Podcasts about unity health toronto

Join host Rachel Neufeld  in conversation with Dr. Naheed Dosani. Dr. Dosani is a Palliative Care Physician, with the Department of Family & Community Medicine, St Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto; Founder & Lead, Palliative Education And Care for the Homeless (PEACH), Inner City Health Associates; Medical Director/Health Equity Lead, Kensington Hospice/Kensington Health; Health Equity Advisor, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; and Assistant Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto.@PedPallCareCA@twoworldscancerhttps://www.virtualhospice.ca/en_US/Main+Site+Navigation/Home/Support/Resources/Programs+and+Services/Provincial/Ontario/Local+palliative+care+programs_services/PEACH+_+Palliative+Education+and+Care+for+the+Homeless.aspx

A new interpretive letter on the Canada Health Act says primary health care services provided by qualified non-physican practitioners must be covered by provincial and territorial plans. However, the letter left the whole area of virtual care unresolved. Dr. Danyaal Raza is a family physician with Unity Health Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital, and an Assistant Professor with the University of Toronto. He joins us to speak about the letter.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: NEW FERTILITY PRESERVATION METHOD GIVES YOUNG CANCER PATIENTS HOPE FOR HAVING CHILDREN LATER Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto, Provincial Co-Lead General Medicine, Dr. Alisa Naiman, family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto and Dr. Aaron Schimmer, Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist. Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie promises every resident will have a family doctor within four years, but is this feasible? Meanwhile, former Liberal health minister Jane Philpott is tasked with finding a solution for the PC government. In Alberta, innovative treatments help young cancer patients preserve fertility, and with Australia facing a record flu season, how will Canada respond? Plus, RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine stance could impact public health policies across North America. MINISTER WHO WAS PRESENT SAYS TRUMP'S REMARK ABOUT CANADA BECOMING THE 51ST STATE WAS A JOKE Libby is joined by Bob Richardson, Public Affairs Consultant and Will Stewart, Conservative Strategist and Senior Vice President with Enterprise Canada. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself on a mountaintop beside a large Canadian flag, sparking buzz by suggesting Canada could become the 51st state. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who attended the Mar-a-Lago dinner, downplays the image as a joke and hails it as a symbol of strong U.S.-Canada relations. BONNIE CROMBIE JOINS FIGHT BACK TO TALK ABOUT HER PRIMARY CARE PLAN Libby is joined by Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie. Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie has promised to ensure every resident in the province has a primary care doctor within four years if elected. This ambitious plan comes as Ontario faces a significant shortage, with 2.5 million people currently without a family doctor. Will it be enough to address the root cause of many healthcare issues?

THE MEDICAL RECORD: DO YOU CARE ABOUT CALORIE COUNTS? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto, and Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Libby gives an update post-cataract procedure and we explore a study out of England that reveals the extent to which calorie counts actually influence our menu choices when we go to restaurants.  CALLS FOR PM TRUDEAU TO INCLUDE RETIREES IN HIS $250 REBATE Libby Znaimer is now joined by Will Stewart, a Conservative Strategist and Senior Vice President with Enterprise Canada, and Tom Parkin, a social Democratic commentator. PM Trudeau has excluded some very important groups from the $250 rebate cheques his government will be sending out to some 18.7 million Canadians. One of those important groups are pensioners who still pay tax! We've heard from our listeners who called in to express their disappointment about it. Opposition leaders in Ottawa are calling on Trudeau to make it so that they are included. HOW THE LOONIE'S DROP IN VALUE IS IMPACTING CANADIAN SHOPPERS + THOSE TRAVELLING TO U.S.  Libby Znaimer is joined by Moshe Lander, Senior Lecturer of Economics at Concordia University in Montreal and Stephen Fine, President & Managing Editor of SnowbirdAdvisor.ca. How are Canadian shoppers and those travelling to the U.S. being impacted by the drop in the value of the loonie? Our experts weigh in.

Date: October 28, 2024 Reference: Verma et al. Clinical evaluation of a machine learning–based early warning system for patient deterioration. CMAJ September 2024  Guest Skeptic: Michael Page is currently the Director of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Commercialization at Unity Health Toronto. He leads an AI team intending to improve patient outcomes and healthcare system efficiency. Michael […] The post SGEM#460: Why Do I Feel Like, Somebody's Watching Me – CHARTWatch to Predict Clinical Deterioration first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.

THE MEDICAL RECORD PANEL: ONTARIO LAUNCHING A NURSING PROGRAM & CANCER PATIENTS IN THE ER  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak,  General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto, and Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. This week: there's an interesting study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on people going to emergency rooms just before being diagnosed with cancer, or being diagnosed with cancer while there. On the positive side, the first new nursing program in 20 years was announced. It comes after the Ford government announced restrictions on medical school admission designed to boost the number of doctors here in Ontario. DONALD TRUMP HAS WON THE U.S. ELECTION Libby Znaimer is joined by Whitley Yates, a Republican strategist and founder and owner of The Niche Agency, as well as Dr. Chris Cooper, a Political Science Professor at Western Carolina University. After months of coverage and dramatic twists and turns in the U.S. Presidential contest, Donald Trump secured a decisive victory. We discuss that and analyze some of the promises he's made during the campaign. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE UPDATED COVID-19 VACCINES AVAILABLE NOW Libby is joined by Pharmacist Molly Yang, Director of Pharmacy Innovation; Professional Affairs at Whole Health Pharmacy. Have you had the latest COVID-19 booster? What about the flu shot? The latest guidance is to take them together, but there are also other vaccines Zoomers should be getting to prevent difficult and possibly debilitating bouts of illness.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: AT-HOME PATIENTS IN ONTARIO ARE REPORTING DELAYS IN MEDICAL SUPPLIES Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto, and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, an Internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. Why are at-home patients in Ontario reporting delays in medical supplies and drugs for their care? We also discuss the issue of the primary care shortage across the province. A STAGGERING NEW REPORT SHOWS HOW MUCH FOOD IS BEING WASTED (AND THE COST) BY CANADIANS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and Dr. Mustafa Koç, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Toronto Metropolitan University specializing in food security and food policy. A new report by Second Harvest shows the extent of our food waste, as well as the staggering cost of it among Canadians. Are we in need of rethinking our approach to the foods we buy and consume? IS THE PARTY OVER FOR PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU?  Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, a Public Affairs Consultant and Jason Lietaer, Conservative Strategist and President at Enterprise. Will PM Justin Trudeau face a leadership challenge at today's federal Liberal caucus meeting? Our guests weigh in on the latest.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: REPORT ON DISEASE SURVEILLANCE Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto who served as a Scientific Advisor of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist and Dr. Nadia Alam, a Georgetown, Ontario family doctor and anesthetist.  Even though it hasn't been long since we've been out of the COVID pandemic, according to a new report it's time to start preparing for the next global health crisis. COURT CHALLENGE AGAINST FORD GOV'T OVER ORCHARD VILLA LICENSE Jane Brown is joined by Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition and Cathy Parkes, whose father passed away at Orchard Villa during the pandemic. Both Cathy and the Ontario Health Coalition are presenting a court challenge this week over the Ford government's decision to greenlight a new 30-year license to Orchard Villa. They want the lease quashed by the court. TORONTO'S ACTION PLAN TO KEEP ITS "ECONOMY THRIVING"  Jane Brown is joined by Toronto City Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North) who is also Chair of the Budget Committee and co-chair of the Economic Advisory Panel. Toronto's mayor and the city's budget chief have both just announced a new staff report and plan called Sidewalks to Skylines: An Action Plan for Toronto's economy. We get clarity on what it's all about.

THE MEDICAL RECORD:  SYNTHETIC BONES FOR CANCER AND TRAUMA PATIENTS? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of BC Cancer, Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and former Scientific Director of the COVID-19 Ontario Science Table, and Dr. Alisa Naiman,  a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto. This week: we take a deep dive into the controversial Bill 7 here in Ontario (aka More Beds, Better Care Act) which is being challenged in court. And, a team out of the University of Waterloo is 3-D printing synthetic bone with the aim of helping cancer and trauma patients. SOME OF THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR DON VALLEY WEST COUNCILLOR Libby Znaimer is now joined by Anthony Furey, Rachel Chernos Lin and Dhruv Jain, all three of whom are among the candidates for City Councillor for Ward 15 Don Valley West. What are the priorities of some of the candidates running in the current Don Valley West municipal byelection in Toronto? ONTARIO EDUCATION MINISTER JILL DUNLOP LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO TDSB  Libby Znaimer is now joined by Tamara Gotlieb, founding member of Jewish Educators and Family Association of Canada. Ontario's Education Minister Jill Dunlop has launched an investigation into the TDSB after students were taken to a demonstration about mercury poisoning within Grassy Nation First Nation that turned into an anti-Israel protest. And, the TDSB is holding a "special meeting" tonight. Will they be getting to the bottom of what happened?

Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, vice-president of data science and advanced analytics at Unity Health Toronto and director of the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHAT COMES AFTER CANCER TREATMENT? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, a Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and General Internist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto, and Dr. Keith Stewart, Vice President, Cancer and Director of Princess Margaret Cancer Program at the UHN. Today: a discussion about what comes next for cancer patients who complete treatment, a new guideline in the U.S. pertaining to mammogram results and, closer to home, Ontario Health is changing its guidelines on how iron deficiency is measured. THE PAINFUL REALITY OF ONLINE TRANSACTIONS Libby Znaimer is joined by Carmi Levy, Technology Analyst and Journalist based in London, Ontario. Why is making a transaction online such a hassle whether we purchase tickets for a concert or sports match or purchase something from a retailer? There's always a tedious process to follow including registration and providing personal details and even credit card info. Why are companies doing this, and what can we do as consumers to make the process less of an inconvenience?   REACTION TO THE TRUMP-HARRIS DEBATE Libby Znaimer is now joined by Brad Polumbo, a Conservative commentator and editor-in-chief  & Co-Founder of BASEDPolitics, Dr. Chris Cooper, Political Science Professor at Western Carolina University, and Lee Strickland, Toronto Chair of Democrats Abroad. Americans and the world got to watch the first ever debate between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris and it ventured into the absurd at times. Our panel of Americans weighs in on what was said and whether VP Harris or former President Trump won the debate.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: UPTICK IN MPOX CASES, HEALTHCARE WORKER BURNOUT & CANCER PROJECTIONS FOR MEN Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency; Dr. Fahad Razak, a Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and General Internist at Unity Health Toronto; and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto, to discuss the medical news of the day. AMO SURVEY ON HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS The Association of Municipalities of Ontario is asking the province for guidance on how to handle the growing number of homeless encampments in the province. Libby Znaimer is joined by Andrea Horwath, Mayor of Hamilton; and Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph to discuss this issue. CANADA'S POLICE CHIEFS CALL FOR HELP AMID A RISE IN PROTESTS The frequency of protests linked to both domestic and global issues is creating an "unsustainable demand" on policing services across the country, and they are asking governments of all levels to provide the "moral and financial support" necessary to meet the demand for service. Canadian public affairs commentator, consultant, lawyer, policy analyst and writer Tasha Kheiriddin joins Libby Znaimer to drill down on this matter. IS CANADA'S FOREIGN WORKER PROGRAM A 'BREEDING GROUND' FOR MODERN SLAVERY? A recently released report by a United Nations special rapporteur says Canada's temporary foreign worker program is a “breeding ground” for contemporary slavery. Libby Znaimer is joined by Guidy Mamann, Toronto immigration lawyer and Partner at Mamann & Sandaluk LLP Immigration Lawyers to discuss this issue.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHY ARE MEN MORE RELUCTANT TO VISIT THE DOCTOR? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of the BC Cancer Agency, Dr. Fahad Razak, a Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and General Internist at Unity Health Toronto, and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto. Today: a rural town in Ontario has a creative plan in an effort to attract family doctors to work there. And, why is it that men are more reluctant to pay a visit to the doctor? Meanwhile, last week we started the conversation about cracking down on for pay services that are in the gray zone - one of them being virtual visits with doctors in other areas - there's research which shows that virtual visits with a doctor who knows the patient are great but with someone who is unfamiliar - not so much. BYLAW CHARGES LAID AGAINST COMPANIES FOR BIN LEFT ON BIKE LANE WHERE CYCLIST WAS KILLED Libby Znaimer is now joined by Criminal Defense Lawyer Ari Goldkind. Ari reacts to the news that companies are facing bylaw charges after a garbage bin was illegally placed on a Bloor Street West bike lane where a 24 year old cyclist was killed a couple of weeks ago. And Libby has more questions about how and when police choose to lay charges. Yesterday we heard about yet another illegal protest - this one had about 40 people on Jarvis near the ramp and blocking the highway. OTTAWA UPDATES TRAVEL ADVISORY TO THE UK AMID RIOTS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Stephanie Carvin, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Carleton University and an expert on national security issues, and Dr. Stephanie Baker, a sociologist at City University of London who researches the far right. Ottawa has updated a travel advisory cautioning those going to the UK to exercise caution amid riots. So, what is fueling those riots and what has happened there so far?

In the final episode of the season, we continue our discussion exploring the often overlooked consequences of innovation. In the last episode, we focused on the outcomes of new innovation on existing healthcare systems, exploring ethical access and economic influence. Today, we discuss who innovation can leave behind, and why it is essential that medical breakthroughs benefit everyone. Featuring: Jaris Swidrovich Assistant Professor and Indigenous Engagement Lead, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Founder and Chair, Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada Hagar Labouta, Assistant Professor, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy Scientist, Keenan Research Center for Biomedical Science, Unity Health Toronto

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHAT THE CMA OUTLINES IN ITS LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Data Informed Healthcare Improvement at the University of Toronto, Dr. Aaron Schimmer,  the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist and Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, Family Physician and Founder PrimeHealth Clinical Research. Today: our panel of doctors react to draft recommendations made by the Canadian Medical Association and also how doctors communicate with their patients about stress and managing it.  BANK OF CANADA CUTS KEY INTEREST RATE TO 4.5 PERCENT Libby Znaimer is now joined by Jim Stanford, Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work. We have learned this morning that the Bank of Canada has cut the key interest rate to 4.5 per cent. So, what are the implications of this on peoples' mortgages and more? PROVINCIAL FUNDING WILL MEAN 24/7 CONSTRUCTION WORK OF GARDINER EXPRESSWAY + SPEEDING UP TIMELINE OF EXPECTED COMPLETION Libby Znaimer is joined by Councillor Brad Bradford, Ward 19 Beaches-East York. The province is providing funding so that Gardiner Expressway construction can be done 24/7 and the expected timeline for completion can be moved up a year.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHY PREMIER DOUG FORD WANTS TO SPEED UP THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Data Informed Healthcare Improvement at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, Internal Medicine and Critical Care Physician at Humber River Hospital. Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants the approval process for life-saving pharmaceutical drugs to be sped up. And a new study out of the American Cancer Society indicates that nearly half of cancer cases could be prevented by better lifestyle choices. WAS TORONTO TRULY PREPARED TO HANDLE THE SEVERE RAIN STORM   Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillor Brad Bradford,  Ward 19 Beaches-East York and Constable Scott Stratton of the  OPP Highway Safety Division. Yesterday's epic rain dumped about a month's worth on Toronto in just a few hours. How prepared was the City of Toronto for the storm, what kind of service disruptions did we see, how many calls did emergency services respond to and how were residents and drivers impacted? Our guests react to the latest. HOW THE MAJOR TORONTO RAIN STORM IS IMPACTING RESIDENTS' INSURANCE Libby Znaimer is joined by Anne Marie Thomas, Director, Consumer & Industry Relations at the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). In the aftermath of the major rain storm from yesterday, some residents faced flooding and damage to their basements and vehicles. Our guest details what you should consider based on insurance coverage.

Most of us had a virtual health care appointment sometime during the pandemic. Those of us that didn't have almost certainly encountered virtual care of some form or another—whether that's a follow-up phone call from your doctor, or post-surgery instructions emailed to you.As we enter the post-pandemic era, there is a push in some quarters for more virtual care—it can improve access, speed things up and give people more control over their own care and medical records. But will it also simply create more visits, encourage unnecessary appointments and further burden an overtaxed system? There's a line we need to walk here—can we do it?GUEST: Dr. Tara Kiran, Fidani Chair in Improvement and Innovation at the University of Toronto; family doctor and scientist at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. Researcher for OurCare report on primary care We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemailOr @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

In this episode, join us for an in-depth conversation with Dr. Andrew Baker, as he reflects on his time as the incident Commander of the Ontario Critical Care COVID Command Centre, during the COVID pandemic. Dr. Baker offers a firsthand account of the establishment and operation of this crucial hub in the battle against the pandemic, highlighting the collaborative efforts of healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community leaders. Dr. Andrew Baker is the Chief of the Departments of Critical Care and of Anesthesia, and the Medical Director of the Surgery and Critical Care Program at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto. Tune in as we uncover the dedication, innovation, and resilience driving our collective response to this unprecedented crisis.

While a lot of the news around AI is doom and gloom, the potential for positive innovation in health care offers a hopeful perspective. Hosts Beth Coleman and Rahul Krishnan are joined by University of Toronto experts Christine Allen and Andrew Pinto to talk about the transformative power of AI in health care, from revolutionizing primary care to advancing drug development. About the hosts: Beth Coleman is an associate professor at U of T Mississauga's Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/iccit/) and the Faculty of Information. She is also a research lead on AI policy and praxis at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/). Coleman authored Reality Was Whatever Happened: Octavia Butler AI and Other Possible Worlds (https://k-verlag.org/books/beth-coleman-reality-was-whatever-happened/) using art and generative AI. Rahul Krishnan is an assistant professor in U of T's department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science (https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/) and department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine (https://temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/). He is a Canada CIFAR Chair at the Vector Institute, a faculty affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society and a faculty member at the Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM https://tcairem.utoronto.ca/). Guests Andrew Pinto is the founder and director of the Upstream Lab (https://upstreamlab.org/), a research team focused on addressing social determinants of health, population health management, and utilizing data science for proactive care. Pinto is a family physician at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and associate professor in the department of family and community medicine in U of T's Temerty Faculty of Medicine and at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Christine Allen is a professor in U of T's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. She is a member of the scientific leadership team of the Acceleration Consortium (https://acceleration.utoronto.ca/) at U of T. Allen is a co-founder and CEO of Intrepid Labs Inc. (https://intrepidlabs.tech/), a company that is accelerating pharmaceutical drug development through integration of AI, automation and advanced computing.

