The Crisis in Family Medicine with Dr. Ramsey Hijazi

In this episode of Hart2Heart with host Dr. Mike Hart, Dr. Hart sits down with Dr. Ramsey Hijazi. They dive into the complexities of the healthcare system, emphasizing the crisis in family medicine in Ontario. They discuss the shortage of family doctors providing comprehensive care the impact of administrative burdens and funding cuts on patient care and ultimately how this is leading to burnout in Canada’s health care system.
Guest Bio and Links:
Dr. Ramsey Hijazi is a family doctor based in Ontario, actively involved in addressing the challenges faced by family physicians. You can learn more about OUFP at their website oufp.ca/
Show Notes:
[0:00] Welcome back to the Hart2Heart Podcast with Dr. Mike Hart. Dr. Hart introduces guest, and family doctor, Dr. Ramzi Hijazi to the listeners
[3:30] Patient access to specialist care
[5:00] Discussing the Union of Family Physicians in Ontario and healthcare system challenges
[9:00] “People are being driven away from comprehensive family practice because, I think the conditions are so poor.”
[15:30] Underlying problems with OHIP
[18:00] Funding cuts and administrative work on family medicine
[21:00] Strategies for addressing physician burnout and system inefficiencies
[24:00] Proposals for Government action and improving patient care
[32:30] The role of MPs and nurse practitioners in primary care
[37:30] Lack of staffing in the medical field
[41:00] The importance of patient-physician interaction
[44:00] Addressing mental health in family medicine
[48:30] “I think a lot of burnout is also derived from feeling like you're not doing the best job you could and not spending the time you can with patients.”
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Dr. Mike Hart is a Cannabis Physician and Lifestyle Strategist. In April 2014, Dr. Hart became the first physician in London, Ontario to open a cannabis clinic. While Dr. Hart continues to treat patients at his clinic, his primary focus has shifted to correcting the medical cannabis educational gap which exists in the medical community.
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