National Expert Commission

Canada’s health-care system provides multiple services that are cherished by its citizens, and it works well for many of us. But – given that the health needs of Canadians are growing and changing – there is vast room for improvement. Access problems, wait times, inefficiencies and rising costs threaten the effectiveness of our system to improve health service delivery.

It is agreed that the current Canadian health-care system has not kept pace with the changing health-care and wellness needs of Canadians. To meet this challenge, in May 2011, the Canadian Nurses Association launched a National Expert Commission entitled “The Health of Our Nation – The Future of our Health System.” The Commission will recommend ways in which the system can be transformed to put the patient and family first, with a renewed focus on quality care in both community and institutional settings.

The Commission will address key questions in a number of areas, such as: How do we shift and re-align health services to make better use of existing resources, including the skills of registered nurses? How can we reduce duplication and maximize teamwork to make our health system smarter and more effective?

Between July 2011 and June 2012, the Commission will consult with nurses and other health professionals, political leaders, members of the public and the media. The focus of the Commission will be to:

gather evidence;

detect gaps;

outline recommendations aimed at accelerating the implementation of policies and programs that improve quality, access, efficiency and affordability of services within Canada’s publicly funded, not-for-profit health system.

identify nursing innovations; and

The Commission will table its final recommendations in June 2012. Read more at www.cna-aiic.ca

Action Alert to Mayor Ford, Toronto City Councillors, Premier McGuinty, Ontario MPPs with Toronto ridings, and Metrolinx Board of Directors: Save Transit City for a Healthier Toronto

Why Do Nurses Support Transit City?

It’s About Equity: Neighbourhoods in the northeast and northwest of Toronto have the highest and fastest growing percentage of low-income, immigrant, single-parent and children and youth populations. Residents in these neighbourhoods have to travel farther to find employment yet they have the least access to rapid transit. The four light rail transit priority projects would bring transit to more than six times as many low-income residences as the proposed subway extension.

It’s About a Healthier Environment: Public transportation emits 45 to 95 per cent less smog-causing pollution than travel by private vehicles. Transit City will relieve traffic congestion by removing more cars off the road and result in greater reduction of greenhouse gas emissions than the subway option.

It’s About Using Public Funds Responsibly: The proposed subway extension will provide huge capacity trains to a relatively small number of people in only one section of the city. The neighbourhoods the subway would serve do not have a high enough population density to justify this most expensive transit option. Mayor Ford’s desire to seek funding from the private sector to design and build the proposed Sheppard subway extension would ultimately cost the City much more.

Please see below for a comparison chart prepared by the Pembina Institute as well as additional resources on this issue.

What you can do:

Take a few moments to email the letter below to Mayor Ford. A copy will automatically be sent to all Toronto City Councillors, Premier McGuinty, Ontario MPPs with Toronto ridings, and Metrolinx Board of Directors. You are welcome to edit the letter to share insights from your nursing practice and life experiences on why a strong transit system is essential for good health and vibrant communities.

Please share this action alert with your colleagues, neighbours, friends, and family and ask them to endorse this call for action. They are welcome to use the format below and/or they are also welcome to send an email through http://emailthem.ca/transitcity/

The Toronto Environmental Alliance is seeking volunteers to help with this Transit City Campaign to do outreach by phone or in person. More information is available at http://torontoenvironment.org/actioncentre/volunteer/currentpostings Read more at www.rnao.org

Time to get mHealth moving

Using mobile devices to collect and share health data can make healthcare cheaper, faster and more equitable, argues Jody Ranck.

You can’t see health data as they flow from clinic to decision-maker — but they are absolutely critical for informing good policies and allocating resources appropriately.

Countless lives are lost each year because of limited access to health information. If an infectious disease breaks out in a remote village, for example, it can take weeks for surveillance data collected on paper to reach central systems — and in that time, the outbreak could have become an epidemic.

But equipped with a mobile phone, a health worker in a remote area can send real-time data on symptoms observed in an outbreak to the health ministry.

Using mobile phones in this way, known as mHealth, can dramatically reduce the damage caused by disease. It can also prevent drug stock-outs and improve patient care.

Developments in modern ICT — moving beyond the computer, fax and landlines to mobile devices — are key to improving the ease and efficiency of health data flows, ultimately giving people greater and more equitable access to health services.

The mobile solution Read more at www.scidev.net

The Editor’s Letter

Mary Jo Haddad

Enabling child health is the main focus of my career. While I am often inspired by the great strides that have been made in terms of fostering child health, my many encounters with children and their families, healthcare providers and health system policy and decision-makers also make me acutely aware of the significant health-related obstacles young people still confront. Very few – if any – of us are satisfied with the current state of children’s health. We know we can do better, and we believe we ought to do more. In order to bring about positive changes for children, we must move swiftly, decisively and in a carefully planned and coordinated manner.

This journal series – Child Health in Canada – was born out of a spirit of collaboration and a fierce determination to improve children’s physical and mental well-being. It is also a call to action to address the specific issues that impede children’s health. The goals of the series are not tame; its aims are to inform public policy and to improve systems of care across the country and, in so doing, to enhance child health outcomes.

My vision for this series is also anchored in pride and optimism. These feelings arise from working with brilliant, talented and passionate child health experts, individuals who are motivated to improve the lives of children in our communities, schools, homes and hospitals.

Child Health in Canada will be composed of four issues, each one focused on a theme that is critical to the overall subject:

Social determinants of health

Mental health

Health systems performance

Innovation Read more at www.longwoods.com