Alberta Health to close beds

As an Albertan who is completely immersed in the Alberta Health Care System, I am bewildered at such a decision. Every day in this province is like waking up to an episode of the Simpsons. Who is in charge of this Gong show? It is like a total recall of the Ralph Klein Health Care "DeKline". Why is our government aggressively attacking our grossly overtaxed health care system, that they themselves ("DeKline Care")created. Or pardon me, that should read "Mangled". Albertans who are in need of Acute care recently can attest to the need for an expanded Acute Care program, not the opposite. This governments massively gross failure to acknowledge the looming need for across the board infrastructure expansion before the "BOOM" began, has created all of the infrastructure crisis' that we are now experiencing. I really do believe that Albertans as a whole are completely fed up with this governments knee jerk "Reactive" decision making. The ineptness of this government is truly frightening. I got to experience Tory acute care first hand, a surgeon who could care less about my neck when I was first admitted, followed by being kicked to the curb by a physio department before I was ready, with absolutely no "home care" in place for me when I arrived. And none for a week. Yep, this Alberta alright. Made in Alberta (Made on the "CHEAP"). Where homelessness is not a lifestyle choice, it is a Alberta government administered program. What is Ed's new motto, Freedom to WAIT!! In a hospital hallway that is!!Spirit to leave. I think his new "spirit" is shelling your last pay cheque into a VLT. I find it interesting that the US Ambassador visits Alberta
and our government does not show him around. I have long wondered if abusing and denying critical medical care to disabled injured workers is a "New Conservative value", or are they Old Conservative values?
I do apologize for not updating my blog recently. I recently moved into a apartment with a roommate so I could have access to an elevator. Since my mobility continues to decline, this move is critical. I want to thank all who helped a partially disabled person with this move. It has taken up almost every spare moment of my time recently. It has taken me over a month from start to finish on this move. I just received word of my referral to the pain clinic at the U of A in two months. Which will amount to a total of 8 month wait for that appointment. I have spent the last couple of months working on completing all of the necessary requirements for AISH and CPP disability. Since those programs are of concrete and of real substance.

I can only rely in legitimate programs, programs with real legitimate appeal processes, and working acute decision resolution processes. Not a phoney baloney program such as Alberta WCB, which waves around a BS flag(WCB appeals), touting it as a working decision resolution process. I wallowed in that quagmire for years, with zero to show for it. Being seriously injured and relying on their BS system for my health care is like landing on a Syncrude Tailings Pond and being sucked to the bottom with the other wildlife. I really do believe that the new Alberta Health Super Board is going to be run on the same principles. It is consistent with this governments application of one "Hack Job" solution, right over top of one of their other "Hack Job" miracles. This governments "private" over "publicly" run solutions are an absolute disaster. If ToryCorp would work half as hard at properly staffing and funding our health care sytem, as they do on dismantling it, we would have a world class system that we all could be proud of.
On top of it all Capital Region Housing phoned to day to terminate my subsidy. I tried to explain my medical need for a building with a elevator. My doctor has provided a letter to this effect. The girl just kept repeating over and over, "those are the rules". Terrific. Just what I need, more obdurates in my life. The purpose of the program is to ensure that persons do not end up homeless. I am going downtown to try to get a meeting with Barb Sommerfield, her supervisor. Barb refuses to meet with me or produce a response to my appeal. Just another government hatchet man. It looks like I am heading for a complaint to the privacy commissioner. That brings it to 9 government corp/offices I am dealing with. More Corporation, less government is the Tory Credo. How's that working out for us all? I could write an entire book on the side effects of my spinal injury. Suffice it to say that my condition continues to deteriorate. My current medical condition is really starting to wear on my mental state. As old Rueben used to say, "Man what a life!"

