White Coat, Black Art

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in Canada, but screening doesn’t begin until age 50. Seeing younger people getting diagnosed, Dr. Shady Ashamalla helped launch Sunnybrook's Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Clinic in Toronto. It offers minimally invasive care to patients like Catherine Mifsud, diagnosed with three kids at home in the prime of her career.

Dr. Mike Ertle and Dr. Lindsay Dobson shed light on the innovative use of virtual emergency room services in rural British Columbia. They discuss the unique challenges posed by staffing shortages and the transformative role of telemedicine in providing care. Listeners will find fascinating insights into real-life cases, particularly how virtual consultations can manage critical situations like heart attacks. The conversation also touches on patient reactions and the balance needed between remote and in-person care, revealing both the potential and pitfalls of this evolving healthcare model.

Ned Bell, a five-star executive chef and founder of Chefs for Oceans, teams up with Andrea McNeil, a surgical oncologist and medical director of planetary health, to transform hospital food. They discuss their collaboration to create a sustainable and tasty 'Planetary Health Menu.' Hear how nutritious meals can enhance patient recovery and reduce environmental impact. They share inspiring stories of culinary healing and the importance of improving food standards in healthcare, all while making hospital food scrumptious.

In this season of bearing gifts, it’s been said the highest form of giving is the anonymous kind. Heather Badenoch knows that very well. She donated part of her liver to a child she never met in Toronto. Now she uses her communications skills to recruit donors for people in need of an organ.

Former senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Murray Sinclair spent the last four months of his life at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg. He found comfort in the music of Quinton Poitras, a Métis musician with Artists in Healthcare Manitoba who played his favourites, especially the blues. Niigaan Sinclair says that even though his father was in a lot of pain, the music helped him feel joy in the moment.

Josh Booth has a pitch for Canada: Bring in nurse anesthetists to help deal with Canada’s shortage of anesthesiologists, the doctors who manage sedation before and during surgery. Booth, a Canadian certified registered nurse anesthetist working in the U.S., says health professionals like him can help handle the demand for anesthesia. B.C. has tried twice to bring in the nursing role but it has yet to happen. Dr. Giuseppe Fuda, president of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society, says there are concerns about bringing in nurse anesthetists to our healthcare system.

Ian Stedman, a lawyer and advocate for AI in healthcare, shares his gripping journey from self-diagnosing Muckle-Wells syndrome after 32 years of ineffective visits to navigating treatment challenges. He discusses how AI can revolutionize the detection of rare diseases, emphasizing the powerful role of technology and community support. Ian also highlights the necessity of regulatory measures to ensure AI's ethical deployment in healthcare, while advocating for better insurance coverage for those affected by rare conditions.