Dr Raj Sherman ROCKS ALBERT government !

[tniuqs]

http://daveberta.ca/2010/11/raj-sherman-rocks-the-establishment-with-emergency-room-email/

Dr. Raj Sherman rocks the establishment with his blunt emergency room email.

Reproduced with permission.

Edmonton-Meadowlark PC MLA Raj Sherman shocked political watchers and his own party’s establishment this week when he sent out a blunt email taking the government and Alberta Health Services to task over emergency room wait times. Dr. Sherman, a doctor and parliamentary assistant for Heath & Wellness, had been quiet about the wait times situation until this week. Dr. Sherman told CBC that he was on the verge of quitting the PC caucus this week, a road he decided against taking after discussing his concerns with the Premier.

From: Raj Sherman

Date: November 17, 2010 7:29:44 AM MST

To: Ed Stelmech, Gene Zwozdesky.

Subject: RE: The Overcrowding Crisis

Dear XXX

Please accept my aoplogies.

I have forwarded many old emails to the current minister and deputy minister to place into context again for the fourth minister, the fourth CEO, and the third deputy minister, the underlying causes of the healthcare system woes leading to the emergency crisis that we have on our hands today (and have had for the past 5-6 years).

Many of the emails received by me as section president and as an elected member of the legislature, from our emergency colleagues, were received in confidence and many wished for me to keep their name out of it for fear of what the government or Capital Health and now AHS would do to our privileges. With AHS’ code of conduct, I did not want to put you or anyone at risk. I am sorry that I did not remember our conversation and your willingness to share your name.

I am whole heartedly in agreement with you. Three weeks ago, I offered the current minister my resignation as the parliametary assistant as I can no longer support the healthcare decisions made by AHS as well as some of those made by our government.

The premier made a promise to the ER doctors in writing and has broken his promise not only to the ER doctors, but also to the seniors, the 1.8 million Albertans who present for emergency care and their 2 million family members, and to all frontline healthcare professionals.

I will be meeting the premier today and my progressive conservative caucas colleagues tomorrow to discuss my future in his government as my trust in him and his cabinet is severly tarnished.

I must thank you for your passion and your rebuke of me (usually, I got heck for not hiding the names. Ask Chris Evans) as well as your courage to put your neck on the line. It’s time that I also take one for my the team that I trust, the front line ER doctors. Please stay tuned for my public comments.

Thank you for reminding me why I ran for public service in the first place!

Dear Political colleagues… meet my lifelong physician colleagues.

Cheers

Raj Sherman

p.s.

I hope that you don’t mind, I will be passing this letter onto my elected colleagues as well.

If it is any consolation, please feel comforted with the fact that I still work on Sundays and see the disaters happening including those of my father where he waits in the emergency room like anyone else….and he has had 5 near death experience this year alone in the emergency departments. A few months ago, his ambulance was diverted from a few blocks near the UofA hospital and he arrived to your emergency department, on the other end of town and had a wonderful tour of South Edmonton when he arrived ashen grey, sweaty, suffocating, with an oxygen saturation of 70% on 16 L of oxygen….and seconds away from death!!! Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Lau Nguyen and the Grey Nuns staff…he lives today, barely!

…and please do NOT feel comforted that healthcare will be any better with AHS’ inadequate plan to deal with the crisis and disasters that we will be facing in the 4 winter months ahead.

…and now, after this email, I will await my rebuke from my political colleagues….geeeeesh…a brown guy just can’t win…As Russel Peter’s says…”SOMEBODY GONNA GET HURT”….LOL…..a little bit of humor into what is a sad and very tragic situation…

Feel free to forward to whomever you wish

A big thanks to a daveberta.ca reader for passing along this email.

cheers.

BRAVO MY NEW HERO DR. RAJ SHERMAN whom I have had the pleasure of working with and hope to more.

Next if this thread is followed ... I will post MY letter to Raj "someone is going to get hurt REAL BAD"

Instead of walking away ....

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/Sherman+renews+support+Stelmach+government/3850987/story.html

[tniuqs]

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/health/Alberta+paramedics+call+overhaul+medical+services/3772369/story.html

EDMONTON — The union that represents Alberta paramedics joined a growing chorus Wednesday calling for an immediate overhaul of the province's emergency medical services.

