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More Private Care is the Wrong Prescription for MRIs

August 23, 2016 12:28 PM

More Private Care is the Wrong Prescription for MRIs

The recent stories on MRI in Calgary raise important issues, and expose some views that are simply detached from reality. 

Let's start with the facts. MRI wait times for outpatients are posted on the Alberta Wait Times website - waitimes.alberta.ca - for 3 levels: 1 urgent; 2 semi-urgent; 3 non-urgent. The latest data, for June 2016, shows the average wait in Calgary for levels 1 and 2 combined was 8 weeks, down from 9 weeks in June 2015. The wait times for urgent scans are shorter, not longer. The increase in wait times is only in non-urgent scans, where the average wait has gone up from 21 weeks a year ago to nearly 30 weeks.

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#nopaidplasma Tour Across Alberta September 12 - 16

August 02, 2016 10:13 AM

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#nopaidplasma Tour Across Alberta September 12 - 16

Join Friends of Medicare and BloodWatch.org this fall as we hit the road to promote a safe and supported blood and plasma system.

Events run September 12 - 16 in the following cities:

All events are free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:45 with the event starting at 7 pm.

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Our Recommendations to Improve Continuing Care

July 28, 2016 2:56 PM

Our Recommendations to Improve Continuing Care

The Alberta Government has invited public input on their review of three pieces of regulation on continuing care: 

We felt that the survey did not focus on important challenges we’ve identified in the system and instead have prepared a submission that we have sent via email and posted online for everyone to read. You are encouraged to repeat any of our recommendations that you agree with, and send your own feedback on these regulations to [email protected] before the July 31 deadline.

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Send a Message to Premier Notley!

July 15, 2016 5:15 AM

What's Your Message to Premier Notley?

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Friends of Medicare are on the move next week! We will be in Whitehorse July 20 - 22 where Provincial and Territorial heads of Government meet at the Council of the Federation (COF). We will be joined by our national partner the Canadian Health Coalition as well as provincial and territorial coalitions to send a message to our representatives to keep health care on the agenda.

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Friends of Medicare Submission to WCB Review

July 14, 2016 12:41 PM

The Government of Alberta is requesting submissions for a review of the Workers' Compensation Board.

We've made our submission with a focus on health care delivery and the WCB, with 7 recommendations below.

Read our submission online, and you can make your own to [email protected] but make it quick - the deadline is Friday, July 15.

WCB has also provided a Workbook if you're looking for further inspiration on areas of possible improvement in the system.

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From our Treasurer Elisabeth Ballermann

July 12, 2016 5:00 AM

Moving Forward with Friends of Medicare

With Sandra Azocar after being given the 2016 Public Service Award by Public Interest AlbertaTo the members and supporters of Friends of Medicare,

I'm writing to you today to let you know of changes in the works for Friends of Medicare's board of directors. Since approximately 1997, I've been representing the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) on Friends of Medicare's board in various capacities, including as FOM Treasurer for a number of years. That's all about to change. On June 26, I was elected the Secretary-Treasurer of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). That means that after August 19, I will no longer be the president of HSAA, but will represent public sector workers across Canada as the NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer. Therefore my primary focus will no longer be on issues just in Alberta.

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Alberta Can and Should Ban Pay-for-Plasma

April 28, 2016 4:40 PM

Alberta can and should ban pay-for-plasma

Canadian Blood Services (CBS) aren’t doing their job, so it’s time the Alberta government step in.

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Why are people talking about Sundre?

April 01, 2016 2:38 PM

Why are people talking about Sundre?

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Photo credit: AUPE

Albertans clearly voted to expand public long term care delivery, not shrink it. The Alberta NDP platform had promised 500 public beds to open per year, and we are now almost a year into our new governments mandate. We still do not have details for any publicly delivered long-term care beds, and now there are plans to close 15 beds.

We have noticed a bit of confusion around the planned closure of long-term care beds in Sundre, so we wanted to provide more background information to detail what has happened, why it’s an issue, and what people can do about it.

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Guest Blog - What's Happening in Sundre?

March 27, 2016 11:16 AM

What's happening in Sundre?

wodak.jpg Carol Wodak, March 27, 2016

Note: We're pleased to feature a guest blog post from respected elder care advocate Carol Wodak. Carol is a valuable resource on issues and information relating to continuing care, and has put together some facts and her perspective on what's happening with the closure of 15 publicly delivered long-term care spaces in Sundre, while seeing the opening of a supportive living facility operated privately by Mountain View Seniors' Housing.

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Calgary-Greenway By-Election Survey

March 18, 2016 3:53 PM

Putting Health Care on the Agenda in Calgary-Greenway

Voters are already voting in advance in Calgary-Greenway, with election day coming up right away on Tuesday, March 22nd.

For more information on voting in the by-election visit Elections Alberta. 

Friends of Medicare has sent a survey* to each of the candidates asking their positions on important health care issues.

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