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Globe and Mail
17 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Dr. Brian Day predicted the health care mess we're in today
Last month, it was revealed that between 2018 and 2024, almost 142,000 people walked out of an emergency room in British Columbia without being seen by a doctor or a nurse. The numbers make up just some of the data tracked by the province's health ministry. The information was obtained by the BC Conservative Party via a freedom-of-information request because heavens knows these are not the kind of statistics a sitting government wants out there – especially a government that has fought hard to maintain the status quo when it comes to health care in the province. 'It's just really sad that this is what passes for a quality health care system,' Dr. Brian Day says to me over the phone. 'The numbers are shocking, and yet we've seen this coming for years now.' Certainly he has. I've been chronicling Dr. Day's fight against the health care system as we know it for years. And I can say, unequivocally, that he forecast the sorry state of affairs we are living today, with long waits for important surgeries becoming a part of daily life for far too many Canadians. Dr. Day predicted emergency rooms would not have the capacity to meet the growing number of people in Metro Vancouver unless the government went on a major hiring spree. Successive administrations didn't listen, and here we are today. In rural B.C., frequent ER closings show how 'fragile' the health care system has become B.C. health authority cuts dozens of jobs after quiet government directive to balance budget There are few doctors in this country who have been as high-profile and controversial as Dr. Day has been for three decades. He has been the tireless pitchman for a hybrid system of health care that allows for some private providers, like the clinic he's operated in Vancouver for three decades. The journey he's been on has now been chronicled in his new autobiography: My Fight For Canadian Healthcare: A Thirty-Year Battle To Put Patients First. It is a meticulous piece of work with more than 500 references to data and research he says grounds his position in the facts. I would urge all defenders of the great system we have today to spend some time exploring its pages. It's impossible to not come away flummoxed and angry at the gross hypocrisy of those who continue to support a system that perennially underperforms against our peer nations – despite, in many cases, spending far more money. The book walks the reader through Dr. Day's long fight with the B.C. government to allow private health insurance in the province. The struggle, of course, ultimately led to a defeat in B.C. Supreme Court in 2020, with the judge in the case rejecting Dr. Day's argument that British Columbians had a constitutional right to access private care when wait times in the public system put a person's health and life at risk. Ultimately, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear an appeal. This would be the same court that in 2005 ruled that private insurance could be allowed in Quebec because, in the words of then-chief justice Beverley McLachlin, 'access to a waiting list is not access to health care.' So private health care is allowed in Quebec, just not anywhere else in Canada. Make that make sense. The ruling against Mr. Day's clinic only applied to B.C. and its residents. So, people in Alberta, for instance, who are tired of waiting for knee or hip surgery there, can come to Dr. Day's clinic and pay to get help. (And they do.) Just as British Columbians tired of being in pain here can go to a private clinic in Alberta and get operated on. (As they do as well.) 'Many Canadians don't realize it, but we're the only country on the planet where most people are prevented from getting private health insurance,' Dr. Day told me. But Ottawa does allow people to have private insurance for things like drug prescriptions. So, again, no private insurance allowed to get diagnosed with a health problem, but it's okay to have it for the drugs needed to remedy your issue. Again, if you can make that make sense, good for you. Dr. Day is 78 years old now and still performing surgeries. He is as animated as ever on the topic of Canadian health care, especially on social media, where he showcases the absolute insanity of the system we live under in his many posts. As he points out in his book, there is nothing like it in the world. 'I think I'm being proven right in terms of the warnings I sounded years ago,' Dr. Day said. 'I do believe that some day people will come to their senses and realize a hybrid model where some private health care is allowed makes sense – which is why all the best health care systems have it.'
