Access to Care
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Take the OurCare research survey
October 6, 2022
The OurCare project is conducting a research survey to hear from people across Canada about their views on primary care and what better would look like to them.
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Sounding the alarm on Canada’s primary care crisis
October 4, 2022
Across the country, we’re seeing the health care system collapse amid staff shortages and the lasting impacts of the pandemic.
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The case of Mr. S and how the health care system failed him
May 25, 2016
This is the story of Mr. S. and it illustrates how we could be doing better for the good of patients and the sustainably of the health care system.
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Public and health professionals agree: Canada needs patient-centered care
February 12, 2018
Consensus is often hard to come by in these binary times, but there is a health care issue on which both the general Canadian public and health professionals agree: the need for patient-centred care.
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Canada’s 40,000 Indigenous seniors face particular challenges
June 21, 2017
Critics say that Aboriginal, Métis and Inuit Canadians over age 65 are paying for the lack of collaborative problem-solving between government departments and agencies.
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Inspired Approaches to COPD: Improving Care and Creating Value
July 5, 2016
Across Canada today, an estimated 800,000 Canadians live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Of all chronic diseases, COPD is the number one reason for hospitalizations in Canada.
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Six in 10 people believe Canadians will have to delay retirement to afford health care: CMA tells seniors ministers it’s time for federal action
May 27, 2019
Seniors ministers and parliamentary secretaries from nine provinces, along with their staff, attended a special briefing last week, sponsored by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), on the looming seniors’ care crisis.
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CMA welcomes medical assisted-dying legislation’s passage through Parliament
June 20, 2016
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is pleased that historic federal legislation on medical aid in dying is now in place.
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Dan's Law
June 6, 2018
The Duma family and Dr. Cargill are devoted advocates, raising awareness about necessary access to palliative care for so many patients who cannot wait three months.
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Waiting to Feel Good Again: The Human Cost of Waiting for Surgery
August 30, 2019
According to Montreal orthopedic surgeon Dr. John Antoniou, the impact of Canada’s current wait times for joint replacement surgery go far beyond a patient’s need for a new hip or knee.
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Health care top priority with Canadian public
March 21, 2016
A Nanos poll in February showed that Canadians overwhelmingly rank health as their No. 1 priority for the Mar. 22 federal budget, coming in at 43.3 per cent.
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End-of-Life Care is Everyone’s Business: How Compassionate Communities Help Bridge the Support Gap
November 29, 2017
In 2010, Ian, my partner, learned he had terminal cancer. In 2014 he was in the final weeks of his cancer journey – and I became his sole caregiver.
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How a non-issue like health played a role in the 2015 election
June 27, 2016
Last fall’s federal election was an important milestone in the evolution of the Canadian health care system and DemandaPlan supporters can take a lot of the credit, says Dr. Chris Simpson, past president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA).
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Universal Access to Healthcare: Tackling the Unique Callenges of Canadians with Disabilities as Seniors Population Rises
December 13, 2018
The significant increase in the population of seniors means it is more important than ever to make adaptations to physical environments and transportation so that they are accessible to people with differing levels of independence and who use mobility aids such as walkers, wheelchairs, scooters and canes.
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Hospice in Moncton, NB, focuses on compassionate care at the end of life
August 8, 2016
A hospice team in Moncton, New Brunswick, is providing compassionate care and helping people in the community have the best quality of life they can, in the time they have remaining.
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Ottawa setting up online tool to help caregivers help veterans
August 4, 2016
Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr announced July 12 that Saint Elizabeth Health Care in Ottawa has been awarded a contract worth approximately $383,000 to design, develop and deliver an e-learning program for caregivers of Canadian veterans.
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Seizing the opportunities helps create the right road map
March 19, 2018
A note from CMA President Laurent Marcoux to Nova Scotia Physician. As printed in the March 2018 issue of doctorsNS.
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Accessing Oral Health Care Can be Difficult
October 4, 2016
While it is impossible to predict a person’s future oral health care costs, it may be worth having a discussion with your oral health care provider about what you might expect in the next 5, 10 or even 15 years.
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Paramedic Home Care Programs Increasingly Popular
April 9, 2018
Ontario’s Prescott and Russell area is already set to expand their paramedic home care program in July 2018.
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Becoming an empowered patient: a conversation with Elke Hutton
March 5, 2019
She talked to us about the lessons she learned caring for her dying husband and the health care challenges facing rural seniors.
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Input from Patients is Key to Developing a Pan-Canadian Dementia Strategy
February 12, 2019
Roughly half a million Canadians are currently living with dementia; by 2031, the Alzheimer Society of Canada expects that number to double.
