Patty Winsa
TorontoStar
Canada
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Past articles by Patty:
Toronto hospitals have a successful virtual ER program. But its time is running out
A virtual department set up by major hospitals has saved thousands of patients a trip to the ER. But with funding set to end, it could start charging patients. → Read More
Chinese balloon saga floats some old UFO stories in Canada to the surface for the first time
Party balloons, weather balloons, airplanes — they’re part of the 92 per cent of UFOs that can be explained. It’s the other eight per cent — the what if — that capture the imagination. → Read More
How the Chinese balloon was different from weather balloons
A manufacturer who supplies weather balloons to the U.S. government talked about how weather balloons differ from the Chinese balloon shot down at the beginning of February off the coast of South Carolina. → Read More
We break down your plastic-bag alternatives: The greenest option may surprise you
There are questions about the options being used to replace the ubiquitous plastic bag — and about the impact Canada’s ban will have. → Read More
Is COVID still a global health emergency? WHO will decide Friday
World Health Organization will declare if it’s still a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. But either way the virus is still with us. → Read More
Virtual doctor’s visits did not drive patients to hospital ERs, study finds
The expectation that virtual visits with family physicians would drive more people to hospital emergency departments as a substitute for an in-person appointment didn’t turn out to be true, according to a new study by the Ontario Medical Association. → Read More
Ontario government health line is referring patients to virtual-only doctors not covered by OHIP
Health Connect Ontario is referring patients to virtual-only doctors, a service the province is trying to discourage. → Read More
Patients who use virtual walk-in clinics more likely to go to ER later: study
Online appointments with one’s own family doctor are less likely to be followed with an emergency room visit, according to a study by Toronto researchers. → Read More
‘Everyone is praying for victory and for peace’: Ukrainians mark orthodox holidays in Toronto.
Orthodox Ukrainian Christmas falls on Jan. 7 and New Year’s Day on Jan. 14 for those who follow the Julian calendar. → Read More
Ford government reaches tentative deal with 7,000 school support staff
It’s the second settlement reached with education workers after a deal was ratified this month by CUPE. → Read More
This gender-affirming clinic in Toronto closes today as lower virtual-health fees set in
MPP blasts Health Minister Sylvia Jones for not bailing out Connect-Clinic, caught up in a funding deal that pays less for virtual care as of Dec. 1. → Read More
Why Rocket Doctor — and other online health sites in Ontario — are about to come crashing down to earth
Some sites could disappear come Dec. 1, when low fees for virtual-only appointments take effect. Some may charge customers instead of OHIP. → Read More
Phone appointments with doctors can be life-changing. So why is Ontario devaluing them?
Lower fees paid for phone appointments jeopardize some patient care, critics say → Read More
Is artificial intelligence the pill that health care needs?
At a Toronto hospital, AI is being used to predict staffing needs in emergency departments. And it can help determine likelihood of a patient dying. → Read More
Unions take Ford government to court over Ontario’s Bill 124 wage-cap
A high stakes court challenge in Toronto this week will be pivotal in determining whether Bill 124 infringes on the constitutional right of collective bargaining by capping wages. → Read More
How Toronto virtual clinics are helping significantly cut wait times by nearly 40% in some cases
A Toronto neurology centre is using virtual clinics to significantly cut wait times for referrals, in some cases, by as much as 38 per cent. → Read More
The only way to solve this health care crisis is a province-wide strategy, these experts say. Does Ontario have one?
The Ontario Hospital Association has called for a “centralized, government-led strategy” and several executives agree. Is Ontario making one? → Read More
Canada is banning dog imports from 100 countries
Dogs from 100 countries will not be allowed to come into the country after Sept. 28. → Read More
Dry conditions set to end in Toronto as rainy weather systems emerge from U.S.
Toronto has had below average rainfall in June and July but residents should get a break this week from watering the plants. → Read More
Wait times for hospital admission from the ER are at a record high in Ontario. It’s a symptom of a system-wide crisis
“The emergency department is always sort of like the canary in the coal mine,” the president of the Canadian Medical Association told the Star. → Read More