More Bad News

I went to my doctors office today, my heart sank when he read my MRI, and said it is entirely possible that I will now require surgery on my neck. Just as I have said for a very long time (June 13, 2006) there is something wrong with my neck. MARCH 04, 2006 Scans. MARCH 09, 2006 Scans. I even wrote a letter to Kathy Morgan (LETTER ORIGINAL) back then because I was floored with my Spinal Surgeons' response, that he was, "only being paid to fix my back". That was back in 2006.
Corporate Alberta rears its ugly head. (This is all consistent with, Crappy Contracters=Crappy Disability Insurer). I cannot figure out why N.B. does not want to be assimilated by the Alberta Corporate model. You think they would welcome assimilation.
Not only did I complain to Dr. Jiang about my neck, but I also told Dr. Wilson of my neck difficulties, popping 10 times a day. Here is one of his physician reports before WCB Alberta shut him down by cutting me off permanently. No danger of WCB paying for anything they already ambushed me last week by telling my Doctor that I never complained in the hospital. I told my doctor, " I was on Morphine!"
I wonder how many specialists the Alberta Government and the WCB Alberta Sponsor to come here and work? Then they can pre-program them for their true objective, ToryCorp Health. ToryCorp Health will of course be a superior organization run by non other than, their very own "Superboard". Kinda has a private club sound to it, doesn't it? You know, there was this super race one time. ... They had the very same dilemma. Being superior you know.
In the final analysis, it has to be stated. You know what? There was nothing wrong with my neck before I fell. It has been giving me hell ever since and I want something done about it, before I end up like Superman did.
Here is the link to the results My MRI report on my C-Spine (neck)., page 2 of the report. I am just so tired of unqualified predator doctors posing as medical experts and ambushing me without qualifying credentials or exploratory evidence. WCB Alberta has a new rent a doc, who is a Mr. Charleton.
My doctor is understandably being misled by WCB Alberta. Legitimate health care professionals simply cannot understand how their very own medical alumni, are willfully maliciously applying medical skills.
Dr. Charleton did write a letter to my doctor. I did not discover this until months later. I requested to see the WCB doctors letter, from my doctor. Obviously doctor Charleton does not feel that maliciously attacking my medical condition would warrant sending me a copy of his findings. Doctor Charleton did act maliciously, by not acquiring further medical evidence. Non treatment is considered under Acts of threats and co-ercion within a licensed medical facility in the Province of Alberta. Millard Health Center is so used to using this technique that they think this is standard operating procedure for a medical facility. Why wouldn't they. Their model is a American HMO model. Proper investigation of my case would include, appropriate radiographs, examination by spinal surgeons or any chronic pain specialists, by actually opening up my medical records and reviewing all available documentation on my case. Here is a shocker, how about the WCB Alberta actually perform a proper spinal IME? A proper Independant Medical Examination of my Spine that follows all of the procedures laid out in the AMA Guide to Permanent Impairments. Unqualified medical workers employed by Alberta WCB producing felonious reports, and not even bothering to send me a copy of these bogus findings. STAKEHOLDERS, so Alberta WCB won't have to look it up. This is just one more felonious method that the WCB Alberta uses in its toolbox of creating felonious evidence against my case. "Corporate health care coming to a loved one near you." Colleen Bamford if you were terribly injured, is this how you would like to be treated? I wish my doctor would tell WCB that if it is important enough for their doctor to phone him with, than it is important enough to put in a letter. Superboard, can you Feel the rush?
I drove by the Charles Camsell Hospital and could not help but think... that its giant hulking ghost towers as a monolith to the Alberta Governments mismanagement of health care. They took a 100% completely working mechanism of the health care system and destroyed it, good job. And to this day they have never been able to approach that level of care that existed within its walls. The echoes of true pioneers will never fade.

