June 17, 2010: Wait Time Alliance 2010 Report Card Released
The WTA has issued its 5^th annual report card on government progress towards achieving maximum wait time benchmarks; see the media release and the full report. Governments' maximum wait time for access to CABG is 26 weeks compared to 6-weeks as set by the CCS/WTA. For the first time, the WTA has also graded governments against WTA benchmarks; provincial government web sites have also been graded. The report also marks government for public reporting on wait times in 3 areas beyond CABG: cardiac rehabilitation, EP ablation and echocardiography; click for more detailed reports where available.

The CCS is one of the founding members of the WTA, which currently represents 13 national specialty areas plus the Canadian Medical Association, which provides the WTA Secretariat. The WTA was originally formed in response to the 2004 First Ministers’ Accord and its goal of establishing maximum wait times in 5 priority areas, including cardiac care (CABG). For further information and background reports, please see the Health Policy/Advocacy section of the CCS web site or contact Louise Marcus, Director, Health Policy and Advocacy, marcus@ccs.ca or 877 569 3407 x412.

March 31, 2010: Promises, Promises: Canadians Still Waiting for Wait Time Guarantees
The Wait Time Alliance (WTA) today expressed disappointment that some jurisdictions have still not fulfilled their 2007 promise to implement wait time guarantees, and other jurisdictions have implemented guarantees that are inconsistent and weak.
[Press release] [WTA backgrounder: Wait-time guarantees by province and territory]

February 8, 2010: REPORT: ACHIEVING HEART HEALTH TARGETS WOULD LEAD TO BIG SAVINGS FOR CANADA
Canada could save $76.4 billion between 2005 and 2020—an average of about $5 billion a year in health savings—if some of the targets set out by the Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan (CHHS-AP) are met, according to a Conference Board of Canada report released today at a press conference in Ottawa.

The report, The Canadian Heart Health Strategy: Risk Factors and Future Cost Implications, estimates the impact on future health expenditures if Canada were to meet the targeted reductions in heart disease and stroke risk factors outlined in the CHHS-AP report, Building a Heart Healthy Canada. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society™ joined with the Conference Board to release the findings today.

Read the press release...

June 18, 2009: Wait Times – “Unfinished Business”
The Wait Time Alliance issued its 4th annual report card on wait times today and stressed in its media release that there remains unfinished business in addressing access to care. The CCS is one of the founding members of the WTA. Dr. Lorne Bellan, Chair of the WTA, commented to the media that, “Five years ago, governments agreed to targets for coronary artery bypass grafting, just one, narrow part of cardiac care… and since then, there has been no progress in expanding benchmarks, even though the CCS developed a full set of evidence-based benchmarks for care in 2005.”

For a copy of the latest WTA report card, please click here.

February 24, 2009: Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan (CHHS-AP) Report: Officially Released!
The Canadian Heart Health Strategy and Action Plan has been officially released by Dr. Eldon Smith, Chair of the CHHS-AP Steering Committee, at a press conference in Ottawa on February 24th. Also in attendance were the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Federal Minister of Health, Dr. David Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and representatives from the lead organizations involved in developing the Strategy and Action Plan, including Dr. Lyall Higginson on behalf of Dr. Charles Kerr, President, for the Canadian Cardiovascular Society™. The CCS extends its sincere thanks to those members who were involved in developing the Strategy over the past 2 years and looks forward to their continued participation in its implementation.

Read the CCS media release 'Canada urgently needs a prescription for heart health'

See the CHHS-AP web site for more details: www.chhs-scsc.ca

May 13, 2008: Wait Time Alliance of Canada
The Wait Time Alliance of Canadamade a presentation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health on government actions to date in addressing wait times for Canadians. Click here for a copy of the CCS’ key messages through the WTA.

October 2007: Access to Care 2007 CCS National Survey Highlights
Findings from a 2007 CCS National Survey on Access to Care at Tertiary Cardiac Care Centres were presented and discussed at a workshop at the 2007 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Blair O’Neill and Dr. Chris Simpson, Chair and Co-Chair, of the CCS Access to Care Working Group. View the presentation.

April 19, 2007
The Wait Time Alliance, of which the CCS is a member, issued on April 19th its final report and report card on the provinces’ progress towards meeting provincial benchmarks. The CCS issued a complementary media release in response to the report card, “Wait Time Alliance (WTA) Report Card on Provincial Benchmarks: An Easy “A” for Cardiac Bypass Surgery; an “F” For Failing to Address the ‘Big Picture’ in Cardiac Care” and Backgrounder.

Please also refer to a commentary on wait times prepared by Dr. Blair O’Neill, Chair of the CCS Access to Care Working Group and Dr. Chris Simpson, Co-Chair, The Politicization of the Wait Times Issue – and How to Rise Above It.

April 4-5, 2007:
Dr. Chris Simpson, a member of the CCS Access to Care Working Group, represented the CCS at the “Taming of the Queue” conference in Ottawa on April 4-5, 2007. Dr. Simpson spoke to the media following the Prime Minister’s announcement at the conference of the $1B patient wait time guarantee. The CCS received an abundance of media coverage and will continue to work to generate awareness and adoption of the CCS benchmarks. The Chair of the Access to Care Working Group is Dr. Blair O’Neill. Also see: It’s All About the Patient’s Journey, which was made available to delegates at the “Taming of the Queue” conference.

February 9, 2007:
CCS issued a media release to remind governments that a successful wait time strategy must be patient-centred and focused on the entire continuum of care. Advocacy on this issue remains an on-going priority.

December 15, 2006:
CCS issued a press release in response to the federal-provincial announcement that the benchmarks were limited to the single surgical segment of the full continuum of adult cardiovascular services and procedures.