A doctor who left Rochester to practice in Canada reflects on the decision 10 years later

Ten years ago, family medicine practitioner Dr. Emily Queenan decided to move her family from Rochester to Canada. She loved Rochester, but she said on Connections that the American health care system was "crushing her soul." She wanted to see more patients, less paperwork. She wanted to build long-term relationships, not long hours on the phone with insurance companies. Now, a decade later, she rejoins us to reflect on the decision, and to answer questions about the difference between American and Canadian health care. Our guest: Emily Queenan, M.D., president of the professional staff association and chief of obstetrics at Georgian Bay General Hospital, and family physician at Queenan Family Medicine and Maternity Care in Midland, Ontario 0:00 Introdcution 1:53 Reflecting on a decade in Canadian medicine 2:53 Overview of current medical roles in Ontario 4:54 Was moving to Canada the right decision? 12:34 U.S. healthcare as an industry 13:46 Comparing U.S. and Canadian healthcare systems 21:59 Exploring wait times for care in Canada 25:02 Challenges for immigrant doctors seeking licenses 28:29 How single-payer simplifies medical billing 30:42 Maternity care rights in Canada 35:23 Looking back on leaving U.S. healthcare 37:24 Reducing paperwork to focus on patients 38:30 Prioritizing patients over profit 38:50 Did the Affordable Care Act change U.S. healthcare? 40:34 Mental healthcare in Canada vs. U.S. 45:40 Role of nurse practitioners in primary care 48:55 Addressing the global primary care crisis __________________________ For more shows and information head to https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connect.... Be part of the program with questions or comments by phone at 844-295-TALK (8255), emailing connections@wxxi.org or using the chat on the live stream. Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections: https://www.wxxinews.org/pitch-your-s... __________________________ Become a member of WXXI: https://www.wxxi.org/donate Never miss a headline with our daily newsletter: https://www.wxxinews.org/newsletter.