Working in Alberta

Working in Alberta

is a funny sort of conservative

paradigm

. If you do not work in this province you are looked down upon, because the general populace believes that you have some sort of character fault. Even if you are partially disabled. The Alberta Government Felonious Insurance Scheme will not help you in any way. That means medications, rehabilitation, medical attention of any kind, or retraining so that I will not have to

break my back, again

in order to bring home a paycheck. Nor will they finally live up to their fuduciary responsibility and pay for a real multidisciplinary assessment of my injuries, and of my current physical functional limitations so that a economic loss payment can be arrived at.
There really is no reason to postulate the legalities of my situation, since

WCB Alberta

Operates so far outside what is considered

lawful

that to dream about any sort of legal and fair resolution of my case is a completely moot point.
If a injured worker or any other outside observer where to want to study the WCB Alberta system, they would find a website that does not work, absolutely no online access to WCB Case Law here in this province. And as such, researchers would simply have to speculate on the actual documents that are supposedly posted on WCB Alberta 's website.
I find it very amusing that the Law Society of Alberta would allow such and entity to be created, one that cannot be successfully sued. And a legal arm of the government that swings a giant "Legal Axe" in its own defense yet does not have WCB Case Law posted on its website, or access to such a library.
When the legal might of a 1.3 billion dollar Government Agency is busy legally suffocating the life out of an individual, that person it not allowed access to case law in his or her own defense. I am no legal genius, but I am pretty damn sure that any use of a government sanctioned legal system, would have to incorporate access to such a library.
Since a billion dollar funded private legal system has been unleashed on a private citizen, that citizen should have access to their case law. Simply because, in no place in any part of the legal system is it absolutely mandatory to have a lawyer for representation. And as such clients, as a fundamental right should have access to the complete WCB Alberta case law library. This is not 1950, it should be posted online the same as other government agencies. If that is not possible then the government should pay for my legal defense. That way their buddies can get paid too. Lets spread the joy around some.
I hope that the Top Brass at the offices of WCB Alberta are proud of themselves. They have successfully managed to lie, cheat and steal my Pension from me. I will now receive no compensation for my Permanent Clinical Impairment, and any medical needs,or monthly subsistence, or any monies for retraining.
I did receive a phone call from the Royal Alex Hospital yesterday informing me that I will have a appointment for a MRI on my neck on Sunday the 12th day of July @ 11:00 am on a Sunday. I originally thought that my MLA's influence helped. However, I have since learned that the Taxpayers of Alberta were once again made to pay for my MRI Scan. I never did get my CT Scan of my C-Spine. Since Colleen Bamford already turned me down for my tests and my bed. We shall see. It would be nice to know what it is like to completely be able to turn my head again.

Man what a life!

I would have never guessed that I would be teetering on the verge of homelessness, simply because I fell off a steel rafter busting some Iron together and now I am disabled. The idea that WCB Alberta would have intelligent employees (Claims managers) working for them is a delusion. And further that any of these Claims Managers would have even the most rudimentary medical knowledge is absolutely absurd. If any of these humans exist at WCB Alberta , I certainly have not met any of them. At the very core of this issue is the Stalig 13 type atmosphere at WCB Alberta . If you so much as sneeze the word "OW" you will be terminated from all treatments, benefits and pensions you may have been entitled to at one time in a fictional Alberta. The very idea that a person with less medical knowledge than myself (Ironworker) is in charge of my benefits is absolutely asinine.
When a seriously injured worker who has suffered multiple back injuries, gets injured at physio and reports it, it is incumbent on the Claims manager to order tests. These tests would be to investigate the reported injury. Simply cutting off the claimant and not returning his phone calls, or written communiques is not collaboration on my case plan Colleen. And it is certainly not what Colleen Bamford claims is working with all stakeholders towards the same goal. There is, and never will be, any single stakeholder with a larger stake in this claim than Brent McGillis. Her plan is simple, Obey..Sieg Heil or your entire file will be terminated. What ever happened to the WCB Mantra of working with stakeholders? Her case management is called a dictatorship, and is not conducive to an effective recovery plan map. A recovery plan map that does not include the injured worker in any participatory capacity is not a plan that is achievable.
To be totally blunt, my Case managers has ever tried to work with me or consult me on any of their case plans, ever.