Episode overviewIn this episode, guests Andrea Tricco and Linda Wilhelm discuss the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Evidence Alliance, a pan-Canadian initiative designed to promote evidence-informed health policy and practice change. They describe the Alliance's key activities, including the process for healthcare decision and policy makers and patients and the public to submit research queries to the Alliance, explain different ways to get involved, and offer tips and resources for academic researchers and patients and care partners looking to engage/be engaged in research.Listen here or wherever you download your podcasts!Meet our guestsLinda Wilhelm was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1983 at the age of 23. After many years of unsuccessful treatments the disease was finally managed through the arrival of biologics. Linda is a founding member and current President of The Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA) and a patient partner with the SPOR Evidence Alliance and The Chronic Pain research networks.Dr. Andrea C. Tricco is a Scientist and Director of the Knowledge Synthesis Team in the Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation. Dr. Tricco is also the Nominated Principal Investigator of the SPOR Evidence Alliance funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The Alliance is a pan-Canadian initiative with the potential to improve patient care through national coordination of knowledge synthesis, knowledge translation, implementation and clinical practice guideline development. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit asperusual.substack.com

Recently officials in Belleville declared a state of emergency, after paramedics responded to 23 drug overdoses in a span of just two days. It's another deadly chapter in the ongoing opioid crisis in the province, and country. For insight, we welcome Jennifer Cormier, executive director of the John Howard Society of Belleville, and Dr. Carolyn Snider, emergency physician at Unity Health Toronto. Donate to TVO: http://tvo.org/giveSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: HEALTH AND THE HOLIDAYS It's time to talk about your health, and there are some holiday related issues we should be aware of. The latest numbers show that less than 15% of us have the updated Covid vaccine - this as we are gathering with friends and family in the midst of the viral soup of Covid, RSV and influenza - which is already clogging hospital emergency rooms. Also, there is an annual spike in heart attacks around the holidays. Why is that and what can you do to protect yourself? And what time are you having your Christmas feast? There's new work that tries to answer the question: is it bad to eat late at night? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto; Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; and  Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto to discuss. MIDDLE-EAST PROTESTS TARGETING MALLS AND A SPIKE IN ANTI-SEMITISM There was a very disturbing incident at the Eaton Centre last weekend when masked kaffiyeh wearing protesters stormed the shopping mall to protest an ad from the Spanish clothing chain Zara, wwhen a shopper took issue with that one of them uttered a death threat. It happened right in front of a police officer but nothing was done. This comes amid the spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes we have been reporting in our news. And they aren't just targeting Jews. Some pro-Palestinian protesters are calling on their supporters to...quote...Shut down Christmas. Libby is joined by Noah Shack, Vice President, Countering Antisemitism & Hate at UJA Federation Of Greater Toronto; and Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre to unpack all this. A LOOK AT PERSONAL FINANCES IN THE NEW YEAR Dropping mortgage rates and other interest rates are generally good news, but for Zoomers who are in saving mode, not so much. This is probably a good time to lock in some excellent GIC rates, and we may have to hurry before they fall. Libby Znaimer is joined by personal finance expert Barry Choi for a conversation about personal finances ahead of the New Year. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

THE MEDICAL RECORD: NURSES HAVE ADDITIONAL PRESCRIBING POWERS NOW 12-12:30 PM Marissa Lennox is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto, Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto. Ontario registered nurses will now be able to independently prescribe medications including birth control and topical antibiotics. It's all part of a strategy by the province for patients to get certain prescriptions faster. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA), however, believes that this is the wrong approach because it won't give patients “the comprehensive care that a primary care physician offers”. Do our panelists agree? Meanwhile, according to leaked documents that were made public by the Alberta NDP, the Alberta government under Premier Danielle Smith plans to make big changes to its healthcare system including dismantling its province wide healthcare provider and potentially selling off its continuing care facilities. But why? An official announcement by Alberta's government is expected to come out today on that.  And, a new study led by Canadian researchers shows us that one third of the world's population may be at high risk of smart phone addiction. So what are the negative health implications of that? And, finally, our panel reacts to a study about the connection between our sleeping habits and cardiovascular health. IT'S LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH 12:30-1 PM Marissa Lennox is now joined by Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, Legendary former Canadian hockey player who won five Olympic medals with Canada women's national ice hockey team. Hayley retired from hockey in 2017 and the IOC in 2022. She is currently serving as the Assistant General Manager of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs and is a practicing Family and Emergency medicine doctor. It's Lung Cancer Awareness Month. To mark the occasion, Dr. Wickenheiser has partnered with the Be the MVP – Change the Odds campaign aims to empower Canadians to take charge of their own health by increasing their awareness of lung cancer, including the related risk factors, signs and symptoms, and the importance of early detection. In this special one-on-one conversation with Marissa, Dr. Wickenheiser details what the campaign is all about, how meaningful of an experience it has been for Hayley to be a part of this wonderful initiative and  why early detection of lung cancer is so important. If you have questions or a personal lung cancer story that you want to share, call now and join the conversation.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: THE WIDESPREAD ISSUE OF CHRONIC PAIN 12-12:30 PM Liz West is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto. We begin the discussion with a closer look into the widespread issue of chronic pain. One in five Canadians suffer from it. So, how does Canada's healthcare system help patients find answers and treatments? Meanwhile, is adult ADHD being overdiagnosed in this country? And, what is even involved in the process of diagnosing a patient with ADHD? Finally, it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our medical experts explain what adult women should consider on this aspect of health and the importance of regular screening. THE LATEST ON CANADA-INDIA RELATIONS: INDIA WANTS CANADIAN DIPLOMATS OUT 12:30-12:45 PM Liz West is now joined by Robin Sears, a Crisis Communications Consultant and former NDP Strategist. The relationship between Ottawa and New Delhi remains soured. Now, India wants as many as 40 Canadian diplomats out by October 10th. Meanwhile, foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly is stressing the importance of having diplomatic talks between the two countries behind closed doors. Tensions arose after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced to the House of Commons that he received credible evidence from intelligence that India was behind the murder of a Sikh leader in BC earlier in the Summer. Robin reacts to the latest. WHAT'S BEHIND THE CRTC'S NEW RULES? 12:45-1 PM Liz West is now joined by Carmi Levy, Technology analyst and journalist based in London, Ontario. Canada's broadcast regulator wants podcast services and online streaming services that operate in Canada, and that make $10 million and more in yearly revenue, to register with the CRTC by the Nov 28 deadline. This is happening as part of Bill C-11--the Online Streaming Act. Carmi reacts to the latest.

Dr. Mamdani is a professor, pharmacist, and epidemiologist. He is the Vice President of Data Science and Advanced Analytics at Unity Health Toronto and Director of the University of Toronto Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM). Dr. Mamdani's team bridges advanced analytics including machine learning with clinical and management decision making to improve patient outcomes and hospital efficiency. Dr. Mamdani is also Professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. He is also a Faculty Affiliate of the Vector Institute. He has published over 500 studies in peer-reviewed journals. Host: Raeesa Kabir  Audio Producer: Melanie Bussan Video Editor + Art: Saurin Kantesaria Instagram: saorange314 Social Media: Nikhil Kapur Time Stamps: 0:00 Dr. Mamdani's Background and Career Path 9:30 Where current data driven medicine strategies fall short and how AI can step in 17:00 How Dr. Mamdani's work in AI and machine learning began 22:00 Applied Health Research Center and the Ontario Policy Research Network 28:45 The impact of utilizing machine learning and AI at the level of patient care - Chart Watch 35:50 Logistics of Developing and Implementing AI solutions 39:10 Insights Gained - From Purpose to Implementation 43:30 Directing Multiple Projects - Recruitment of AI Team  47:45 Future Projects: Back to AI Basics  54:15 Future of AI in Medicine - Fostering trust in AI 57:20 Advice to Younger Self --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maml-podcast/support

THE MEDICAL RECORD: THE IMPACT OF QUITTING SMOKING ON YOUR OVERALL SURVIVAL 12-12:30 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto, Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto. We begin with a study published in Lancet that indicates that quitting smoking can help your survival even if you get diagnosed with lung cancer. The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre lead the study. Meanwhile, research in the U.S. shows that multiple emerging risk factors for heart disease in women must be looked at in order to make early diagnoses and treatment happen. Risk factors include pregnancy complications, depression, breast cancer among others that will be discussed on today's show. And, our panel discusses the latest ways in which AI are proving useful in the healthcare system. NATION WIDE PROTESTS OVER SCHOOL GENDER POLICIES: WHEN DID THIS ALL BEGIN? 12:30-12:50 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by Tasha Kheiriddin, A Canadian public affairs commentator, and Julia Malott, a transgender individual from Toronto who is concerned about the increasing divisiveness around gender identity and ideology in Canada. Nation wide protests from organizations supported by groups like Hands Off My Kids and Parents Rights Coalition of Canada are taking place today with messages like #1MillionMarch4Canada circulating widely on social media. They are demonstrating against the gender policies at schools and, here in Toronto, they are organizing at Queens Park to voice their concerns. But, one of the questions we have is: when did this all become front and centre of the culture wars? UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY TO VISIT CANADA 12:50-1 PM Libby Znaimer is now joined by Maria Popova, Associate Professor of Political Science and Jean Monnet Chair at McGill University. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be visiting both Ottawa and Toronto starting on Friday. He has been in New York this week addressing the United Nations over Russia's war against his country and to rally support. This will be his first visit to Canada since the war broke out in February of 2022. Dr. Popova explains the significance of his visit.

