😁 Smile Wide, Canada!
Your Weekly Dose of Health Insights – Because Your Health Isn’t Just a Headline
Good morning, Other Siders!
So glad you're here, especially if you've just joined the crew in the last week!
You know that feeling when you hear a story so unexpected you almost do a double-take? We had a few of those curating this week's edition. Between some truly unbelievable Canadian healthcare happenings (we promise, the details are worth it) and technology doing things we barely thought possible, it’s been quite the journey.
We're here to share the most interesting bits – the drama, the digital magic, the global high-fives. And ultimately, helping you see the patterns and navigate the complexity is our goal, both here and in our consulting work at The Other Side, where we partner on digital health, operational transformation, and meaningful change leadership. Oh, and we've got a little proof later on that this approach can yield great results. 😉
Ready for the inside scoop? Let's go!
In today’s edition, we’re serving up:
Canadian Health Highlights:
Dental for millions, ER chaos, and COVID’s legacy
Digital and Global Health Buzz:
AI meets real life + a digital health showdown
Global Pulse
Chronic disease hacks and vaccine data deep dives
Dive in and enjoy the ride. 🚀
News that Impacts You!
Dental Care for Millions! 😁
Canada’s dental plan just dropped a mic: 4.5M more folks can now flash their pearly whites without bankruptcy! Starting June 1, adults 18-64 with incomes under $90K can join—if they filed taxes (sorry, tax dodgers). Imagine Dave, a barista in Surrey, BC, finally fixing his chipped tooth without selling his vinyl collection.
Will clinics handle the rush or waiting 6 months for a root canal will become a norm?
Hospitals Under Siege 😱
Canada’s ERs are turning into Squid Game. Machetes in B.C., stabbings in Halifax—nurses are quitting faster than you can say “security guard.” Blame? Overcrowding, understaffing, and a dash of post-COVID rage. Picture Karen from Winnipeg, waiting 12 hours with a sprained ankle while someone chucks urine at a nurse.
Should hospitals hire bouncers?
Digital Health Revolution! 💻
SE Health’s “Project Acorn” is planting seeds for Canada’s biggest digital health overhaul. Think telehealth, hospital-at-home, and finally ditching paper forms. Imagine Grandma Betty in Ottawa getting her meds via RPM while binge-watching Schitt’s Creek. But… will this tech tsunami drown small clinics?
Chronic Disease Quick Fixes ⏱️
WHO’s “25 Quick Buys” promise to slash chronic diseases in 5 years. Tax sugary drinks, push HPV vaccines—simple, right? Meanwhile, Dave in Montreal still eats poutine daily.
Would you pay $2 extra for a healthier Coke?
💭Let us know what you think in the comment section.
🕵️♀️Case in Point
How Four Ontario Hospitals Mastered Digital Transformation
Background: In 2021, four Ontario hospitals—Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH), Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH), Headwaters Health Care Centre (HHCC), and Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH)—formed the CARE4 partnership. Their mission? To tackle Canada’s fragmented healthcare data ecosystem head-on. By 2024, they achieved HIMSS EMRAM Stage 6 validation, a feat only six other Canadian hospitals had accomplished. This wasn’t just an IT upgrade—it was a full-scale clinical and operational revolution.
The Problem: Before CARE4, each hospital operated in silos. Patients’ records were trapped in disconnected systems, forcing them to repeat their medical history at every visit. Providers faced chaotic workflows:
Inconsistent processes: 450+ unique order sets and documentation templates across facilities.
Data paralysis: No secure way to share information, leading to delayed diagnoses and duplicated tests.
Patient frustration: A 2019 CIHI report found nearly half of Canadians felt providers lacked coordination.
Ontario’s health data ecosystem was a patchwork of analog systems, privacy concerns, and "data protectionist" cultures. The result? A system where paper forms outlived avocado toast trends and patients felt more like file cabinets than people.
The Solution: The CARE4 partnership bet big on MEDITECH Expanse, a unified EHR system. Their strategy? Standardize, digitize, humanize:
Clinical Harmony: Over 450 order sets, nursing templates, and drug administration protocols were standardized across all sites.
Patient Power: Launched my health care, a shared portal letting 16,000+ patients access test results, med histories, and pre-register for appointments—all from their phones.
Culture Shift: Ran "readiness surveys" and phased training to turn skeptical staff into digital champions.
Key innovation? A regional patient advisory committee co-designed the portal, ensuring it worked for real people—not just IT departments.
The Outcome: By 2024, CARE4 proved that collaboration > chaos:
As Dave Brewin, RVH’s VP of Digital Health, put it:
This wasn’t about replacing humans with tech—it was about giving them better tools to be human.
How We Can Help: The CARE4 story isn’t magic—it’s strategy meets execution. At The Other Side of the Care, we help healthcare providers:
Build Bridge-Not-Silos EHRs: Design interoperable systems that talk to each other (unlike your last group chat).
Master Change Management: Turn "Why are we doing this?!" into "Why didn’t we do this sooner?" with training tailored to your team’s needs.
Patient-Centric Design: Co-create tools that make healthcare feel less like a maze and more like a guided tour.
Partner with us to enhance patient outcomes, reduce costs, and achieve operational excellence through innovative healthcare solutions.
📈What’s Trending🔥
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