Heart and mind surgery

Mr. Dalley credits the Premier with a change in the hearts and minds of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. And why not?

After all, the Great Man doesn't only change the hearts and souls of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. He is the hearts and souls of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

MR. DALLEY: I will not get into the polls, I will not get into what the people are saying, but let me point out some qualities of leadership and the people can decide. We have two leaders on the other side and one on this side. Let me see, understanding the knowledge of the past, vision, capacity, inspiring and motivating, ability to capture an audience, practical, accepts responsibility, mental toughness, energy, passionate and strong conviction, intelligent. Mr. Speaker, those are qualities of leaders, and I do not need to compare the two. All I can say, the more they reference leadership, the more they draw the comparison. I say good luck to them in trying to find a new leader that can lead this Province the way that this government and this Premier has done in the last seven years.

…

Mr. Speaker, maybe the legacy of this government and this Premier is that through all of our collective efforts we have been able to change the hearts and minds of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. Maybe our legacy is that we now have a Province that is confident, proud and steadfast in our determination to become self-reliant, masters of our own destiny.

The tale that grew in the telling

Warm off the wire:

Dedication to Mount Sinai Medical Center's Mission Yields Successful Results

MIAMI, March 31 /PRNewswire/ — Demonstrating the fortitude to address a challenging healthcare environment, president and C.E.O. Steven D. Sonenreich has led Mount Sinai Medical Center to financial stability and successfully reinforced its image as a healthcare leader. The most recent audit posted on March 26 reports nearly $14 million in profit for 2009. Mount Sinai experienced an overall 5 percent growth in revenue from $497 million in 2008 to $524 million in 2009, while controlling a targeted 1 percent increase in expenses. As of the end of 2009, the combined medical center and Foundation reported 108 days cash on hand.

Heart Care with the Best Results

According to the Agency for Healthcare Administration Statistics, Mount Sinai had been the region's leader in heart care for more than two decades. However, this lead began to shrink in 2008. To achieve success, Sonenreich recruited Dr. Joseph Lamelas in 2008 to join the hospital as a chief of Cardiac Surgery. A pioneer in minimally invasive valve surgery, Dr. Lamelas is the most successful cardiac surgeon in the tri-county area. His mortality rate is 67.5% below the expected rate of mortality as forecast by the state of Florida based on his volume and complexity of procedures.

The new cardiac surgery team attracted 51 percent more patients growing from 430 cardiac surgeries in 2008 to 649 in 2009 and instituted efficiencies that continue to save the hospital thousands of dollars per procedure. The infection rate is significantly below national benchmarks and length of stay is cut in half. Patients are back on their feet in less than two weeks. Even Canadian Prime Minister, Danny Williams of Newfoundland and Labrador, chose Dr. Lamelas to fix his heart last month saying, "This was my heart, my choice, and my health."

Tick tick tick (II)

Danny Williams lashes out, and somehow this is news. CBC reports on Himself's appearance on another radio station:

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams has waded into a war of words between doctors and his health minister.

"I'm going to blow another valve before this is over," Williams, who recently had heart valve surgery in the United States, told VOCM radio in St. John's on Wednesday. "It's too bad you even mentioned this."

In totally unrelated news, that other radio station reported earlier this month:

Premier Continues With Recovery

March 1, 2010

Although he is continuing his recovery with the plan being to take one more week before returning to work, Premier Danny Williams shared in the province's celebrations in Vancover and took in the gold-medal winning hockey game between Canada and the United States.

Tick tick tick (I)

At The Party's party in Topsail last night, reports Dave Bartlett of the Quebec Daily Newspaper, Himself was in a jocular mood:

Premier Danny Williams was there to congratulate Davis and was happy with the big win.

He even joked he wasn't sure his heart could have taken a nail-biter this soon after his valve replacement surgery.

In totally unrelated news, VOCM reported earlier this month:

Premier Continues With Recovery

March 1, 2010

Although he is continuing his recovery with the plan being to take one more week before returning to work, Premier Danny Williams shared in the province's celebrations in Vancover and took in the gold-medal winning hockey game between Canada and the United States.

Kremlinology: Games edition (II)

(Part I here.)

2010 (C):

Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Terry French will officially open the 2010 Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games in Grand Falls-Windsor...

