Podcasts about Alberta Medical Association

Kevin interviews Dr. Gary Davidson, lead author on the Final Report of the Alberta Covid Pandemic Data Review Task Force. They discuss the criticism of the Report, and what Dr. Davidson believes should be the next steps following the report's release. Dr. Davidson would like to see a full, formal inquiry where critics and supporters alike can put their evidence on the record. This would help Alberta craft a proper emergency response plan. The province did have an emergency response plan prior to Covid, but that was chucked out in favour of lockdowns, mandatory masking and vaccinations. In the second half of the show, John Carpay looks at an open letter from academics to Premier Danielle Smith calling for the government to disregard Dr. Davidson's report completely.Globe and Mail, Jan 24, 2025: Alberta task force recommends halt of COVID-19 vaccines in new reportGlobal News, Jan 26, 2025: Health experts call Alberta COVID-19 report an attempt to ‘rewrite history'John Carpay in the Western Standard via Justice Centre, Jan 27, 2025: Government report says Alberta Covid response not grounded in scienceThe Canadian Press via MSN, Jan 27, 2025: Alberta doctors criticize provincial COVID-19 report as harmful 'anti-science'John Carpay in the Western Standard via Justice Centre, Jan 30, 2025: Does the Alberta Medical Association understand science?Globe and Mail, Jan 27, 2025: Alberta physician listed on provincial COVID report says he doesn't agree with findings, demands his name be removedEdmonton Journal, Jan 27, 2025: 'Sows distrust': Alberta doctors slam government COVID-19 task force report as 'misinformation'Global News, Jan 27, 2025: Alberta's COVID-19 report sparks anti-science concern in medical communityCBC via MSN, Jan 27, 2025: Alberta doctors push back on provincial COVID-19 task force reportJohn Carpay in the Western Standard via Justice Centre, Feb 4, 2025: Arrogance is no substitute for scientific debate on CovidTheme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave StevensSupport the show

WELCOME TO THE MWSA PODCAST FOR MONDAY, FEB. 10th We begin with the latest polling data on Canada's leadership – at the Federal level. We catch up with Darrell Bricker, CEO of ‘Ipsos Public Affairs' – for details on the latest views of Canadians – and who they'd like to see running our country. Next – last week's explosive allegations about operations and ‘conflicts of interest' at Alberta Health services continues to send shockwaves across the Province. We caught up with Dr. Paul Parks, Physician and past President of the ‘Alberta Medical Association' for his views on the controversial allegations. And finally – could it be a ‘gamechanger' in the battle against opioid addiction? We catch up with Dr. Ted Jablonski for details on a newly approved ‘opioid-free' painkiller in the US. Dr. J explains how the new drug works – and when we might see it being used here in Canada.

John Carpay of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms wrote a letter to Dr. Shelley Duggan, President of the Alberta Medical Association in their response to AMA's Statement on the Final Report of the Alberta Covid Pandemic Data Review Task Force in which she originally signed the statement and then withdrew it.January 29, 2025

A $2M report commissioned by the Alberta government advocates for limiting COVID-19 vaccinations, and suggests that health professionals should not face repercussions for promoting alternative treatments. Critics, including the Alberta and Canadian Medical Associations are calling the 269-page report "anti-science," suggesting it attempts to "rewrite history" by downplaying the importance of vaccines. 2:45 | Dr. Shelley Duggan, president of the Alberta Medical Association, explains why the COVID report is flawed.  AMA: https://www.albertadoctors.org/ TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com  1:04:00 | We're so proud to partner with YouCan Youth Services. Meet Ethan, a young man transforming his life with supports from YouCan.  DONATE TO YOUCAN: https://youcan.ca/ 1:10:00 | A horrific crash near Washington, D.C. involving a passenger jet and military helicopter claimed every life on board. What can you say in a situation like this?  1:17:30 | Join Jespo at On the Rocks Super Bowl Sunday! TICKETS: https://ontherocksyeg.com/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen  JOIN US ON FACEBOOK & LINKEDIN: @ryanjespersen  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Today, we're looking at the response from the Alberta Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association, which are both trying to shame Alberta's scathing report on the provincial response to the COVID-19. Plus, the Foreign Interference Commission wrapped up, with Justice Marie-Josée Hogue suggesting claims of "traitors" in Parliament were overblown and that "disinformation" is a powerful threat to Canada. And finally, could the federal government and provinces roll out something similar to CERB if a trade war breaks out with the U.S.? Well, with President Donald Trump insisting tariffs will start on February 1, B.C. Premier David Eby and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are both talking about a return to pandemic-era spending levels. Special Guest: Lise Merle.

Dr. Shelley Duggan, President of the Alberta Medical Association

On today's show: the President of the Alberta Medical Association talks about the new pay model for family physicians, and how it might attract more doctors to practice here; a look at the year in policing in Calgary. We have our year-end conversation with Calgary's Chief Constable, Mark Neufeld.

Dr. Paul Parks, past president, Alberta Medical Association. He is an emergency physician in Medicine Hat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new president of the Alberta Medical Association, Dr. Shelley Duggan was very blunt in her assessment of the state of healthcare in the province by saying "the Alberta healthcare system is ready to collapse beyond the point of repair anytime soon."  Guest: Dr. Shelley Duggan. President. Alberta Medical Association Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian journalist Nora Loreto reads the latest headlines for Tuesday, September 24, 2024.TRNN has partnered with Loreto to syndicate and share her daily news digest with our audience. Tune in every morning to the TRNN podcast feed to hear the latest important news stories from Canada and worldwide.Find more headlines from Nora at Sandy & Nora Talk Politics podcast feed.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcastReferenced stories:Story 1 - Grain terminal strike in Vancouver. The bosses want the feds to step in to thwart. Story 2 - The Alberta Medical Association warns that the medical syastem is on the brink of collapse. Story 3 - The NDP calls on the Liberals to declare Palestinian statehood. Story 4 - Israel bombs Lebanon, killing some 500 people. Story 5 - Oil prices going up in the wake of war in the Middle East.

Alberta's got at least two disasters to manage, with the Jasper rebuild and an overburdened healthcare system dominating news headlines. We go straight to the source for updates from Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland and Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Paul Parks.  4:30 | Mayor Ireland talks to us about losing his home to wildfire, and the early stages of Jasper's rebuild. When will tourists be able to return? Does he share Premier Danielle Smith's concern Parks Canada will "shrink" Jasper's footprint?  JASPER INFO: https://jasper-alberta.ca/ 21:20 | Danielle Smith says she expects competition and fear to go a long way in improving healthcare outcomes in Alberta. We ask Dr. Paul Parks how the AMA feels about the whole AHS/Covenant Health situation, and what he thinks about our Covid vaccine class action interview with lawyers Jeff Rath and Eva Chipiuk on August 28 (58:30).  1:26:25 | Real Talker Lorne became disabled in 2023 by a yet-to-be diagnosed neurological condition. He delivers his prognosis on the healthcare system. (You may not like what you hear...and he's probably not wrong.) EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Has someone close to you chosen a medically-assisted death? The total number of Canadians requesting MAID rises 30% or so every year, accounting for just over 4% of all deaths in Canada in 2022. While concerns remain - including implications for people living with mental health challenges, severe disabilities, or in extreme poverty - MAID appears to be accepted by the general public as a relatively uncontroversial end of life decision. Is it? We get into it with National Post columnist Tristin Hopper in this episode of Real Talk.  0:45 | But first...what do vaccines have to do with a family doctor shortage across the country? Probably nothing...but Ryan's noticing a trend in the responses to our July 17 episode with Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Paul Parks.  WATCH THAT EPISODE: rtrj.info/071724HEALTHCARE 9:20 | Did you catch our show about workplace fatalities in Canada? Real Talker Erin writes in with just a few examples of unsafe scenarios she's encountered on the job.  WATCH THAT EPISODE: rtrj.info/062724HRO TELL US YOUR STORY: talk@ryanjespersen.com  16:15 | National Post commentator Tristin Hopper talks MAID, Canada's family doc crunch, Trump's attempted assassination (and his VP pick JD Vance), metric vs. imperial, and his obsession with estate sales in Victoria, B.C. 1:05:11 | Do you know a post-secondary student in Canada who's lost a parent to cancer? They could qualify to receive financial assistance from the Real Talk Julie Rohr Scholarship. Application deadline is August 1.  APPLY FOR THE REAL TALK JULIE ROHR SCHOLARSHIP: https://ryanjespersen.com/scholarship FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Good luck finding a family doctor if you live in Alberta, let alone getting an MRI, surgery, or cancer care right when you need it. Health care professionals are leaving in droves, thousands of patients are stuck on waitlists, and some rural communities are declaring a state of local health care crisis. In this episode of Real Talk, we find out how Alberta wound up in this mess, and whether or not it can be cleaned up.  2:45 | Dr. Paul Parks, an ER doctor and president of the Alberta Medical Association, tells us why the health care system is "as bad as it's ever been," and how it can be fixed.  THE AMA: https://www.albertadoctors.org/ 49:00 | There's a new culinary hot spot in Jasper! We shine the spotlight on the fabulous Peacock Cork and Fork in #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper.  51:30 | How does our health care delivery model stack up internationally? Ryan and Dr. Parks take a look at the world's top performers, and what might work in Canada.  BOOK YOUR RESO: https://thepeacockjasper.com/ LEARN MORE ABOUT JASPER: https://www.jasper.travel/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON:   / ryanjespersen   THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

