Dr. Steven Lewis and HSURC Commission
of Saskatchewan:
Contributing sources to the decline
of health care in Saskatchewan
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| By Mario deSantis, March 12, 2000 |
| |
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| substitute home care for acute car |
It is really funny to reflect on the assembly work "The Deklein and Fall of
Canadian |
| Medicare?(1)" by our assembled most renowned
health economists and then understand |
| that these same health economists have been major players in the decline--not deklein--of
|
| our health care system. In the last few articles(2)(3), I referred to Dr. Steven Lewis, one of |
| the author of the above mentioned assembly work, and how his revolutionary vision
for |
| blowing up empty beds and substitute home care for acute care have indirectly caused
the |
| gambling casino we have to day for health care in Saskatchewan(4).
|
| |
|
| reductionist health economist |
At the time of writing those articles I didn't know the kind of participation Dr.
Lewis has had |
| for destroying health care in Saskatchewan; but today, as I have reviewed the brochure
"A |
| Saskatchewan Vision for Health" I realize the real damaging impact of this reductionist
health |
| economist. In fact, Dr. Steven Lewis was the Executive Director of the Health Services
|
| Utilization and Research Commission (HSURC) of Saskatchewan, and this same Commission
|
| was described in the above mentioned Vision as a key component for the evaluation
and |
| |
improvement of our health care system. |
| |
|
| scientific evidence on which to make important
decisions |
An excerpt of this Saskatchewan Vision states that "The commission will provide
scientific |
| evidence on which to make important decisions about quality health services and getting
value |
| for tax dollars. This information will be of great use to the general public, health
professionals, |
| health districts and the Department of Health in making the best possible decisions
about health |
| programs(5)." Isn't this excerpt a laugh? Dr.
Lewis has provided our Big Brains, including |
| members of the Board of Commissioners(6), with the
scientific evidence of the changes needed |
| in health care and the result is the kind of gambling casino we have to day in Saskatchewan
and |
| |
indirectly in Canada. |
| |
|
| utterly void of any common sense |
Now, we all can appreciate the scientific work coming out of the Commission when
we refer to |
| their research "Assessing the Impact of the 1993 Acute Care Funding Cuts to
Rural Saskatchewa |
| n Hospitals(7)." In this research, the Commission
claims that rural health has improved since |
| health reform were implemented in 1993. I found this research utterly void of any
common |
| sense(8) and especially so today when in response
to the closure of the Carrot River Hospital |
| the local Reeve Stan Novogrodski has stated "As Reeve of the Rural Municipality
of Moose |
| Range No. 486, I have instructed the administrator to take down the tattered and
torn Saskatchewan |
| flag at the Municipal Office and not to replace it, as my faith in today's Saskatchewan
government |
| is completely gone(9)." There is only one thing
left for us to do, take down this government and |
| |
help Reeve Stan Novogrodski take up again a new Saskatchewan flag. |
| |
|
| -------------Endnotes: |
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| |
Quote by Donella Meadows "challenging a paradigm is not a part-time job. It
is not sufficient to make your point once and then blame the world for not getting
it. The world has a vested interest in, a commitment to, not getting it. The point
has to be made patiently and repeatedly, day after day after day" ftp://sysdyn.mit.edu/ftp/sdep/Roadmaps/RM1/D-4143-1.pdf
http://iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/meadows/default.htm |
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| |
General reference: Articles by Mario deSantis published by North Central
Internet News http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign/authors/desantis.html |
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|
1.
-
|
The Deklein and Fall of CanadianMedicare?, by Professors Robert G.
Evans, Morris L. Barer, Steven Lewis, Michael Rachlis, Greg L. Stoddart. http://www.chspr.ubc.ca |
| |
|
|
2.
|
The highest priority to cure
health care: stop mismanaging it! By Mario deSantis, March 7, 2000 |
| |
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3.
-
|
A Partial Diagnosis of Health
Care Corruption: The Quality Circle of the Big Brains Includes Our Renown Health
Economists, by Mario deSantis, March 9, 2000 |
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4.
-
|
Pat Atkinson: raising the finger
and turning healthcare to a gambling casino, by Mario deSantis, February
3, 2000 |
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5.
-
|
A Saskatchewan Vision for Health, The Honourable Louise Simard, Minister
of Health, August 1992, page 13, Saskatchewan Health |
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6.
-
-
|
Dr. Dan de Vlieger is Past President of the Health Services Utilization and Research
Commission (HSURC) of Saskatchewan. Dr. de Vlieger is Professor of Political Science,
University of Regina and Past President, Canadian Health Care Association. http://www.sdh.sk.ca/hsurc/board.htm |
| |
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7.
-
|
Assessing the Impact of the 1993 Acute Care Funding Cuts to Rural Saskatchewan
Hospitals, by Health Services Utilization and Research Commission http://www.sdh.sk.ca/hsurc/hospital.htm |
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8.
-
|
Fragmented Research comes to the
help of Saskatchewan Reform, by Mario deSantis, September 28, 1999 |
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9.
-
|
Hospital closure permanent, Carrot River 'betrayed', by Ernest Unrau,
The Nipawin Journal, March 8, 2000 http://www.bowesnet.com/nipawin/Z01_Story1.html |