White Coat, Black Art

William Hume knew he was dying, which is why he applied and was approved for medical assistance in dying (MAID). But in his final days, his daughter Stacey says her dad wasn't able to receive MAID at an Edmonton hospital run by a Catholic health-care provider and had to transfer to another facility. He died before that could happen. Dr. Andrea Letourneau, a critical care specialist and MAID provider, says forced transfers are a terrible practice that forces patients to go through extra hoops in order to receive the death they want.

Millions of Canadians are without a family doctor or nurse practitioner in Canada. But Denmark, a country where 98 per cent of its population is attached to a primary care provider, could have some lessons for us. We travelled to the Scandinavian country to see how the Danish system works for patients and doctors, and the differences are startling.

At 24, Kyle Brymer went to the ER with altered speech, facial drooping, severe headaches and confusion. The doctor blamed Kyle’s symptoms on his post-grad academic workload and even his partner Kirstie. In a few days, he went back to the ER – and this time, the stroke was unmistakable. Strokes in young people are on the rise in Canada, with one in 20 affecting someone under the age of 45. And even a decade later, Kyle says he’s still "not back to normal."

Overwhelmed by hot flashes, brain fog, and a frozen shoulder, Aidan Brame turned to a private clinic when the public system couldn’t help. Her experience highlights why more Canadians are paying for menopause care, and what it reveals about gaps in the health system.

One stretcher. More than 80 patients waiting. Paramedics arriving with patients while admitted patients await transfer. That was the reality for registered nurse Jayme Hack during a recent shift at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital. Along with colleague Valerie Evanishen, she offers a frontline view of the relentless pressure inside one of Alberta’s busiest emergency rooms. ER physician and former politician Dr. Raj Sherman puts it bluntly: ERs are the canary in the coal mine and “the canary is dead.” He says we can, and should, do better when it comes to emergency medicine.

This is an extended version of the radio broadcast.