Good morning, Other Siders!

It's time to put on your party hats and blow up some balloons, because April 26th is National Pretzel Day! 🥨 That's right, today is the day to celebrate the twisted, salty, deliciousness of everyone's favourite snack. But that's not all - it's also National Richter Scale Day, which is perfect for those of us who like to shake things up a bit!

But enough about pretzels and earthquakes, let's talk healthcare! In this edition, we're bringing you the latest and greatest insights from the healthcare industry in Canada and beyond. From innovative new treatments to groundbreaking research, we've got all the healthcare news you need to know.

But first, a joke to tickle your funny bone:

Why did the nurse need a red pen? 🤔

In case she needed to draw blood, of course! 🤣

News that impacts you!

🧐 From Free to Fair: Copay in Canadian Healthcare

Quebec's Health Minister, Christian Dubé, is leading a radical overhaul of the province's healthcare system, potentially modelling it after US university networks that emphasize patient-centred care. This could include introducing copays, or contribution payments, for healthcare services, which are already part of Canadian healthcare culture for non-covered services and prescription medication. Despite popular belief, Canadians do pay for every cent of their healthcare costs, and these costs can include lost work hours and other unmeasurable expenses. Copays have been criticized as an affront to Canadian values, but they could potentially discourage the costly abuse of the system and deliver financial relief to institutions. Applied judiciously, copays could be part of a larger cultural shift toward mutual individual and government accountability required to save the healthcare environment.

👨🏻‍⚕️ Manitoba's Healthcare Workers Demand Fair Contract Amid Growing Frustrations

The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals, representing over 7,000 healthcare workers, has announced that 99% of its members are in favour of a strike mandate if a deal is not reached. The union says that it has been five years since it last had a contract, and frustrations are rising among its members. Jason Linklater, president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals, says that Manitoba is seeing a staffing crisis among its healthcare professionals and the key to resolving it requires both recruiting and retention efforts from the province. The strike situation, if the government does not come to the table, will impact a wide variety of services that Manitobans rely on, and the union is urging the government to take the matter seriously and provide the necessary investment to retain healthcare professionals in rural Manitoba.

🏥 First Nations Take the Lead: New Healthcare Initiative Aims to Build a More Resilient System

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia will receive $8.2 billion over the next decade to help 200 communities. During an announcement, Trudeau said the authority has transformed the way health is delivered to First Nations in B.C. The government said that fixing the disparities in First Nations health care can only be achieved by addressing the cultural, social, economic and historical disadvantages that have led to intergenerational trauma. The First Nations Health Authority is the first of its kind in Canada, although five other similar health initiatives are underway in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba, where there are two. This move is a step toward ensuring that decisions that impact the health of First Nations can be made by First Nations, and it will build a more resilient healthcare system. This funding aims to build a safer and more accessible healthcare system for First Nations in British Columbia.

🧠 Social Media, Sexual Harassment, and Academic Stress: The Triple Threat Facing Teen Girls

American youth, especially teenage girls, are facing unprecedented mental health challenges. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report showed almost 60% of U.S. girls reported persistent sadness and hopelessness, with rates up in boys, too, but about half as many were affected. Adults offer theories about what is going on, but what do teens themselves say? Five girls in four states were interviewed, and they offered sobering insight. They face pressure from society's standards that put too much focus on how they look, worries about academics and college, and sexual harassment. Social media platforms contribute to their anxiety, with their focus on superficial appearances and making perfectionism seem attainable. Girls have historically been disproportionately affected by depression and anxiety. A study published in March found that in 2019, before the pandemic, about 60% of children hospitalized for mental health reasons were girls. COVID-19 lockdowns added another dimension, thrusting academic and social lives into turmoil.

Tools & Tech to keep a tab on!