We get you up to speed on the FBI investigation into the attempt on Donald Trump's life, buzz from Republicans and Democrats days removed from the attack, and growing focus on "Project 2025".  4:40 | The Republican National Convention is underway, and Trump is front and centre (and trying to stay awake). We check out a compelling cross-aisle message from U.S. Representative Jeff Jackson (D), and criticism around Trump's handling of the civilian fatality at his Pennsylvania rally (20:30). TikTok Trump critic @danasinspired has a lot to say about supercharged political rhetoric, while former Republican representative Adam Kinzinger (Illinois) says American democracy is under threat. He's not the only one: did you read George Clooney's piece in the NY Times (33:45)? Many of you have emailed the show about Project 2025. We take a look at Canadian journalist Ali Velshi's coverage (41:45) on MSNBC.  TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com  51:15 | Looking for fact-based discussion about grizzly bears in Alberta? We look at a couple of the most enlightening moments from our July 10 episode featuring wildlife photographer John E. Marriott and MLA Dr. Sarah Elmeligi, and read an email from Real Talker Travis, a (talented) amateur wildlife photographer.  THE GRIZZLY EPISODE: rtrj.info/071024Grizzlies 1:01:10 | With an 8-33 record over the past three CFL seasons, it's no wonder (now former) Elks GM and coach Chris Jones was sent packing. Ryan and Johnny muse about what the organization needs to do to build back its fanbase.  1:11:25 | Ahead of our July 17 interview with Dr. Paul Parks, president of the Alberta Medical Association, Ryan reads an email from Real Talker Brock about user-pay MRIs.  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON:   / ryanjespersen   THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Today's podcast: Opposition parties in parliament and members of NSICOP committee alleging MPs, perhaps from all parties willingly or unwittingly cooperated with foreign actors (states) to the detriment of Canada. And opposition parties accusing the Liberals of withholding 1000+ documents from the NSICOP committee - Plus the gagging of Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux by federal Liberals. Guest: Michael Chong. Foreign affairs critic, Conservative Party of Canada. Bank of Canada reduces its interest rate to 4.75%, but what will this mean to Canadians and what impact might it have on housing, mortgages, rent, employment? Unemployment is at 6.2% and job-growth heavily leaning toward part-time positions, Part-time positions growth at 62K, full-time employment down 36K. Guest: Professor Eric Kam. Macreconomics, Toronto Metropolitan University.   A myriad of food/agri-related issues posted to 'X'(Twitter) this week by Professor Sylvain Charlebois, including the letter sent to PBO Yves Giroux which the PBO assesses as a federal government gag order. This not long after Mr. Giroux told us on air that his report significantly challenging the Clean Fuel Standard and the CFS impact on Canadians finances, for which the PBO was publicly rebuked by federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault, was based entirely on information PBO Giroux received directly from Guilbeault's environment and climate change ministry. Guest: Professor Sylvain Charlebois. Director of the Agri-Foods lab at Dalhousie University.   Audio of PBO Giroux' statement to us about the CFS. Alberta is experiencing a significant shortage of oncologists with cancer patients dying between diagnosis and any beginning of treatment. Guest: Dr. Paul Parks. President. Alberta Medical Association. --------------------------------------------- Host/Content Producer – Roy Green Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom Craig If you enjoyed the podcast, tell a friend! For more of the Roy Green Show, subscribe to the podcast! https://globalnews.ca/roygreen/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta is experiencing a significant shortage of oncologists with cancer patients dying between diagnosis and any beginning of treatment. Guest: Dr. Paul Parks. President. Alberta Medical Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a lot of conversation around the physician shortage in Alberta, but how did we go from being on of the most appealing provinces for physicians to practice in to one that is struggling to even fill residencies? To get some answers, we sat down with President of the Alberta Medical Association, Dr Paul Parks! But we don't stop at the physician crisis, we also get into the literal disintegration of healthcare in Alberta, the opioid crisis and we revisit the legendary December 10, 2023 press conference and vaccinations! Don't forget, we now have merch that's available at www.abpoli.ca, including a cold weather lineup! As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab. If you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

According to a recent report from the Alberta Medical Association showed 61 per cent of family doctors in the province have considered leaving the Alberta health-care system, and in some cases leaving the procession completely. What needs to be done to keep doctors in the province? Joining us to discuss is Michael Green - President of The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

London police apologize for delay in World Juniors sexual assault case (1:43) Guest: Nick Cake, London criminal defence lawyer, former Crown prosecutor The hope for more teaching, awareness and funding towards informed sexual consent training for young hockey players (16:40) Guest: Jacob Pries, Project Facilitator, Male Allies Program, Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region Parts of Nova Scotia dumped with 150 centimeters of snow (28:04) Guest: Amanda McDougall, mayor, Cape Breton Regional Municipality Laundry tips from the Laundry evangelist (35:35) Guest: Patric Richardson, The Laundry Evangelist, host of The Laundry Guy, Author of Laundry Love Grammys: A triumphant return for Céline Dion, Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman, Taylor Swift makes history, and more (53:01) Guest: Eric Alper, publicist and music commentator UCP gender policy changes slammed by the Alberta Medical Association (1:10:58) Guest: Dr. Sam Wong, President, AMA Section of Pediatric Medicine and Medical Affairs Director, Canadian Pediatrics Society Ottawa extends ban on foreign homebuyers (1:27:28) Guest: Diana Mok, associate professor, Western University who studies the economics of real estate

Dr. Paul Parks is an emergency physician in Medicine Hat and is the new president for the Alberta Medical Association with guest host Rob Breakenridge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hospitals are bursting at the seams. Patients are waiting a year and a half for surgery. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics are walking away from careers they once dreamed of having. Meantime, Ottawa's spending billions on a new dental care plan - but Canadians have a ton of questions. We get the straight goods from Alberta doctors and dentists in this episode of Real Talk.  0:30 | But first...today's a great day to sign up for the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic! You won't want to miss this amazing annual event on Saturday, February 3 in St. Albert, all in support of a great cause.  REGISTER TO PLAY, SPONSOR, OR VOLUNTEER: https://ryanjespersen.com/pond-hockey 4:40 | Dr. Paul Parks, president of the Alberta Medical Association, tells us about the province-wide tour he just completed, his recent meeting with the Health Minister, concerns around public funding for naturopaths, pushback on nurse practitioner clinics, and questions around why the Chief Medical Officer of Health hasn't been seen in public for weeks.  CHECK OUT THE AMA ONLINE: https://www.albertadoctors.org/services/media-publications/presidents-letter/pl-archive/acute-care-we-are-acting-for-you 31:45 | Are you looking for a different holiday gift this season? Real Talk is proud to support the work of HOPE International. Ryan talks about his personal experience with their giving catalogue.  SUPPORT HOPE INTERNATIONAL: https://gifts.hope-international.com/ 36:40 | Ottawa's spending billions of dollars on a new Canadian Dental Care Plan. Despite Monday's announcement, details are sparse regarding who's eligible and when, implications for existing dental insurance, etc. We talk to Dr. Jenny Doerksen from the Alberta Dental Association.  MORE ON THE CANADIAN DENTAL CARE PLAN: https://www.albertadentalassociation.ca/2023/12/11/dentists-and-their-patients-still-have-questions-about-the-canadian-dental-care-plan/ 56:35 | "Life comes at you fast...especially in dog years." Real Talker Jared sent us this amazing email just hours after losing his beloved dog Augie. EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com  BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen  WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj  THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Dr. Paul Parks, president Alberta Medical Association, addresses nurse practitioner announcement  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta Health Services is being dismantled. Instead, four new agencies will take over in a move that changes the structure and decision-making for the entire health system. Guest host Jim Brown explores these changes with James Talbot, Alberta's former chief medical officer, Paul Parks, president of the Alberta Medical Association, and Kelly Cryderman of the Globe and Mail.

It's happening: the Danielle Smith government is completely overhauling Alberta Health Services, starting from the top all the way down. While nobody can claim the current system is working flawlessly, there are a million different concerns around how the changes may affect frontline workers and the millions of patients that rely on the system every year.  2:28 | Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange takes questions on expert policy consultation, recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, preserving system integration, service delivery beyond acute care, privatization, and political ideology influencing health policy.  19:17 | Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Paul Parks tells us how Alberta doctors feel about the UCP's plan to overhaul healthcare delivery.  CHECK OUT THE AMA ONLINE: https://www.albertadoctors.org/ 45:27 | Is Alberta's renewables landscape really as "Wild West" as the province would have us believe? Is the moratorium on new wind and solar projects defensible, or is the regulator (AUC) already doing its job? Dr. Ian Urquhart takes us into his Alberta Views feature "Where to Put a Solar Farm".  REAL TALKERS: KNOCK 50% OFF A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO ALBERTA VIEWS WITH THE PROMO CODE "AVRJ" -- https://albertaviews.ca/ BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/ryanjespersen  EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com  WEBSITE: https://ryanjespersen.com/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj  THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Welcome back to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast! In this episode of the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast, Dr. Sarah Smith is joined by special guest Sue Peters. Sue is an expert in optimizing teams and systems for better patient care in family medicine. They discuss the importance of distributing responsibility among a team that supports each other, the need for standard processes in clinics, and the role of practice facilitators in implementing sustainable models of clinical medicine. They also dive into the issue of workload management, the benefits of electronic medical records, and the value of team members working to their full potential. Join us for an enlightening conversation on enhancing patient care through effective team building in clinical medicine. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: 1️⃣ Distributing Responsibility: Sue emphasized the importance of distributing responsibility among a supportive team. Building a strong team takes time, but it's crucial for progress. 2️⃣ Investing in Primary Care Teams: We discussed the significance of investing in primary care teams and funding those positions. By lightening team members' workload and delegating non-physician tasks, we can create capacity and space to focus on tasks that truly make a difference to patients and provider workload. 3️⃣ Collaboration and Quality Improvement: Engaging with someone who has quality improvement methodology and practice facilitation is crucial. Practice facilitators are available in different jurisdictions and can help teams develop capacity for improvement. By constantly identifying issues, discussing solutions, and implementing consistent plans, we can gradually improve patient care and create a better working environment for healthcare providers. Sue Peters Bio: Sue Peters is a certified Clinical Audiologist, Organizational Change Professional and Lean Leader with 34 years of healthcare experience working in both the public and private sector. As a Practice Facilitator, Sue supports physicians, both specialty and primary care, and other clinical team members achieve work-life balance and improve care delivery within their practice environments. She coaches teams to build their capacity for Quality Improvement and adopt a mind-set of continuous improvement. Sue has most recently worked with the Alberta Medical Association's Accelerating Change Transformation Team (ACTT) and Health PEI supporting the implementation of Patient's Medical Home including team-based care and integration with the Patient Medical Neighbourhood and community.

Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician, the first Indigenous doctor listed in Medical Post's 50 Most Powerful Doctors and the first Indigenous president of the Canadian Medical Association. He has served in medical leadership positions at the Alberta Medical Association, the Canadian Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and as the vice-president and president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada.From 2013 to 2017 he co-led the Indigenous Health Alliance project, one of Canada's most ambitious health transformation initiatives, successfully advocating for $68 million of federal funding for Indigenous health transformation in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, and was recognized for his work by the Public Policy Forum. In 2020, Dr. Lafontaine launched the Safespace Networks project with friendship centres across British Columbia, providing a safe and anonymous way for patients and providers to share their own experiences and contribute to system change without the risk of retaliation for sharing their truths.On this episode, Dr. Lafontaine discusses his personal experiences with racism as an indigenous man navigating medical school, the significant challenges faced by health care providers in what he calls a system in collapse, and offers advice for patients on how they can better advocate for themselves and navigate the complex labyrinth that makes up Canada's system of care. Thank you for listening! For more Team Ten Eight content, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn!

