Someone I know went to a Nepean clinic the other day, and when she finally saw a doctor almost four hours later, he was on a "TV" talking to her from Toronto.
The patient, my daughter, didn't know what to make of this bizarre encounter. I had heard of "telemedicine," but thought it only served people living in remote areas, such as northwestern Ontario, where a patient is linked by video to a doctor hundreds of kilometres away.
The News has hired Corporate Research Associated to survey residents in an effort to find out if people support the idea of a governance study, amalgamation, sharing services or keeping the status quo when it comes to running the municipal units.
While the issues do get complicated, here are some simple notes about each item.
Governance study: This has been initiated by municipal councils, supported by municipal councils, defeated by municipal councils for various reasons but mostly they all focus on the cost and how much each council and the province should pay.
Read more: CA: Nova Scotia: Survey in works on residents’ feelings about local governance
National Revenue Minister Gail Shea announced Tuesday that college, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Business Development, will receive $220,466 towards the purchase of computer and specialized equipment for a new e-health Training and Industry Support Centre.
The Province will provide students with financial assistance under the Skills P.E.I. program.
Read more: CA: Prince Edward Island: Holland College gets assistance with e-health training
Eastern Ontario is getting an extra $950,000 a year in provincial funding to expand a telemedicine program that allows rural residents to get speedier care closer to home.
The expanded program would allow more patients in the Ottawa Valley to meet by video conference with medical specialists at The Ottawa Hospital.
Read more: CA: Telemedicine in Eastern Ontario gets cash infusion
"It's a really good place to learn," Tait says, "which makes it perfect for younger people especially. You get exposure to a broad variety of roles and can gain a good foothold in the IT industry."
Read more: CA: Ontario: Public sector places high value on IT skills