💸 Wallets vs. Waitlists
Your Weekly Dose of Health Insights – Because Your Health Isn’t Just a Headline
Good morning, Other Siders!
Before we unpack this week’s healthcare headlines, let’s pause for a moment of diplomatic defiance. Prime Minister Mark Carney just delivered a line so iconic it deserves its own TED Talk: “Canada’s isn’t for sale—not now, not ever.” In a tense meeting with President Trump, Carney doubled down on protecting our sovereignty, blending the calm of a seasoned ER doc with the spine of a constitutional lawyer.
To our new subscribers: welcome to the frontlines of healthcare’s most pressing debates. This week, we're serving up a measles triple-header (spoiler alert: things are getting itchy across Canada), plus some digital milestones and global health drama. As always, we're bringing you real-world case studies that you can apply to your healthcare organization faster than you can say "interdisciplinary coordination meeting." Remember, our team at The Other Side is here to transform your healthcare challenges into success stories through our digital strategy, operational wizardry, and change leadership magic!
In today’s edition:
Wait Times Drain Wallets
Nova Scotia's First Case!
Paramedics Go Home!
Mole Checks via App?
Dive in and enjoy the ride. 🚀
News that Impacts You!
Wait Times Drain Wallets 💸
Canadians shelled out $5.2 billion—without buying a thing—because 1.5 million of us spent a median 30 weeks stuck in surgical limbo, Fraser Institute reports. That’s about $3,364 in lost wages each, but if you’re in PEI or New Brunswick, the hit soars past $6K. Picture this: a PEI lobster‑boat captain waiting for knee surgery skips the season, waves goodbye to half his income, and still can’t climb the dock ladder. Long lines hurt more than our hips—they bruise the paycheque.
How many paycheques would you sacrifice before shouting “next patient, please”?
Nova Scotia's First Case!🔍
Nova Scotia has joined the measles party with its first confirmed case! An adult from Halifax who had traveled to the US showed up at the QE hospital on Sunday. The patient had only received one dose of the vaccine instead of the recommended two. Dr. Robert Strang assures there's no need to panic, but advises travelers to be careful. Imagine being Janet, who now triple-checks her family's vaccination records before booking their summer vacation.
Have you verified your measles vaccination status lately?
Paramedics Go Home! 🚑
Shared Health launched a community paramedic program in rural Manitoba! These specialized paramedics aren't tied to 911 calls, allowing them to spend more time with patients and connect them to appropriate services. The program, modeled after Winnipeg's successful EPIC program, started in Selkirk and Brandon with plans to expand. Imagine Grandpa Joe in rural Manitoba getting regular check-ups without traveling hours to the nearest hospital.
Could this model help address healthcare access issues in your community?
Mole Checks via App? 📱
Meet Skinopathy: an app that scans moles with 88% accuracy. No more waiting 6 months for a derm appointment—just snap a pic while binge-watching Schitt’s Creek. Lisa in Toronto used it to catch a suspicious spot… while eating poutine. Real-life impact: Lisa’s mole got diagnosed faster than her Uber Eats delivery.
Would you trust your phone with your skin? Should pharma giants donate patents for outbreaks?
💭Let us know what you think in the comment section.
🕵️♀️Case in Point
Transforming Long-Term Care Through Strategic Redevelopment & Partnerships
Background & Problem: Canada’s aging population has strained long-term care (LTC) systems, with wait times exceeding 150 days in some provinces and outdated facilities struggling to meet demand. Extendicare, a major LTC provider, faced critical challenges:
Aging Infrastructure: Many Class C LTC homes (older facilities with shared rooms and limited amenities) were deemed unsuitable for modern care standards, contributing to overcrowding and patient dissatisfaction.
Capacity Shortages: With 97.5% occupancy rates, waitlists grew as demand outpaced bed availability, particularly in Ontario.
Financial Strain: Maintaining outdated facilities drained resources, while provincial funding models lagged behind rising operational costs.
In 2024, Extendicare launched a multi-year redevelopment strategy to address these issues, aiming to replace aging homes with modern, larger facilities while expanding home health care services to reduce reliance on institutional care.
The Solution: A Three-Pronged Approach:
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs):
Extendicare formed a joint venture with Axium Infrastructure (Axium JV) to fund and build new LTC homes. For example, the Crossing Bridge facility in Stittsville, Ontario, replaced a 40-year-old Class C home with a 256-bed, state-of-the-art facility featuring private rooms, infection control systems, and specialized dementia care units.
Capital Recycling: Sold three aging LTC properties under construction (St. Catharines, Port Stanley, London) to Axium JV for $56.3M, reinvesting proceeds into new developments.
Home Health Care Expansion:
Acquired Closing the Gap Healthcare Group ($75.5M), adding 1.1M service hours annually to their home health division. This allowed seniors to receive care at home, reducing hospital readmissions and LTC waitlists.
Implemented tech-driven solutions (e.g., remote patient monitoring) to improve care coordination and reduce caregiver burnout.
Policy Advocacy & Funding Optimization:
Lobbied for increased provincial funding, securing a 4% retroactive rate hike in Ontario for home care services.
Streamlined operations by centralizing administrative functions and adopting predictive analytics to forecast staffing and resource needs
The Outcome:
Capacity Boost: Axium JV increased serviced beds by 7.2% (148,200 beds in Q1 2025).
Financial Performance:
Adjusted EBITDA surged 42.7% to $29M in Q1 2025.
Home health care ADV grew 8.9% (31,603 patients daily), driven by tech integration and workforce investments.
Patient Outcomes:
Reduced hospitalizations through home care interventions (e.g., post-surgical recovery support).
Enhanced quality of life in modernized LTC homes, with 90% resident satisfaction reported at Crossing Bridge.
How We Can Help: With over 78,000 projected doctor and nurse shortages by 2031, Extendicare’s model demonstrates how public-private collaboration and integrated care systems can alleviate pressure on hospitals and improve access. Key takeaways for Canadian providers:
Leverage PPPs: Partner with infrastructure firms to fund redevelopment without overextending budgets.
Invest in Home Care: Reduce institutional reliance by scaling community-based services.
Adopt Tech Early: Predictive analytics and remote monitoring optimize resource allocation.
The Other Side Consulting can help organizations replicate this success through:
Strategic Partnerships: Identifying investors and aligning with provincial funding opportunities.
Operational Overhauls: Implementing data-driven workflows to cut costs and improve care delivery.
Policy Navigation: Advising on regulatory compliance and advocacy strategies.
📈What’s Trending🔥
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Got a Care Challenge? Let’s Solve It!
Your turn to weigh in! We love hearing your real-life stories, ideas, and even rants about our healthcare system. Which news hit home for you this week? Got a burning question or an “other side” perspective we missed? Spill the beans – just hit reply to share your thoughts. The Other Side team reads every response (with our morning coffee in hand), and your feedback might just spark the next big idea to improve Canadian care. After all, conversation is the first step to transformation. So, what’s your take? 🙂