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Why is this important to non-Indigenous Canadians working in the health system?

Sponsored immigrants are not eligible for medical or financial benefits until their 10-year sponsorship period ends, and even then are eligible only for partial benefits. Longterm-care beds are unavailable for immigrant seniors during this time unless their families pay.

When they do enter such facilities, language and food issues can make them feel isolated and affect their health.

assumption that ethnic seniors will be taken care of by their families - and won't need services

Ten such Asian-focused nursing homes now exist in Canada, focused mostly on Chinese and South Asian communities, but the growth doesn’t come close to meeting demand.

Canada ranked No. 8 last year on the United Nations human development index, but the same indicators would place indigenous people in Canada at about 63, added Hoskins.“These inequities can no longer be ignored,” he said. “It’s not up to First Nations to right the wrongs of colonization. Government must invest in meaningful and lasting solutions so communities can heal and have hope.”

The Ontario plan will increase physician services for 28 communities across the Sioux Lookout region in the north by up to 28 per cent, and establish up to 10 new or expanded primary care teams that will include traditional healing.There will also be cultural competency training for front-line health-care providers and administrators who work with First Nations communities, more public health nurses and a dedicated medical officer of health.The government says it will also increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for about 47,400 indigenous children, and expand diabetes prevention and management in northern and remote communities.

Three countries we have written about in a new paper for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute - Japan, Korea and Taiwan - are not typically where Canadians look for public policy solutions. They are far away and have very different cultures and histories. But they, like other developed countries, face similar health care challenges.

apan, Korea and Taiwan are leading users of health-care technologies. Their overall health outcomes are comparable to, if not better than, those in Canada, and they do this spending a lower percentage of their GDP on health care than we do. These countries have universal public health care - something Canadians are justifiably proud of - though Japan achieved this about a decade before Canada. These countries' plans cover physician visits and hospitalization, but also dental care and outpatient prescription drugs.

What are the lessons for Canada? First, the countries' policy-makers actively learned from abroad. Japan looked to Germany as it started modernizing nearly 150 years ago; recently Korea and Taiwan studied what worked, or not, elsewhere as they developed their systems. More importantly, politicians and bureaucrats had the fortitude to implement necessary reforms. Changes were made often in the face of protests by entrenched stakeholders, including physicians. And programs were reviewed soon after implementation, making modifications when problems arose. This is in stark contrast to Canada's embrace of the status quo.

More specifically, the systems in Japan, Korea and Taiwan suggest that copayments may be useful to help moderate demand and help fund care. They can be applied and properly designed to recognize income disparities. In Canada's case, they could increase equity if used to help extend coverage to drugs and dental care for more people. Unlike in Canada, where most hospitals are de facto public, in these countries privately-owned hospitals, many of them non-profit, compete with public hospitals, creating dynamism in the sector.

Finally, and most significantly, these proactive governments have moved to introduce Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) to address a very predictable problem. Very few people buy LTCI on their own, mostly because they can't predict their future needs and expect long-term care be covered by public funds. However, estimates suggest that about 70 per cent of people who reach 65 will need LTC at some time. In Japan and Korea, and likely soon in Taiwan, LTCI creates distinct insurance funds devoted to supporting appropriate care at home and in institutions.

Asia deserves the attention it is getting. As we build economic links, we should also look for the good ideas of our new partners that can make our health and long-term-care systems better. Ito Peng is Director of the Centre for Global Social Policy at the University of Toronto. James Tiessen is director of the School of Health Services Management at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. They are co-authors of the MLI report An Asian Flavour for Medicare (macdonaldlaurier.ca).

Ambulance NB has a number of resources already in place to support its paramedics, flight nurses and medical dispatchers. There's a critical incident stress-management program, which is supported by the Department of Health and the College of Psychologists of New Brunswick. It offers peer-to-peer support for paramedics who've responded to difficult calls. The provincial ambulance service also has a free, confidential employee and family assistance program. It's available around the clock and offers employees one-on-one counselling to help them cope with stresses from work or home. Tracy Bell, a spokeswoman for Ambulance NB, told The Daily Gleaner in February that the organization was taking steps to expand its offerings to paramedics.

"We recognize that we need to do more to support our front-line employees and are taking the necessary steps to get there," she said. "In addition to existing resources, Ambulance NB will be introducing an expanded employee support program in the coming weeks. We are also looking seriously at what options are available in terms of facilitating direct access to a mental health professional or network of professionals for our employees. We hope to be able to be able to share news of these new initiatives with staff very soon." When the newspaper asked for an update this week, Bell said Ambulance NB is still working on this project. "Ambulance NB looks forward to being able to share news of new mental health supports with our employees soon," she said. "Our priority is to share information first with our paramedics, dispatchers and flight nurses." Judy Astle, president of paramedics union CUPE Local 4848, said she's still waiting for some more information. "They supposedly have what they're calling an enhanced employee assistance program. But we have not seen the details as a union yet," she said.