When a Ironworker falls and lands flat on his back, guess what?, there are going to be complications. Being that my injury was not 100 % properly diagnosed at the Royal Alexandra Hospital is not my fault. And it is not their (RAH) fault either. They live under the guidelines of Alberta Health. Their primary goal is to kick you out the door and free up a bed.
I was under the misguided delusion that once I had arrived at the Millard Health Facility, my complete injuries and side effects of these injuries would be assessed. I was under the deluded idea that the Millard Center was a true "Multiple Disciplinary Rehabilitation Facility".
It is a phoney baloney health center. (A real Licensed Hospital or Health Clinic in the Province of Alberta is not allowed to use threats or coercion.) Protection for Persons in Care Act of Alberta. I did not make this Law, the Alberta Government did.
Man was I stupid. The very first thing they did was introduce me to DR. RENCHKO. He blurted, "Lots of people have steel parts in their bodies". And I retorted; "Yah, but not in their friggin spine!! Good God! I don't appreciate having my injury mocked by Medical Professionals, who are my Medical Guardians. It was all I could do to climb onto the examination table, and lay down. This experience was rapidly taking on a bizarre DISTORTION that I simply had not seen coming. Actually being MOCKED by the very people delegated by LAW to help rehabilitate me. I was in complete and total bewilderment. Never before in my entire life had I felt so belittled, insulted, and degraded. I was already under extreme physical duress, now Millard was embarking on a program of applied Mental Duress. And they were acting with Malice. A doctor trivializing my injury while I struggle to get on and off of his examination table. There is trivial about a serious fall.
At this point I was feeling extremely vulnerable, lonely, insulted and helpless. Since I knew that if this was the first encounter this whole gong show (Millard Health Center) was going downhill at a frightening pace. This was the first time in my LIFE that I had actually met a Rent-a-Doc. I guess the bottom 10% of grads need jobs too, just like any other trade.
That was the first exposure to WCB ick that I had to endure. I felt violated and degraded.
The next encounter with there vocational people was uneventful, except for suggestions of helping me find another job. I already had a job that I was to mangled to return to. Their idea is for you to start flipping burgers or something, that doesn't cost them a dime. Good job WCB.
After that they decided that it would be a good idea for me to be subjected to their FCE. You climb a 6 foot ladder, walk on a board. Lift a crate a few times. During this evaluation, I told the woman who was giving me this evaluation about my other injuries. I even demonstrated that I was unable to stand straight up, because of my right knee that was blown in the fall. She off course retorted that there was nothing about that stuff on her report. She would not record any of those concerns, except to write in her report that, "I imagined my injuries to be greater that they actually were."
More flippant remarks from another unremarkable human being used to making no useful contributions to society. Then to cap it all off she herded me into a room with camera's and microphones to make me sign a document saying that I had already signed off on any previous injuries. I told her that I never signed off on my previous back injury and would not do so now. She left for a while, returned and told me that I would not have to sign that document.
The final day was the next day, when I met with Bruce Eidick. He is Millard's RTW director. He met me and described while we were walking down the hallway to another room with camera's and microphones that I would be subjected to an intense program 5 days a week, 5 hours a day of Intense physiotherapy. I told him, "No you're not". I still had steel Rods and Screws in my Spine. There was no way in Hell, then or now that I would let a bunch of Hillbilly hacks risk further injuring my already mangled back. I did not suffer a broken leg. I broke the housing for my Spinal Cord. I know that the WCB of Alberta does not give a sh*t about my back. This is a news flash for the dummies. I only have one back, and it is now horribly deformed and mangled. Maliciously applying even more mental duress really was not an appropriate form of action at this point in my recovery.
After he could not find one of his surveillance rooms to film me signing the WCB's malicious document. A document designed to maximize duress on a client to the point where it will force a client to the absolute breaking limit. These tactics are designed to mentally stress out a client. Thus achieving their goal of attacking you credibility. I told Bruce Eidick that I would show up every single day I could, and do whatever I could. I would treat every person in that facility with respect. But I would not sign a legally binding document with unachievable goals that were impossible for me to fulfill in my weakened and battered state, and now under severe duress. Those goals were impossible then, and they are impossible today.
Is mental and physical torture of a severely injured worker a new Conservative Value? Or is it an Old Conservative Value?