Responses from the Electoral Candidates
Responses were collected up to this date and time: 1:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Any responses received by ACE after this date and time will be catalogued and added to our website at a later time. Responses are arranged according to the date we received them. The first response received in each party appears at the top of that section.
Green Party of Ontario individual candidate responses
Daniel Stein - Green Party candidate for Davenport
Teresa Pun - Green Party candidate for Willowdale
Jesseca Dudun - Green Party candidate for Simcoe-Grey
Mark Vercouteren - Green Party candidate for Essex
Angela Salewsky - Green Party candidate for Etobicoke-Lakeshore
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2014/3:05pm
Subject: Re: Arthritis in Ontario
From: Daniel Stein, Green Party for Davenport
Response:
I don't mean to suggest it's not serious for folks in my riding. I simply think that I think our position is on the issue is a province wide one, and therefore would come from Mr. Schreiber.
Thanks for all the good work that you do.
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2014/4:54pm
Subject: Re: Arthritis in Ontario
From: Teresa Pun
Response:
Dear Cheryl,
My name is Teresa Pun and I am the Green Party candidate in Willowdale. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important matter with you and your network. As a physician certified in Internal Medicine and Allergy and Immunology, I have treated many patients with RA and OA and understand how debilitating these diseases can be. Recent advances have made a tremendous impact on the course of these diseases but accessibility continues to be an issue.
1. If elected, I will work with the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) and hospitals across this province to establish a standardized model of arthritis care for all Ontarians. The CRA has established guidelines for both RA and OA but this information needs to be disseminated beyond the academic rheumatologists that operate only in major urban centers. I will create specialist networks that work with physicians in underserviced areas to offer patients the rapid access they need for diagnosis and treatment options. By teleconferencing with a specialist, general practitioners will gain the expertise they require to best treat the patient in a timely fashion.
2. I will work with the Ontario medical schools (I trained at the University of Toronto myself) and the residency programs (Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Rheumatology, Orthopedics, Geriatrics) to ensure that our next generation of physicians is adequately trained with the use of validated screening tools for arthritis.
3. While there are established treatment paradigms for RA and OA, each patient is different and he/she may respond to different medications (in the same or different class) differently. I will work with hospital formularies, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to ensure that every patient living with arthritis continues to be treated by the medication(s) that suit his/her disease best.
4. Guidelines are established by the experts in the field, not by government officials with little to no training/background in these diseases. I will continue to support funding for research in arthritis, including both basic science/bench based research and cost-effective analyses to demonstrate to taxpayers why it is so important that we fund these treatments for patients. Keeping patients with arthritis healthy will offer us a healthier work force and a stronger economy.
Fondly,
Dr. Teresa Pun
Date: Friday, May 30, 2014/2:30pm
Subject: Re: Arthritis in Ontario
From: Jesseca Dudun
Response:
Good afternoon Cheryl,
I understand how debilitating these diseases can be and that accessibility continues to be an issue.
1. The Green Party commits to working with the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) and hospitals across this province to establish a standardized model of arthritis care for all Ontarians. The CRA has established guidelines for both RA and OA but this information needs to be disseminated beyond the academic rheumatologists that operate only in major urban centers. We will create specialist networks that work with physicians in underserviced areas to offer patients the rapid access they need for diagnosis and treatment options. By teleconferencing with a specialist, general practitioners will gain the expertise they require to best treat the patient in a timely fashion.
2. We believe it is important to ensure that our next generation of physicians is adequately trained with the use of validated screening tools for arthritis.
3. The Green Party will work with hospital formularies, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to ensure that every patient living with arthritis continues to be treated with the medication(s) that suit his/her disease best.
4. Guidelines are established by the experts in the field, not by government officials with little to no training/background in these diseases. The Green Party will continue to support funding for research in arthritis, including both basic science/bench based research and cost-effective analyses to demonstrate to taxpayers why it is so important that we fund these treatments for patients. Keeping patients with arthritis healthy will offer us a healthier work force and a stronger economy.
