Double Check the Diagnosis

 The other day I dropped by a café where I crossed paths with an old acquaintance.  As we talked, she told me her business partner had died of cancer only a year earlier.  Saddened for her, I asked her some details of his illness.  He had complained of back pain

Advanced Directives for Assisted-Dying a Dangerous Step

 The moment we are born, our lives take flight; and the longer we are airborne, the greater the chance of encountering turbulence along the way. While every flight is destined to land, some landings are harder to contemplate than others. The parliamentary committee tasked with advising the federal government on

Some of the Most Complex Needs of My Patients Stem from Poverty and not Disease Alone

 Why Canadian children need a champion. A young girl is referred to a pediatrician's office for inability to pay attention in the classroom. The child’s teacher is concerned she has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and possibly, a learning disability. I am a second year medical student working in the

Three Things Everyone Should Know About Autism in Canada

 Canadian governments have done little to address the crisis faced by autism families across the country. This sentiment was true in 2007 when it was put forward in the cross-party Senate report on the state of funding for the treatment of autism in Canada, aptly titled, Pay Now or Pay

Blair Animal Hospital: Customizing Pet Care

 Pets are like family. The moment they step into our lives, they hold a special place in our hearts. As pet owners, it is of utmost importance to provide them with veterinary care throughout their lives to support their health and quality of life. The team at Blair Animal Hospital

Bring on the Needles for Stress Management

 When it comes to finding the balance between work, home, family and personal obligations, feeling overwhelmed, stressed and anxious is unfortunately common. So much to do, so little time! While some stress is a normal part of a life, in excess it can impair productivity and, more importantly, affect our

How to Eliminate MRI Wait Lists in the Public Health System

 How to do all this and save Alberta millions of dollars a year in the process Value for money appears to be finally getting the attention it merits as Alberta’s new health minister, Stephen Mandel, takes the reins of the portfolio that is close to consuming 50% of the province’s

Be Spellbound with the Magic of the Arthritis Society

 Do you believe in magic? The Arthritis Society is hosting an evening of wonder and awe at the National Gallery of Canada with Spellbound, in support of childhood arthritis. On Thursday, March 12, the National Gallery’s Water Court will be magically transformed into a spellbinding street fair. Featuring the entertaining

New Hospital Funding Model is a Leap of Faith

 Activity-based funding may discharge patients from hospital ‘quicker but sicker’ Most Canadians probably don’t realize that health care in Canada is quietly undergoing a major transformation in funding that could significantly impact patients.  Three provinces—Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia—are implementing a new funding model for hospitals and other provinces are

Consider a chiropractor — filling in the “cracks” about chiropractic

 Over 4 million people in Canada, and nearly 2 million in Ontario alone, visit a chiropractor each year. The popularity of holistic medicine climbs, but many still do not fully understand what chiropractic is and how it can help. The Canadian Chiropractic Association states “Chiropractors are extensively educated in the

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile: Elizabeth Manley

 In honour of the recent Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2014 Induction Celebrations presented by Canadian Tire on October 22, OLM will be featuring inductees—recent and historic—in a weekly Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Profile piece. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame aims to share the stories and achievements of Honoured

Those Pesky Wisdom Teeth

 By: Dr. Samuel Kucey, DDS, FRCD(C), Dip. ABOMS In North America, it is a rite of passage to be considered for removal of wisdom teeth, particularly in the orthodontic population. The first appearance of wisdom teeth occurs in the early teens and is complete in the late teens. Sometimes the jaw

Music Meets Medicine: Allison’s Brain

 Robert McMechan and his wife Allison Woyiwada recently released Allison’s Brain, a book they wrote together. It is the story of Allison’s medical journey, from diagnosis to recovery. Woyiwada was diagnosed with a large brain aneurysm in 2011. In a surgery that followed, the aneurysm was clipped. After the procedure,

Support Lung Cancer Canada with an Evening of Hope

 My friend and colleague, Philip Clarke, a seemingly healthy and vibrant individual, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer on November 12, 2012. Fourteen months later, on February 7, 2014, at the age of 48, Philip lost his battle.  The diagnosis was a shock to Philip, and to his family, friends and colleagues. But the shock soon turned

Dealing with Diabetes

 The Nita Family Opens Up and Shares How Community Involvement and Digital Health Helps Families Deal with Type 1 Diabetes Imagine waking up one morning to find your child going into diabetic ketoacidosis — a life-threatening complication from diabetes. Blood flow slows throughout your child’s body as your child slips

Better Health Together – How Technology is Transforming Health Care

 Founded in 2001, Canada Health Infoway is a federally-funded, not-for-profit organization whose role is to help improve health and health care by collaborating with every province and territory to propel Canada's move from paper to digital health. From 2007 to 2012, an estimated $8.6 billion in benefits accrued to Canadians

Haven of Hope: Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre

 Maybe you have a cough that won’t go away, or maybe a lump appears in your breast. You head to your doctor to get checked out, just to be on the safe side, hoping to be told it is nothing to worry about. Instead, tests you hoped were just routine