Vancouver Man Advertises 5 000 Reward For Help Finding Family Doctor

Gary Shuster’s belief in public health care is so strong that in 2008 he worked on Barack Obama’s election campaign, attracted by the future president’s promise to deliver a fairer, Canadian system to the American people. The Montreal-born, California-raised dual citizen who now calls Vancouver home says Canada’s publicly funded model is superior to the for-profit health care system in the United States, which caters only to those with the afford. So it was with mixed feelings that earlier this week Shuster took out an ad in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, offering $5,000 to anyone who could help him find a family doctor. “I think it’s terrible that I can do this and others can’t. It’s unfair and it’s not the way the system was designed,” he said. Shuster has received two responses to his ad so far. No person is interested in collecting the $5,000 reward. (Vancouver Sun) Critics will be quick to point out that the monetary reward undermines the very system it claims to support. But as someone living with a rare metabolic disorder, Shuster said he had no choice. “I have young children and if something happened to me it would be a real disaster for them,” said the father of three. “As a responsible parent, I have to take steps to ensure that I stay healthy.” The 55-year-old lives with CPT2 deficiency, a muscle disease that can be triggered by stress, anxiety and infection, leading to severe cramps, cognitive impairment and muscle weakness. As a precaution, Shuster carries an information card with him that describes the disease and treatment if he does get sick. Regular follow-up by a doctor familiar with CPT2 deficiency is important to control it, but earlier this month, Shuster’s family doctor unexpectedly retired. Trying to find a replacement was frustrating. Shuster worked on the Obama presidential campaign in 2008 to support the future president’s proposed health care reforms. (submitted by Gary Shuster) “It’s almost impossible,” he said. “There is for high-risk patients like myself a system that Vancouver Coastal Health runs where they’ll help you find a doctor. But wait times are about six months and usually don’t guarantee much,” he said. he said. One million British Columbians — nearly a quarter of the people in the province — are without a family doctor and, like Shuster, are struggling to cobble together health care. Last week, Health Secretary Adrian Dix announced $118 million in funding to support and stabilize family doctors, while work continues on a new fee structure aimed at retaining and attracting more doctors to family practice. BC President Ramneek Dosanjh’s doctors said Shuster’s conundrum shows the true consequences of the health care crisis. “No one should ever put an advertisement in a newspaper and [offer] money and payment in order to join a family practice. This is really sad,” he said. Schuster takes the precaution of always carrying a card with vital information about his medical condition. (submitted by Gary Shuster) “Every citizen, every British Columbian, every patient should have equal rights and access to universal health care.” As a dual citizen, Shuster considered buying private health insurance in the US and finding a doctor in Washington state. He can afford the estimated price of $20,000 a year, he said, but decided not to, in part, because the trip is impractical. In a perfect world, she’ll be able to find the same level of care she did in 2017 when she first moved to Vancouver. “It was effective. I had a family doctor who could do everything I needed and keep me healthy. But it just started falling apart and I don’t understand why the wheels are coming off the car,” he said. As of Wednesday afternoon, two people had responded to his ad. Both said they were not interested in the $5,000 reward. “I have a lead on a clinic in New Westminster that might work, which of course is not entirely downtown,” Shuster said in a text. “But as they say, any port in a storm.”

title: “Vancouver Man Advertises 5 000 Reward For Help Finding Family Doctor Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-27” author: “Thomas Mcchriston”

Gary Shuster’s belief in public health care is so strong that in 2008 he worked on Barack Obama’s election campaign, attracted by the future president’s promise to deliver a fairer, Canadian system to the American people. The Montreal-born, California-raised dual citizen who now calls Vancouver home says Canada’s publicly funded model is superior to the for-profit health care system in the United States, which caters only to those with the afford. So it was with mixed feelings that earlier this week Shuster took out an ad in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, offering $5,000 to anyone who could help him find a family doctor. “I think it’s terrible that I can do this and others can’t. It’s unfair and it’s not the way the system was designed,” he said. Shuster has received two responses to his ad so far. No person is interested in collecting the $5,000 reward. (Vancouver Sun) Critics will be quick to point out that the monetary reward undermines the very system it claims to support. But as someone living with a rare metabolic disorder, Shuster said he had no choice. “I have young children and if something happened to me it would be a real disaster for them,” said the father of three. “As a responsible parent, I have to take steps to ensure that I stay healthy.” The 55-year-old lives with CPT2 deficiency, a muscle disease that can be triggered by stress, anxiety and infection, leading to severe cramps, cognitive impairment and muscle weakness. As a precaution, Shuster carries an information card with him that describes the disease and treatment if he does get sick. Regular follow-up by a doctor familiar with CPT2 deficiency is important to control it, but earlier this month, Shuster’s family doctor unexpectedly retired. Trying to find a replacement was frustrating. Shuster worked on the Obama presidential campaign in 2008 to support the future president’s proposed health care reforms. (submitted by Gary Shuster) “It’s almost impossible,” he said. “There is for high-risk patients like myself a system that Vancouver Coastal Health runs where they’ll help you find a doctor. But wait times are about six months and usually don’t guarantee much,” he said. he said. One million British Columbians — nearly a quarter of the people in the province — are without a family doctor and, like Shuster, are struggling to cobble together health care. Last week, Health Secretary Adrian Dix announced $118 million in funding to support and stabilize family doctors, while work continues on a new fee structure aimed at retaining and attracting more doctors to family practice. BC President Ramneek Dosanjh’s doctors said Shuster’s conundrum shows the true consequences of the health care crisis. “No one should ever put an advertisement in a newspaper and [offer] money and payment in order to join a family practice. This is really sad,” he said. Schuster takes the precaution of always carrying a card with vital information about his medical condition. (submitted by Gary Shuster) “Every citizen, every British Columbian, every patient should have equal rights and access to universal health care.” As a dual citizen, Shuster considered buying private health insurance in the US and finding a doctor in Washington state. He can afford the estimated price of $20,000 a year, he said, but decided not to, in part, because the trip is impractical. In a perfect world, she’ll be able to find the same level of care she did in 2017 when she first moved to Vancouver. “It was effective. I had a family doctor who could do everything I needed and keep me healthy. But it just started falling apart and I don’t understand why the wheels are coming off the car,” he said. As of Wednesday afternoon, two people had responded to his ad. Both said they were not interested in the $5,000 reward. “I have a lead on a clinic in New Westminster that might work, which of course is not entirely downtown,” Shuster said in a text. “But as they say, any port in a storm.”