I hope this answers your questions,
Jesseca Dudun
Green Party Candidate - Simcoe-Grey
Date: Monday, June 2, 2014
Subject: Re: Arthritis in Ontario
From: Mark Vercouteren, Green Party Candidate for Essex
Response:
What will your government do to bring a standardized model of arthritis care for all Ontario Residents?
The Green Party believes in quality healthcare to make people productive members of society.
We believe in prevention, and home care, keeping people in their homes as long as possible and as active as possible. It is important to make sure that people feel comfortable, and that they are treated with respect.
How will your government address the need to implement validated arthritis screening test into Ontario's medical schools and health care system?
Testing is an important part of prevention. It is much more effective to treat symptoms as early as possible to save money in the long run.
What will your government do to retain the province's rating and ensure Ontarians living with arthritis, with the help of the doctors who treat them, are able to choose the medication most appropriate for their specific arthritis disease, family history and important risk factors?
It is important for doctors to always have access to the medical history of patients to make sure they get the best care. My sister has a debilitating form of arthritis which has taken her mobility, and she is in constant pain. Each patient is unique, and may need different forms of treatment to find relief. So far for my sister they have been unable to find something that truly works. We need to continue to research new treatment options when standard treatments don't work for them.
How will your government establish and enact better healthcare guidelines so we can prevent the direct and indirect cost of arthritis on the Ontario economy?
We will make sure that people will have their needs met so that they can function in our society. The better we can treat this condition the more people that can live normal lives.
In the case of arthritis as well as many other health problems early detection, and treatment can prevent further damage which saves not only the healthcare system but patients condition from deteriorating further allowing them to lead a normal life longer.
Changes like "Universal heights" (not a standard height for plugs: approx 20 inches off the floor, and switches approx. 48 inches high) for outlets, and switches as well as levered handles on doors help a wide variety of people not just ones with limited mobility, it benefits everyone not just seniors, people with arthritis, other conditions, or those in wheel chairs. It allows minimal renovations when people need them. We also had an exterior leaver installed on our front door and believe this should be more common
Thank you for your questions.
Mark Vercouteren, Green Party
Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Subject: Re: Arthritis in Ontario
From: ANGELA
Response:
Dear Cheryl,
Thank you for your e-mail. I'm happy to share the Green Party's position on this important issue.
1) We will work with the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) and hospitals across Ontario to establish a standardized model of arthritis care for all Ontarians. The CRA has established guidelines for both RA and OA but this information needs to be disseminated beyond the academic rheumatologists that operate only in major urban centers. We will work to create specialist networks that work with physicians in underserviced areas to offer patients the rapid access they need for diagnosis and treatment options. By teleconferencing with a specialist, general practitioners will gain the expertise they require to best treat the patient in a timely fashion.
2) We will work with the Ontario medical schools and the residency programs (Internal medicine, Pediatrics, Rheumatology, Orthopedics, Geriatrics) to ensure that our next generation of physicians is adequately trained with the use of validated screening tools for arthritis.
3) While there are established treatment paradigms for RA and OA, each patient is different and he/she may respond to different medications (in the same or different class) differently. We will work with hospital formularies, pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies to ensure that every patient living with arthritis continues to be treated by the medication(s) that suit his/her disease best.
4) Guidelines are established by the experts in the field, not by government officials with little to no training/background in these diseases. We will continue to support funding for research in arthritis, including both basic science/bench based research and cost-effective analyses to demonstrate to taxpayers why it is so important that we fund these treatments for patients. Keeping patients with arthritis healthy will offer us a healthier work force and a stronger economy.
Best Regards,
Angela Salewsky
Green Party of Ontario
Etobicoke-Lakeshore
angelasalewsky@gpo.ca
416-259-9154
Arthritis Consumer Experts
ACE thanks Arthritis Research Canada (ARC) for its scientific review of ACE and JointHealth™ information and education programs.