National Post
17 minutes ago
- National Post
CitiusTech Acquires Health Data Movers, Enhances Healthcare Provider Offerings With Epic Implementation Capabilities
Article content PRINCETON, N.J. — CitiusTech, a leading provider of healthcare technology, services & solutions, today announced that it has acquired Health Data Movers, a Best in KLAS healthcare technology services firm, with deep expertise in Epic Systems, Workday, ServiceNow and other core healthcare platforms. Article content As healthcare providers work to improve quality of care and deliver more connected patient and clinician experiences, they face the challenges of unifying complex technology ecosystems while accelerating innovation. The rapid rise of Agentic AI, Cloud, and AI Scribes has only heightened the need for seamless integration into the core systems clinicians and staff use every day. Epic, as the digital backbone of many healthcare providers, has been central to this transformation, driving digital adoption, enabling interoperability, and opening new pathways to embed advanced analytics and AI directly into clinical workflows. Article content The combination of CitiusTech's AI, data, and automation solutions and Health Data Movers' deep integration expertise, creates a unique ability to embed intelligence and automation directly into core operational platforms such as EMR, ITSM and ERP. By bringing advanced digital capabilities directly into the daily workflows that health systems trust, this approach minimizes change management risks, and delivers scalable, end-to-end solutions that enable Providers to achieve greater efficiency, quality, and impact in patient care. Article content 'This is a pivotal moment and huge opportunity for CitiusTech and Health Data Movers, as we meet the demands of a rapidly transforming healthcare landscape. By combining forces, we are redefining the path to seamless integration, and infusing AI and intelligent automation into clinical operations. Together, we empower our customers to unlock transformative efficiencies, deliver connected patient care, and accelerate innovation, all within the systems they trust. This partnership strengthens CitiusTech's position as a strategic partner across the healthcare ecosystem,' said Rajan Kohli, CEO, CitiusTech. By bringing Health Data Movers' Epic implementation and integration expertise into CitiusTech's portfolio, this partnership has the ability to operate at the very core of the Epic ecosystem, solving some of healthcare's most critical challenges. Article content 'At Health Data Movers, our commitment has always been to empower patients and providers by harnessing the potential of data and technology,' said Tyler Smith, CEO, Health Data Movers. 'Joining forces with CitiusTech allows us to pair that expertise with unmatched scale, advanced technologies, and expanded capabilities. Together, we can deliver future-ready solutions, that not only improve patient outcomes and lower costs, but also redefine how patients and providers fully benefit in an AI-powered healthcare ecosystem.' Article content CitiusTech and Health Data Movers share a vision of advancing healthcare through human-centered technology, operational excellence, and trusted partnerships. Article content Founded in 2012, Health Data Movers is a US-based, specialized healthcare IT services firm, with a mission to empower patients and Providers by unleashing the potential of healthcare data and technology. They are trusted partners to healthcare organizations, biotechnology companies, and digital health enterprises, delivering unique, data-driven solutions through their Data Management, Integration, Project Management and Clinical & Business Applications services. Health Data Movers brings with it a highly skilled team of healthcare technology professionals with deep expertise in large-scale EMR program delivery, clinical workflows, and operational transformation. Article content Health Data Movers was advised on this transaction by Equiteq. Article content About CitiusTech Article content CitiusTech Article content is a global technology services, consulting, and business solutions enterprise 100% focused on the healthcare and life sciences industry. We enable 140+ enterprises to build a human-first ecosystem that is efficient, effective, and equitable. Leveraging deep domain expertise and next-generation technologies including AI, Cloud, Data, and Intelligent Automation, we assist our clients in realizing their vision, accelerate transformation, and achieve business outcomes. With over 8,500 healthcare technology professionals worldwide, CitiusTech powers digital innovation, business transformation, and industry-wide convergence through next-generation technologies, solutions, and products. Follow CitiusTech on Article content . Article content Health Data Movers Article content (HDM) is a 'Best in KLAS' healthcare technology services firm. They are trusted partners to healthcare organizations, biotechnology companies, and digital health enterprises through their Services – Data Management, Integration, Project Management, and Clinical & Business Applications – they are the smart choice for creating unique solutions that empower patients and providers by unleashing the potential of healthcare data and technology. Recognized as a leader in the industry, HDM has been named to the Inc. 5000 list six times (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). Additionally, HDM was honored as one of the 'Best Firms to Work For' by Consulting Magazine in 2020 and 2025. Article content Article content Article content
CBC
18 minutes ago
- CBC
P.E.I. will expand RSV protections for infants and more seniors this fall
Social Sharing With the approach of fall likely bringing the usual uptick in respiratory illness, the provincial government is boosting its range of protections against RSV, with free vaccines available for more seniors and infants eligible to receive an antibody product. Previously, free vaccines were available to people 60 years and older who were living in long-term or community-care homes on Prince Edward Island, said Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison. "Seniors 75 years of age or older will be able to have a vaccine to protect against RSV starting in September," she said. "There's a product for children less than one year of age. It will be available in October, and it will also provide protection as they go into their first season of RSV." RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, infects the nose, throat and lungs. The common virus can lead to hospitalization for people without strong immune systems, such as infants and older adults with chronic health conditions. Morrison said Islanders not in those two groups might become eligible for protections down the road. What parents need to know about RSV 10 months ago "We have talked about trying to make sure that it's available for seniors with COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], for instance, because those are certainly very vulnerable seniors who would be under 75," she said. "So we're trying to work with the system to identify as some of those individuals." The province's website says children between 12 and 24 months of age who have certain medical conditions will also remain eligible for free RSV protection measures. Only one dose of the Abrysvo vaccine is needed to protect adults against RSV, Morrison said. Infants will receive the product Beyfortus, described as a long-acting monoclonal antibody with protection that lasts a full RSV season, typically from November to April. Morrison said this treatment will protect those children from getting bronchiolitis and pneumonia related to RSV. Hundreds of cases on P.E.I. Morrison said that RSV has been around for a long time, but products to fight its worst effects are relatively new. "In the last two winters, we've had over 150 hospitalizations related to RSV," she said. "This past winter, 58 per cent of those were related to little children." In those same two seasons, Morrison said there were more than 850 lab-confirmed cases on the Island, including some outbreaks of the illness, and three people died. We want to protect more babies and seniors and keep them out of the hospital. — Dr. Heather Morrison "It is circulating... so this vaccine hopefully will make a difference and help our health-care system as well as the population here in P.E.I." She said other provinces across Canada are also making the vaccine and antibody product more available. "This is certainly in line with the evidence and vaccine recommendations across the country, and with our National Advisory Committee on Immunization," she said.
