COVID-19 and a Decentralized Healthcare System
COVID- 19 has significantly altered the delivery of healthcare services in our country. While attention has been given to the primary healthcare services, covered under the universal healthcare program, not enough attention has been shown towards those services which are traditionally delivered privately like optometry and dentistry. These healthcare services uniquely intersect the private, public, provincial and federal regimes and raise unique questions. For instance, How has our decentralized federal system affected the delivery of these healthcare services during the pandemic? How have the healthcare workers and patients been affected? Has the pandemic made any permanent changes to the delivery of these services?
Dr. Gregory Marchildon is a professor at Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation as well as the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. Dr. Marchildon earned his PhD from London School of Economics and Political Science, and Masters of Arts from the University of Regina. He also holds a Juris Doctor degree from University of Saskatchewan. In the 1990s, Dr. Marchildon worked as a Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and subsequently Deputy Minister to the Premier and Cabinet Secretary in the Government of Saskatchewan. From 2001-2002, he was the executive director of a federal Royal Commission on the Future of Healthcare in Canada (the Romanow Commission), lead drafter on the final report discussing the nature of healthcare and healthcare services in Canada.
Dr. Michael Nelson is an optometrist and the President of the Canadian Association of Optometrists. Dr. Nelson also serves as the Clinical Director for the research centre Eye Canada, and has previously served as both the President and Continuing Education Chair for the Manitoba Association of Optometrists. Dr. Nelson is currently practicing optometry and he features on a Youtube Channel called “Good Optometry Morning” that discusses eye health and various topics related to eyesight. Dr. Nelson received his Optometry degree from the University of Waterloo and completed a Low vision & Family Practice residency.
Dr. Carlos Quinonez is an Associate Professor and Program Director for Dental Public Health at the University of Toronto. He holds a DMD and an MSc from the University of Manitoba. In 2009, Dr. Quinonez completed his Ph.D. and dental public health specialty at the University of Toronto, along with a postdoctoral fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital. He publishes regularly on the politics and economics of Dentistry, with a particular focus on health and social equity. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to overwhelm our healthcare system, the expertise provided by Dr. Quinonez is invaluable.
Production:
Jessica Pan - Junior Producer
Sam Hashem - Junior Producer
Wahaj Alam - Senior Producer
Thea Koper - Executive Producer