MEDICAL RECORD Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto; Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; and Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto to discuss England poised to rollout a world-first seven-minute cancer treatment injection; food insecurity among Canadian school-age children jumping by nearly 30%; and more. GLOBAL AFFAIRS CANADA ISSUES LGBTQ+ TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR THE U.S. Global Affairs Canada has updated its international travel advisories to warn members of the LGBTQ+ community that they may face discrimination if they travel to some places in the United States. Libby Znaimer is joined by Helen Kennedy, Executive Director at LGBTQ+ advocacy group Egale; Douglas Elliott, Partner at Cambridge LLP; and Curran Stikuts, Director of Advocacy and Strategic Communications at The 519 to discuss. SUPER BLUE MOON TONIGHT It's an astronomical event we won't see the likes of again until 2037. Tonight we will be treated to a super blue moon - the unification of a supermoon and a Blue Moon. But it won't really appear blue. Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Isaac Smith, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Planetary Science at Lassonde School of Engineering at York University and a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in the United States to explain. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre,  Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and former head of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Board, and Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto The British Medical Journal has published a report detailing why Canada should conduct a wide-scale review of its response to COVID-19 and it gave five key arguments including that doing so would provide accountability for the losses the country faced including the more than 50,000 deaths from COVID-19. ---- OTTAWA'S CABINET SHUFFLE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council to National Public Relations. The Trudeau Liberals underwent a major cabinet shuffle in Ottawa today. So, who was dropped, moved around and who will not be seeking re-election? ---- CAA INSURANCE SURVEY ON ONTARIANS CONCERNS REGARDING AUTO THEFT Libby Znaimer is now joined by Elliot Silverstein, Director, Government Relations, CAA Insurance. A survey by CAA Insurance Company details Ontarians' growing concerns about auto theft. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist, Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto. Experts in the field of Alzheimer's have introduced a seven point rating scale for doctors to use when diagnosing patients with the brain disease. The numerical scale is proposed guidance that was unveiled at the Alzheimer's Association conference in Amsterdam and is similar to the system used for cancer diagnoses. Speaking of Cancer, the Canadian Cancer Society has introduced a new strategy to collect data on Cancer in Canada. This strategy aims to better inform healthcare policies targeted to cancer patients across Canada. Our medical experts weigh in on the latest. OTTAWA TARGETS TECH EXPERTS THROUGH IMMIGRATION PROGRAM Libby Znaimer is joined by Guidy Mamann, a Toronto immigration lawyer and Partner at Mamman, Sandaluk & Kingwell LLP Immigration Lawyers and Jack Kim, A corporate immigration lawyer at Fragomen's Toronto office. Ottawa did a soft launch offering Canadian open work permits to highly skilled professionals in the IT field who already employed on H1-B specialty visas in the U.S. The program lasted less than 48 hours and met the cap of 10,000 applicants. Our immigration lawyers weigh in on how these open work permits will work, and what benefit the government hopes it will have for Canada. ---- CANADIANS ARE ALTERING THEIR TRAVEL PLANS DUE TO INFLATION, AIRLINE DELAYS  Libby Znaimer is joined by Doug Wallace,  Editor & Publisher TRAVELRIGHT.TODAY and  Natalie Preddie, Travel Expert and Travel Freelance Writer. According to a new Leger Survey from July that included 1,526 Canadians, a third of us are cancelling or altering our travel plans in response to high inflation and airline delays. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Liz West is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto, Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Dr. Sohail Gandhi, a family physician and former president of the Ontario Medical Association. Today: we kick things off with a discussion about Tick season. According to Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore, there is an increase in cases of three types of tick borne illnesses in the province in addition to Lyme disease. So, what are the factors contributing to this increase (hint: climate change is a big one)? And, Dr. Razak recently published a piece in The Globe and Mail about why Canada needs a serious long COVID-19 strategy. Do you or someone you know suffer from the symptoms of long COVID? If so, we would love for you to share your story about it. ---- NEARLY 2,000 AIR CANADA FLIGHTS DELAYED OR CANCELLED OVER LONG WEEKEND  Liz West is joined by Dr. Gabor Lukacs, President and Founder of Air Passenger Rights and John Gradek, a faculty lecturer at McGill University's Aviation Management Program and a former executive with Air Canada. Air Canada cancelled or delayed almost 2,000 flights during Canada Day long weekend. How did this happen and what rights do we have as air passengers? ---- WEDDING SEASON IS UPON US: WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? Liz West is joined by Jessica Lisi, Owner of Jessica Lisi Events. Wedding season is upon us and it appears that more and more couples attending wedding ceremonies are dropping traditional dress codes and changing things up in other ways. Jessica weighs in! Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto , Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Dr. Nadia Alam, A family doctor and anesthetist in Georgetown Ontario and a former president of the Ontario Medical Association. Today: We kick things off with a discussion of the poor air quality we are experiencing because of the wildfires. And, a new mental health study reveals that roughly half a million Canadian employees miss work on a weekly basis due to poor mental health. ---- COMPETITION BUREAU'S FINDINGS ON GROCERY RETAILERS Libby Znaimer is joined by Gary Sands, Senior Vice President of Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers and Ellen Roseman, a consumer advocate. We recap the Competition Bureau's report on grocery retailer competition in Canada. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

THE MEDICAL RECORD: A NEW URGENT CARE CLINIC IN MINDEN Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto, Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Dr. Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto. We kick things off with a discussion about the news that the Ford government will fund an urgent care clinic in Minden but it won't have any doctors. Starting on June 30, it is expected to be open on weekends and staffed by nurse practitioners and nurses according to health care minister Sylvia Jones. And, we continue the discussion on Ozempic. The maker of the obesity drug just announced lawsuits against clinics selling copycat versions of the drug. THE LATEST ON THE HIGHWAY 401 CRASH THAT LEFT TWO PEOPLE DEAD Libby Znaimer is joined by Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the OPP Highway Safety Division. A segment of the 401 highway in Pickering is closed after a major crash left two people dead at least.It involved two transport trucks and a passenger vehicle that resulted in an explosion during the collision. Sgt. Schmidt has the latest. ANTHONY FUREY GIVES HIS LAST PITCH BEFORE ELECTION NIGHT Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto mayoral candidate Anthony Furey. Anthony joins to give our listeners his final pitch before election night on June 26. Today, candidate Rob Davis--who used to serve as a Toronto City councillor--dropped out to endorse him. Furey started the race as an outsider and has succeeded in polling high enough to get invites to some key debates in the City including here at Zoomer Radio.

Liz West is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Malcolm Moore, medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the former head of the BC Cancer Agency, as well as Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto. We begin the discussion today about the B.C. government's decision to send over as many as 4,800 cancer patients for radiation treatment to the U.S. over the next two years and it will be fully funded by the province (which will cost aprox. three times more than what it would cost in our healthcare system). Next, we get into the very important discussion on nutrition and the need to ensure that Seniors in the healthcare system get access to healthy, nutritional food programs.  ---- DAVID JOHNSTON CONCLUDES: NO PUBLIC INQUIRY NEEDED INTO ALLEGED FOREIGN INTERFERENCE Liz West is now joined by Robin Sears, a former NDP strategist and crisis communications advisor and Andrew House, Partner and Co-Leader in National Security at Fasken. Today: we recap the independent special rapporteur David Johnston's findings into his investigation over alleged foreign interference by China in our political system and his decision not to call for a public inquiry and instead recommended that public hearings be held for Canadians.  ---- CANADIANS AND HOUSEHOLD DEBT Liz West is now joined by David Macdonald, Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Today: Canadian homeowners are facing a mounting debt, more so than any other G7 country and owe more money than the entire country's economy. Our guest weighs in on the story.  Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station clinic in Toronto.  This week:  We kick things off by taking a closer look at a study that recommends hormone replacement therapy as the first treatment offered to women under the age of 60 who experience menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and other challenges. We then take a deep dive into the negative health impacts of the processed foods (also known as ultraprocessed foods or UPFs) that are so prevalent in many of our diets.Finally, the WHO is recommending that we avoid consumption of non-sugar sweeteners in our efforts to lose weight. The panel has the latest.  ---- OTTAWA PROPOSES STRONGER BAIL REFORM LEGISLATION  Marissa Lennox is now joined by Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer, Ari Goldkind. Ottawa has proposed bail reform legislation this week that would make it harder for individuals accused of certain crimes to be granted bail. Ari weighs in on the latest news and whether it goes far enough in addressing the problem.  ---- TORONTO CONSTRUCTION IS ABOUT TO GET A WHOLE LOT WORSE  Marissa Lennox is now joined by Councillor James Pasternak, for Ward 6 York Centre and the Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee.  Councillor Pasternak joined Dep. Mayor Jennifer McKelvie this week to announce the commencement of major construction projects in Toronto that will total at least $1.14 billion.  Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, a  General Internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and the founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto, and Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. This week: The U.S. Surgeon General has declared loneliness as the new public health epidemic. A report from his office indicated that it increases premature death by almost 30 percent, increases risk of stroke and heart disease and is as deadly as smoking as many as 15 cigarettes a day. So, how did we get to this point? And, how severely does loneliness impact older adults specifically? ---- KING CHARLES' CORONATION: WHAT TO EXPECT  Libby Znaimer is joined by Suzanne Boyd, Editor-in-chief and Publisher of Zoomer Magazine/everythingzoomer.com . Will you be up early on Saturday morning to witness King Charles' Coronation ceremony? Suzanne weighs in on what we might expect to see on the milestone day for the King and she weighs in on The Archbishop of Canterbury calling on Brits and those living in places where he is the head of state to swear allegiance which not everyone is happy about. ---- CONSERVATIVE MP CHONG AND HIS FAMILY TARGETED BY CHINA: CSIS   Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Stephanie Carvin, Assistant Professor of International Affairs, Carleton University, and an expert on national security issues. The director of CSIS has informed Conservative MP Michael Chong that he and his family were targetted by Chinese foreign interference after he sponsored a motion in Parliament condemning Beijing's treatment of Uyghurs. Dr. Carvin weighs in on the latest story and discusses the national security implications of foreign interference in our political system. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, a  General Internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and the founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto, and Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. This week: we start things off by discussing some good news-the survival rate for pancreatic cancer is increasing according to The American Cancer Society. The 5-year survival rate for this type of cancer went up by one per cent and is now at 12 per cent. This is good news considering that this particular type of cancer has a very low survival rate. Libby has been open about her battle with it in the past and about her successful recovery. ---- OLIVIA CHOW IS RUNNING TO BE MAYOR OF TORONTO Libby is now joined by Olivia Chow who is running to be the next mayor of Toronto. She is part of a roster of at least 50 other candidates vying for the City's top job. She talks about her specific vision for the City and how she would approach the increased violence on TTC and in our streets and the deterioration of city services and spaces. ---- APPARENTLY KING CHARLES' CORONATION QUICHE IS GROSS Libby is now joined by Joshua Chong, a staff reporter for the Toronto Star. One of the items on King Charles' Coronation menu is a quiche. Joshua decided to make the quiche himself (following the publicized recipe) and...sadly...it was yuck! He tells Libby all about it. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

