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Workers nursing health care to positive outcomes for B.C. Indigenous patients
Data privacy an ongoing issue in midst of pregnancy, period tracking

Month: July 2023

Department Health
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Prime Minister announces changes to the Ministry

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced changes to the Ministry. The new Ministry, adding to a strong core economic team, is ready to deliver on what matters most to Canadians: making life more affordable for the middle class, growing the economy, and building a strong future for people from coast to coast to coast.

Building on the work done since 2015 to invest in Canadians and to strengthen the middle class and those working hard to join it, the team will continue to move forward on housing and putting more money back in families’ pockets. To deliver a better future for everyone, the team will also continue to fight climate change and walk the shared path of reconciliation.

The changes to the Ministry are as follows:

  • Anita Anand becomes President of the Treasury Board
  • Marie-Claude Bibeau becomes Minister of National Revenue
  • Bill Blair becomes Minister of National Defence
  • Randy Boissonnault becomes Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
  • Jean-Yves Duclos becomes Minister of Public Services and Procurement
  • Sean Fraser becomes Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
  • Karina Gould becomes Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
  • Mark Holland becomes Minister of Health
  • Ahmed Hussen becomes Minister of International Development
  • Gudie Hutchings becomes Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
  • Kamal Khera becomes Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
  • Dominic LeBlanc becomes Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
  • Diane Lebouthillier becomes Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
  • Lawrence MacAulay becomes Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
  • Marc Miller becomes Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
  • Mary Ng becomes Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
  • Seamus O’Regan Jr. becomes Minister of Labour and Seniors
  • Ginette Petitpas Taylor becomes Minister of Veterans
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Health Advice
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A planet-friendly diet could help people to live longer and healthier

Eating more planet-friendly foods could help you live a longer, healthier life, according to new research. Researchers found that people who followed a more environmentally sustainable diet were 25% less likely to die during a follow-up period of over 30 years compared to those with a less sustainable diet.

The study builds upon prior research that identified foods that are a win-win for both health and the environment-;such as whole grains, fruit, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and unsaturated oils-;as well as foods that could be harmful to the environment and human health, like eggs and red and processed meats. The new findings suggest eating more planet-friendly foods can help reduce a person’s risk of death from causes such as cancer, heart disease, respiratory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases.

We proposed a new diet score that incorporates the best current scientific evidence of food effects on both health and the environment. The results confirmed our hypothesis that a higher Planetary Health Diet score was associated with a lower risk of mortality.”


Linh Bui, MD, a PhD candidate, Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Bui will present the findings at NUTRITION 2023, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held July 22–25 in Boston.

According to existing evidence, plant-based foods are associated with both a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, and stroke, and reduced impacts to the environment in terms of factors like water use, land use, nutrient pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

With the new study, the researchers aimed to create a simple tool that policymakers and public health practitioners could use to develop strategies to improve public health and address the climate crisis.

“As a millennial, I have always been concerned about mitigating

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Health Advice
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Penticton clothing store focuses on ethical clothing, sustainable brands and ‘slow’ fashion – Penticton News

Casey Richardson

Penticton is home to a new clothing, accessories and home goods store with a unique on products that are sustainable, Canadian brands, with ethical manufacturing.

Husband and wife team Bryan and Susie Gay opened Slow Current in June, after years of having a vision for their own store.

Gay said the name, emphasizes slow which is for a “slow fashion” and current as the “connection of currents bring nutrients all through different sea life and various areas of the ocean.”

“And that’s we want to create that connection in the supply chain and connection with consumer to the purchaser or consumer to maker,” she added.

Gay has a background in graphic and apparel design and has owned and operated multiple local businesses in the past with her husband.

She said the jumping-in point came when she was in a mountain bike accident in the summer of 2022 that forced her to take a break and examine where she wanted to go next.

The store carries brands that give back to environmental and socio-political causes, including helping farmers regenerate their fields through organic practices, making swimwear from recycled ocean plastic waste or even supporting women’s freedom from human trafficking, slavery, and poverty through self-sustaining jobs.

Finding ethical and sustainable brands was important to the duo as they work in trying to live their life that way.

“We’re not always perfect. But I just feel like there are so many great reasons, obviously. There are so many great brands and that’s what I was finding is you’re not sacrificing by choosing something that’s ethically made [and] sustainable. It’s almost [as if] you’re getting more, right? You’re getting quality, you’re getting a story,” Gay said.

