Root causes of health issues

Here is my vision of health care in Alberta:
Albertans will know the health implications of their diet and lifestyle choices. We will take responsibility for our wellness. We will actively reduce our exposure to carcinogens and avoid the causes of other diseases and illnesses. We will understand all of the treatment options that exist, including naturopathic and other alternative health treatments. Rather than waiting for a problem to arise, Albertans will proactively prevent health issues from arising at all. Albertans will get at the root of health issues.

Health and the environment are integrally linked. In the past, our system treated these two as 'silos' of unrelated issues. We must change this mentality. Getting at the root causes of health issues drastically increases the profile of the environment. We must stop releasing human-made carcinogens into the environment and we must remove the carcinogens that already exist. We must keep our air clean and make it free of dangerous pollutants. We must stop releasing contaminants into our precious waterways, which are the blood vessels of the planet. The status quo is no longer sufficient; let's treat health and the environment as the integrally linked issues they are.

A two-tiered system that reduces the quality of the public system is not acceptable. Alternatives to the current financial arrangement may exist; however, jeopardizing the quality of care that low income families receive is not an option.