Dr. Kevin Mailo welcomes Alberta-based anesthesiologist and first Indigenous president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Alika Lafontaine, to the show. Dr. Lafontaine talks about the importance of narrative, our personal narratives and the stories shared about medicine and with patients, to create hope and foster well-being. Dr. Alika Lafontaine shares his personal story, some of the struggles he faced with learning and growth in his early years and the ways in which narratives offered to him affected his outlook. He tells about how his parents helped shape him in positive ways and the personal self reflection ability he developed through performing with his siblings. His experiences, good and bad, have shaped how he views medicine and the importance of the stories told within the profession and to each other.  In this episode, Dr. Kevin Mailo and Dr. Alika Lafontaine address the question of what you're willing to sacrifice to the altar of medicine as a physician. They examine how the narrative we have with ourselves influences how we do medicine, and how the narrative we have about medicine influences the experiences we have with patients. Alika shines a light on reframing perspectives and realizing how the narratives we tell ourselves about others contributes to bias and exclusion in treatment. This is a powerful episode about the possibilities of medicine and the vitality of connection with oneself and others through the stories we tell.About Dr. Alika LafontaineDr. Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician and the first Indigenous doctor listed in Medical Post's 50 Most Powerful Doctors. He was born and raised in Treaty 4 Territory (Southern Saskatchewan) and has Metis, Oji-Cree and Pacific Islander ancestry.Dr. Lafontaine has served in medical leadership positions for almost two decades. At the Alberta Medical Association, he has served on the representative forum (since 2012), the nominations committee and the Indigenous health committee, and he is a current board member. At the Canadian Medical Association, he has served as an Alberta AGM delegate, has been a member of the appointments committee and has chaired the governance council of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. At the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, he has served on the Indigenous health advisory committee and search/selection subcommittees, he has chaired the regional advisory committee (western provinces) and he is a current council member. He is a member of the board of HealthCareCAN. He has also served as vice-president and president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada.From 2013 to 2017 Dr. Lafontaine co-led the Indigenous Health Alliance project, one of the most ambitious health transformation initiatives in Canadian history. Led politically by Indigenous leadership representing more than 150 First Nations across three provinces, the alliance successfully advocated for $68 million of federal funding for Indigenous health transformation in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. He was recognized for his work in the alliance by the Public Policy Forum, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented the award.In 2020, Dr. Lafontaine launched the Safespace Networks project with friendship centres across British Columbia. Safespace provides a safe and anonymous workflow to report and identify patterns of care; patients and providers use the platform to share their own experiences and contribute to system change without the risk of retaliation for sharing their truths.Dr. Lafontaine continues to practice anesthesia in Grande Prairie, where he has lived with his family for the last 10 years.Resources Discussed in this Episode:Save the Date for May 6-7, 2023 in TorontoDr. Alika LafontaineVal Arnault-PelletierDr. Krishna Kumar—Physician Empowerment: website | facebook | linkedin __TranscriptDr. Kevin Mailo: [00:00:01] Hi, I'm Dr. Kevin Mailo and you're listening to the Physician Empowerment Podcast. At Physician Empowerment, we're focused on transforming the lives of Canadian physicians through education in finance, practice transformation, wellness and leadership. After you've listened to today's episode, I encourage you to visit us at PhysEmpowerment.cam- that's P H Y S Empowerment dot ca - to learn more about the many resources we have to help you make that change in your own life, practice and personal finances. Now on to today's episode. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:00:35] Hi, I'm Doctor Kevin Mailo, one of the co-hosts of the Physician Empowerment Podcast. And today I'm very, very excited to be bringing on current president of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Alika Lafontaine, who is an Alberta-based anesthesiologist who is also our first Indigenous Canadian Medical Association president. And today we've got Alika on the show to talk about the power of narrative in our personal and professional lives as a way of connecting with one another, but even connecting with ourselves. And this is one of the central themes of Physician Empowerment, where, you know, we come together and we talk about our practice journey or our wellness journey or our financial journey, but it's important to discuss, you know, not only, you know, facts and figures, data, but it's important to share our struggles, our failures, our successes and what we learned from those. So with that being said, Alika, why don't you say a few words? Tell us about yourself. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:01:39] Yeah, absolutely. So first off, thanks for inviting me on to the podcast today. I think that the subject of narratives and the stories that we hear and the stories we tell ourselves about medicine is something that has definitely gained greater focus in this year. You know, when you talk about moving people just generally, before getting into my own story, people are moved by where they think they're going, not necessarily where they're at. You know, I think when you talk about why we get stuck is because we get so focused on, you know, what's going on in the moment. But when you talk about really being motivated, when you talk about big system change, when you talk about doing things differently, it's because we get caught up in a narrative that has this imagined, like a better world, a better place, you know, somewhere that we should aspire and you know, work towards getting towards. And that definitely has application in my own life. So when I was young, I grew up in a great family, two parent home, my dad made enough for my mom to stay at home and raise us five kids. We weren't a rich family, but we always had enough food on the table. We had a warm home. Like we didn't go vacation in exotic places, but we had a lot of fun together. Right? And my mom was a first generation immigrant from the island of Tonga. She came to California before meeting my dad and coming up to Saskatchewan. My dad was a Metis kid who grew up in small town Saskatchewan, a place called Lestock. And together they raised a family where we were really taught that, you know, community was super important. You know, respect for oneself and each other was super important, but really, really central to their message of where we could get to if we worked hard was the idea of education. My dad was the first one to go off and get an undergrad and a master's degree in his family. My mom gave up her education dreams and she reminded us, you know, I'm here for you. I've lived my life. Now I'm here to support you. So you need to go off and, you know, achieve that next step so you and your family can continue to have a better and better life. Right? Similar narrative to a lot of things that we've all been taught, you know, in the generation that we grew up in. And I remember in grade school, my teachers were very concerned around, you know, grade three, grade four, grade five about my ability to read. And it wasn't that I couldn't pick up concepts, its that I had a very difficult time expressing myself in a way that they could understand. So I would mispronounce letters. I had a very bad stutter. I think all of these things created a lot of anxiety for me, you know? And as a result, I had a great difficulty reading out loud to teachers. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:04:39] And they did a lot of work to try and figure out what was going on, but eventually reached a point where they sat down with my parents and me and they told my mom and dad, you should plan for him not to graduate high school. He's not going to do anything else with his life. And I remember that moment in the vehicle after my mom was holding me and she was kind of rocking me back and forth. And she was telling me, you know, you're not broken. You're not broken. And that really set into me, you know, this narrative that I told myself growing up, you know, I have to prove to each other that, to other people, that they're wrong about me. You know, I have to live up to, you know, not only the dreams that my mom had, but also I have to, like, prove to myself that I'm not broken. Right? And, you know, my parents, to their credit, they put a lot of time into me. My mom doubled down with kind of taking care of us at home by, you know, becoming a teacher for me and home school. You know, eventually my younger siblings were pulled out of school so we could all do home school together, which I think was was really positive for me. So my two older brothers continued on to high school, but me and my younger siblings, we all took home school together. My dad went off and he had been trained as a teacher. He had gone to law school for a little bit, went off and did his master's in educational administration. So he went down to the States and got some extra training in different learning techniques, whether it's a mix of what they did or whether I grew out of it or whether it was, you know, addressing ear infections that I had when I was a kid, for whatever reason, I started to turn a corner. And it was interesting because I was labeled as learning disabled. So a learning delay with a speech impediment when I was younger, and a few years later I was labeled as gifted. And so now suddenly I had a completely different narrative that was going on in my life. And you know, that really propelled me, I think, through a lot of the frustrations that we all go through when we're trying to get into medicine and, you know, going through med school and other things. You know, what is it that drives you to, you know, do what you do? And obviously, I had the same sorts of things that I wanted, that a lot of people that come into medicine want, where we want to help people, we want to have a life of meaning, you know, these other things. But there was the added motivation that I had that I had to prove myself, right? Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:07:09] And I think those things together, you know, not just having my own life story, but also sharing a lot of the stories that we all have when we come into medicine, it made me particularly sensitive to burn out this belief that I had to be everything to everyone. This intense disappointment when I didn't succeed. I remember in my first year of medicine getting a, I think it was like a 74 on a histology exam, average person they're like, oh, 74 that's probably not a big deal. I thought my my life was over. I went over to the histology professor and I asked them for extra tutoring help. And I remember that whole first few weeks just really feeling out of place. I was meeting these kids who came from multigenerational physician families, people that were fairly well off. I was the only Indigenous kid in all four years at the time. And the teacher, instead of reassuring me, said, You know, it's probably not the end of the world if you don't pass first year and repeat it. And kind of waving me away and I remember walking out of that room and saying to myself, I'm done, I'm done med school, I'm not going to continue on in a place that I don't feel like I belong and I'm not going to be able to succeed. And I walked down that hallway and I met Val Arnault-Pelletier, she's a current lead for the Indigenous program over at University of Saskatchewan right now. So she's been there for a very long time, helping many, many kids like me get through the challenges that I know I shared with many, many people. And, you know, she really helped me along with many, many coffees with the dean over the next four years to help me tell a different story to myself that it was okay not to always be perfect in every situation and that there was a lot of learning and growing that had to go through and I had to give myself space to do that, you know. So my life's interesting in retrospect now because I can see how the very negative narratives that I was taught were both heartbreaking but also motivating. But then the very things that brought me into med school were the very things that broke me early on in med school as well, you know. And so I've learned different stories about myself over and over again over my career. I continue to learn different stories about myself. And I think when we talk about telling stories, it's not only about stories that sweep other people up in movements to create a better type of health care system. It's also stories that we can believe, so we can thrive, so we can address a changing world around us in a way that's maybe a lot more healthy than we did before. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:10:05] Yeah, that's so powerful. I mean, I think what you're touching on is what perception can do in our lives, right? I mean, you know, the same events occur to us, but our perception changes our experience of that set of events in a given moment in our lives. So before we get to, you know, our relation to other people in narrative and storytelling, I like the word storytelling. How do you look inward? What does that process look like for you? Because I think everybody's a little bit different. You know, some people will go take a vacation by themselves. I drive with the radio off in my truck for a few moments here and there and just reflect or people will meditate. But what does connecting with our own narrative look like for you, and looking inward look like for you? Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:10:56] It's interesting how you have a lot of experiences that seem very disconnected over your life. But then when you end up doing something really meaningful, it seems like everything kind of converges into a single point, right? And you realize, hey, that thing that I thought was very different than what I ended up doing maybe is at the core of why I do what I do well. Right? So another thing my mom really encouraged us to do when we were young was to sing together, I was actually part of a boy band for like two decades, right? It was, it was me and my five, the five of us siblings, like touring across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta. Eventually it was Canada-wide, we toured parts of the US and performed in the Pacific Islands and things. But over those two decades of performing, you start to get a real sense for feeling the emotions of the people that you perform for, but then becoming hyper aware of your own feelings. Because if you're not, you actually can't give a good performance. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:11:53] Wow. Yeah. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:11:54] And so, I, over the years of performing with my family, really had a lot of opportunity to verbalize the way that I was feeling, reflect on how I was feeling, you know, inject that into this performance piece. So we were vocalists, like it was an R&B kind of pop group. We wrote our own music. We published three albums over the time that we were performing. This was all before YouTube, so you're not going to find a whole lot of stuff on us online. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:12:25] So I can't just look you up on TikTok. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:12:27] No, no, you can't look me up on TikTok. But we ended up doing some pretty big shows. Like when EPTN opened, we were part of kind of the opening set, we opened for Susan Aglukark, I think was right after us. We were on the Inspire Awards, which back then was called the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards. So that had viewership of like 2, 3 million people across the country. So I had a lot of opportunity to self-reflect and understand why I did the things that I did. Now you can obviously be educated about something but not be able to, in the moment, manage yourself. So I mean this isn't to say was like a philosopher at the time of being in med school, but I did have tools available to me to understand myself. And some experiences where I could sit back and say to myself, Well, this is what we did when we wrote this song. This is what we did when we prepared for this set. So maybe I'll sit down and kind of figure out exactly where my head is at with all of this. And I think when you're looking at yourself, there's two parts that I found really, really useful. And it's different for everybody, but two things that I've found really useful. The first is being brutally honest with yourself about how you're feeling in the moment. