Group Think

[Ted Reesor]

Missy

In today's Globe and Mail (one of Canada's national papers), there is an article on a senate report about the state of Canada's preparedness for emergencies (http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Committee_SenRep.asp?Language=E&Parl=39&Ses=2&comm_id=76).  The title is "Emergency Preparedness in Canada: How the Fine Arts of Procrastination and Bafflegab Hobble the People Who Will be Trying to Save You When Things Get Really Bad".  It's not a nice report, apparently.

Although I have been an RT for 17 years, I have also acted as a nurse manager as well as performing international medevacs for a private company (cool job, but no money in it-hard to feed the kids).  Today I am marketing innovative medical equipment.  The reason  mention this is that despite a call for innovation, NO ONE is interested in changing practices that would improve patient outcomes or decrease overall costs to the system.  I also have a MBA in healthcare management, and the biggest problem (with the Canadian system at least) is that the hospital systems operate like a classic monopoly, where lack of competition results in very inefficient practices and poor service. This obviously results in worse outcomes for the customer...the patient (except that a poorly served customer has more dire consequences than just being ticked off).  

Its a very interesting practice to watch, now that I am on the outside.


Take care,

Ted Reesor, RRT, BSc, MBA
Burlington, Ontario