“We have young kids and so we’re conscious of the planet and leaving it as good

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Department Health
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Residents of Kitimat, B.C. worried about safety after ER doctor sent to work in neighbouring community

The only hospital in Kitimat has experienced two instances of reduced emergency services in the past two weeks, leading local residents to worry about their safety in the industrial community that is home to a major aluminum smelter.

The Kitimat General Hospital had to close its emergency department overnight from 7 p.m. on July 20 until 8 a.m. the next day. The same situation occurred on July 13-14.

The Northern Health Authority said the disruptions were caused by their decision to transfer the emergency department physician from the Kitimat hospital to the Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace, about 51 kilometres away.

“Every effort is being made to prevent emergency department service interruptions in the north — whether they are the result of physician or nursing staffing challenges. 

“Emergency departments are only ever on diversion as a last resort — when no other options are available,” Northern Health said in a written statement to CBC News on Wednesday.

British Columbian communities have seen the suspension of hospital emergency services caused by staff shortages in other parts of the province this year, including Saanich on Vancouver Island and Merritt in B.C.’s southern Interior.   

A CBC News analysis of emergency room closures last year found that emergency departments in 13 hospitals in rural B.C. communities were closed for the equivalent of around four months in 2022, an issue that the province attributed to staff shortages driven by waves of sick leaves and more lasting staff retention issues. 

Petition launched to keep Kitimat hospital open 24/7

The disruption in medical services prompted Kitimat resident Dylan Pollock to start an online petition on July 18, calling on Northern Health to recruit more health-care workers to keep the hospital’s emergency department open 24/7. 

The petition has garnered more than 1,100 signatures as of Thursday from the

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Health Care
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Adriana LaGrange: Local decision-making key to reforming Alberta’s health care

Published Jul 27, 2023  •  3 minute read

Danielle Smith
Premier Danielle Smith, left, listens as Dr. John Cowell, official administrator at Alberta Health Services, answers questions during a news conference on a new initiative to use alternative modes of transportation for non-emergency transfers to hospital. The goal is to help free up paramedics and ambulances for emergency calls. The announcement took place in a training lab at the Cal Wenzel Precision Health Building next to the Foothills Hospital on Dec. 21, 2022. Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia, file

Last week, I received my mandate letter from Premier Danielle Smith. It is clear we have work to do in our health-care system, but I truly believe by working with our frontline health-care professionals and providers we will be able to solve many of these extremely complex problems.

The past few years have highlighted the pressures faced by health professionals in delivering care to Albertans. Over the last several years, Alberta’s government undertook significant engagement in order to fully understand these pressures as well as possible solutions.

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Health Information
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Workflow Management Systems Boost Efficiency in US Healthcare Information Exchange Market 2023-2028

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United States Healthcare Information Exchange Market Adoption Of Electronic Health Records By Percentage By Hospita

United States Healthcare Information Exchange Market Adoption Of Electronic Health Records By Percentage By Hospita

United States Healthcare Information Exchange Market Adoption Of Electronic Health Records By Percentage By Hospita

Dublin, July 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “United States Healthcare Information Exchange Market – Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 – 2028)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The United States healthcare information exchange market is set to achieve a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.2% during the forecast period.

The market was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, with a surge in demand for electronic medical records and health information systems to track the rising number of Covid-affected patients and diagnostics. Market players responded to the urgent need by developing and introducing advanced healthcare information exchange systems, fueling market growth.

Notably, the introduction of various innovative systems for COVID-19 data management contributed notably to the market’s expansion. With the emergence of various mutant strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the demand for healthcare information exchange is expected to remain intact, further boosting market growth in the coming years.

Main Factors Driving Market Growth:

  1. Increasing Investment in Healthcare Technology Advancements: The healthcare sector’s growing investment in technology advancements has paved the way for sophisticated healthcare information exchange systems. Organizations are keen on adopting digital solutions to streamline processes and enhance patient care, driving market growth.

  2. Government Support via Programs and Incentives: Government support through various programs and incentives has encouraged the adoption of healthcare information exchange systems. Significant investments have been directed towards modernizing public health infrastructure and ensuring readiness for ongoing and emerging public health emergencies, further boosting the market.

  3. Reduction in Healthcare Costs and Improved Efficacy: Healthcare information exchange systems offer improved efficiency in data sharing, resulting in reduced healthcare costs. By facilitating

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Health Advice
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WHO releases new guidance to improve testing and diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections

The World Health Organization (WHO) is sharing its latest guidance on sexually transmitted infections (STI) at the STI & HIV 2023 World Congress taking place in Chicago, the United States of America, on 24-27 July 2023. With STIs on the rise, WHO is calling for better access to testing and diagnostic services. At the congress, WHO will also discuss its latest STI research agenda and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in gonorrhoea.