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta says paramedics and patients are being "held hostage" in emergency rooms, paralyzed by out of control wait times that keep patients from being admitted and paramedics from getting back to work.

The situation has become so dire some patients have taken to calling 911 from inside hospitals in the hopes of getting faster treatment, said Elisabeth Ballermann, the union president.

"I don't know how often it happens," Ballermann said.

"But it has been mentioned more than once."

Dale Weiss, an official with Alberta Health Services, said he personally hasn't heard of that happening. "I can't say it doesn't occur," he said. If it does, "it's probably an indication of the frustration that the patient is feeling."

Weiss acknowledged that for now, ER wait times are getting worse, especially in Edmonton. But AHS is not ignoring the problem, he said.

The organization has introduced a number of initiatives to help ease the load, including allowing paramedics to treat more patients in the field and implementing a new software system to better match patients with hospitals.

Last week, paramedics waited an average of 92 minutes to drop patients off at Edmonton hospitals, according to figures compiled by the Health Sciences Association. That's up from a 12-week average of 86 minutes, the union said.

Do you think that the government will listen to Paramedics Now ?

Edited November 19, 2010 by tniuqs

[tniuqs]

Correction !

I was so exited I spelled ALBERTA in the male gender ... OOPS.

cheers

[emtannie]

Well it's about time that someone WITHIN the government stood up and hollered about this problem!

I was aware of the letter that Dr Paul Park sent a few weeks ago (he is the head of the ER in the Hat, and I work with him regularly). The letter he sent was circulated throughout the hospital. He spared no polite words to say how disappointed he was with the current government and AHS' handling of ER wait times.

Dr. Raj Sherman is my new hero for being as vocal as he is (and it helps that he is a Russell Peters fan - that guy is hysterical!)

Squint - remember the Dr. Oberg era? Now ther is someone who, if at all possible, did less than nothing for health services in Alberta. My favorite quote from him was "I had no idea that Ralph KLein had a drinking problem..." enough said..

[tniuqs]

Dr. Raj Sherman is my new hero for being as vocal as he is (and it helps that he is a Russell Peters fan - that guy is hysterical!)

Squint - remember t he Dr. Oberg era? Now ther is someone who, if at all possible, did less than nothing for health services in Alberta. My favorite quote from him was "I had no idea that Ralph KLein had a drinking problem..." enough said..

[tniuqs]

Really disappointed about Cyber Town Hall meeting with Gene Z. Interviewers are asking what is going to be done and he is spouting numbers and statistics a very good job as a Honorary PHD SPIN Doctor ? Roumour has it when capacity in ER reaches 100% then and less than 7 trucks for about a million taxpayers then the will split the EMS teams so more "effective hallway medicine" Not certain but that's what Gene Z implied on the show. Then to be so BOLD as try to sell his 5 year Health Care Plan ... Hello Wild Rose Alliance ... brb on the phone.

In the words of John Travolta in Pulp Fiction come to mind ... What a Jip !

I will never get that 30 minutes I wasted watching the program, back either.

cheers

Edited November 21, 2010 by tniuqs

[emtannie]

And, may I add another proud moment for AHS....

Already dubbed "the Cookie Monster" in print and internet media (http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/11/20/16235061.html), our fearless leader, Dr. Duckett:

I want to hear what Dr. Raj says about the cookie incident.

And Squint.... do you think this would be a good time for me to ask why I can't have winter tires for my ambulance??? I am trying very hard not to derail this thread with a rant on that...

[tniuqs]

And, may I add another proud moment for AHS....

Already dubbed "the Cookie Monster" in print and internet media, our fearless leader, Dr. Duckett:

I want to hear what Dr. Raj says about the cookie incident.

And Squint.... do you think this would be a good time for me to ask why I can't have winter tires for my ambulance??? I am trying very hard not to derail this thread with a rant on that...

No cheer for the "Cookie Monster" !

[rock_shoes]

And Squint.... do you think this would be a good time for me to ask why I can't have winter tires for my ambulance??? I am trying very hard not to derail this thread with a rant on that...

What? Even BCAS trucks get winter tires!

Edited November 22, 2010 by rock_shoes

[tniuqs]

Perhaps the phrase I have heard used in BC about Alberta Plates came to be ?

Red and White = Blood on the Snow.

Not that humours is it

cheers