A good friend’s daughter has spent the Summer working in the US NE.  As the time approached to return home the daughter got quite sick and was taken to a Pennsylvania hospital.  She received what has been described as superb service, both from a medical perspective and a process perspective.

Incidental to the reason she was hospitalized, an ultra-sound revealed an unexpected and quite serious medical condition.  She was advised that if she was remaining in the US, she would require immediate medical attention, but as she was returning home the next day she was provided with medicine, instruction and a DVD of her ultra-sound as well as the attending doctor’s findings.  She was advised to have an immediate ultra-sound on her return home.

The young lady’s mother went to her family doctor, explained the situation and asked for guidance as to how to arrange an urgent ultra-sound.  The family doctor explained that unless you were ‘half-dead’ the ultra-sound wait was 4 months!

Perhaps it is time to remove the administration of our medical system from the elected hockey pucks and grey-skinned clerks who run the system to suit their own interests.  Surely there is a better way.

Bring on a hybrid system, where pay-for-service is an option.