Distractions, reflections

Distractions, reflections

David Ing, at large … Sometimes, my mind wanders

My cataract surgery is scheduled!

March 31, 2006
The opthamologist called me with an appointment.  The next available date for an operating room at St. Michael’s Hospital for Dr. Squires is Monday, May 15.  I’m scheduled to be back from Austria / Finland / UK on Thursday, May 11, so the timing is good.

I was assessed as needing the surgery on February 17.  From February 17 to May 11 is 87 days.  (This didn’t include the span from December 1 until February 15, which was how long it took just to get the consult with the optometrist!) 

I had previously commented on the Ontario wait time web site.  Here’s a snippet from scorecard, most recently and with some history.  (In addition the measures for all hospitals and St. Mike’s, I’ve included Don Mills Surgical Unit, which I see on the list as a privatized alternative).

  Hospital Median Wait Time (days) Average Wait Time (days) 90% completed within (days)
December 2005 – January 2006 All hospitals (65 of 77 reporting) 99 142 311
St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto) 74 148 345
Don Mills Surgical Unit Ltd. (Toronto) 149 173 299
October – November 2005 All Hospitals (66 of 77 reporting) 93 138 314
St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto) 85 134 335
Don Mills Surgical Unit Ltd. (Toronto) 117 141 272
August – September 2005 All hospitals (65 of 77 reporting) 99 142 311
St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto) 74 148 345
Don Mills Surgical Unit Ltd. (Toronto) 149 173 299
July 2005 All Hospitals (61 of 77 reporting) 85 139 315
St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto) 58 103 322
Don Mills Surgical Unit Ltd. (Toronto) 166 144 251

Although there’s some that might believe that privitization might fix the wait time issue, it looks like Ontario’s implemention of it doesn’t seem to make things much better.  

My wait time appears to have been within the ballpark, not only for St. Mike’s, but for the province.  I wonder why there’s variability month by month.

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