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:13:35] Wow. Yeah. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:13:37] You know, it doesn't make a ton of sense to deny yourself the reality that, hey, I'm sad, I'm happy, like all this other stuff. And then the second part is linking that and understanding how the things you experience trigger those emotions and put you into different cycles. Right? And I get caught up in them just the same as everyone else. I mean, we all know that there's unhealthy habits that we get into once we get into heavy call, right? I mean, you're up at 3 am, you had a horrible night, maybe in extremely horrible nights you had bad patient outcomes or some sort of disagreement with a colleague or other things. There are natural like things that we reach out for whenever we're feeling like that. Right? And so being able to understand those two parts of myself, I think has been really helpful. And I think when you're looking at how do you bridge, how you feel about yourself to now interacting with the world, it's negotiating with yourself about what exactly you're going to give the world to bring the world to that point where it can give you what you're looking for. I had a physician that did research projects under when I was a medical student. His name was Krishna Kumar. He was a neurosurgeon in Regina. And, you know, consistent with my story, I picked the hardest thing I could think of once I got into med school as far as what I was going to go after, as far as, you know, residency and is this true or not? I'm not really sure. But 19 year old me thought that this was what what I should chase after. So I wanted to do neurosurgery. And so I followed around Dr. Kumar for a couple of years. And this guy, I mean you won't find a harder working physician anywhere. 16 hour days, 12 hour surgery standing up, working on Saturdays and Sundays, flying around the world, doing presentations. He had the largest research body for spinal cord stimulation, I believe in the in the world at the time that I worked with him. So I kind of fell in this opportunity with this amazing physician. And I really poured my heart and soul into it for the first, like year and a half, showing up his house at 2 am to do presentations, being available any time of the day to to sit down and do different things, following around inside the OR and other places. But he noticed halfway through my second summer, I became a little disinterested in what was going on. And at that time I'd actually met my now wife, and I remember him sitting down with me over lunch and he had this thing where he'd like, peel radishes and like, give you slices as he was eating. And he's like giving me these radish slices as we're chatting. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:16:21] It's funny how we remember... Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:16:22] Oh, yeah, totally. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:16:23] .. those things in the moment, right? Yeah. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:16:26] Yeah, sense and sounds. And I still remember how he looked and and all that stuff. And he's, he's chatting with me about work and then he makes a turn in the conversation, asking, like what's going on. You know, you seem just a little bit distracted, was the word that he said. And I told him about this amazing girl that I'd met. And I'm sorry if it seems like I'm not paying as much attention, she's just really incredible and all this other stuff. And Dr. Kumar was not an emotional guy, right? He was a warm guy, don't get me wrong, but he was very business. Right? And I noticed a softening that came over him. He reached his hand out onto my shoulder. He wasn't big for physical contact, but it was like a very, like fatherly touch. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:17:11] It meant something. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:17:12] It totally meant something. And he leaned in and he said, you know, Alika, don't sacrifice your life on the altar of medicine. It's not worth it. And then we went back to talking and, you know, it never came up again. And I look back at that moment as really formative for me. I don't think I realized just how much it impacted me until later. But you have this person who, world leader in what he does, sacrifices almost all of his life to medicine, raised a beautiful family, had a good relationship with his wife and kids, but he missed out on a lot of important events in his family's life because he was focused on creating those moments for other folks who were sick and otherwise. And, you know, he's telling me, don't sacrifice too much. You know what I mean? And so it's interesting when you think about the stories we tell ourselves about our contribution to medicine and how much we need to give and all these other things. And the reflection of someone like him at the waning years of his life that maybe what we think we're getting out of medicine isn't really worth the amount that we think we're getting out. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:18:29] I think that's very powerful. And, you know, my own reflection on that is that we can give the health care system, our communities, our best when we are at our best. And part of that process involves self rejuvenation and having a notion of self outside of the profession because it's, I think, very easy for medicine to become quite consuming to the point that you look in the mirror and you say, Well, I'm such and such type of doctor. Right? Or our credentials. But the real us is so much more. It's all the way back to those formative years in our childhood, even the inner child, if you want to call it that, but our relationships with the others, but even with ourselves. And that's a very powerful observation. So how do you set that balance then, Alika, of, you know, the professional self and the personal self? And that's a concept we actually talk about at our wellness events, is the notion of different selves, that there's a financial self, a personal self, a professional self. How do you find that balance between personal and professional self? Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:19:34] So as someone who has been both balanced and unbalanced throughout my life, I think the first thing to recognize is that there will be times when you'll be completely unbalanced. Right? So this year, as president of the Canadian Medical Association, has been all consuming. And it's just the nature of, you know, the value add that I want to provide to colleagues across the country, but also just the nature of the work. Right? Residency is all consuming, right? Early practice, to some degree, can be very all consuming. The first time you take a leadership position as, you know, someone in your department contributing or elsewhere, it can be all consuming for a period of time. Right? And so I think that there's times and seasons to everything. And just to be aware that balance 100% of the time is probably not, it's not the accurate way of describing it. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:20:32] It's very hard to do. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:20:34] The way that we work. Yeah, yeah, the way that we work in medicine. So I think the goal is to work towards balance and at times achieve it, but then recognize that from time to time it's unbalanced and just own those moments, right? And if it's too unbalanced, reorganize your life so it becomes less unbalanced, but it will remain unbalanced from time to time. Right? So that's kind of the first part. I think the second part is that when we look back, so I'm a big student of history, right? So I think one of the best ways for us to understand where we're going is to know where we came from. And if you look at the medical system and what a lot of us would refer to as very unbalanced practice patterns, I think the world has changed a lot from the times of folks that we train under who've been practicing for, you know, 40, 45 years. Right? If you go back even 20, 25 years, a physician in a community was at the center of a lot of the work in the community. Right? When you volunteered at the hospital, you were also volunteering at your community. There wasn't a division between the two things, right? You could especially see this in small town Canada, where your doctor was also someone who interacted pretty closely with the Parents Council, the community association, you know, the mayor's office, like all these things. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:21:56] Like people look to you. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:21:57] People look to the doctor or doctors as part of building up the community. Now, since that time, that's shifted, right? And so we introduced these new divisions into the way that society interacted, but we didn't update the way that we saw ourselves. And so there was a turn in the late 90 seconds, early 2000, where there was like this value extraction, for lack of a better word, that occurred where people leaned into this narrative that we had that we were willing to sacrifice on the altar of medicine in order to get, you know, meaning out. But that meaning increasingly disappeared from the practice of medicine. You know, we still had those moments where we really connected with patients. I mean, I've had lots of experiences that I mean I'll always treasure that I've had with patients, both good and bad. But the job itself become became much less of a place where you could you could wear dual hats at the same time, you know, be a part of the community, be a part of your family, be a part of, you know, work. Right? And I think that value extraction has continued up until today and it accelerated, I think, in the last five years. And it wasn't until COVID came along that I think a lot of us sat back and realized just what was happening. We were moving too fast. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:23:25] No question. I mean, there's no limit to what this career can ask of us as individuals. Truthfully, there is no limit. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:23:34] Yeah, Yeah. And so with that pause that COVID gave us and that opportunity to reevaluate what was important, and I think it was a moment where we, a lot of us honestly sat there and said, Do I want to live and die for this? I remember March of 2020 coming back from a canceled leadership gathering because of this unknown virus that was floating around. Touching down, going into work, we started putting masks on patients who were coming down from the floor. We started continuous masking. We were told we're going to run out of masks if we, you know, continue to do this. We're going to run out of protective equipment. And so there was strong efforts to really, really slow down the utilization of this, which to many of us, we felt like there was no protection. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:24:24] Yeah, there were those moments. Absolutely. Absolutely. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:24:27] Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so I remember coming home from work that, the second night that I had been back, and sleeping in the garage. And I actually slept in the garage for like the next three, four weeks. I know many of my colleagues that slept in the, because you didn't want to get your family sick. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:24:44] You didn't know. And that's when it becomes so real. What we might be asked to give up. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:24:52] Yeah. And I think a lot of us sat there for the first time in our careers. I mean, we always knew it in the back of our minds that it could be possible. But we were actually confronted with that moment of if someone was dying in front of you and you could get infected, were you willing to die for that patient and were you willing to potentially make people that you loved very sick and potentially die as well. You know, it's, I think it's easier right now to look back and, you know, say to ourselves, well, we know this now and all these other things. And I think pre-vaccine, it obviously was a completely different game. You know, we didn't have what we have now. But I really think in that moment, a lot of us realized for the first time, I don't, I think there's a line to what I'm willing to give. You know, and I know for myself, I never actually defined a line of how far I'd go in order to, you know, sacrifice for the health care system. And I think that was the beginning of me realizing I really do need to make sure that the most meaningful parts of my life are protected. And that I can find a way forward to separate, you know, the story I tell myself about the doctor that I want to be and the kind of person I want to be in the rest of my life. And I see that that conversation going on in the minds of a lot of colleagues across the country still. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:26:16] And I think you're absolutely right what a powerful experience the pandemic was, because in that, in those moments, you know, we're worried about catching the virus, getting sick or getting a loved one sick. You know, it crystallized that reality of what medicine asks of us, but in reality, day to day, medicine is chipping away at us or some of us in terms of our health and well-being or our relationships. Right? You know, when you're, you know, you're working those long hours or you're constantly on call, you're constantly exhausted, you're constantly tired, how present are you for the people in your life? How present are you for yourself, for your own wellness? And, you know, it's just those those things aren't so explicit because we say, well, it's just one more night shift or it's just, you know, one more week of call and I'll be off for a few days or whatever. Right? But in reality, these are big asks of us in terms of our well-being. And we just don't necessarily recognize them because they're built into the culture of medicine. Like you said. You know, it's begun sort of, it's ubiquitous. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:27:25] And sometimes it's pretty striking things that in the moment you think are so normal, but in retrospect, you're like, wow, that was really abnormal. I mean, I remember in residency knowing that at 72 hours of no sleeping, I would just kind of collapse on the floor and fall asleep. Right? And I know that it happened multiple times. Like I'd, I would push myself past what I could do and then keep on going. And I'd go home at the end of the day and I'd wake up on the floor at like 1 am and young kids and my wife had just kind of, step over, let me sleep there. They put a pillow under my head and threw a blanket on me. But, like, they they knew that it was more disruptive to try and wake me up and get me to bed than it was just to let me lay there. And I just thought it was something that everyone just did. And then you get out into the real world where you're not interacting with just doctors anymore and you realize that that's not normal at all. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:28:24] So talking about narrative, we talk about relating to ourselves and connecting to our self with our own stories. And I thought this was so powerful to go back through the decades of your life and see those moments, like you said, like cutting what was it, radishes on a kitchen counter, you know, in the middle of the night. And so talk to us about narrative as it relates to one another professionally. Right? And talk about, you know, how narrative relates to our patient encounters. Because I think there's a lot of beauty there. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:28:54] Yeah, absolutely. And we we've talked so far a lot about, you know, our personal narrative that we have with each other or with ourselves. And then we we talked a bit about that value exchange that goes on between us and kind of the broader narrative of what is medicine and what does medicine expect of us? I think when we're interacting with each other, there's the narratives that we also tell ourselves about what other people think about us and how they interpret what we do. And then there's also narratives that we project onto other folks, you know, so I've obviously done quite a bit of work in the area of equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, etcetera. And part of the way that I now explain things has come from my own feeling about performing and audiences. You know, I think people to a great degree are always well meaning. And they're being taken on this emotional journey that they may or may not be consciously aware of. That's not to say that unconscious bias is what drives inequity and exclusion and racism, etcetera. But it helps to frame things in a way that people can plug into emotionally instead of just telling them that you're like a bad person, right? The worst, the worst feeling I think for a physician is to be told after 36 hours of being on call that you don't care about patients. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:30:22] Exactly. Nobody's going to work trying to screw up here. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:30:25] Yeah, 100%. And I think if you take that as a starting point for the majority of people, that's a place that you can have people come together more easily than other places. It also gives someone the opportunity to be more harsh with themselves than you are with them. Because the truth is, if people want to change and recognize that they're creating bad experiences for those around them and potentially harm, you know, because sometimes the decisions that we make, because of bias and other things, actually do create harm. If you want people to be introspective and actually change, they're going to be way more harsh with themselves than you could ever be. Right? And so that's kind of the first point. The second point is that we're often swept up by these things because the ways that we thought about things kind of worked. You know, even going back to what I was talking about with physicians who sacrificed their life and, you know, spent all their time at the hospital, you know, 25, 30 years ago, it worked for them. They were still able to see their family. They were still able to be a part of the community and all these things. But the world changed, right? And I think that that's the same case with a lot of the stories that we project on to other people. At some point that story made sense, right? At some point that story was true. But it's whether or not in that moment, is that story true? Is that story adaptive? And I think increasingly people are realizing that stories that tend to be pretty prevalent can lead to significant, you know, harm and pain for folks and especially patients. So one of the things that I've had the chance to be an advocate for and, you know, participate to some degree as president is, like, in the area of forced sterilizations for Indigenous women. And I and I remember as a resident, that there were situations where, you know, the surgeon would lean over, your patient would be under a spinal like doing a C-section or whatever, and they'd say, okay, I'm going to clip your tubes. And then a tear would roll down their face. And in the moment, I would sit there and think to myself, Oh, my spinal must not be working. So then I'd go grab the ice, I'd like check whether or not things are moving around, I'd peek over and see whether or not they externalized the uterus, which can sometimes cause referred pain up into the shoulder. It just never crossed my mind that they did not feel that they had a conversation where they were fully informed that this was happening. And in retrospect, it's easy for me to see what could have happened. Right? But I think for a lot of folks who are currently practicing, if you want to understand how to be a better physician, you have to be open to, you know, reframing what you thought you were doing and how you thought you were affecting other people and why people were reacting in the way that they did to you, into a way where you give some space, Hey, maybe I just didn't see what was going on. Maybe I actually was, you know, I don't think a lot of folks realize just how how hurtful it is when you meet, you know, an Indigenous person with a traditional name and you don't even try and pronounce it. So some folks, yeah, and people think, well, I'm being respectful, right? When in reality, like, it's very, very hurtful. Right? But you wouldn't know that unless you actually were able to talk to someone about it. That's not something that's a classic narrative that you would pick up just from day to day life. And so, you know, I think when we talk about patients and each other and other things, we have to get to the point where we can talk about the stories that that we believe and project on to other folks and also hear them tell us what are they feeling. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:34:07] And I do feel that we we should celebrate to some degree that we are in a place where we can say racism out loud, sexism out loud, discrimination out loud. And I do hope as we continue to move forward, we'll start to realize that the goal is not to get rid of everyone who has those those thoughts or those feelings, because that's kind of a part of the world that we grew in, grew up in. Right? Those are the stories that we heard and adopted. But instead try and help people not to, you know, mindlessly act in a way that's harmful to other folks. Like that, I think, is the actual end point. Because when you when you talk to patients about, you know, racism, what do they want? They just want the harm to stop. Right? They don't necessarily need, you know, every racist thought or other things to be eliminated from the provider's mind. What they actually want is for the actions to stop. And I think if we approach it from that point of view, it's a very different, it's a very different problem. It's a much more achievable problem. Solvable problem. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:35:10] But I think it's so powerful when we hear the stories of what patients have experienced going through our healthcare system with systemic racism or sexism and hearing the stories on an individual level, like the case of that patient having her tubal ligation really with no with no discussion or consent. Proper consent at least. And so those are the kinds of things that can be very powerful to motivate us, to help us to see things from another's perspective. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:35:44] And I think that that brings us closer to what we actually want to get out of medicine. And this goes back to like the the the the altar analogy, is not that we can't get meaning out of medicine, it's just that the world has changed. So we have to change too, like our meaning has to change. You know, the way that we get it has to change. And I think at the very beginning of all of this, like you talked a lot about, or you mentioned burnout and the need for wellness and, you know, having people step back and realize there's different parts of who they are and what their needs are and and other things. And 20, 30 years ago, we wouldn't talk about that. Right? And I think today we have to confront it because that's a necessary part of the new story we have to tell ourselves so we can start to thrive in medicine again. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:36:25] And I think it's important to use, you know, storytelling and shared experiences to humanize medicine because too often I think we look at it from a very technical perspective. I mean, you know, you come into the emergency department and you're there to, for instance, you know, on shift and you're there to say, Oh, you're not having a heart attack. You rule out anything serious, but maybe that patient's having chest pain because you need someone to talk to. You know, that they're struggling with anxiety or depression and it's presenting, you know. But when we don't create that space to hear people's stories, we end up being very technical. But there's a downside. It's not only, you know, that the patient has lost out, but so have we, because some of the most meaningful moments in my practice have been when I actually just sit and listen to a patient. As we humanize the experience in medicine and humanize our interactions not only with our patients but with one another, I think we feel more connected to our jobs and we derive more meaning from it and we do better care. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:37:26] And, you know, this has me thinking about, you know, something that that's come up over and over again with with being president of the CMA, and that's how do you get unity within the profession towards things that will not just help us, but also help patients. Right? And my mind over the past year has gone back a lot to this whole idea of social cohesion. You know, this idea that we're, we have shared values, we have shared problems, and we find shared solutions together. And I think increasingly, what's the number one challenge of patients across the country? It's access. It doesn't matter which part of the ideological spectrum you're, right, how much you think government should be involved or not involved in your life. You know, if you're sick, you want access to care. You want access to to people that, access for people that you care about. And the polarization that we have, I think, has introduced this idea that somehow we'll get that access if we're right, if only people would do our solution, you know, everything would work out. When in reality, I think the way that we improve access is to improve cohesion within the health care system and between like the people that provide us care and the people who are coming for care. If you don't feel united with your provider, you're not going to share with them what's actually on your mind. If you don't work in a team where you feel like you can lean on them, you're not going to be able to find those moments where you can create additional time that you didn't have the day before because now you're working with the team that you're working well with, right? Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:38:55] Absolutely. Absolutely. It's so true. I mean, just again, it's that shared experience, not that we have to agree on everything, but like access will improve when we identify it as the key, key priority that we need to address in our health care system currently. So, Alika, this has been absolutely outstanding and we would love to get you back on the show. Right? Just to hear more of your experience, you know, more of your wisdom in this space. But we would love to hear your final thoughts on what narratives meant in your life and how we can use it in our day to day. Because I think it's important to have medical education meetings, programing that's based around narrative. But I also think it's important that we can integrate narrative into our day to day interactions with patients, allied health and even one another, because I think that binds us together. I think that's cohesion, as you talk about. But practically speaking, how can we integrate, how can we integrate this into our day to day practice lives or our leadership roles? Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:39:59] Yeah so I'll maybe just touch on one thing, and that's the importance of narratives driving emotion. You know, why do we believe different stories is because we think we're going to feel different ways, right? And that was a lesson I learned from performing. You know, people didn't come to listen to you sing they didn't come to see you, they came because they thought they were going to get a feeling out of them showing up. And I would say in the moment that we're in right now, there's a lot of hopelessness that's going on. And the reason why people are drawing back from clinical practice, why they're leaving for other things, is because they think if I sit still and continue doing what I'm doing, this hopelessness will continue to build. Right? And so when we talk about the stories we tell ourselves, it's really important to find hope in the hopelessness and to ensure people act in a way that can actually generate hope again. You know, and so that's one part of of the point. The second part is that hopelessness, I think, transitions at some point into indifference. You know, you can see it with certain patient interactions that you had, you know, coming across folks who show up because they're going to die otherwise. But they really have no hope that the system is going to help them. Right? They come in very indifferent. You know, you're just going to be like every other physician, every other health provider that I've ever met who hasn't been able to actually help me get out of this hopelessness. And that is a much more difficult problem to confront. Indifference is many magnitudes worse than hopelessness, regardless of how bad it feels, right? Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:41:42] Yeah, that's a very powerful observation. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:41:44] Yeah, and so we have a moment right now where we can really focus on doing things that will generate hope. I mean, you look at what's going to happen with the budget later on this month. I do honestly feel that there are going to be some very significant changes in the way that we collect data. The fact that we're going to share depersonalized data between jurisdictions now. We haven't really done that except in huge emergencies like having a unique patient identifier across the country means you now can compare all databases, I mean there's all these different things. The regional license opening up on May the 1st in Atlantic Canada, you know, finally taking a measurable step towards having folks be able to register once for a license and be able to practice in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. That could transform practice in a lot of different ways. Suddenly, you meet somebody at a conference and you know that you all share a regional license. You could set up a virtual team together the next day. You know, you wouldn't have to worry, how am I going to practice if you move from, you know, a place like New Brunswick to Nova Scotia for school, for example, you know, you could keep your family doc. Because now your family doc's licensed to work in Nova Scotia, they can follow you where you go. You know, there's all these like, really amazing changes that could happen. But we haven't done the greatest job in helping people understand the hope in those actions. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:43:07] Right, Right. The emotion that sits there. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:43:10] Yeah, 100%. And so, I think if we can focus on being authentic, because I think false hope is almost worse than remaining hopeless, you know, but we can take people to places where things are very likely to actually change practice, you know, actually make things better. It's important that we all kind of lean in and do that right now because once we start to become indifferent and once indifferent starts to spread and entrench itself across the health care system, it's going to be even harder to change things. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:43:44] Absolutely. Absolutely. All right. I think we should wrap it up. But this was outstanding. It was just great. And I really want to sincerely thank you for your time, Alika, because I know you're busy. And on behalf of the profession, and I know you get a lot of thanks, I just want to share another thanks for all you've done to advocate for the profession, but also, again, you know, to advocate for Indigenous voices within our health care system to start meaningful, meaningful change towards one of the most marginalized groups in our society. So, again, thank you. And, you know, we should have you on the show for sure at another point. Dr. Alika Lafontaine: [00:44:23] All right. Thanks for having me. Dr. Kevin Mailo: [00:44:29] Thank you so much for listening to the Physician Empowerment Podcast. If you're ready to take those next steps in transforming your practice, finances or personal well-being, then come and join us at PhysEmpowerment.ca - P H Y S Empowerment dot ca - to learn more about how we can help. If today's episode resonated with you, I'd really appreciate it if you would share our podcast with a colleague or friend and head over to Apple Podcasts to give us a five star rating and review. If you've got feedback, questions or suggestions for future episode topics, we'd love to hear from you. If you want to join us and be interviewed and share some of your story, we'd absolutely love that as well. Please send me an email at KMailo@PhysEmpowerment.ca. Thank you again for listening. Bye. 