STIs on the rise globally

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries had reported low coverage for prevention, testing and treatment services for STIs, which has led to a resurgence of STIs globally.  Countries with good STI surveillance, such as the United States of America and United Kingdom, are reporting increasing STIs. Emerging outbreaks of new infections, such as mpox, and the re-emergence of neglected STIs pose challenges for prevention and control efforts.

Several countries are increasingly reporting failures of current treatment recommendations for gonorrhoea. Of concern, the spread of a Neisseria gonorrhoea clone that is highly resistant to ceftriaxone is increasingly being reported in countries in Asia such as China, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam as well as in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The enhanced gonorrhoea AMR surveillance (EGASP) suggests high rates of resistance in gonorrhoeae to current treatment options such as ceftriaxone, cefixime and azithromycin in Cambodia, for instance. Syphilis, as well as congenital syphilis, are on the rise, and the lack of benzathine penicillin poses a considerable challenge to effectively treat them.

New WHO guidance on testing and laboratory diagnostics

Every day, more than 1 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are acquired, posing a significant global health challenge. However, monitoring and understanding the trends of new STIs in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are hindered by limited access to diagnostic tests. “Early

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Health Advice
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Fashion Experts Have Failed to Save Tired Clothing Brands, Now They’re Looking Outside For Rescuing

(Bloomberg) — Struggling fashion and apparel retailers are turning to outsiders with strong track records reviving once-flailing brands in order to end their own slumps.

Gap Inc.’s announcement this week that it chose Mattel Inc.’s Richard Dickson as its next chief executive officer was the most recent in a series of executive appointments in fashion retail from outside the industry. Last year saw record turnover of apparel and footwear executives, according to Cathy Logue, managing director at executive-search firm Stanton Chase. Their replacements have come from worlds as varied as tech, tires and travel. 

“The common theme is that all of those businesses have historically struggled,” Logue said. Companies are looking for CEOs that “have either been successful in executing turnarounds or refreshing the brands.”

At Gap the appeal of someone like Dickson isn’t the stints he did at Bloomingdale’s and Nine West. It’s the most recent success he had reviving an iconic brand from cultural obscurity and financial distress. Dickson, who was Mattel’s chief operating officer, helped Barbie go from a retrograde relic to a billion dollar annual revenue stream and the face of a $472 million box office hit at the center of the zeitgeist. 

“Dickson’s creative focus is a strategic asset to Gap as the company looks to reinvigorate its portfolio of brands,” Goldman Sachs analysts led by Brooke Roach said in a note. Gap, like Barbie, was once an iconic American brand, synonymous with denim and crisp white t-shirts. But its stock price peaked in 1999, and all four of its brands — Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta — have struggled to maintain sales growth. 

Apparel companies, especially those that historically relied on suburban malls for sales, have struggled over the last decade to stay relevant as e-commerce and social media increasingly control how

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Health Care
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Converting doctor’s offices to premium clinics could spawn a new health-care crisis

News that a Calgary medical clinic has solicited “member” fees from its patients will no doubt shock many Albertans, regardless of their ability to pay for enhanced care.

But the believers in an equitable, fully public health care system should understand this challenging reality: some Alberta clinics have been charging patients thousands for premium services since well before Premier Danielle Smith’s tenure.

The trend predates UCP predecessor Jason Kenney. And the NDP’s Rachel Notley. In fact, you can go back five premiers into the Tory dynasty, to the latter days of Ralph Klein in 2006, to find a government and health ministry reckoning with a new private health clinic offering a boutique or “concierge” service for willing residents.

And similar clinics have existed in other provinces like Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

But there’s something that seems to set the Marda Loop Clinic apart, that many Albertans will reasonably find unsettling.

What appears to be different or novel in this case is that Marda Loop is an existing clinic that’s switching over to premium-pay service.

A ‘transformative’ model

Dr. Sally Talbot-Jones’ clinic in an inner-city southwest Calgary neighbourhood recently sent existing patients a letter about what it called a “transformative health care initiative.” It offered reduced wait times, longer appointments and an array of other perks, through membership that costs up to $4,800 for families.

Clinic patients who opt not to become paid members could still receive care from their doctor, but only one day a week.

The long-controversial but long-sanctioned Copeman Healthcare Centre chain of private clinics set up as new operations seeking a new list of patients. For patients at Marda Loop, the doctor and clinic they’d relied on for years transformed beneath their feet.

The switch from a public doctor’s clinic to a (mostly) private boutique seems

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