2010 (D):

The Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, will co-host a luncheon for Atlantic Canadian athletes and their families in Whistler, B.C. on Tuesday March 16, as part of activities around the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, to be held March 12-21.

Kremlinology: Games edition

2004:

Premier Danny Williams today officially launched the 2004 Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games in Marystown. The event, which runs from August 7-14, includes over 1,400 athletes, coaches and managers from all regions of the province, along with participating athletes from St. Pierre and Miquelon. The premier was joined by Paul Shelley, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation; Sam Synard, Chair of the Host Committee; Bill Matthews, MP for Random - Burin - St. George's, and Clyde Jackman, MHA for Burin - Placentia West.

2006:

Media representatives are advised that Premier Danny Williams will officially open the Labrador Winter Games in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, 7:00 p.m. at the E. J. Broomfield Arena, Sunday, March 12.

2007:

The Honorable Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Danny Williams, will officially open the 2007 Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games today, Friday, February 16. The opening ceremonies will take place in the gymnasium at Corner Brook High School at 5:00 p.m.

2008:

The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, along with the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, will attend the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games.

2010 (A):

Williams travelled to Vancouver to join a Newfoundland and Labrador delegation at the Olympics. The government sponsored about 90 musicians, actors and other artists to participate in the cultural component of the games.

Williams said he cannot speak highly enough of how Vancouver hosted the games.

2010 (B):

The Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, will be in Happy Valley-Goose Bay on Sunday, March 7, to officially open the 2010 Labrador Winter Games. Minister French will be joined by the Honourable John Hickey, Minister of Labrador Affairs, and the Honourable Patty Pottle, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. The event takes place at the E.J Broomfield Memorial Arena, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Recuperation time

Spontaneous Outpouring Organization Committee has one more week to finish its plans for events at YYT. From the Ministry of Truth:

Premier Continues With Recovery

Although he is continuing his recovery with the plan being to take one more week before returning to work, Premier Danny Williams shared in the province's celebrations in Vancover and took in the gold-medal winning hockey game between Canada and the United States. Williams says the weekend in Vancover let him know he is still recuperating. He says while it's been 3 weeks since his surgery, he is still building his endurance back up. He says he's itching to get back on the ice, but his body is telling him sonething else. He says his doctors have told him he will be back playing hockey soon.

This corner, for one, extends best wishes for a speedy recovery, and is pleased to note that Our Dear Weekend Jaunt to Vancouver wasn't lollygagging, but rather a highly specialized kind of diagnostic test.

Perhaps one that isn't offered in Canada.

It's his heart, his choice...

... can't the Republicans leave the poor man alone?

Guess which recent prominent example of wealthy snowbird medical tourism got raised in Thursday's bi-partisan health care summit at the White House? (First two guesses don't count.)

That's why the Première [sic] of one of the Canadian provinces came here just last week to have his heart operated on. He said, it's my heart, it's my life, I wanna go where it's the best, and he came to the United States.

- United States Senator John Barrasso (R, Wyoming)

It's his hair, his business, leave the poor man alone

An interesting juxtaposition of headlines on the Quebec Daily Newspaper's website this evening:

Long-term benefit of Premier Williams’s type of heart surgery mainly cosmetic: expert 5 3:22 PM
Williams’s hair casualty of operation, premier sports new post-surgery hairstyle 9 3:19 PM

In other news

More news cardiological (and respiratory) from south of the border:

Chest pains send Cheney to hospital but it's his heart, his business, leave the poor man alone (CBC)

Former U.S. senator Dole in hospital but it's his lungs, his business, leave the poor man alone (CBC)

Talking point

Big Honkin' Passive Voice Alert edition. Here's Dippity Premier Kathy Dunderdale, on February 2nd:

"Having the surgery done in the province was never an option that was offered to him," Dunderdale said.

And here's the Owner of a Broken Heart Himself, as indirectly reported by the CBC, tonight:

"The mitral valve is a special surgery [...] It's not a typical open heart surgery where your arteries are replaced ... so, they recommended that I look at going outside the province ... what was ultimately done to me, the surgery that I eventually got ... was not offered to me in Canada."

Not offered (passive)?

Sure.

But is it available?

Holy Heart of Dan

I think our popularity is based not so much on me, it's based on the fact that I think I represent in my own heart and soul the hearts and souls of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

- The Word of Our Dan, October 2007

This is my heart, it's my health and it's my choice.

- The Word of Our Dan, February 2010