Tragically Hip & Summer ’16 – Guest Post

Darren Cargill offers a post for #TragicallyHipDay and Doctors New Deal. Check out Darren’s other post here.

Enjoy!

Shawn

Summer of 2016 through the eyes 

of an unrepentant Hip fan

The summer of 2016 has been a tough one for Ontario’s doctors. Entering the summer, the OMA had been without a contract for over two years with no end insight.

At the same time, fans of the Tragically Hip, “Canada’s band,” were reeling from the news that Gord Downie had been diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor, a glioblastoma, and that the band would undertake it’s final tour, crossing Canada one last time over the summer.

As a physician and a Hip fan, I came to view this summer with mixed emotions. As we turn the corner on summer and move headlong into August, we move closer to the end of era and the grey of another.

Looking back, here is how I seem to remember it:

It started with a group of docs known as the Concerned Ontario Doctors or COD. They proclaimed they had had it UP TO HERE with unilateral cuts and health ministers who skip out on parliamentary votes for playoff baseball.  We all muttered about a track off MUSIC@WORK when the Health Minister attempted to shame physicians with a press conference in April.  With a Facebook site and near daily articles in the Huffington Post and Toronto Sun, reporters remarked to Drs. Alam and Kaur “YOU ARE EVERYWHERE.” And it seemed they were right. FIREWORKS and VAPOUR TRAILS were common on the COD site until leadership stepped in to lay down THE RULES. A battle for hearts and minds ensues.  Out of the wilderness comes bloggers and POETS. Every day we are drawn from one side to another Whatley, Gandhi, Alam, Elia, Wooder and Warsh.

A Physician Services Budget that will FULLY COMPLETELY fund both population growth and utilization of health care services is what they asked for. Relativity is the FIRE IN THE HOLE that threatens the very fabric of our organization. The difference between some specialists and those who are SO HARD DONE BY continues to grow, rather than shrink.

New grads and med students look on with trepidation and fear. Med school does not prepare you for the cut throat world of provincial politics.  Thankfully they are reassured by senior statesmen that medicine is still “A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON’T WEAKEN.” Now some may claim “THE KIDS DON’T GET IT,” but I beg to differ. I welcome their enthusiasm and a reminder of why we all entered medicine in the first place.

Then along comes Theresa Boyle of the Toronto Star on quest of blame and shame to BLOW AT HIGH DOUGH, to expose OHIP high billers while simultaneously ignoring the overhead and expenses inherent in medical practice. Asking the Privacy Office for the Top 100 billers betrays her motivations and a court injunction grants us a reprieve from another Kangaroo Court about “out of control” doctors like the Minister’s press conference in April.‎

Over two and a half years, negotiations crawled along, seemingly at an INCH AN HOUR. Hope began to fade as a negotiated settlement seems an IMPOSSIBILIUM. The years have been lean since 2012 and this one was shaping up to be THE DARKEST ONE yet.

When a tentative PSA was abruptly announced, COD claimed “TROUBLE AT THE HENHOUSE!” stating that this breakthrough failed to bring the binding arbitration that Council had demanded. In spite of concerns regarding the process followed, this deal was presented to the MEMBERSHIP by the Board as an opportunity to move forward.

Those who support the PSA claim that no better deal can be found. Pundits like Steve Paiken and Andre Picard agreed. COD feel a vote of “No” will not bring about the calamity that is foretold, rather they shout that we shouldn’t  be SCARED that the time is “NOW FOR PLAN A” and that we must hold strong for a proper negotiation. They tell the OMA in no uncertain terms not to “TWIST MY ARM.”

Trouble is, this government is broke. Money has been wasted on scandal after scandal. The debt has topped $300B, with $350B just on the horizon.  The doors to Deb Matthew’s Treasury no longer lead to ELDORADO but to the thread bare coffers of a government past due.

Criss-crossing the province with road shows and teleconferences, the OMA Board and staff have been met by members either YAWNING OR SNARLING with little middle ground in between. “Yes” is ready to move on; “No” is ready for another fight. But soldier on they do, providing the facts with deliberate calm, talk of renewed trust and GRACE, TOO. Our President soldiers on IN VIOLET LIGHT.

The OMA argues this deal brings stability and predictability. It prevents the unilateral cuts that has the Schedule of Benefits ALL TORE UP. It also allows our Charter Challenge for binding arbitration to continue. Armed with his THREE PISTOLS of Labour Trilogy, Brian Burkett assures us we still have a strong case against an unconstitutional government.‎

Served with a petition, the OMA must now call a General Members meeting. Only once has this been done before. Known only as “THAT NIGHT IN TORONTO,” the only other meeting of its kind took place in 1991. Events seem to change not on a daily but  hour to hour basis. Members look to one another and exclaim: “this SUMMER IS KILLING US!”

But where exactly to hold such a meeting?  OMA staff scramble about town LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN. Not many venues can hold our entire Association under one roof. No matter where we end up, we know it would have been better off in BOBCAYGEON .

No referendum. No Special Council. This is a winner take all vote, a meeting of minds, a clash of philosophy and a PUTTING DOWN for the ages.

Soon, we shall meet and soon we shall vote. Vote Yes, Vote No.  It is important to remember that at the end of the day, whether COD, OAR or OMA, that WE ARE ALL THE SAME.

On one hand, I can’t wait for this summer to end. On the other hand, I wish this summer could continue forever.

The first cross Canada “tour” I can recall was that of Terry Fox. I was six.  Many of us remember when Terry began his Marathon of Hope.  We followed his run which began in St. John’s, NFLD, expecting to end in Victoria, BC.  Growing up on the mean streets of Oakville, I attended W.H Morden Elementary School and I still remember my first day of school in 1981. The library was brand new, having just which been converted from a gymnasium. An assembly was called. We thought it was intended to showcase our new home for books.  Instead, we were told that Terry had been forced to stop his run. Later that year, in the same library, we were told Terry had died.

Today, Gord Downie is crossing Canada as the Tragically Hip make their farewell tour after decades of service to Canadian and music fans around the world. Their music is a theme to generations of music lovers and often the soundtrack of summers at the cottage, by the pool or just hanging out.

While I dread yet another day like that one in that library at Morden, my job has helped me to understand that the music ends for all of us, one day or another.  As a palliative care physician, I deal everyday with the INEVITABILITY OF DEATH .

But, it also gives me pause to smile. For when the day arrives, no matter where I am, no matter what I’m doing, I will know with great certainty that HEAVEN IS A BETTER PLACE now.

We can all learn a little something from both Terry and Gord. About what really matters.

Written by a self-proclaimed DARK CANUCK.