The prime minister has made his pitch to the premiers on a health care deal, but will they say yes? And how could those dollars help a struggling system? Host Kathleen Petty is joined by Fredrykka Rinaldi, the president of the Alberta Medical Association and a family doctor, Janet Brown of Janet Brown Opinion Research and the CBC's provincial affairs reporter in Edmonton, Janet French.

Shocking new allegations claim that China tried to influence Canada's 2019 federal election. We get details from Mercedes Stephenson, Global News' Ottawa Bureau Chief and Host of “The West Block”.   Approximately 15,000 Calgary Students were absent from School last week. We catch up with Dr. Sam Wong, President of the Section of Pediatrics from the Alberta Medical Association to discuss what's behind the large numbers of kids in the Province falling ill.   It's painful, itchy, and costing Alberta's healthcare system 6.3 million dollars annually. What you need to know about Shingles and the preventative measures you can take, to avoid it.   Finally, It's Tech Tuesday! This time out, “The Gadget Guy” Mike Yawney shares some tips to ‘stay safe' online, and on your phone, when it comes to taking advantage of the many upcoming “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” shopping deals!

Dr. Vesta Michelle Warren, president of the Alberta Medical Association and a family doctor

Dr. Paul Parks, president of the emergency medicine section of the Alberta Medical Association

On today's show, we chat with Sarah Hoffman, deputy leader of the NDP official opposition about Alberta's healthcare crisis and her party's criticism of Dr. Deena Hinshaw's bonus of almost $228K for COVID-19 work in 2021. Plus, we chat with Dr. Paul Parks, president of the emergency medicine section of the Alberta Medical Association about the pressure our healthcare system is under and if it can be fixed. And Canadian forces will now be training Ukrainian soldiers in the U.K. We chat with Andrew Rasiulis, a defence expert with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute about what that training mission might look like.

Ahead of ‘Canada Day' we discuss what it means to be Canadian and how our nation is perceived internationally. We get the thoughts of former Canadian Ambassador, Sabine Nölke. Are you struggling to find a family doctor? If so, you're not alone. We discuss the doctor shortage in our Province and explore what can be done to attract more physicians with Dr. Vesta Michelle Warren, President of the Alberta Medical Association. Next, can we learn from our failures? Well, according to Psychologist Dr. Samuel West we most certainly can. We catch up with Dr. West to tell us all about the museum he created on the topic, the aptly named “Museum of Failure”. Finally, are you ready to take your Canada Day BBQ to the next level? We catch up with Michelle Tham, the ‘Head of Beer Education' at Labatt breweries for some tips on food-pairing, and recipe suggestions, using beer as a key ingredient!

On today's show, doctors are trying to get more help to Alberta youth. This after a recent survey suggests many are suffering from mental health effects stemming from the pandemic. We find out more from Dr. Vesta Michelle Warren, president of the Alberta Medical Association. Plus, we chat with Anne Ellis, a professor of medicine and chair of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Queen's University about seasonal allergies. Also, we chat with Jake Enwright, the former deputy chief of staff to Erin O'Toole, to get his take on the state of the federal Conservative party. And there isn't just one thing causing the economic crisis in our country. We find out about the 'polycrisis' from Jacqueline Best,a professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Political Studies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The speaker will define and provide examples of “Access Block” within our Health Care system, and discuss what it means for patients and patient outcomes.   An overview of the current challenges and issues growing within our system, that impair timely access to acute health care in our province will be considered.    Speaker:     Dr. Paul Parks MD, FRCPC              From 2006 to the present, Dr. Parks has been actively involved in provincial & national Emergency Department Overcrowding (EDOC) advocating for important access initiatives and changes.  Since 2009, he has been advocating provincially for the open & unfettered ability for physicians to advocate on behalf of their patients, & was actively involved in the government-initiated Health Quality Council of Alberta Review which concluded in 2012. This review stated unequivocally that both “Access Block” & Physician Intimidation were & still are significant issues in health care delivery within Alberta.  Dr. Parks' advocacy has been honoured with the Alan Drummond Advocacy Award in 2011; and the Public Interest Alberta Award in 2014.   Dr. Paul Parks is currently an Emergency Physician at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, & is the President of the Section of Emergency Medicine for the Alberta Medical Association & is presently clinical lecturer at the University of Calgary - Dept of Emergency Medicine & Family Medicine. He was Trauma Team Leader & clinical lecturer at the University of Alberta - Emergency Medicine. Paul is an Emergency Medicine Examiner with the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada & is an Emergency Clinical Network Member with Alberta Health Services (AHS). In recognition of his teaching and Resident Mentorship, Dr. Parks received the University of Calgary's Clinical Teaching Award, the Canadian Emergency Medicine Teacher of Year in 2007 as well as Outstanding Clinical Teacher of Medical Students from the University of Alberta.   Paul Parks is happily married to his wife Samantha and proud father to two daughters.  A movie buff, avid reader and participant and Board of Director of the Medicine Hat Musical Theatre.  He is a Craft Beer lover, and co-founder and co-owner of Hell's Basement Brewery.

We are so excited to share that the Beyond PR podcast is BACK and to kick off our third season, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with a very special guest – Dr. Ken Parhar. Dr. Parhar is an Intensivist in both the General ICU and the Cardiovascular ICU at the Foothills Medical Center, a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Calgary, as well as the section President for Critical Care in the Alberta Medical Association. Dr. Parhar joined the podcast as we neared the two-year mark from the outset of the COVID pandemic to speak about his experiences over the past 24 months and what life has been like for our healthcare heroes on the front lines. With such a timely topic and a really terrific guest, this episode is one you do not want to miss!

Guest: Dr. Monty Ghosh - President of the Alberta Medical Association's Addiction Medicine Section, Assistant Clinical Professor, Internal, Disaster & Addiction Medicines, Department of General Internal Medicine & Neurology, at the University of Alberta & Department of Medicine & Psychiatry at the University of Calgary.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Paul Parks, the head of emergency medicine for the Alberta Medical Association

Sustaining medical services in smaller communities is challenging at the best of times. Doctors have been working without an agreement for almost two years, and the unstable relationship with our government has made it nearly impossible to recruit and retain physicians to rural areas. The gaps in services are widening provincially, and instead of addressing the worsening underlying issues, government and AHS have dismissed the numerous closures as pandemic or vacation related. Dr. Myhr questions whether maintaining services for rural populations is a priority- especially in light of the February 2020 review of AHS that suggested reductions or closures would save the system money. Dr. Myhr will give an overview of the current crisis and why it should matter to everyone. Speaker: Sam Myhr, Rural Medicine President for the Alberta Medical Association           Sam Myhr is a family physician in Pincher Creek, where she and her colleagues are true generalists - a now endangered species in medicine. Together they run the clinic, hospital, emergency room, and surgical/obstetrical services for the surrounding area - all while training a constant complement of six medical students/residents. What started as a fight to maintain the broad services her group is proud to deliver has led to multiple regional and provincial advocacy roles. Sam is Vice President of Pincher Creek's Attraction and Retention Committee, advises government on rural sustainability through various channels, and is the current President of the Section of Rural Medicine for the AMA.

On today's show, Alberta doctors are asking the premier and health minister to visit the provinces ICUs, but what do they want them to see? We check in with Dr. Paul Parks, the head of emergency medicine for the Alberta Medical Association. Tristin Hopper, a columnist & reporter with The National Post talks approval ratings plummeting for Jason Kenney. Plus, we get the details on HBO television series ‘The Last of Us' taking over parts of Edmonton with Tom Viinikka, CEO of Edmonton Screen Industries Office. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fourth wave has been called the pandemic of the unvaccinated, and it's had a devastating effect on health-care systems in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Doctors there are working to reach the unvaccinated before they end up in ICU; we talk to Dr. Neeja Bakshi, who works on the internal medicine ward at Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital; Dr. Hassan Masri, an intensive care specialist in Saskatoon; and Dr. Kathy Fitch, president of the Alberta Medical Association's general psychiatry section.

John critiques a letter from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta in which they bring down the iron fist (in a velvet glove), mandating that all members must be vaccinated, and they must toe the line of the official Covid narrative, or risk disciplinary action. He also goes through a letter from the Alberta Medical Association calling for "a firebreaker" in the province.Justice Centre News Release, Sep 29, 2021: Dr. Deena Hinshaw takes vacation after claiming to be too busy for trialCPSA, Sep 27, 2021: Sept. 27: A letter to the profession from CPSA CouncilJustice Centre News Release, Sep 16, 2021: Vaccine passports betray freedom-loving AlbertansVitor Marciano in the National Post, Sep 29, 2021: Alberta's fourth wave exposes how little capacity Canada's hospitals actually havePublic Health England, Sep 17, 2021: SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England - Technical briefing 23 (PDF)Global News, Sep 14, 2021: B.C. nurses fear health-care system could ‘crash' due to vaccine mandate for workersJustice Centre, Sep 14. 2021: Letter from Dr. Eric Payne to CPSA (PDF)The Desert Review, Sep 28, 2021: India's Ivermectin Blackout - Part V: The Secret RevealedJason Copping in the Western Standard, Sep 29, 2021: My response to protesting health workersGovernment of Canada: Reported side effects following COVID-19 vaccination in CanadaCitizen Free Press, Sep 27, 2021: Insanity in Alberta… (Hinshaw calling for all sick at home to be considered Covid cases without a test)Zerohedge, May 23, 2021: Caught Red-Handed: CDC Changes Test Thresholds To Virtually Eliminate New COVID Cases Among Vaxx'dAlberta Medical Association, Sep 27, 2021: Alberta must act now: AMA calls for COVID-19 “fire-breaker” measuresNational Post, Sep 23, 2021: Study claiming 1 in 1,000 risk of heart inflammation after COVID vaccine got calculation wrongYahoo News, Sep 29, 2021: 'State of crisis': National medical group urges lockdowns in Alberta and SaskatchewanTheme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave StevensSupport the show (https://www.jccf.ca/donate/)

