What are the most important challenges facing the Canadian health system in the next decade?
The single most important factor in my view is sustainability from a demographics and affordability point of view and the challenge to redesign the health system from an acute care individualized treatment model to one which emphasizes health, wellness and chronic disease management. As David Foot documented in “Boom, Bust and Echo” in 1996, the demographics of the baby boomers is fundamentally changing all apsects of our society. The affect is multifaceted and is characterized by: • Significant staff retirements (estimated at 50% of all classifications of staff in the next 10 years) which will challenge every health authority in Canada and comparable delivery models in the US to provide traditional models and levels of care; • A double digit increase in the elderly, who by virtue of deteriorating health status use propotionatley more services than the non elderly; • A generation “Y” population whose career aspirations don’t include health care as top of list and whose values and organ
