have an inherent advantage in knowing how services affect people, and patients have no vested interest in status-quo systems. Patients are free to explore, and to see how things are being done better elsewhere. With the evolution of internet communications, it will be possible for care and service teams to learn a great deal on how services may be improved in order to plan for the best solutions – instead of just ‘adapting’ to disabling conditions.
I would like to see some organizing in BC so that patients may be able to methodically engage in Goal 3 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Tomorrow, I would like to see if that subject could be spearheaded as a topic that both you and MLA Furstenau might be able to help put into effect. I hope that there is a starting point commenced on this so that it might be raised with Minister Dix.
Thank you for your co-operation of this matter.
Alan Blanes
Ph 250-300-8400