Premier Danny Williams' decision to have the surgery performed at an undisclosed U.S. hospital had critics in Canada and the United States calling it proof of problems in Canada’s health-care system.
Posted on 02/11/2010 5:07:31 AM PST by Libloather
Danny Williams out of ICU, back to work by March
Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, February 08, 2010
ST. JOHN'S -- Premier Danny Williams, who had heart surgery at a U.S. hospital last week, is recovering very well from the operation, a spokeswoman said Monday.
Elizabeth Matthews said the Newfoundland and Labrador premier was released from intensive care on Friday and is expected to be discharged from hospital sometime this week.
"Doctors are very pleased with his progress," said Matthews, the premier's director of communications.
"If all goes as planned and barring any unforeseen complication the premier will be back in March," she said in an email.
Mr. Williams' decision to have the surgery performed at an undisclosed U.S. hospital, because the procedure wasn't available in his home province, touched off a mini-firestorm, with some critics in Canada and the United States pointing to it as proof of problems in Canada's health-care system.
However, Matthews said, her office has received an "outpouring of support from across the country for the premier - hundreds and hundreds of well wishers via phone calls, emails, etc."
Last week, deputy premier Kathy Dunderdale said the criticism of Mr. Williams was unwarranted and an invasion of his privacy. She said the premier would address the issue after his return home.
Bump
Rumor has it that Havana Hospital was backed up and the undisclosed U.S. hospital was his second choice.
When America goes Canadian, where will the Canadians go ?
(procedure not available in Canada)
We’re not sure where that part of the title came from , it’s a blatant fabrication , other wise known as BS.
Little need to go to U.S. for heart surgery: MDs
National Post - Wednesday, February 3, 2010
“Virtually all forms of cardiac surgery are looked after in Canada, and I would say extremely well,” said Dr. Chris Feindel, a cardiac surgeon at Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN). “Personally ... I would have my cardiac surgery done in Canada, no matter what resources I had at my disposal.”
In fact, he said, patients from the United States and other countries come to the UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre for valve repairs, a procedure developed by Toronto surgeons. Meanwhile, the death rate after bypass surgery in Ontario is among the lowest in North America, reports the province’s Cardiac Care Network.
In fact, Newfoundland is able to provide bypasses and other common heart operations at home, but routinely ships patients to Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa for rarer procedures, such as transplants and treatment of congenital heart defects, said Dr. Eric Stone, a St. John’s cardiologist.
There are simply not enough cases of that sort for surgeons in Newfoundland to develop the requisite expertise, he said. In 28 years, though, Dr. Stone said he has never had to refer a patient to the United States.
“What is wrong is to create the impression the Canadian health-care system can’t take care of things,” he said. “To get excited about that makes no sense to me.”
Dr. Feindel said he is aware of only a single non-experimental heart operation not available in Canada: one to repair a rare aneurysm in the part of the aorta descending through the chest. While about 11,000 heart surgeries are carried out in Ontario every year, only one or two patients are sent to Baylor University Hospital in Texas to undergo the complex aorta operation, he said
That would be Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.
A coupla cardiac surgeons in Canada say the service there is great? Well, shame on them if they didn’t. But are we supposed to believe them?
Heavens NO! They must be out and out liars !!They just made everything they said . They made up the facts .
I don't care whether you believe them or not. Prove them wrong.
First they came for the unborn, now they are coming for granny.
I can't imagine the work it took to pull this off turn up your sound: Born Again American
http://www.bornagainamerican.org/index.html
Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke.
Tennessee has joined several other states in trying to pass a Health Care Freedom Act. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military's secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011)
New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.
TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:
This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.)
Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09
Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries
Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w
By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009
Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.
Snip
The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.
Snip
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.
“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.
What? Don't be silly!
Ok Doc, then why did Mr. Williams come to America, eh? What, he was going to be in the neighborhood anyway?
Honest, right out of Cousin Madeline’s mouth, and she is one VERY intelligent lady, very wise about politics....Scots bur and all. She is still gardening in her mid 80’s. Said to NOT pass obamacare!
I don't care whether you believe them or not. Prove them wrong.
The fact that the surgery was performed in the US kinda cuts against their statements.
Canada’s healthcare system is a complete joke, and yes to change doctors etc is not an easy task.
My Mom has changed doctors 3 times in 10 years.
I don't want to change doctors (love mine), but I could do so at any time, and I don't need permission.
I do agree with one thing Cousin Madeline said. Do Not pass Obama care.
A province up here, is like a state down there. The procedure he needed may not have been available in Newfoundland and Labrador, but it is probably available in Quebec, and is definitely available in Ontario.
No it doesn’t . What kind of surgery was it ? We don’t even know where he went .
You know Williams is a multimillionaire who donates his Premier’s salary to charity ? You think he went alone ? He can afford the best accommodations for his family , the best weather for them to play while he recovers . He can afford to be pick up by limo at the airport.
Rather than accept the truth , you actually believe , not one but two surgeons would publicly lie and the National Post would print blatant lies to cover what ? Canadian Health care ? Don’t think so.
Maclean’s Mag. The same one that Mark Steyn writes for had this to say . I suppose they’re lying too.
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/02/09/what-the-danny-williams-case-says-about-canadian-health-care/
From the article , this place exists . Do you even know who Peter Monk is ? Look under Barrick Gold. The world’s biggest gold mine.
http://www.uhn.ca/Focus_of_Care/Munk_Cardiac/index.asp
That is the impression she has, and she is a very astute lady. Will have to have hubby ask her about it next time they talk.
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