12:00: Ten years later, a doctor who left Rochester to practice in Canada reflects on the decision
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
Then in our second hour, the LA wildfires have renewed conversations about disaster preparedness, particularly when it comes to people with disabilities. Conservative talk show host Charlie Kirk recently called for ASL interpretation to be removed from televised broadcasts about emergency situations, saying they are “distracting.” The comments led to significant backlash. Experts in inclusive disaster preparedness say people with disabilities are often excluded from emergency planning, leading to tragic results. This hour, we talk with our guests about how to improve policies, plans, and training efforts so disaster preparedness includes everyone. Our guests:
- Gerard Buckley, Ed.D., president of NTID and vice president and dean at RIT
- David Scott, chief diversity officer for Monroe County
- Angeline Hamele, accessibility consultant and designer
- Njoki Mwarumba, Ph.D., assistant professor of emergency management in the Department of Social Science and Public Affairs at Empire State University
This story is part of Dialogue on Disability Week, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies, in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series.