THE MEDICAL RECORD: CANADA'S DRUG CRISIS Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, a General Internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and the founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto, and Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. This week: we shed light on the scope of the drug crisis here in Canada with over 30,000 individuals losing their lives to drug overdoses in the past 7 years. Earlier this year, we learned that Toronto Public Health is partnering with Unity Health Toronto and University Health Network hospitals to implement additional supervised injection sites. But, is this the right approach that our healthcare system should be taking to address the drug crisis among its other strategies? Meanwhile, Sunnybrook and Michael Garron Hospitals will be helping to tackle the surgery backlog by performing hip or knee replacement operations over weekends. The plan is to do as many as 1,300 over he next year by doing those surgeries on Saturdays and Sundays. And, tick season is upon us with the arrival of Spring and these pests pose the very real threat of Lyme's disease. Our health experts weigh in on the latest. PUBLIC SERVICE WORKER STRIKE KICKS IN TODAY Marissa Lennox is now joined by Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The Public Service Alliance of Canada's strike has officially started as of 12:01 am today. As many as 155,000 are off the job after the union and Ottawa failed to reach a tentative agreement on Tuesday evening. A part of those striking are employees at the CRA. Franco weighs in on why he feels PSAC is out of touch and how their demands for a pay raise, if fulfilled, would cost taxpayers $9.3 billion. TORONTO ENDS BACKYARD CHICKEN FARMING PILOT PROGRAM OVER CONCERNS OF AVIAN FLU Marissa Lennox is now joined by Dr. Tim Sly, an epidemiologist at Toronto Metropolitan University and Sarah Doucette a former city councillor and a three-year participant in the pilot program of backyard chicken farming. The City of Toronto is ending its backyard chicken farming pilot project over concerns of the threat of the Avian flu. We bring in our epidemiologist to weigh in on just how serious of a threat the disease actually is to humans. And, we ask our listeners: have you benefitted from this program? Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, a  General Internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and the founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto, and Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. This week, Libby and guests discuss a study that details a new gene connected to hereditary breast cancer susceptibility. Meanwhile, the province of B.C. wants to limit the sale of the Ozempic drug to non-Canadians as demand for the Obesity drug grows. Then we react to both the provincial and federal budgets that came out this week. We also learned that the province struck a deal with Optometrists. ----- MARK SAUNDERS IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR Libby Znaimer is now joined by Mark Saunders, former Toronto Police Chief who is now officially running to be Mayor of Toronto. Mark is joining a crowded pool of candidates running for the City's top political job. Will his high-profile as a former police chief help him stand out from the rest? He says that he wants to restore a sense of community safety to our city as it deals with an increase in violence on the TTC and in our streets. Will he also work well with the higher levels of government to get much needed cash for the budget?   Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Common diagnostic health tests have long been interpreted differently for Black patients — a practice called "race correction," which has systematically denied access to timely and sometimes life-saving care. Matt Galloway talks to LLana James, co-chair of the Canada-US Coalition to End Race Correction in Healthcare; and Dr. Nav Persaud, the Canada Research Chair in Health Justice at St. Michael's Hospital in Unity Health Toronto.

Bob Komsic is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. He is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto. The province of Nova Scotia is offering its nurses a bonus of $10,000 in an effort to retain them in the public health system. The only condition is that they commit to a two year "return of service" agreement by the end March 2024.  Should Ontario's government follow the same strategy? Meanwhile, patients in Ontario have to now either pay out of pocket for virtual care as the province makes changes to its funding model and slashes virtual care from that funding. This will impact things like consultations, prescriptions and lab work referrals. And, the City of Brampton has notified the public through a press release that there have been cases of bird deaths due to avian flu. How concerned should the general public be about this? Our panel has the latest. ---- NEXUS IS COMING BACK Bob Komsic is now joined by John Gradek,  a faculty lecturer at McGill University in Montreal and a former executive with Air Canada. Good news for travelers to the U.S.: NEXUS enrollment offices are reopening at our airports this Spring. Travel restrictions were imposed on us three years ago as of March 2023. So, do you welcome this news? And, are you planning on making the line for your own Nexus card? John Gradek reacts to the latest. ---- PM TRUDEAU'S CHIEF OF STAFF TO TESTIFY Bob Komsic is now joined by Bob Richardson, Liberal Strategist and Senior Council to National Public Relations. Katie Telford, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Chief of Staff, will in fact be testifying over allegations of Chinese interference in our political system. So, what can we expect from her testimony? And, before this, Trudeau announced former governor general David Johnston to oversee a probe into the allegations and said he'd agree to whatever decision Johnston makes about whether or not a public inquiry should be launched. Bob reacts to the latest. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto. A new study in JAMA Network Open reveals how a majority of older Cancer patients received invasive care in the last month of their lives and that it is not something they may have wanted. Our panel discusses the study findings and other topics. ---- BRAD BRADFORD JOINS FIGHT BACK Libby Znaimer is joined by Brad Bradford, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 19 Beaches-East York. He tells Libby about setting up an advisory committee and whether he's any closer to officially declaring that he will put his hat in the Toronto mayoral race. He also details his thoughts on the City's 2023 budget and his thoughts on the Toronto Police ending their additional patrols on the TTC. ---- BMO BUYING AIR MILES: WILL IT SAVE THE REWARDS PROGRAM? Libby Znaimer is joined by Barry Choi, a personal finance expert and Patrick Sojka, Founder of Rewards Canada. The Bank of Montreal is set to buy the problem-ridden Air Miles reward program, which has been faced with bankruptcy. The deal will go down after court approval and regulatory approval. Our guests weigh in on what it might take from BMO to give Air Miles a comeback. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto.  This upcoming Saturday will be the three year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our panel reflects on how far we've come. Meanwhile, a new report by the province's patient ombudsman reveals that many patient complaints are driven by inadequate staffing at long-term care homes and hospitals.  Also, as we reported earlier this week, NACI is recommending that Canadians who have a high risk of serious illness should get their bivalent COVID-19 booster shot in the Spring. Finally, numerous NDP MPPS are calling on the Ford government to give clarification on a partnership that an Ottawa hospital has with a private corporation that is leasing their operating and recovering rooms on Saturdays. Our panel has the latest.  ---- INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY  Jane Brown is joined by Canadian Senator Salma Ataullahjan, and Ontario NDP MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam for Toronto Centre.  It's International Womens Day today and to mark the occasion we have invited two Canadian women leaders we feel have done a great job of advocating for our more diverse communities. They share their respective stories and talk about how we can make Canada a more inclusive place for all including religious minorities and the LGBTQ+  ---- INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CONTINUED  Jane Brown is now joined by Oksana Kishchuk, Director, Strategy & Insights at Abacus Data.  Oksana shares insights into a new study all about International Womens Day. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto. This morning, Ottawa will be making an announcement about national standards for long-term care. Meanwhile, the FBI is making the case that COVID-19 was most likely leaked from a lab in China. And, it's  Shingles Awareness Week. Our medical experts discuss what you need to know about the virus and how to better protect yourself. ---- TORONTO MAYORAL CANDIDATE ROB DAVIS Libby Znaimer is joined by Rob Davis, a former City councillor who has announced he is going to join the race for Mayor of Toronto. Libby asks Rob about how he sees the City has changed since his time as a City councillor and whether he is up to the challenge of fixing the many problems that Toronto is currently suffering from--mainly that basic city services aren't functioning well or at all these days, increased violence on the TTC and homelessness and deteriorating infrastructure. ---- OTTAWA'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON STANDARDS FOR LTC  Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals in Toronto This morning, Ottawa is making an announcement about national standards for long-term care. Dr. Sinha weighs in. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto. This week: We start things off by discussing the increased spread of Norovirus since the pandemic and also a report by Toronto Public Health that shows that during the pandemic, mental illness, opioid overdoses and food and shelter insecurity have all worsened. ---- FRANCOIS LEGAULT'S TAKE ON TRUDEAU'S HANDLING OF THE BORDER  Libby Znaimer is joined by Daniel Béland, James McGill Professor; Director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC), and Dr. Jennifer Elrick, Associate Professor of Sociology at McGill University who specializes in immigration policymaking and implementation. This week: Quebec Premier François Legault wrote an article in the English national newspaper The Globe and Mail in which he called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to enforce Canada's border and deal with Asylum seekers in a better way and make that a priority Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

There is an innovative tool that supports newcomer nurses in the field.  In this episode of SONSIEL, Joey Lee and Zayn Khamis talk about Netaverse, a solution they developed at the NurseHack4Health Hackathon, and explain the business model they've sketched out for it. They also speak of what it means to be an innovator in healthcare and encourage anyone interested in joining them at Netaverse to reach out. Listen to this episode and learn more about healthcare innovations and Netaverse!  Click this link to the show notes, transcript, and resources: outcomesrocket.health

