Episodes
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Brandon Peacock was an innocent victim of a shooting in June 2020. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After being rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre by ambulance with a life-threatening injury, a team of medical experts was ready. Today, Brandon’s here to share how that moment changed his life. (28:19)
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When Dr. Jay Baltz, senior scientist emeritus at The Ottawa Hospital, first started in his field, researchers struggled with a puzzle that blocked the progress of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Through pioneering research and his work with one of the creators of IVF, Dr. Baltz would go on to push fertility science to new heights.
In this conversation, Dr. Baltz talks about when the first test-tube baby was born, how fertility science has changed since then, and what it's meant for families around the world. (19:00)
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As the Founder and President of Gab Group Inc., Ginger Bertrand is a leading communications professional, award-winning publicist, talent agent, and business owner. She loves her hometown of Ottawa and we’re thrilled to have her as a co-chair of the Campaign to Create Tomorrow.
Ginger is an Ottawa Forty Under 40 recipient, a three-time RBC Women of Influence nominee, and a fierce advocate for women in business, animal welfare, and engaging the next generation in the future of healthcare.
In this engaging conversation, you’ll learn more about why she’s passionate about being a part of this once-in-a-generation opportunity. You’ll find out what Mahatma Gandhi quote inspired her to take on this role, what new fact she’s learned about The Ottawa Hospital, and one researcher in particular whose work she’s interested in — a hint, she’s been on this podcast as a guest.
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Dr. Miller MacPherson is the Head of Medical Physics at The Ottawa Hospital. In this conversation, he takes us behind the scenes to better understand the radiation medicine program at The Ottawa Hospital’s Cancer Centre.
Throughout his career, he’s seen significant advancements in the technology used to treat patients facing a cancer diagnosis. You’ll find out why our hospital is described as one of North America's best-equipped radiation medicine facilities. He tells us about an exciting delivery that arrived this past summer and the impact it will have on patient care, and he talks about the vital role philanthropy plays in bringing the latest technology to our hospital for patients. (20:29)
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From reflections on the Civic’s 100th to planning for the next century of care in Eastern Ontario – Tim Kluke, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, joins the 100th episode.
He looks back on how the community rallied to make the Civic a reality 100 years ago and the pride when the new hospital opened its doors on November 27, 1924. Tim discusses the parallels between what we’re seeing today for the new hospital campus on Carling Avenue and how people are stepping forward to support the Campaign to Create Tomorrow — Eastern Ontario’s largest fundraising initiative. He also shares how there is a place for everyone and why you should join us. (27:07)
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From a very young age, Dr. Melissa Forgie had her sights set on medicine.
Today, as the Vice President of Medical Education at The Ottawa Hospital, she is shaping the next generation of healthcare providers. In this conversation, Dr. Forgie talks about the hospital’s strategic plan for medical education and describes it as the boldest and most ambitious she has ever seen. You’ll hear about TOH’s plan to recruit and retain young professionals, along with all the possibilities with the new hospital campus and the impact of research. (22:36)
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Frankie Nadeau is a senior occupational therapist at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. She’s dedicated more than two decades to caring for patients, combining her knowledge and humour. In this conversation, she talks about the pivotal role of an occupational therapist at the Rehab Centre and the special bond her team creates with patients, including the “TSN turning point” in Sean Sisk’s story. Frankie also shares how she's known as a bit of a "MacGyver" when required. (24:36)
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Jill Barr is a young professional who has stepped forward to help lead the next generation of philanthropy. As a childhood cancer survivor, Jill has a unique perspective on the importance of having state-of-the-art healthcare. She has raised her hand to support the Campaign to Create Tomorrow and engage others to do the same.
Listen to learn about Jill’s first introduction to The Ottawa Hospital at the age of 11 and a special memory that she holds close. You’ll also find out why she wanted to get involved in our Foundation’s Young Leaders Network and how she’ll run her first half-marathon to support TOH at Race Weekend — she’s a part of TOH Trailblazers. (18:05)
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It’s not just the stuff you see in science fiction movies anymore. VR technology is changing the way complex surgeries are planned.
Picture a virtual reality system taking hundreds of medical images and giving a surgeon a 3D view that allows them to move within the patient’s body — just like a video game — before surgery. It’s a whole new way of surgical planning and this new VR program was used for the first time in Canada right here at The Ottawa Hospital.