"We have a labour management meeting coming up next week. They may present it there. That's what we're hoping." Astle said enhancing the mental health resources for paramedics should help many professionals deal with the difficulties they experience in the line of duty. "Anything that's going to try to prevent high levels of stress in our job is valuable. It's hard to do. But the support is needed out there," she said. "It's a very trying job, to say the least. What affects me may not affect someone else. But what could affect them may not affect someone else. It's often a build up of things." MLA Ross Wetmore, the Progressive Conservative member who represents the Gagetown-Petitcodiac region, recently introduced a private member's bill in the New Brunswick legislature designed to eliminate the need for first responders to prove their post-traumatic stress disorder was caused while on the job. If it passes, that could eliminate the mountains of red tape that many first responders now face as they seek benefits while on leave for treatment.

Specifically, Bill 15 would amend the Workers' Compensation Act to presume post-traumatic stress disorder in first responders has been caused by "a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events to which the worker was exposed" while at work. That would apply to both current and former firefighters, paramedics, police officers and sheriffs who have been diagnosed as having PTSD by a physician or psychologist. A second part of the bill would require workers' compensation to offer, "treatment by culturally competent clinicians who are familiar with the research concerning treatment of first responders for post-traumatic stress disorder." Astle said she supports the bill, and says it could really help first responders as they struggle to get the help they need. "That was fantastic. That's a step in the right direction," she said. "People are talking about it more, are relating to it more. In our job, we're supposed to be the 'tough guy.' We have to share with our co-workers some of the things that are bothering us. Most of us do that. We talk it out." Chris Hood, executive director of the Paramedics Association of New Brunswick, said he's going to be meeting with government soon to ask for their support of this legislation, though he currently doesn't know how they feel about such a program. "We don't know whether or not government is going to support it," he said.

Hood said his organization wants to join the effort to make life easier for paramedics. So it's announced a few goals for the future. "We're working towards increased screening and education prior to entering the profession, improved training during the (early stages of your career), high-quality mental health support through a team of dedicated practitioners during your employment, and then the presumptive diagnosis legislation (introduced by Wetmore)," he said.

Four measles cases in Toronto and a possible outbreak in Quebec prompted health officials across Canada to urge parents to vaccinate their children. “We know that vaccines are safe,” Health Minister Rona Ambrose told CBC News. “I believe this debate is almost bordering on the ridiculous at this point … you’re putting children who are more vulnerable than your own at risk of getting sick and potentially dying.”

British Columbia announced a new clinical intake process at 72 child and youth mental health offices that will allow young people in distress to see a clinician immediately, rather than go on a months-long waiting list. The province also launched an interactive online map of some 350 service providers and mental health intake offices to help young people find help near them.

BC Member of the Legislative Assembly Adrian Dix asked the province to release the full, unredacted December 2014 report by an independent reviewer on the firing of seven health researchers in 2012. Of the seven workers fired, several have returned to their positions, two are pursuing wrongful dismissal suits and one researcher, Roderick MacIsaac, committed suicide in January 2013.

Alberta New Democrats called the province’s mental health care system among the worst in the country, citing an Alberta Health Services briefing note that outlines problems at hospitals across Edmonton. The document lists unsafe facilities, major capacity issues and safety risks to patients and front-line workers.

The Wellesley Institute issued a scathing report on racism against indigenous people in the health care system, including pervasive and unconscious “pro-white bias” among health care workers that continues to harm Aboriginal health. Among possible solutions, the report recommends the creation of indigenous-directed health services, increased cultural sensitivity training and the use of indigenous patient navigators to serve as a bridge between patients and the system.

The Ottawa Hospital and Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre will conduct the Canadian arm of a large clinical trial studying the use of stem cells to treat multiple sclerosis. The trial is being conducted in nine countries with the aim of developing safe protocols for therapy involving mesenchymal stem cells, which have been shown to suppress inflammation and repair nerve tissue.

Ontario Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins said hospitals in the province will adopt a “bundled” approach to care. This means patients will be paired with a care coordinator — usually a registered nurse — throughout their medical treatment. Pilot testing of the system found it improved patient outcomes and enabled patients to receive more care at home.

Quebec’s Liberal government confirmed it will invoke closure in order to force through controversial health care reforms. Bill 10 would see the administration of more than 100 health and social services centres merged into regional boards. Critics say the restructuring will slash hundreds of jobs and put English services at risk.

Health union hearings got underway to reassign some 24 000 Nova Scotia health workers into new bargaining units. Arbitrator Jim Dorsey gave the province the green light to slash the number of unions representing health workers from 50 to 4.