In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast I connect with Dr. Ambrose Marsh. Dr. Marsh is a primary care physician in Sidney, B.C.
He has worked on the Saanich Peninsula since 1985 and is the former Chief of Staff at the Saanich Peninsula Hospital.
There is a growing crisis in primary care in Saanich North and the Islands and across British Columbia. Approximately half of the people who live on the peninsula do not have a family doctor.
We begin to work through the issues leading up to and surrounding the healthcare crisis in this episode. We discuss how he got into medicine 40 years ago, and the relationship between the Ministry of Health, Health Authority and family doctors. In addition we cover gaps in civic education and the how the public and health practitioners use the medical system properly, and the need for a more thorough conversation about aging and preparing for the next stages of life. Finally we address aspects of well-being such as diet, recreation and healthy living. This is one of the most obvious areas of focus. Increasing well-being can help us relieve pressure on an over-stressed, under-resourced healthcare system. It’s a solemn reminder that more money is not necessarily the fix. The system is already oppressively expensive at $19 billion and more than 40% of the provincial budget.
Healthcare is a critical conversation happening in all corners of the province. The Ministry of Health is beginning to transform primary care. They are establishing primary care networks of health practitioners sharing the load by working in a team environment. This is a critical transition, and we highlight the incredible work of the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation and Shoreline Medical Clinics as important community leaders on the peninsula.
If you would like to contact me, or share your story, please visit our constituency office website at http://www.saanichnorthandtheislands.com/, email our office at Adam.Olsen.MLA@leg.bc.ca, call 250-655-5600 or visit us at #215-2506 Beacon Avenue in Sidney, BC.
Also check out my daily blog at http://adamolsenmla.ca/
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Ambrose Marsh.
DR Marsh was a wonderful caring doctor who I miss very much.
it was a great honour to have him as our DR. and I still miss him.
lili Soleil Garbutt