We begin with our weekly conversation with Mercedes Stephenson, Global News Ottawa Bureau Chief and Host of “The West Block”. Mercedes shares with us details of meeting with Michael Kovrig. Michael returned home to Canada over the weekend after being detained in China for almost 3 years. Next, we look at the growing number of medical professionals calling for increased restrictions in the Province to battle COVID-19. We speak with Dr. Paul Boucher, President of the Alberta Medical Association on why he believes a “Fire Breaker” lockdown is needed at this time. Could “mental health” be the next ‘wave' of the Pandemic? We speak with a Psychologist, with a specialization in PTSD on the impact we can expect post-pandemic. Finally, it's a special issue of “Avenue Magazine” with a real ‘local' flavour. We speak with Avenue's Editor-in-Chief, Shelley Arnusch about the 3rd Annual “Made in Alberta” issue and the local companies that made it into the pages of the magazine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Evan Solomon discusses R. Kelly's guilty verdict in his sex trafficking trial and chats with a doctor who is pleading for a 'fire break' lockdown in Alberta amid a serious fourth wave of COVID-19. On today's show:  Gloria Allred, victims rights attorney, on the three victims she represented in the R. Kelly sex trafficking trial. We play Evan's full interview with Victoria Galea, Annamie Paul's executive assistant, on Paul's decision to resign as Green Party leader. Dr. Paul Parks, president of the  emergency medicine section for the Alberta Medical Association on pleading for a 'fire break' lockdown in Alberta. Toby Boulet, father of Logan Boulet who died in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, on his disappointment in Saskatchewan suspending its organ donation program. Dan Riskin, CTV Science and Technology specialist, on whether our cellphones can detect if we're high.  

Power & Politics for Thursday, September 16th with political strategists Melissa Caouette, Corey Hogan and Leah Ward, Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell, Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley, Regina General Hospital Infectious Diseases Physician Dr. Alex Wong, Alberta Medical Association's Emergency Medicine Section President Dr. Paul Parks, Ontario Liberal Candidate Jennifer O'Connell, Alberta NDP Candidate Heather McPherson, Ontario Conservative Candidate Michael Barrett

 Dr. Paul Parks, President, Emergency Medicine, Alberta Medical Association

Power & Politics for Thursday, August 26th with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Alberta strategists Leah Ward, Melissa Caouette and Corey Hogan, the Alberta Medical Association's Dr. Michelle Bailey, and the Power Panel.

Dr. Michelle Bailey, President, Alberta Medical Association's section of pediatrics

Dr. Paul Boucher, President, Alberta Medical Association

In this episode, Amie and Sara talk pain management with the Canadian Medical Association President-Elect Dr. Alika Lafontaine.  We discuss the subjectivity and management of pain in racialized communities and marginalized individuals. We focus on issues related to pain from the perspectives of the care provider and the patient. We also outline practical approaches and tangible solutions on how healthcare providers can improve their assessment, approach and understanding of pain management. This episode is a tool everyone should have in their healthcare toolkit.  Dr. Lafontaine is an award-winning physician who practises anesthesia in Grande Prairie, Alberta. He was born and raised in Treaty 4 Territory (Southern Saskatchewan) and has Anishinaabe, Cree, Metis and Pacific Islander ancestry. Pending confirmation of his nomination by CMA General Council this August, Dr. Lafontaine will serve as president-elect until August 2022, when he will become CMA president.  Dr. Alika Lafontaine is the first Indigenous doctor listed in Medical Post's 50 Most Powerful Doctors. He was born and raised in Treaty 4 Territory (Southern Saskatchewan) and has Anishinaabe, Cree, Metis and Pacific Islander ancestry. He currently lives, works and plays in Treaty 8 Territory in Northern Alberta. Dr. Lafontaine has served in medical leadership positions for almost two decades. Alberta Medical Association: representative forum (since 2012), nominations committee, Indigenous health committee, current board member. Canadian Medical Association: Alberta AGM delegate, appointments committee, Chair governance council Canadian Medical Association Journal. Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada: Indigenous health advisory committee, search/selection subcommittees, Chair regional advisory committee (western provinces), current council member. HealthCareCAN: current board member. Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada: vice-President and President. Lead and core team member of various Indigenous and non-Indigenous health transformations within Saskatchewan, Alberta and nationally. From 2013-2017 Dr. Lafontaine co-led the Indigenous Health Alliance project, one of the most ambitious health transformation initiatives in Canadian history. Led politically by Indigenous leadership representing more than 150 First Nations across three provinces, the Alliance successfully advocated for $68 million of federal funding towards Indigenous health transformation within Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. He was recognized for his work in the Alliance by the Public Policy Forum where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented the award. Dr. Lafontaine is also a past recipient of the Canadian Medical Association Award for Young Leaders (Early Career) and the Canadian Medical Association Sir Charles Tupper Award for Political Action. He remains the youngest recipient of the Indspire Award, the highest honour the Indigenous community bestows upon its own people. In 2020, Dr. Lafontaine launched the Safespace Networks project with friendship centres across British Columbia. Safespace Networks provides a safe and anonymous workflow to report and identify patterns of care; patients and providers use the platform to share their own experiences and contribute to system change without the risk of retaliation for sharing their truths. It provides a learning system approach for identifying and intervening in issues with patterns of practice anonymously, before they become official concerns or complaints. Dr. Lafontaine continues to practise anesthesia in Grande Prairie, where he has lived with his wife and four children for the last ten years. Twitter @AlikaMD

Everyone living in Southern Alberta are familiar with our winds. Those residing in “Chinook Country” have heard Environment Canada's frequent wind warnings, particularly between November to April. It would follow then, that Benga Mining Ltd (Riversdale) would, as part of their application, have completed comprehensive and accurate assessments of wind speed, dust particle size etc., as part of their Environmental Impact Assessment for their Grassy Mountain Open-Pit coal mining proposal. But have they? The speaker will argue Benga's Environmental Impact Assessment contains flaws and inaccuracies in methodology and the time-frame of data collection. This resulted in underestimating the amount and movement of micro dust particles and the distance micro and larger dust particles would be carried by the winds, resulting in errors in the data of Environmental Impact Assessment submissions. Finally, the speaker will discuss the research on short and long-term health outcomes for people living in communities close to coal mines. Speaker: Allan Garbutt. PhD, MD (Retired) Allan was born and raised in Calgary, though he does admit to short sojourns to Edmonton and Fort Macleod. He received a B.Sc. in Honors Zoology at U of A, which was followed by both an M.Sc and Ph.D from the University of Guelph. Allan's research area was the reproductive biology of Ruffed Grouse. After receiving his doctorate, Allan worked in environmental consulting in Edmonton for several years. He transitioned to the University of Western Ontario in 1987, and received his MD in 1991, and took a rural family medicine residency at the University of British Columbia, with his final year spent in Fernie, BC. After completing his family medicine residency, he began practice in Crowsnest Pass, and remained there until retirement in 2018. During that 25-year span, Allan was very active with the Section of Rural Medicine, and also participated on various committees for the Alberta Medical Association. Date and time: Thursday April 8, 2021 at 10 am MST YouTube Live link: https://youtu.be/ev3kpUTd448 In order to ask questions of our speaker in the chat feature of YouTube, you must have a YouTube account and be signed in. Please do so well ahead of the scheduled start time, so you'll be ready. Go the YouTube Live link provided in this session flyer and on the top right of your browser click the “sign in” button. If you have Google or Gmail accounts, they can be used to sign in. If you don't, click “Create Account” and follow along. Once you are signed in, you can return to the live stream and use the chat feature to ask your questions of the speaker. Remember you can only participate in the chat feature while we are livestreaming. Link to SACPA's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SouthernAlbertaCouncilonPublicAffairs

Chach & Puke hash out the car crash that was the week in Alberta, Canadian & US politics. Calgary Sun gas-bag Ric Bell has soured on Kenney but it didn’t stop him from eating him in his last syndicated screed. Because… Jason is getting his ass handed to him within the party And… Same elected douchebag is up for review in 2020 But guess what? ATA sues government over AIMCO failure and literally everyone saw this coming. So… Kenney is courting the crazies in new drive for nut job support because his numbers suck donkeys Need a distraction from inconvenient leadership reviews and tanking party support across the province? Bonehead UCP MLA has it covered with proposed bill for warp speed on Alberta Highways. Elk island Schools get the shaft in capital spending plan just for coming out. Voted overwhelmingly UCP here’s your complementary 25% reduction to municipal infrastructure support from the province. Alberta Medical Association rolls over and dies by admitting that new contract its about to present to members acknowledge minister’s sole authority with respect to the physician services budget. Ontario Supreme Court will allow election lies because of course it will Erin O’Toole is unlikable, even to angry old white men in his party GOP is a hypocritical dumpster fire yet again amid relief bill spending. Oh No he didn’t GOP Senator Who Voted Against COVID-19 Relief Already Taking Credit For Bill's Benefits, and…Further proof The GOP is no more. Thanks for listening to the www.Albertastan.ca Podcast!! Check us out at www.albertastan.ca and please consider a donation to the show! If not, please share, comment, rate and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts from! Same goes for the YouTube channel!!! Spotify URL https://open.spotify.com/show/5JRQyDXMDEnltrdoU5NKas ApplePodcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/albertastan-ca/id1431546582 GooglePlay https://playmusic.app.goo.gl/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic&isi=691797987&ius=googleplaymusic&apn=com.google.android.music&link=https://play.google.com/music/m/Iomv5nweqb4yijczcxx5bxdyyte?t%3DAlbertastan.ca%26pcampaignid%3DMKT-na-all-co-pr-mu-pod-16 Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=389474&refid=stpr AND YOUTUBE!!!! http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbGhoUAByTXOHd-h3WZq9Uw Follow us on face book https://www.facebook.com/Albertastanca ***Help make this possible***  Pay pall https://www.paypal.me/albertastanca Join us on Patreon !!! https://www.patreon.com/albertastan Join us and help kick ass for the middle class!

New restrictions have been announced in Alberta as the province struggles with the highest rate of new coronavirus infections in the country. As hospitalizations rise, we check in with two Edmonton doctors on the front lines of the pandemic, to hear about the impact they're seeing the virus have up close: Dr. Darren Markand is an intensive care unit physician, and Dr. Shazma Mithani is an emergency room physician and the spokesperson for the section of emergency medicine within the Alberta Medical Association.