💉Food, Drinks, Toys & even Life! Dispensing machines that can give substance users the gift of life

The installation of 8 new dispensing machines has been announced by Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin (KIM), an organization that works to improve health care for northern Manitoba First Nations. These machines will be used to distribute harm reduction tools such as naloxone kits and clean needles to address the increasing number of overdose deaths. Initially, the machines will be located in Winnipeg and Churchil and potentially, communities in between. A person’s palm identity will be used through handprint technology to gain access to the dispensed tools with differences in the number and type of people who will have access. Outcomes will be closely monitored to assess the applicability and long-term benefits of installing such machines in remote and rural communities for the safe supply of prescribed medications among substance users.

📲 Bridging the Gap Between Payers & Providers to Create an Interconnected Care Model

Imagine the possibility of being able to consult your doctor through an app (24/7), the doctor knows you by name, addresses your concerns and refers you to a specialist. The specialist already knows about your concerns and prescribes a self-guided care program that can be accessed from the app. The same app’s pharmacy then delivers any required medication to your front door and a pharmacist appears onscreen to answer any questions. Furthermore, since the app is fully integrated with your benefits plan, there is no paperwork or out-of-pocket costs- sounds like magic, doesn’t it? 🪄 

Well…that is exactly what GreenShield has announced to offer through GreenShield+, a first-of-its-kind digital health ecosystem that will provide streamlined, connected care that is fully integrated with its benefits plans. Expected to launch later this year, it will leverage technology from Microsoft and Google Cloud, improve patient journeys and secure member information. Truly living up to their name in ‘shielding’ 🛡️ you against siloed systems.

🏥 “Not Safety Blinded but Safety Minded”- Creating a Safe Space for Those Who Need it Most

The Meno Ya Win Health Centre in Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario serves as a hub for 30 fly-in First Nations communities in the region and is one of the first points of contact for people in crisis in northern Ontario. Currently, it does not have in-patient psychiatric beds or a full-time psychiatrist. Only two small mental health rooms exist. Recognizing the need for safe rooms for patients who present mental distress, renovations are underway to accommodate four safe rooms in the emergency department. These rooms will house nothing that could be used to self-harm and will have a toilet, sink, security cameras and televisions behind plexiglass. The rooms are expected to be functional by summer. Now that’s what we’re talking about! 🤌 

🥽 ‘Real’-izing & Transforming Traditional Training Methods Using VR

Boston-based FundamentalVR which uses VR technology and haptics (tactile feedback produced by electronic devices) to provide medical students and professional surgeons with realistic simulations of various real-life procedures has announced its partnership with Haply Robotics. Canada-based, Haply Robotics develops highly portable, performant, and affordable haptic controllers, including their flagship Inverse3 device.

FundamentalVR’s existing platform also provides other educational features, like multiuser classrooms with instructor-led lessons. However, with the partnership it aims to provide surgical training in an affordable and remote manner for procedures that require high-fidelity reach, using more realistic simulations provided by Haply’s portable haptic technology, including its Inverse3 device.

Evolving Global Health

🇸🇩 Pray for Sudan

Since April 15, a catastrophic situation developed in Sudan due to the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan. A high number of wounded civilians have been in need of blood transfusions, patients are being treated on the floor due to lack of capacity, hospitals have closed due to their proximity to the fighting, and staff are not able to reach them due to the intensity of the conflict. Health workers, relief workers, and rescue workers have all become immobilized due to the fighting. Although medics have made several appeals for a ceasefire to allow humanitarian access to alleviate the suffering, regardless of the outcome, the strain on the healthcare system can only be expected to worsen- as it struggles to stay afloat! 🥺 

💉 mRNA Vaccine Technology Hub Launched in Cape Town by the WHO

The facility was established during the COVID-19 pandemic to help poorer countries struggling to gain access to life-saving medication. The WHO selected South African biotech firm Afrigen Biologics and local vaccine-maker Biovac in 2021 for a ‘proof-of-concept’ pilot project to give low and middle-income countries the know-how and licences to make COVID vaccines. Using the publicly available sequence of Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) mRNA COVID vaccine, Afrigen Biologics has created its own version- AfriVac 2121. Produced at lab scale, it is the first mRNA vaccine designed and developed in Africa, based on a widely used vaccine without the assistance or approval of the developer. Production is scaling up and will be tested on humans in early 2024.

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