THE MEDICAL RECORD: OTTAWA STRIKES A HEALTHCARE FUNDING DEAL WITH PROVINCES Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto. This week: Ottawa has made a healthcare deal with the provinces. The feds will provide provinces $196.1  Billion over the next ten years with 46.2 Billion in new funding. $1.7 Billion over the next five years will go towards supporting hourly wage increases for PSWs among other promises. Libby and our medical panel discuss the implications such a funding deal could have on our healthcare system and where the money is needed most! WHY ARE WE PAYING SUCH HIGH NATURAL GAS BILLS? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Warren Mabee,  Director of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen's University and Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Energy. Have you noticed your natural gas bills go way up? Residents in the GTA have seen the rates double over the past two years from 10 cents per cubic meter to 23 cents per cubic metre. Why is this happening? The Ontario Energy Board regulates the industry and they approve the prices set by the gas companies. So, what can they do to alleviate the problem? THE FAO BUDGET PROJECTIONS REPORT Libby Znaimer is now joined by Peter Weltman, Ontario's Financial Accountability Officer. Peter has published a report providing projections for Ontario's fiscal position from 2022-23 to 2026-27 period. He joins the show to provide the details.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a medical oncologist  at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist and epidemiologist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family physician and founder and medical director of The Medical Station in Toronto.  Today: World Cancer Day is coming up on Saturday. Meanwhile, Toronto's request for the decriminalization of personal possession drugs is still being reviewed by Health Canada, while BC is rolling out a three-year pilot program that will allow for possession of small amounts of certain types of drugs.  ---- CANADIAN YAZIDIS AGAINST REPATRIATION OF ISIS DETAINEES  Libby Znaimer is now joined by Jamileh Naso, President of the Canadian Yazidi Association.  Canadian Yazidis do not want ISIS-affiliated detainees to be repatriated to Canada. In January, Ottawa agreed to repatriate as many as 19 Canadian women and children from Syria where they were being detained in Kurdish camps. According to Jamileh, Ottawa's decision to repatriate has left her community members feeling "heartbroken and betrayed". The Yazidis originate from an ancient Kurdish-speaking farming community in Northern Iraq--a community that was viscously attacked by fighters of the Islamic State. Jamileh weighs in on the latest.     ---- THE FUTURE OF TORONTO'S CAFETO PROGRAM Libby Znaimer is now joined by Toronto City Councillor Paula Fletcher (for Ward 14 Toronto—Danforth), and Robert CheeOwner and operator of AVIV immigrant kitchen restaurant located at 779St Clair west and Chair of the Hilcrest BIA.  Today: a discussion about the future of Toronto's CafeTO program.  Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Dr. Sanjeev Arora developed project ECHO (extending community health outcomes) in New Mexico to help the generalist to pick up the skills to treat Hepatitis C. This modal has spread throughout the world with over 100 plus echos throughout the world covering many topics. In Canada, CAMH has been a leader in developing and spreading the model as it relates to mental health. Addiction psychiatrist Dr. Wiplove (Wip) Lamba, addictions case manager and former addict Jean-Paul (JP) Michael were both a part of the CAMH echo for years and Wip still is. Here is a brief video explaining project ECHO https://youtu.be/Faz3O1clDMU And a longer one: https://youtu.be/lY5nlJxac0g The big paper in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21631316/ Here is a presentation with Wip where they discuss the ECHO at CAMH: http://www.shared-care.ca/files/C07_Chopra_PPT.pdf A video short: https://youtu.be/5cj5ocTccb4 And here is general web page for the CAMH echo: https://camh.echoontario.ca/program-ampi/ And here is where you can find out how to register: https://camh.echoontario.ca/faqs/ This session is to really showcase what it was like to have someone with lived experience involved in the program design, development and implementation of a high quality educational experience. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro - what makes ECHO great 0:30 Overview of session 2:20 What is ECHO and how was it developped? 5:30 ECHO comes to Ontario, ECHO AMPI starts with a peer on the HUB 7:30 what is the structure of ECHO 9:07 why we are doing this session - peer involvement 10:16 What was it like to go from someone who used drugs to working on an addiction consult service? 14:50 What was it like to join the ECHO AMPI expert hub? 20:28 What was it like to become the host of our Sessions? 26:00 How did you find your voice as an advocate on the planning committee? 30:24 what is it like to share your story as a part of an education module 34:30 how to embed teaching points into stories 39:22 thank you CAMH and ECHO Jean-Paul Michael would like to thank Nicole Kirwan, Sanjeev Sockalingam, Maurey Nadarajah, Nitin Chopra, Wiplove Lamba, Unity Health Toronto and CAMH for providing me the once in a lifetime opportunity to facilitate ECHO AMPI. Featuring addiction psychiatrist Dr. Wiplove (Wip) Lamba, addictions case manager and former addict Jean-Paul (JP) Michael, along with their guests discuss all things related to substance use, addiction, addiction medicine, psychotherapy, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. Wip and JP share their motivation, curiosity, and passion for their craft. JP works on a daily basis in a renown inner city hospital in Canada's largest city. This work is separate from Wiplove's clinical and academic work. The content should not be taken as direct medical advice or clinical instruction. #Addiction #Psychotherapy #Caseworker #Healthcare provider #Healthcare provider education #captainhooked #Psychiatry #addiction medicine #hospital based addiction care, #Nicole Kirwan, $Sanjeev Sockalingam #Maurey Nadarajah #Nitin Chopra #Wiplove Lamba, #Unity Health Toronto, #CAMH #ECHO AMPI

TUNE IN TO THE TOWN It's time to Tune In To The Town on Fight Back, and there's a lot to unpack! Toronto councillors have voted to approve Mayor John Tory's request for a report back on his 2023 housing action plan; amid this…Tory is dismissing concerns over his extraordinary new powers as mere “political theatre” of no interest to regular Torontonians. All this, as Toronto residents brace for a looming vacancy tax…AND a wintery walloping. Jane Brown is joined by Karen Stintz, CEO at Variety Village; David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto; and Lauren O'Neil, Senior News Editor of BlogTO to dig into these issues. DELAYS IN ONTARIO'S PAP TEST RESULTS Jane Brown is joined by Dr. Yolanda Kirkham, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and obstetrician gynecologist at Unity Health Toronto to discuss the concerning delay in pap test results in the province of Ontario. DRIVING IN THE FIRST WINTER WALLOPING Environment Canada says “Batten down the hatches!”...with warnings and advisories in effect across the GTA for freezing rain and significant snow on the way. Jane Brown is joined by Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the OPP Highway Safety Division to talk road safety amid the potential wintery walloping we're in for. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Medical technologies, such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, are shifting how physicians make decisions and treat their patients in real time, whether in a specialist's clinic or an emergency department. Yet, their potential is far from fully realized. In the second episode of this two-part podcast, four physicians – Dr. Chandi Chandrasena, family physician in Ottawa and chief medical officer at OntarioMD; Dr. Amol Verma, physician of general internal medicine at St. Michael's Hospital and co-lead for Gemini (hospital data and analytics study); Dr. Teodor Grantcharov, professor of surgery at the University of Toronto and Keenan chair at St. Michael's Hospital; and Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, vice president of data science and advanced analytics at Unity Health Toronto – discuss where resistance to, and challenges in, adopting these technologies reside and the steps that must be taken to break these down.

Ontario physicians are amid a digital transformation, adopting increasingly sophisticated technologies that help better serve patients and simplify day-to-day operations across health-care settings. In the first episode of this two-part podcast, four physicians – Dr. Chandi Chandrasena, family physician in Ottawa and chief medical officer at OntarioMD; Dr. Amol Verma, physician of general internal medicine at St. Michael's Hospital and co-lead for Gemini (hospital data and analytics study); Dr. Teodor Grantcharov, professor of surgery at the University of Toronto and keenan chair at St. Michael's Hospital; and Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, vice president of data science and advanced analytics at Unity Health Toronto – discuss the development and use of medical technology within Ontario's health-care system. From electronic health records, wearables and medical apps to artificial intelligence tools and data analytics and standardization, these diverse tools are changing how we manage, monitor and evolve our health-care system.

Dr. Tara Kiran, a Family Physician with Unity Health Toronto, helped pen a final report from the Ontario Science Table.

Dr. Petrosoniak is an emergency physician and trauma team leader at St. Michael's Hospital. He's the inaugural lead for translational simulation at Unity Health Toronto. He's an assistant professor at the University of Toronto where his research work focuses on 1) using in situ simulation to improve systems and design and 2) optimizing the care of bleeding patients. He's also co-principal of Advanced Performance Healthcare Design, a design and consulting firm that uses simulation to inform enhance high stakes decision making.

In the launch of our third season, JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO and Dr. Naheed Dosani, Palliative Care Physician and Health Justice Activist, discuss the current crisis facing public healthcare in Ontario and the alarming turn toward the privatization of our healthcare systems by those prioritizing profit over patients. In speaking to the ways in which the healthcare crisis is both the result and rationale for erosion and greater privatization, JP Hornick says: “...you've got a kind of perfect storm that COVID maximized a crisis that was already existing. Decreased funding, unanticipated service costs, then you throw in on top of that supply-chain issues, particularly around PPE, but also, tools and resources. And then you've got an ongoing problem with recruitment and retention of staff. These are the new realities that hospitals have to tackle at the same time, trying to care for patients. And they're not allowed to carry deficits. So in the absence of additional funding, it means that the choices that hospitals regularly resort to are service cuts in order to try and balance budgets.But all this comes back to a very simple thing. It is a failure to adequately fund healthcare, both before and during the pandemic. And then the deterioration of the public system that results is used as an excuse in itself for increased privatization.” According to Dosani: “...often conversations like this can get tucked away in the category of health policy. This is about much more. This is about our way of life. This is about our way of being. This is really an attack on the common good that is so core and foundational to what it means to be Canadian…Public healthcare is a national treasure that makes us unique on the world stage. That really allows us to say to each other, I care about you. And I care about you so much that I will pay into a collective pool with you to care for you. Even if I don't get sick, I care for you. And that doesn't just emanate in the healthcare world and the healthcare sphere that affects the way we treat each other. We care for each other. We communicate with each other…And that is worth saving. That is worth protecting.” About today's guest:  Prior to being elected president of OPSEU/SEFPO (Ontario Public Service Employees Union), JP Hornick was chief steward for more than a decade within the College Faculty Division, representing instructors at Ontario's 24 public colleges. She chaired the College Faculty bargaining teams in 2017 and 2021-22.  JP grew up in a family of public service workers – educators, correctional workers and many more. She is a labour educator and previously served as the coordinator of the School of Labour at George Brown College. She has served as chair, treasurer and director on several community boards and has been on the front lines of activism to advance issues of equity, women's rights, LGBTTIQQ2S rights, anti-racism and decolonization.   JP was elected OPSEU/SEFPO President in April 2022 on a platform that includes strengthening union democracy, building bargaining power, ensuring financial responsibility, fostering an inclusive union culture, and deepening connections to the labour movement and community.  As a palliative care physician and health justice activist, Dr. Naheed Dosani is dedicated to advancing equitable access to healthcare for people experiencing structural vulnerabilities like poverty and homelessness. He founded the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) Program at the Inner City Health Associates, serves as the Health Equity Lead at Kensington Health in downtown Toronto and provides palliative care at St. Michael's Hospital at Unity Health Toronto. He is also an assistant professor with the department of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto.  Dr. Dosani is the recipient of numerous awards including the Meritorious Service Cross for Humanitarianism from Canada's Governor General (2018), a humanitarian award from the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians (2019) and the Early Career Leader award from the Canadian Medical Association (2020). In 2022 he received an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Laws) from Ontario Tech University. Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute.  Image: JP Hornick and Naheed Dosani / Used with permission. Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased.  Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Kenneth Okoro, Liz Campos Rico, Tsz Wing Chau.  Courage My Friends Podcast Organizing Committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu.  Produced by: Resh Budhu, Tommy Douglas Institute and Breanne Doyle, rabble.ca.  Host: Resh Budhu. 