Dr. Kawan Rakhra, a senior Musculoskeletal Radiologist, takes us behind the scenes of this game-changing technology and the impact it will have on the future of care not just here in Ottawa but internationally as well. (16:37)
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The Ottawa Hospital’s mental health team provides early diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness to patients across Eastern Ontario.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sarah Brandigampola, a psychiatrist at our hospital who works in the On Track: First Episode Psychosis Program. She discusses the three-year program that cares for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, the multi-disciplinary team involved, and why this program is so important, including the fact that Canada has one of the highest rates of schizophrenia in the world. Dr. Brandigampola also shares that treatment options have improved dramatically in the past decade, and today there's a great deal of hope for patients. (24:03)
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When Heba Haidar was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, her world came to a grinding halt. She was on maternity leave, with three young children under the age of five, and she worried about what the future might hold for her and her family. Hear Heba’s story – one of our latest in the cancer journey series — and find out why cancer is not such a big scary word anymore.(26:34)
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As a young boy, Dr. Alvin Tieu likely saw himself becoming a professional athlete because of his love of sports. But there was a shift in grade 7 — science became more interesting, and he decided to write an essay on the Big Bang theory. From there, his interest in medicine and research started to grow. Today, Dr. Tieu is an emerging leader at The Ottawa Hospital and the 2023 recipient of the Worton Researcher in Training Award. (19:14)
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Registered Nurse Phil Nguyen exudes energy — whether he’s caring for patients on 5W in the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Unit at the General Campus, teaching the next generation of healthcare workers at uOttawa, or busting a move as a hip-hop dancer.
In this conversation, Phil talks about why he considers The Ottawa Hospital his home away from home. He reveals what he loves most about his job, his special connection with patients, and how his team will go beyond the call of duty to provide compassionate care — he shares one special story in particular. You’ll also find out why it’s not so unusual to find him dancing with his patients. (18:47)
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Dr. Shawn Aaron’s path to research wasn’t planned. In fact, his goal was to become a physician and care for patients with lung disease, but that all changed when he came to The Ottawa Hospital and fell in love with research.
In this conversation, Dr. Aaron discusses his practice-changing research for cystic fibrosis and COPD. While he admits his research career saw early success when he turned his master’s thesis into a New England Journal of Medicine article – that didn’t stop him from pushing the research envelope over his impressive career. As a result of that, he has been named the 2023 recipient of the Dr. J. David Grimes Career Achievement Award. (25:05)
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Faced with an autoimmune disorder since childhood, rock radio announcer Amy Volume has been a patient of The Ottawa Hospital for about 20 years. More recently, she started losing mobility in one leg and that’s when her orthopaedic team said it was time for her to have hip replacement surgery. Listen to hear more about Amy’s story and why she considers our ortho surgeons the real rock stars. (23:46)
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Meet Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden – a senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital who’s held the inaugural Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research since 2000.
In this episode, Dr. Vanderhyden talks about why she’s devoted her career to investigating ovarian cancer. You’ll learn about her dedicated team, and find out who are the unofficial members, and the important role they play. Plus, Dr. Vanderhyden shares two critical discoveries they’ve made in the last few years, her deep gratitude for our donors, and how puzzles and mysteries continue to be a part of her life even when she's not in the lab. (28:47)
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After nearly a decade of mini seizures, Stefanie Scrivens was diagnosed with a rare form of a brain tumour at only 20 years old — that was in 2009. She would be one of the first to benefit from a new treatment option to increase her chance of survival, including two complex, 8-hour awake brain surgeries at The Ottawa Hospital to remove the tumour.
Today, at the age of 34, we check in with Stefanie to get an update on how she’s doing and what direction her life has taken since her two brain surgeries at The Ottawa Hospital. (26:55)
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Dr. Paul MacPherson is a longtime advocate for gay men’s health. In 2023, he was named the first Clinical Research Chair in Gay Men’s Health at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. This chair is a first of its kind in any Canadian hospital.
In this episode, Dr. MacPherson talks about what it means to see this research become a reality, the stigma gay men face when it comes to their health, and how he hopes this chair will help to change that. He also shares how the idea for the chair came about in the first place, and what he does with the one hour he sets aside for himself each day. (28:44)
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UPDATE: Sadly, Alison passed away on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. We offer our deepest condolences to all those who loved her and we remain profoundly inspired by her.
Alison Hughes was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 37. At the time, she was running her own business and the mother of two young children. The news was the shock of her life. Ten years later, her world was turned upside down again — this time her breast cancer had metastasized. Alison hopes to be a voice for younger people facing a breast cancer diagnosis, and that’s why she’s sharing her story. (33:04)
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Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi is a stroke neurologist and senior scientist at our hospital. He is leading the Canadian site of a global research trial that could change how we treat the deadliest and least treatable form of stroke. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with the region’s stroke team to learn more about The Ottawa Hospital’s leading role in this study that could be a gamechanger for bleeding strokes.
Dr. Dowlatshahi also shares what he loves most about his job, what excites him about the future of care at our hospital, and his side project — a rock band. (30:54)
*The number of participants mentioned in the global research study continues to increase after the recording.
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