In Episode 38 of Don't Call Me A Guru, host Linda Hoang chats with Leopold McGinnis and Stephanie Usher of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) about the association's approach to social media, how it has used social media to communicate to the public and support its members during contract negotiations with the province, successes, challenges, lessons learned, how the AMA used TikTok, and advice to share for other social media managers.  LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE For over 100 years, the Alberta Medication Association has represented and advocated for Alberta physicians and their patients. The AMA advances patient-centered, quality care by advocating for and supporting physician leadership and wellness. Follow the Alberta Medical Association on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Guest: Dr. Christine Molnar, President of the Alberta Medical Association.  

Welcome to The Morning News Podcast for Friday, July 10th. We begin with our weekly chat with Mayor Naheed Nenshi. We get the Mayor's views on this week's City Hall public hearings on systemic racism - and whether or not masks will be made mandatory in our city. What would happen to our province if more than 4-in-10 doctors either moved or retired? We hear details on a new poll from the Alberta Medical Association, that says it's a distinct possibility. With race discussions continuing to be a hot topic around the world, we're going to find what NOT to say to someone who has experienced racial trauma. We speak with a Mental Health Therapist and Sociologist for some tips. The numbers have been staggering South of the border. Earlier this week, the U.S. set a record number for new Coronavirus cases in one day - with 60,000. We get a COVID-19 update from Jackson Proskow - Washington Bureau Chief for Global News. And finally - it's a Friday tradition. We get the latest new releases from Brett Megarry - of "The Couch Potatoes". This week, a new futuristic thriller starring Charlize Theron called "The Old Guard".  

Join Dr. Heather La Borde and Dr. Brad Bahler as they discuss their mutual sense of grief and loss related to the changes and uncertainty that COVID has brought, as well as how they’re finding hope and taking steps to prevent burnout.AMA Physician and Family Support ProgramWell Doc AlbertaWould you like to learn more?The Alberta Medical Association and Well Doc Alberta are offering a 1.25 hour session on physician wellness on Tuesday, June 16, from 7 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. entitled Physician Wellness: Feeling Distress, Understanding Loss and Finding Meaning. During this session, physicians will have the opportunity to consider and better understand their distress during these challenging times. Along with knowledge offered by content expert Fleur Yumol, the webinar co-facilitators will guide you through short pauses for self-reflection and provide opportunities for sharing experiences with physician peers. This webinar is designed for physicians, but interested family members are also welcome to join.Register in advance for this Zoom webinar:https://albertadoctors.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qK1BhlH6T6KRNpw55_uqXw

There's doin's a-transpirin' across the country, but most of us are still only hearing about COVID-19 news. Adam & Mike go province by province (and territory) and review some news items from all areas of the dominion that have happened in the last few weeks. Subscribe to listen to all of our episodes! Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/poutine-politics/id1468816897 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/77wDAUeqUdHpJwAWLMdMOC Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inalkep3ipxrgbhsoia3jyhgm3a YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TRUHywSyYytmVpsa_l2yQ Become a Patron and gain access to our UNCUT and bonus episodes! https://www.patreon.com/poutinepolitics

For this episode, we’re going to do something a little different. As some of you know, for one of my contracts I’m the Editor-in-Chief of Alberta Doctors’ Digest for the Alberta Medical Association. Alberta Doctors’ Digest is the flagship publication of the association. We recently released a podcast episode about albertapatients.ca hitting an important milestone, which is fantastic because albertapatients.ca is a great way for Albertans to have input into their health care system. So for this episode of the No Harm Health and Safety Podcast, we’re going to replay that interview. - marv ---------------------------- No Harm is the health and safety podcast for HSE professionals. We explore issues and initiatives to help you sharpen your professional skills and better understand emerging issues. The No Harm Podcast is hosted by Marvin Polis of Stimulant Strategies and Productions, a veteran producer of HSE video productions and publications for municipalities and corporations. Marvin talks to guests who share your passion for safety at work and beyond. Listen to us on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud or the podcast app on your mobile device. Just search for: No Harm Podcast. You can connect with Marvin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvin-polis-b6392544 and learn more about Stimulant at www.stimulant.ca . All the best, everyone. And stay safe.

Do you know what can you do to effectively minimize your chronic pain? You're about to learn! Dr. Majeed joins us in this episode to talk about the experience of pain; what really happens in your body when you have it; and what can you do to fight against this problem. She also discusses the stigma of being part of the elderly population, and what can be done to optimize the quality of life of this vulnerable group of society. ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST - Dr. Yasmine Majeed Yasmine Majeed is a Consulting Pain Physician at the Calgary Chronic Pain Center, and Medical Director and Site Medical Lead for Age Care. She is currently President in the Section of Chronic Pain of the Alberta Medical Association. Dr. Majeed is also the founder and President of the Canadian Global Care Society. She feels passionate about caring for chronic pain around the spectrum.

Do you know what can you do to effectively minimize your chronic pain? You’re about to learn! Dr. Majeed joins us in this episode to talk about the experience of pain; what really happens in your body when you have it; and what can you do to fight against this problem. She also discusses the stigma of being part of the elderly population, and what can be done to optimize the quality of life of this vulnerable group of society. Yasmine Majeed is a Consulting Pain Physician at the Calgary Chronic Pain Center, and Medical Director and Site Medical Lead for Age Care. She is currently President in the Section of Chronic Pain of the Alberta Medical Association. Dr. Majeed is also the founder and President of the Canadian Global Care Society. She feels passionate about caring for chronic pain around the spectrum.

What is psychosis? All funding graciously provided by the Alberta Medical Association. 1. DSM 5 – Pages 87-88 2. What is Psychosis?” National Institute of Mental Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nimn.nih.gov 3. DSM 5, Page 104. 4. Kaplan and Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiary, 10th Edition. Page 1406 5. Ibid.

Alberta Doctors' Digest Editor-in-Chief, Marvin Polis interviews the presidents of the Alberta Medical Association and Canadian Medical Association, as well as the student board member for the AMA, about physician advocacy.

Episode 4 - My Loved One is Killing Themselves - Can you do something? A discussion about substances use, involuntary treatment, and stages of change. Funding graciously provided by the Alberta Medical Association. References ILO, 2012. ILO : Joint statement on compulsory drug detention and rehabilitation centres ILO, OHCHR, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNODC, UN Women, WFP, WHO and UNAIDS. Geneva: United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2012. UN Office on Drugs and Crime/World Health Organization, ‘Principles of Drug Treatment. Discussion Paper’,United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2008 Klag, S., O’Callaghan, F., & Creed, P. (2005). The use of legal coercion in the treatment of substance abusers: An overview and critical analysis of thirty years of research. Substance Use and Misuse. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826080500260891 Prochaska, J. O., Velicer, W. F., Rossi, J. S., Goldstein, M. G., Marcus, B. H., Rakowski, W., … Rossi, S. R. (1994). Stages of Change and Decisional Balance for 12 Problem Behaviors. Health Psychology (Vol. 13). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8c78/cf151a0edbbbbe9ba8e25fac60e2ba2e299b.pdf

Episode 3 - Aren't Psych Patients Dangerous? An exploration of risk of violence in mental health patients and review of relevant large studies. Funding graciously provided by the Alberta Medical Association. References Elbogen EB, Johnson SC. The Intricate Link Between Violence and Mental DisorderResults From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Arch Gen Psychiatry. JD009;66(JD):15JD–161. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.JD008.537 U.S Department of Health and Human Services / National Institutes of Health / National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (JD006).National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Retrieved from https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arhJD9-JD/74-78.htm Steadman HJ, Mulvey EP, Monahan J, et al. Violence by People Discharged From Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Facilities and by Others in the Same Neighborhoods. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998;55(5):393–401. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.55.5.393 Van Dorn R, Volavka J, Johnson N. Mental disorder and violence: is there arelationship beyond substance use? Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012 Mar;47(3):487-503. doi: 10.1007/s001JD7-011-0356-x. Epub 2011 Feb 26. PubMed PMID: 21359532. Walsh E, Moran P, Scott C, McKenzie K, Burns T, Creed F, Tyrer P, Murray RM, Fahy T; UK700 Group. Prevalence of violent victimisation in severe mental illness. Br J Psychiatry. JD003 Sep;183:JD33-8. PubMed PMID: 1JD948997. Hiroeh U, Appleby L, Mortensen PB, Dunn G. Death by homicide, suicide, and other unnatural causes in people with mental illness: a population-based study. Lancet. JD001 Dec JDJD-JD9;358(9JD99):JD110-JD. PubMed PMID: 117846JD4. Hiday VA, Swartz MS, Swanson JW, Borum R, Wagner HR. Criminal victimization of persons with severe mental illness. Psychiatr Serv. 1999 Jan;50(1):6JD-8. PubMed PMID: 9890581.

What Gives You The Right? An examination of why individuals can be held in hospital against their will and the circumstances leading to this legislation. Graciously funded by the Alberta Medical Association.

Introduction to Shrinking Stigma Podcast - 'What is Psychiatry?' What is Psychiatry? What do Psychiatrists do? Why should you care? Gratitude to the Alberta Medical Association for funding.

Meet Dr. Alison Clarke, the new president of the Alberta Medical Association.

For this episode, we’re going to do something a little different. As some of you know, for one of my contracts I’m the Editor-in-Chief of Alberta Doctors’ Digest for the Alberta Medical Association. Alberta Doctors’ Digest is the flagship publication of the association. I recently did an interview with the President of the Alberta Medical Association about how you can have input on the direction of health care in the province. So for this episode of the No Harm Podcast, we’re going to replay that interview. - marv ---------------------------- No Harm is the health and safety podcast for HSE professionals. We explore issues and initiatives to help you sharpen your professional skills and better understand emerging issues. The No Harm Podcast is hosted by Marvin Polis of Stimulant Strategies and Productions, a veteran producer of HSE video productions and publications for municipalities and corporations. Marvin talks to guests who share your passion for safety at work and beyond. Listen to us on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud or the podcast app on your mobile device. Just search for: No Harm Podcast. You can connect with Marvin on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvin-polis-b6392544 and learn more about Stimulant at www.stimulant.ca . No Harm is sponsored by ShoutMyProblem.com. With ShoutMyProblem.com, businesses, non-profits and local governments can shout their problems to the world and solutions find them thorough the power of crowdsourcing. All the best, everyone. And stay safe.

Dr. Neil Cooper, president of the Alberta Medical Association, talks about how much each doctor in the province should be paid.

Dr. Neil Cooper is the new President of the Alberta Medical Association.

Dr. Padraic Carr, president of the Alberta Medical Association, speaks about topics discussed at the recent Canadian Medical Association convention in Quebec City.                                                                                                           

Albertans loves our family doctors but we don't like it when they're running late. Especially if they don't tell us why! Guest: Dr. Padraic (like Patrick) Carr, President, Alberta Medical Association.

Dr Bill Campbell’s knowledge of addiction is based on both personal and career experience. He was a Family Physician when he quit alcohol 36 years ago. Now retired, he has become an Addictions Medicine Specialist, and is a past president of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine and of the Addiction Medicine Section of the Alberta Medical Association. He suffered an aortic aneurysm 12 years ago but was able to continue working with the aid of crutches.