Just Medicine

We are back with another episode! In this podcast, I spoke with Bryan Becker, who is presently working in peer support at the RAAC clinic at St.Pauls Hospital. RAAC stands for rapid access addiction clinic: this service provides addiction medicine assessments for any substance use issue, including alcohol. It serves to maximize treatment support for clients, provide training and distribution of Take Home Naloxone, offer harm reduction services and to facilitate referrals to substance use services. Support Workers like Bryan are individuals with lived experience of mental illness or substance use who have graduated from a Peer Support Worker Training Program. These individuals work on a contracted basis under the supervision of Rehabilitation staff with clients who access Vancouver Mental Health and Substance Use programs and services. On his own time, Bryan enjoys BMX, the beach, 3rd Beach drum circle, movies, reading and helping others. I am so honoured to have had the chance to speak with Bryan, and I hope everyone listening takes away as much as I did from the stories and advice that he shares.

We're back! In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Althea Hayden, a medical health officer, Ranjit Lehal, a family nurse practitioner, and Dr. Mei-ling Wiedmeyer, a clinician scientist. From navigating cultural barriers to understanding specific health needs, this week's inspiring guests share their insights and experiences in providing and developing accessible health care for refugee patients. Tune in as we explore community resources and the importance of advocacy in delivering equitable health care for refugee patients.

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Elise Jackson, who recently completed her Addictions Medicine Fellowship following an internal medicine residency at UBC. We speak about the protocols surrounding substance use while in hospital, as well as how the importance of hospitalization as a touchpoint for future care coordination. We also delve into the personal difficulties physicians and other HCP can face while caring for populations with complex needs.

Welcome back to Just Medicine! In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Michael Etowa, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University and an associate scientist at the HIV Treatment Network in Ontario. Dr. Etowa's research on HIV vulnerability and resilience in the black community fueled a truly enriching discussion about the social determinants of health, health literacy, and community-based interventions for marginalized populations. Conversations such as this serve as a reminder of the importance of taking an active role in healthcare to serve those who are often underserved, overlooked, and ultimately more vulnerable to poorer outcomes.

In this enlightening discussion, Dr. Victoria Weaver, a pioneering physician specializing in both infectious diseases and addiction medicine, dives into her dual expertise. She explores the unique challenges in treating infectious diseases among substance users, including trauma and hospital avoidance. Dr. Weaver discusses ethical dilemmas in care, the rising rates of syphilis linked to substance use trends, and the importance of multidisciplinary teams. Her insights on harm reduction strategies and the need for compassion in healthcare are both eye-opening and essential.

Welcome back, everyone! This week's episode focuses on Refugee Health by highlighting a remarkable medical student-led initiative called the Refugee Health Initiative (RHI). I had the pleasure of speaking with Nikola Deretic, a third-year medical student at the University of British Columbia and the current co-president of the Refugee Health Initiative. Nikola delves into the RHI's work to engage and support refugee families in Greater Vancouver with the aid of medical students, language interpreters, and other community organizations. It was truly a meaningful conversation about advocacy and dismantling barriers in health care. To explore the details of the initiative and learn more about Refugee care in BC, check out these websites:https://globalhealth.med.ubc.ca/service/student-groups/refugee-health-initiati https://bcrefugeehub.ca/

Dr. Mary Kessler, an infectious diseases specialist with extensive expertise in HIV and TB, discusses the challenges of providing equitable HIV care in urban populations. She explores the intersection of HIV treatment with social determinants like poverty and stigma, and highlights harm reduction approaches. Kessler emphasizes the unique hurdles women face, as well as the importance of trauma-informed care. Her passionate insights on the evolution of HIV treatment and strategies to combat stigma make for a thought-provoking conversation.

We're back! This week's episode explores the unique mental health challenges faced by youth with chronic illnesses, focusing on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with expert Dr. Astrid Williams. Adolescence and young adulthood are already full of psychosocial and physical changes. Add to this a lifelong illness, and it can lead to feelings of hopelessness and isolation. Listen in on an important conversation on body image struggles, how to navigate a smooth transition from paediatric to adult healthcare, and healthy coping strategies that are youth-friendly. All resources discussed in the episode are linked below! 1. Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/mental-health?origin=navigation 2. Crohn's & Colitis Canada: https://crohnsandcolitis.ca 3. Crohn's & Colitis Canada Youth Wellness Series: https://crohnsandcolitis.ca/Support-for-You/Youth-Education-Series

We’re back again with another episode! This week, dive into the world of genetic testing and the genomic divide with expert guest speakers Dr. Wyeth Wasserman and Dr. Anna Lehman: Did you know that when it comes to genetic testing, you can’t simply use the same reference data for everybody? Different populations of people share different background variations in their genes, so we need good reference data from diverse populations in order for genetic testing to be applicable and useful for each individual. As you may have guessed, this has some pretty big implications for diagnosis and treatment when it comes to those who are poorly represented in large genetic databases.  Listen in on my conversation with not one, but TWO amazing guest speakers who are doing some pretty game-changing work on the Silent Genomes Project, which aims to reduce healthcare disparities and improve diagnostic success for children with genetic diseases from Indigenous populations. 

We are back with another episode! I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr Tribesty Nguyen who is a public health resident physician. He has many years of experience in social justice, health equity, health policy, and political advocacy, particularly with 2SLGBTQ+, refugee, and racialized communities. He is here with us to share about the nuances of providing care for GBTQ+ men and how to take a sexual history for this population. If you have any questions, want to suggest a topic for us to cover, or know of any experts in a particular field, please email us at justmedicinepod@gmail.com