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Not All Meds Get Along
October 29, 2018
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and its’ campaign Demand a Plan are proud to participate in Canadian Patient Safety Week 2018, taking place from October 29th to November 2nd.
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PEI paramedics fill in the gaps for home care, helping palliative care patients and seniors stay home longer
February 13, 2018
When home care providers are not available, who can patients turn to? In Prince Edward Island, paramedics are helping to fill in the gaps.
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Pharmacare is back on the national agenda; what it means for the CMA
June 11, 2018
Pharmacare is once again on the national agenda, with the parliamentary health committee issuing its report on the topic, and the Liberal government launching a federal advisory council on a national pharmacare plan.
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Philpott pledges to stop health fees after lawsuit
May 6, 2016
Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott promises to make sure that the access Canadians have to their health care system is based on need, not on their ability to pay.
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Could physician assistants be the next great solution for senior care in Canada?
March 21, 2018
In early 2018, CAPA published a position statement encouraging the provinces to introduce valuable solutions like PAs into its senior care strategies.
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New Pilot Project Could Deliver a New Level of Health Care to Seniors
August 1, 2018
In October 2017, the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre (Perley Rideau), together with The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), launched a pilot project to assist elderly patients who no longer require hospital care but are not yet well enough to return home.
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Quebec City hospital uses mobile clinic to treat seniors at home
June 12, 2019
Treating senior patients at home, where they feel most comfortable: it’s such a simple idea, but making it happen in Quebec City required both inspiration and follow-through.
Read articleAsk the right questions about your medications
October 31, 2018
Patients and caregivers can ask their doctor, nurse or pharmacist for a medication review. Use the 5 Questions to Ask About Your Medications to guide your conversation.
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Creatively addressing ALC needs in the GTA
February 8, 2018
A shuttered Toronto hospital has reopened to provide specialist care for 150 alternative-level-of-care (ALC) patients transitioning out of area hospitals.
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Feds can afford $3.3 billion for health, including seniors, CMA says
September 21, 2015
A new report by the Conference Board of Canada demonstrates that the federal government can deliver meaningful support for seniors care, starting in the next budget cycle, Dr. Cindy Forbes, president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) said today.
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Retirement Brings New Realities
June 24, 2015
With an ailing partner to care for, more than 600,000 aging Canadians are left becoming an advocate in what would be unprecedented circumstances for them and navigating a complicated health system
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Family members caring for elders left to clean up the mess of a failing health care system
October 2, 2015
Canadians shouldn’t fear growing old. Nor should they fear the treatment they’ll receive when they reach their elderly years.
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Integrating the mental health care needs of seniors into the overall health care strategy
March 2, 2016
Canada is in the midst of a major demographic shift. As Canadians are living longer, many are more engaged with their own health. With a longer lifespan comes the burden of chronic disease, including dementia and mental illness.
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First National Initiative To Help Shift Negative Stereotypes
February 17, 2016
As the only growing age group nationwide, seniors represent the future of our country for foreseeable decades. What role should our health care system play in helping Canadians invest in this future?
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The practice of social work within communities: A key asset
February 26, 2016
Are we ever truly prepared to intervene in lives shattered by illness or grief or to accompany a person and their family towards the end of life?
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Staff shortages in Quebec’s long-term care residences
March 28, 2018
Elderly seniors in Quebec’s long-term care (LTC) facilities are growing in number but receiving less care than in the past because of staff shortages caused, in part, by the difficulty in recruiting personnel.
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Nova Scotia doctor designs care model tailored to seniors
January 13, 2016
Dr. Barry Clarke, a family physician in Nova Scotia, has made it his priority to ensure seniors across the province receive more coordinated, efficient care that ultimately frees up hospital beds and emergency rooms.
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Aging with a Disability: Flipping the Script of the Healthy Aging Paradigm
July 11, 2018
Many Canadians age into disability, meaning that they will acquire conditions and limitations as they grow old. But what of seniors who age with a disability?
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New Wait Time Alliance Report Card Reveals Important Lessons For New Health Accord
December 10, 2015
For the past decade, the Wait Time Alliance (WTA) has been reporting on Canada’s progress to reduce health care wait times.
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Health Care Must Be a Priority in the Upcoming Federal Election
July 11, 2019
The CMA is standing behind Canadians, dedicated to advocating for the positive changes and future planning that you all want to see. You are at the heart of the CMA’s federal election advocacy. Many voices are louder than just one; we are all Health Care Advocates.
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Use the buttons below to start your advocacy journey and join the movement.
CMA Health Care Advocates is a community of Canadians who are standing up for our health care system. It's proudly presented by the Canadian Medical Association. Learn more about us by visiting our website: CMA.ca.
