Ontario eServices Program’s Post

Union Medical Aid’s decision to remove Melomed Hospitals from its network has stirred concerns among its members. This change could affect access to vital healthcare services and highlight challenges in maintaining affordable, comprehensive medical aid coverage. Stay informed about how this decision impacts you and what alternatives are available. https://buff.ly/3PWKlkk @UnionMedicalAid, @HealthcareAccessSA #MedicalAidUpdates #AccessToCare #HealthcarePolicy

Tough times ahead for Canadians and Canada’s public healthcare system, often described as “universal healthcare.” While the concept of “universal healthcare” remains a cornerstone of the Canadian healthcare system, there are many signs (like the ones noted in the article below) that the system is struggling to meet the needs of all Canadians. In other countries with “universal healthcare”, including the UK, Germany, and Australia, private healthcare systems operate alongside public ones, increasing choice and reducing strain on public resources and often providing faster access or enhanced services for those who can pay. Providing healthcare to Canadians the same old way and getting the same old outcomes is clearly no longer an option. If the Canadian healthcare system isn’t broken, it is certainly in desperate need of a serious renovation.

As Patient Advocates, we are often called in much too late. Issues have escalated and the damage is so deep, it is often impossible to undo. If a patient finds themselves in a situation where they are being ignored or rebuffed, or if care was harmful, call a patient advocate. Thank you for this post, Corinne Hewko! #patientadvocate #patientadvocacy #patientadvocatecanada

NHS West Yorkshire ICB wants to hear from you. They're running a survey to understand how new national eligibility criteria for non-emergency patient transport services will impact residents. Follow the the link: https://lnkd.in/ePHVsDzz They want to know 4 main things. 1. How do you travel to medical appointments at the moment and how do you get back home? 2. What you do if you can't use your normal way of traveling to a medical appointment? 3. What support do you have at the moment to help you travel to medical appointments or what support are you aware of? 4. If you're currently finding it difficult to get to medical appointments, what support do you need? If you'd like to tell us about your experiences of travelling to medical appointments, you can have a chat with us individually, West Yorkshire Voice can come out to your group or you can send us some feedback via the survey or email. Get in touch with West Yorkshire Voice to find out more. • info@westyorkshirehealthwatch.co.uk • 0113 898 0035 • 07496 403 341 #NHSTransportSurvey

Our message is simple, serve those that have the greatest need.

Your voice matters! Help advocate for the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act by reaching out to your members of Congress. Here’s how you can make an impact: ✍🏽 Call or write your U.S. House Representative and Senators to ask them to co-sponsor S. 3821/H.R. 7928, the SOAR Act of 2024.   📣 Spread the word! Encourage patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and others to share their personal stories about the challenges of accessing supplemental oxygen. Together, we can push for reforms to ensure everyone who needs supplemental oxygen has access to it. Learn more about the Four Pillars for Supplemental Oxygen Reform that form the foundation of this important legislation. Let’s make our voices heard and ensure the SOAR Act becomes law! To read more and learn about how to send your support to the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act please visit: https://lnkd.in/gfF4nERD 

As patients or care partners, we have the right to expect and advocate for safe, compassionate healthcare. Unfortunately, that is not always what we receive. By voicing our experiences and concerns, we can encourage healthcare professionals, hospitals, and the government to improve their processes and deliver the high standard of care everyone deserves. Communicating your complaint concisely and respectfully to the right people, departments, or regulatory bodies will ensure your voice is heard and increase the likelihood of positive change. Individually, we may be just a drop of water in a bucket, but together, we can create a tsunami. ❤️ Go to PatientAdvocates.ca to read the four-part series on effectively filing a complaint, written by Patient Pathways founder Connie Jorsvik and adapted for the province of Alberta by me. #patientadvocacy #advocacymatters #patientexperience #patientcare #patientfirst #shareyourstory #patientrights #medicalnegligence #patientsafety #positivechanges #yeghelath #stalbertbusiness #yegbusiness

When a healthcare professional hears that someone has negative feedback or a complaint, it is normal to feel shame and act defensively. It would be hard not to, as most people are in the field of healthcare because they truly care about people, and it doesn't feel good when things don't go well. As a licensed health professional myself, I have always tried to quell those initial feelings and have learned to embrace and value patient feedback. In my experience, it highlights areas that both the practitioners within a facility and the organization as a whole can improve and create positive change. As a patient advocate, I help patients or their families/care partners navigate their healthcare journey by overseeing their care, encouraging collaboration, and facilitating clear, respectful communication that results in favourable outcomes. Unfortunately, I often get called in too late when things have not gone well. In some instances, irreparable damage has been done, and my job is to guide my clients through the process to ensure their complaint is legitimate, expressed clearly and respectfully and sent to the appropriate people, departments, or regulatory bodies. Their voice needs to be heard. Most often, the goal of my clients who file a complaint is to fix any damage caused, if at all possible, or to elicit a change that will prevent other patients from suffering the negative experience that they or their loved ones had. Please connect with and follow my page, PatientAdvocates.ca, for more tips, resources and guidance on effectively navigating the Alberta healthcare system.

NHS and independent sector forge new agreement to tackle waiting list backlog. The NHS and independent sector have entered into a new agreement as part of a package of measures recently announced aimed at tackling the waiting list backlog and re-establishing waiting time targets. Full Article Below https://lnkd.in/ebGc4suB

It’s Canadian Patient Safety Week, and a time for us to acknowledge the risks to patients and commit to action to keep patients safe. Approx 1 in every 10 patients experience healthcare harm, and approx 1 in every 17 hospital stays in Canada includes at least one incident of harm. These are scary stats. For frequent ‘patrons’ of the healthcare system, these are even scarier. We interact with the system regularly, and need to know that our care is safe. We turn to the healthcare system in our most vulnerable moments and are trusting in our providers to help us. No one intends to cause harm. But it happens, and needs to be talked about, learned from, and never repeated. #patients4safety #CPSW2024 #UnderstandHarm https://lnkd.in/emePve-7