In this episode, Dr. Cheng shares a profound perspective on how we can become further aware of biases in our daily practices. She discusses the importance of the Med Ed Pledge (www.theMedEdPledge.com), and how to activate change. Dr. Cheng is an Endocrinologist at Trillium Health Partners and Unity Health Toronto and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. She has been involved with the development of the Diabetes Canada clinical practice guidelines since 2003 and served as Chair for the 2013 version. Currently, she is an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Diabetes and immediate Past-Chair of the Professional Section of Diabetes Canada. In recognition of her contribution, she has received the national Charles H. Best Award and the Gerald S. Wong Service Award from Diabetes Canada.

• Ann Rohmer speaks with Laurie Campbell, Director of Client Financial Wellness at Bromwich + Smith; Bank of Canada's aggressive rate hike of a full percentage point; fallout? Survival tips • Kevin Frankish looks into productivity trends since the shift to remote work with Robert Hosking from the ROBERT HALF GROUP, including specific times of day productivity increases and the days of the week employees get more done. • Ann Rohmer discusses the emergency room crisis with Dr. David Carr - Associate Professor in the Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto and his take on Ontario's ER crisis and staffing shortage. • Jim Lang is with Dr. Sameer Masood, who is University Health Network's Director of ED Quality, Safety and Innovation. This story is about the recent launch of Toronto's Virtual Emergency Department (ED), an innovative collaboration between University Health Network (UHN), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Unity Health Toronto. The collaboration between the three networks is meant to expand access to virtual ED care for urgent, but non-life-threatening health concerns. Tina Cortese looks at the results of a new survey by cybersecurity company NordVPN. Canadians spend more than 49 hours a week online, which is the equivalent of more than 2 days. This amounts to a little over 104 days a year, or around 22 years of a lifetime. Canadians love streaming TV shows and films. Just two hours less – 6 hours and 22 minutes – are spent scrolling through social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Tedi Brash and Melissa Yan are based in Toronto, Canada. They, along with Rashmi Bhide, are authors of the terrific how-to resource, “A Guide to Developing Live Virtual Group Patient Education: Nine Steps to Success.”   Brash is a Patient and Family Education Specialist at Unity Health Toronto. She works with clinical teams, patients, and families to […] The post Live Virtual Group Patient Education: Creating Content, Delivering Sessions, and Meeting Needs (HLOL #225) appeared first on Health Literacy Out Loud Podcast.

Dr. Sean Hillman discusses caregiving work and his research on end-of-life care in India through the lenses of religious studies, bioethics and the law. He talks about how religious views affect end-of-life decision-making of patients, families and health care professionals; issues around blocking disclosure of bad news in sharing of sensitive medical information; ritual fasting and immobilization at the end of life; and attitudes towards end-of-life care, including pain management, hospice palliative care and assistance in dying. Dr. Hillman is a clinical bioethicist with the Centre for Clinical Ethics (CCE), a consultant organization based at Unity Health Toronto and contracted to seven institutions in Ontario. He also is a Buddhist Corrections Chaplain for two facilities in the Kingston region. Dr. Hillman was a bedside caregiver in hospital for almost two decades and did a year-long fellowship in Clinical and Organizational Bioethics also at the CCE. A medical anthropologist and textualist, he has a doctorate in religion, bioethics, and south Asian studies from the University of Toronto. A scholar of Asian philosophies and languages for almost thirty years, Dr. Hillman has spent five years living, studying and researching in India. His current research projects are on maximizing decisional participation by those who might have mental capacity interferences, and on how to better understand why families may request aggressive medical management for their loved-ones despite a poor prognosis (including religious logic such as vitalism, non-harm and filial piety). Dr. Hillman is a member of Durham Family Resources community advisory committee for their “recognizing capacity” pilot project which advocates for increased inclusion of those with intellectual, cognitive or communication challenges and for including supported decision making in Ontario healthcare law.

Our seventh episode of the AMR Action Podcast features Dr. Larissa Matukas, an Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto, Head of the Division of Microbiology and an Infectious Disease Consultant at St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto.  Dr. Matukas speaks about stewardship, surveillance and the use of diagnostic technologies to help combat antimicrobial resistance.

Inadequate vitamin intake linked with insulin resistance University of Alabama, May 2 2022.    A greater risk of insulin resistance was revealed among women with acceptable calorie consumption whose folate and vitamin C intake were below the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) values in a study reported  in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. Adequate dietary intakes of essential micronutrients are critical to prevent the development of insulin resistance and insulin resistance-related diseases. However, since excess calorie intake linked with obesity is also associated with those diseases, it is important to meet the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) of those micronutrients without exceeding recommended daily calorie intakes. Among women whose calorie intake was categorized as acceptable and who met the Food and Nutrition Board's DRI of folate and vitamin C, the respective risks of insulin resistance were 59% and 66% lower than women who did not meet the DRIs. The study also showed that even with the consumption of over the recommended calorie intake, only 2% of women met the DRI of vitamin D and approximately only 30% met the DRIs of vitamins A and E, further emphasizing the fact that a significant proportion of women consume calorie-dense food rather than micronutrient-dense food.”   (NEXT)   Ingesting soy protein may ease severity of inflammatory bowel disease   Penn State University, April 26, 2022   A diet supplemented with soy protein may be an effective adjunct therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases, Penn State researchers reported after completing a study that included mice and cultured human colon cells. The findings are significant because inflammatory bowel diseases -- including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease -- are characterized by either continuous or periodic inflammation of the colon and represent a significant risk factor for colon cancer. The team found that soy-protein concentrate can exert antioxidant and cytoprotective effects in cultured human bowel cells and can moderate the severity of inflammation in mice that have an induced condition similar to ulcerative colitis. Researchers, substituted soy-protein concentrate into the diet of the mice and removed corresponding amounts of the other protein sources, equaling about 12 percent. They kept human equivalents in mind as they determined the amount. The dietary soy-protein concentrate at the 12-percent dose level ameliorated body-weight loss and swelling of the spleen in the mice with induced inflammatory bowel disease. Soy-protein concentrate mitigates markers of colonic inflammation and loss of gut barrier function in the mice with induced IBD.   (NEXT)   Study finds children with vegetarian diet have similar growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat   St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto), May 2, 2022   A study of nearly 9,000 children found those who eat a vegetarian diet had similar measures of growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat. The study, published in Pediatrics and led by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, also found that children with a vegetarian diet had higher odds of underweight weight status, emphasizing the need for special care when planning the diets of vegetarian kids. The findings come as a shift to consuming a plant-based diet grows in Canada. In 2019, updates to Canada's Food Guide urged Canadians to embrace plant-based proteins, such as beans and tofu, instead of meat. Researchers found children who had a vegetarian diet had similar mean body mass index (BMI), height, iron, vitamin D, and cholesterol levels compared to those who consumed meat. The findings showed evidence that children with a vegetarian diet had almost two-fold higher odds of having underweight, which is defined as below the third percentile for BMI. There was no evidence of an association with overweight or obesity. Underweight is an indicator of undernutrition, and may be a sign that the quality of the child's diet is not meeting the child's nutritional needs to support normal growth. For children who eat a vegetarian diet, the researchers emphasized access to healthcare providers who can provide growth monitoring, education and guidance to support their growth and nutrition.   (NEXT)   Blackcurrant extract triggers same process as statin drugs   University of Connecticut , April 29, 2022   Polyphenol-rich blackcurrant extract may prevent metabolic dysfunctions induced by diets high in fat and cholesterol, according to research in mice.   The results, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found the extract reduced the percentage of mice with diet-induced severe steatosis (fatty liver), hypercholesterolaemia and hyperglycaemia.  Total plasma cholesterol and glucose levels were significantly lower in the blackcurrant group compared to the control, yet plasma triglyceride (TAG) level were not significantly different.   The extract contained 25% anthocyanins and 40% polyphenols and the dose equated to a daily human consumption of about 540 mg of the extract and 135 mg anthocyanins.   The researchers said such an ingredient could help reduce disease risk since dyslipidaemia and hyperglycaemia were likely to contribute to metabolic diseases.   Videos:   .  Profound Blood Clots in Major Arteries: Dr. McCullough and Chris Gillespie ( 3 Clips on One page)   Over 17,000 Physicians and Scientists Agree: “There Is No Medical Emergency” – Dr. Robert Malone

