Leadership in health services = Leadership dans les services de santé
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Leadersh Health Serv · May 1996
Federal/provincial financial arrangements: the poverty of economic advice.
The Canada Health and Social Transfer was finally given shape in the 1996 federal budget. Like most contemporary fiscal policy, the budget's measures are designed to control federal spending on social programs, including healthcare, with an eye toward controlling the federal deficit. ⋯ Promoting a stronger economy by fostering the growth of jobs would reduce the demand for social programs while providing greater tax revenue with which to fund such programs. Surely this is a sounder course of action for Canada.
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Leadersh Health Serv · Mar 1996
Are Canadian hospitals providing family-centered maternity and newborn care?
A philosophy of family-centered maternity and newborn care requires that there be open communication between a woman, her family and health professionals; that the woman be able to choose people to support her, and have those people present during labour and birth; and that the mother and infant remain in close contact whenever possible following birth. Using data from a 1993 survey, the authors conclude that Canadian hospitals still have a long way to go before putting these ideals into practice.
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In the era of major restraint of health care spending in Ontario, the Ottawa General Hospital, a 530-bed adult tertiary care facility, initiated a series of programs aimed at reducing their drug costs by $500,000 over 18 months; the goal was achieved in 12 months. This success is attributed to the collaboration of key medical staff, the pharmacy department and senior administration. Overall, quality of care was unaffected and was perhaps improved.
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Thailand's health care system incorporates the private and public sectors. The government regulates health care through a system of capping, which protects its interests while providing a climate for competition. As a result, the private sector has developed and implemented some interesting concepts in health care as it turned to prevention, hospital care alternatives, neighbourhood-based ambulatory care and home care. The author suggests that Canada could benefit by examining some of Thailand's innovations.