Has the Ontario Medical Association given me a ringing endorsement of my practice model?
The OMA argues that "as the province looks for ways to curb health spending, clinics are a viable option because they can deliver many of the services currently offered in hospitals at higher value and lower costs".
Dr. Stewart Kennedy, the OMA president notes that "there are lots of procedures that do not need to be done in the more expensive infrastructure of a hospital"
In 1973, when I first began to practise podiatric medicine in Ontario, I was prevented from performing many of the procedures that I was trained and qualified to perform within an existing healthcare facility - hospitals included.
As a result, I and other progressive doctors of podiatric medicine were forced to develop techniques and surgeries to be delivered within our own private ambulatory surgical facilities. These procedures have been solving foot pain for years outside of hospital settings. Although OHIP helps pay a small portion of patients' podiatry costs on a per visit basis, no such coverage is available for surgical procedures in our private setting. Study after study has shown that ours is a cost effective model, but, ironically OHIP and public funding will only pay for services provided in the most expensive settings - the hospital.
I doubt very much that the OMA had me in mind when they made the case for my delivery model since they represent Ontarios 26,000 doctors. But, isn't it time that we be included in discussions regarding new, innovative and effective models for improving the delvery of health care to Ontario residents?