Physicians working in hospitals see the mountains of medical waste generated each day. Meanwhile, the climate crisis challenges the medical system to reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, healthcare systems contribute as much carbon dioxide as the airline industry. In Canada, healthcare accounts for 4.6% of our total emissions. The problem is urgent, but potential solutions are both easier and more complex than many might think. Guests on this episode are advocates in the climate and health space. Dr. Samantha Green is the co-author of the CMAJ article, Five Things to Know About Metered Dose Inhalers and their Impact on Climate Change. She's a family physician at Unity Health Toronto and the climate and health lead at the University of Toronto's Department of Family and Community Medicine.In the article, she and her co-authors point out that pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs) are an important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.  Dr. Green says measurements done in the United Kingdom by the National Health Service found that MDIs contribute 3.1% of the entire health system's carbon emissions. One MDI contributes the equivalent of driving 290km by car.Meanwhile, dry powdered inhalers (DPIs) and soft mist inhalers (SMIs) are effective available alternatives with lower environmental impact. Dr. Green encourages physicians to make the switch for eligible patients and explains how her clinic has created resources to facilitate the prescribing change.Addressing such low-hanging fruit of climate action in the healthcare system is important but, according to Dr. Andrea MacNeill, reducing waste, changing prescriptions, and recycling are the tip of the iceberg. What's really needed is profound systemic change. Dr. MacNeill argues that emissions are driven by a system focused on providing the most complex and carbon-intensive care. “New healthcare funding seems to go into very complex resource-intensive treatments that modify very advanced disease processes. And I would suggest that we need to shift that focus upstream and start to think, okay, could we have prevented this from ever happening? And in many cases, the answer to that is yes,” says Dr. MacNeill.Along with a focus on prevention, Dr. MacNeill argues healthcare systems need to put pressure on the supply chain, which accounts for the bulk of emissions. In England, the NHS is demanding that vendors match the NHS's climate target to decarbonize by 2030. Links to resources discussed on the episode:Inhaler Toolkit for PhysiciansCascadesPlanetary Health Lab

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Kevin Smith, CEO of the University Health Network (UHN). In response to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the province and the spread of the Omicron Variant, the UHN as well as Unity Health Toronto and Sunnybrook are tightening their restrictions on visitors. Meanwhile, Unity Health, which runs St. Michael's Hospital,

Today we're talking with Dr. Tim Rutledge, President and CEO of Unity Health Toronto. Tim was previously President and CEO of North York General Hospital. Tim is a physician, trained in Emergency Medicine. He developed a strong interest in medical education early in his career and chaired the committee that developed the University of Toronto's first undergraduate course in Emergency Medicine. From the earliest days of the pandemic, Unity Health put a strong emphasis on caring for and vaccinating people experiencing homelessness and Indigenous populations. Tim's own journey of leading the hospital during this turbulent time has led him to a new understanding of the lessons of anti-racism, equity and social accountability. A big part of Tim's life – and one of the important ways he unwinds – is through music. He discovered his love of playing at the piano as a young man and he now plays and records on several instruments. Healthcare and leadership are of course his central preoccupations but coming back to his music always gives Tim a feeling of joy and fulfillment.   Quotables “One of the most important attributes in my experience of an effective leader is the ability to listen. I mean capital ‘L' listen. Listen to truly understand the issues.” – TR “COVID has really put into stark relief the fact that there was a disproportionate impact on vulnerable and racialized populations. It really has highlighted that equity is a key dimension of quality in healthcare. It's a major focus here at Unity and for me personally.” – TR “We need to recognize that we all have blindspots, as individuals and within our organizations. This is something we're going to have to put a lot of work into.” – TR “I think the most important thing we've been focussing on the last year or so is making sure that people have some time to unplug. We've been trying to be disciplined about that as well.” – TR “In Ontario we have fewer acute care beds per population than any other province, and fewer beds than any other country in the world. We're tied at the bottom with Mexico at 1.4 beds per thousand.” – TR “The power of the perspectives we get from our patients is not to be underestimated. Our patients are continually giving us great advice on how we can improve the care experience.” – TR “What we really need to focus on in the future healthcare provider is the human aspect. The clinician-patient relationship, connecting with patients in a way that optimizes their care and optimizes their experience. Plan for the many, deliver to the one.” – TR   Mentioned in this Episode: North York General Hospital Unity Health Toronto Clay Christensen Donald Berwick Eric Topol     Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter, and listen on iTunes. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.  

Welcome to Episode 20! This time around we are joined by Muhammad Mamdani, the Vice President of Data Science & Advanced Analytics at Unity Health Toronto, the Director of the Li Ka Shing Centre for Healthcare Analytics Research and Training at St Michael's Hospital, and the Director of the Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine at the University of Toronto. With so many interesting roles on his plate, Muhammad brought us some exciting tales from throughout his career like developing an analytical tool that centralize information about homeless patients during the pandemic, conducting research on the health outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and much more! Before hearing all of Muhammad's fantastic insights about careers in data science and leveraging a diverse educational background, Tyler kicks off the episode with a rapid-fire news update on vaccine development. Thanks for listening everyone! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/healthcarehubpodcast/message

In episode 8 of ReBootHealth, I speak with Muhammad Mamdani. Muhammad is Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and Vice-President of Data Science and Advanced Analytics at Unity Health Toronto. Muhammad bridges advanced analytics including machine learning with clinical and management decision-making to improve patient outcomes and hospital efficiency. I brought Muhammad on for 2 main reasons; one to shine a light on the great work being done by healthcare organizations in AI and health care and the second, to understand the more neglected parts of the exciting health innovation journey--technology evaluation and change management. Muhammad and his team have produced some amazing results through multiple projects at Unity Health. What struck me most was not the emphasis on specific data sets or ML models, but rather the impact of social buy-in and change as one of the most dominant factors for technology success. If you're entering the field of ML/data helps to remember that this is still a ‘people industry'. As always, I hope you find the episode valuable. If you enjoyed the podcast, please write a review on Apple Podcast. For other episodes or to learn more you can visit us at ReBootHealth or follow us on Twitter: @Reboothealth1 Episode recorded on August 19, 2021. 08:30—Understanding the data life cycle in healthcare. 16:35—Creating excitement around AI within the health system. 24:45—The ‘social game' of technology deployment. 27:48—Will change happen outside-in or inside-out? 30:46—What clinicians need to know about the models. 37:33—How does evidence play a role in AI technology. 44:40—How role of regulators and change management.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have transformed our lives. The adoption of AI in medicine has perhaps lagged its adoption in other areas, and machine learning in healthcare has had mixed results. In this episode, Drs. Muhammad Mamdani and Amol Verma discuss a series of three CMAJ articles on the development, use, misuse, and evaluation of machine-learned models in medicine. Dr. Muhammad Mamdani is vice-president of data science and advanced analytics at Unity Health Toronto, director of the Temerty Center for Artificial Intelligence Education and Research in Medicine, and professor at the University of Toronto. Dr. Amol Verma is a physician and scientist at St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto, an AMS healthcare fellow in compassion and artificial intelligence and a provincial clinical lead in health quality improvement with Ontario Health. They are both two of the authors of the articles series published in CMAJ: Implementing machine learning in medicine https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.202434 Problems in the deployment of machine-learned models in health care https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.202066 Evaluation of machine learning solutions in medicine https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.210036 Podcast transcript: https://www.cmaj.ca/transcript-202434 ----------------------------------- This podcast episode is brought to you by Audi Canada. The Canadian Medical Association has partnered with Audi Canada to offer CMA members a preferred incentive on select vehicle models. Purchase any new qualifying Audi model and receive an additional cash incentive based on the purchase type. Details of the incentive program can be found at https://www.audiprofessional.ca. ----------------------------------- This podcast episode is brought to you by Dr. Bill. Dr. Bill makes billing on the go easy and pain free. Start your 45-day free trial today: https://www.drbill.app/cmaj ----------------------------------- This podcast episode is brought to you by Shingrix. Learn more at: https://www.shingrix.ca/en-ca/index.html ----------------------------------- Subscribe to CMAJ Podcasts on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. You can also follow us directly on our SoundCloud page or you can visit https://www.cmaj.ca/page/multimedia/podcasts.

Dr. David J.A. Jenkins is an University Professor, and Canada Research Chair, in the Departments of Nutritional Sciences and Medicine, at the University of Toronto and Medicine,  and the Director of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, and a Scientist in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, with Unity Health Toronto.  Dr. Jenkins has been a mentor to many researchers and health professionals, including  myself (the host of this episode) and other members of the Plant-Based Canada team.His research area investigates the use of diet in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.  He has over 350 original publications on these and related topics.  His team was the first to define and explore the concept of the glycemic index of foods, as well as develop the cholesterol lowering dietary portfolio ("Portfolio Diet") that has entered guidelines in many jurisdictions (e.g. CCS, Heart UK etc.).He believes in the therapeutic value of plant based diets and that diets have to be environmentally sustainable.For more information on the Dietary Portfolio and the cookbook mentioned in this episode check out the links below:Online Resources:Canadian Cardiovascular Society website: https://ccs.ca/companion-resources/Dietary Portfolio Infographic: https://ccs.ca/app/uploads/2020/11/Portfolio_Diet_Scroll_editable_eng.pdfCookbook:  https://www.amazon.es/Portfolio-Diet-Cardiovascular-Disease-Reduction-ebook/dp/B0823MXD4P 

Global health experts are calling for a dramatic change in how we manufacture vaccines, to increase supply and help the world tackle this pandemic — but also plan for the next one. We hear about proposals to ramp up production, and how Canada could be part of the solution, with Dr. Prabhat Jha, an epidemiologist at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and Unity Health Toronto; and Andrew Casey, CEO of the industry association BIOTECanada.

Irfan Dhalla is a public health expert, he's been a voice of reason throughout the pandemic, and he joins Nate to discuss vaccine roll-out strategy, whether and how we should begin to allow cross-border travel, and lessons learned to prevent and prepare for a future pandemic.If you don't already follow Dr. Dhalla on Twitter, you should. He's also the vice-president and general internist at Unity Health Toronto, associate professor at U of T's medical school, and currently the co-chair of Canada's Expert Advisory Panel on Testing and Screening.That panel has issued four reports to date, and its most recent report makes recommendations for changes to our border management practices, including allowing quarantine-free travel for those with proof of immunity. Just as we followed public health guidance to impose restrictions, we must now follow public health guidance to lift them. Dr. Dhalla is a regular commentator in the media, writing recently to call for a faster second dose strategy, and having previously written in support of an elimination strategy which has proven to be the successful approach when we compare outcomes across national and subnational jurisdictions.