This appears to be very bad news, unless there is something I am unaware of: ie; is Dr. Bested going onto bigger and better things? Is the Complex Chronic Disease Clinic doing so well that it no longer requires her leadership? I hope this is the case but somehow don't think it is so.
Here is the statement from the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre where the relatively new Complex Chronic Disease Program is located:
Complex Chronic Disease Program Update
As we continually seek to build and improve our services to meet the needs of patients, we would like to announce some recent changes to the Program.
Dr. Alison Bested will be departing the Program, and in the interim, Dr. Stephanie Rhone, Senior Medical Director, Ambulatory Programs and Dr. Wee-Shian, Head, Department of Medicine, will co-lead the Program as we recruit a new Medical Director.
We understand that continuity of care, as well as the highest standards of care, are important to our patients. We are committed to delivering this care and will strive to reduce any potential impacts to patients during this transition.
Drs. Rhone and Chan are working with the Program physicians and team to strengthen the structure and expertise so that our patients will continue to receive high quality care from this important Program.
We would like to extend best wishes to Dr. Bested on her future endeavors and thank her for her contributions to the Program.
Please contact the Program at 604-875-2061/ Toll-Free in B.C. only: 1-888-300-3088 local: 2061 if you/your family member require assistance or if you have any questions.
Updated on: May 14, 2014
This clinic only opened a year ago and to have already lost it's expert ME/CFS leader seems to be bad news. Does anyone know what is going on? Is Dr. Bested returning to Toronto to her old practice? Retiring? Going to the US where there seems to be an ability to at least provide care and make money at the same time without having your hand tied by the provincial health care providers who prohibit what doctors can do ?
I imagine it all has to do with lack of funding, a constant problem here in Canada. I know it was a problem for Dr. Bested when she was at the ME/CFS Clinic at Woman's College Hospital In Toronto and I heard it was happening again in BC at the new clinic. I was a patient of hers at the Toronto Clinic but was only allowed by OHIP, the provincial medical plan, to have 3 visits with her: then I was on my own ( back to my GP, which is pretty much the same thing.) She was also only allowed to order certain tests that fall within OHIP's guidlines. The doctors here in Canada are also not able to prescribe ( as far as I know) anti viral meds. or antibiotics etc. as they do in the US. Or perhaps the medical microbiologists and infectious disease doctors are the only ones who can and they don't believe ME/CFS is an Infectious disease so we don't get referred to them? I'm not really sure. Either way, the only treatment Dr. Bested can offer is pacing (which actually according to ME/CFS experts at the San Francisco Conference gets the best results of all treatments including antivirals.)
I really hope there is some good news coming out of all of this and it isn't as dismal as it appears.
Here is the statement from the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre where the relatively new Complex Chronic Disease Program is located:
Complex Chronic Disease Program Update
As we continually seek to build and improve our services to meet the needs of patients, we would like to announce some recent changes to the Program.
Dr. Alison Bested will be departing the Program, and in the interim, Dr. Stephanie Rhone, Senior Medical Director, Ambulatory Programs and Dr. Wee-Shian, Head, Department of Medicine, will co-lead the Program as we recruit a new Medical Director.
We understand that continuity of care, as well as the highest standards of care, are important to our patients. We are committed to delivering this care and will strive to reduce any potential impacts to patients during this transition.
Drs. Rhone and Chan are working with the Program physicians and team to strengthen the structure and expertise so that our patients will continue to receive high quality care from this important Program.
We would like to extend best wishes to Dr. Bested on her future endeavors and thank her for her contributions to the Program.
Please contact the Program at 604-875-2061/ Toll-Free in B.C. only: 1-888-300-3088 local: 2061 if you/your family member require assistance or if you have any questions.
Updated on: May 14, 2014
This clinic only opened a year ago and to have already lost it's expert ME/CFS leader seems to be bad news. Does anyone know what is going on? Is Dr. Bested returning to Toronto to her old practice? Retiring? Going to the US where there seems to be an ability to at least provide care and make money at the same time without having your hand tied by the provincial health care providers who prohibit what doctors can do ?
I imagine it all has to do with lack of funding, a constant problem here in Canada. I know it was a problem for Dr. Bested when she was at the ME/CFS Clinic at Woman's College Hospital In Toronto and I heard it was happening again in BC at the new clinic. I was a patient of hers at the Toronto Clinic but was only allowed by OHIP, the provincial medical plan, to have 3 visits with her: then I was on my own ( back to my GP, which is pretty much the same thing.) She was also only allowed to order certain tests that fall within OHIP's guidlines. The doctors here in Canada are also not able to prescribe ( as far as I know) anti viral meds. or antibiotics etc. as they do in the US. Or perhaps the medical microbiologists and infectious disease doctors are the only ones who can and they don't believe ME/CFS is an Infectious disease so we don't get referred to them? I'm not really sure. Either way, the only treatment Dr. Bested can offer is pacing (which actually according to ME/CFS experts at the San Francisco Conference gets the best results of all treatments including antivirals.)
I really hope there is some good news coming out of all of this and it isn't as dismal as it appears.