The Co-op Experiment
AIMS Fellow in Health Care Economics, Brian Ferguson, examines the ability of consumer health co-ops to address local needs within a system that often overlooks them.
Re-Evaluating Health Care
AIMS Fellow in Health Care Policy, David Zitner, looks at the way we measure health care in Canada. Too often we focus entirely on the costs without looking at the outcomes.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it!
AIMS board member Dianne Kelderman examines the need for an increased level of innovation in the Canadian health care system.
Soaring loonie creates winners and losers
The Moncton Times & Transcript called on AIMS for comment on the high-flying loonie. Ian Munro, Director of Research, pointed out that a rising Canadian dollar does present challenges for exporters, but also makes Canadian consumers richer and provides a golden opportunity for Canadian firms to invest in capital and boost productivity for the long term.
A Third Way Forward
Rural (and urban) communities are seeing a decline in health care service. In an article for Making Waves magazine AIMS Fellow in Health Care Policy, David Zitner, and AIMS Board member, Dianne Kelderman examine how introducing some private health care can help solve this problem.
Public and private: Lessons from the other side
Nova Scotia has been actively engaged in public-private partnerships (P3s) for a number of years now. While some of the projects have functioned smoothly with little public opposition, others have generated controversy. Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, notes that even P3s that elicited a public outcry managed to accomplish things that the govenrnment wouldn't have been able to do alone.
AIMS responds to pro-Halifax criticism
In this letter to the editor AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill explains why government shouldn't throw its money at ill-conceived projects, instead it should create a business friendly environment for the private sector to take the risk.
Should we SAC the School Boards?
In asking for some big new ideas, the Premier of Nova Scotia laid down a challenge to a gathering of education stakeholders – incremental changes are not enough. In his fortnightly column AIMS acting president Charles Cirtwill took up that challenge in spades. He proposes not only doing away with school boards but combining that move with a shift to true site based management at the school level. Making schools responsible for student performance and making the department responsible for supporting, not running, schools.
The power of one
The head of NB Power says that experiments in deregulation have proven that it just doesn't work. AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill argues that so-called deregulation schemes in Ontario and California actually created more regulation than they cut. He suggests that true deregulation hasn't been given a fair shot in North America.
Atlantic Region needs proper forum for transportation
Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, says the call for a regional forum to address transportation issues is the right move, but there is no need to create an entirely new organization; there are existing bodies that can take on the role.