Provinces are Increasingly turning to the Philippines to recruit nurses as fast as they can to help with a critical shortage of front-line nurses in Canada. But it’s a short-term fix with serious implications for both Canada and the Philippines.

Pediatrician and vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez warns the anti-vaccine movement has morphed into a dangerous anti-science force. In The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist's Warning, Hotez says failing to act now will threaten governments’ ability to fight serious infectious diseases.

Nova Scotia is pursuing a radical solution to help with the primary care crisis: Virtual Care Nova Scotia. The province was the first in Canada to offer free virtual doctor visits to every resident without a family doctor. Dr. Brian Goldman visits the picturesque community of Martins Brook to meet some of the patients, nurses and doctors leading the charge for virtual care. Though it’s not a cure-all, they say it’s helping fill the gap in primary care.

A safe consumption site in Saskatoon is making a huge difference in the lives of people hard hit by substance use. Saskatchewan has had more than 1,200 overdose deaths since 2020. It also has the highest rate of HIV in Canada. Nonetheless, Prairie Harm Reduction has been operating the safe consumption site for three years, without provincial funding.

Hamilton’s hospitals are trying out a novel solution to deal with its overcrowded hospitals: they’ve turned a former hotel into a “satellite health facility” for patients who no longer need acute care, but are too unwell to go home (like those waiting for home support or long-term care). Dr. Brian Goldman heads to the former Hamilton Crowne Plaza to “check out” its new life as an overflow hospital.

For Jacob Trossman’s whole life, his mother Marcy White has had to fight for his medical care. Jacob has an ultra-rare degenerative disorder called PMD, and at 12 years old, he became a patient in the Complex Care Program at SickKids in Toronto. But now, at 21, Jacob has aged out. SickKids says their services can be adequately replaced by specialists in the adult care system. But Marcy White is fighting harder than ever to keep Jacob with his pediatric team.

Wait times for dermatology appointments have patients lining up before dawn at a unique rapid-access clinic. Their conditions range from severe rashes to hair loss to potentially cancerous moles. Dermatologists say they’re taking on more referrals, many are nearing retirement, and there aren’t enough new graduates.

In this bonus podcast interview, Trent McCleary gives his perspective on the night when he came perilously close to dying on the ice. It may have been his most dramatic encounter with longtime Montreal Canadiens physician David Mulder, but it’s not the only one.

As the Canadiens' physician since before the days of helmets and face guards, esteemed trauma surgeon Dr. David Mulder has not only witnessed hockey history unfold – he’s been part of it. And after a remarkable 60-year career, he’s retiring. Dr. Brian Goldman sits down with Dr. Mulder to hear about some of his greatest plays – from saving Trent McCleary’s life to discovering Saku Koivu’s cancer.

To some, Ozempic and drugs like it are a weight loss silver bullet. But to others, they’re hyped medications with severe side effects. Dr. Daniel Drucker is a Canadian physician-scientist whose research helped pave the way for Ozempic. He wants more research, especially as ever more effective weight loss drugs are developed. But with the potential to also reduce major cardiovascular events, he’s hopeful we’re in a new era of medical therapy to treat obesity.

30-year-old Aisha Uduman was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer and told her life expectancy was less than a year. But she and her family wanted more than the treatment plan her doctors could provide, so they sought out promising alternative treatments.

Dr. Maureen Mayhew didn't always want to practice medicine in Afghanistan. When Doctors Without Borders offered her a nine-month contract to work there in 2000, Mayhew initially turned it down, only accepting after careful consideration. That began an almost decade-long connection with the country, which Mayhew captures in her book, Hand on My Heart: A Canadian Doctor's Awakening in Afghanistan. Though her work there was challenging, it changed both her outlook on medicine and her relationship with herself.

You wouldn’t expect to find an overdose response and prevention team at a library. But Edmonton’s flagship library is going next level to take care of some of its most vulnerable citizens. They also have a team of social workers and other programs because their community needs are growing.

The Alberta government is about to change health care like never before. It’s taking what’s been administered exclusively by Alberta Health Services and breaking it up into four independent parts: acute care, primary care, continuing care and mental health and addiction. Doctors and nurses, patients and experts are worried what this new healthcare system could look like for patient care. One health economist calls it a "train wreck."

B.C. family physician Dr. Stuart Bax co-founded the virtual cancer screening service CanScreenBC.com to get people checked as early as possible so they don't end up getting a cancer diagnosis too late.

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. In two weeks, we’ll have the story of one of the families she has helped.

Sherbrooke Community Centre’s intergenerational program, iGen, is unique in Canada. The long-term-care home in Saskatoon doubles as a Grade Six classroom and is helping both kids and seniors.

Tara de Pratto donated part of her liver to a stranger, saving her life. The recipient was Farah Ali, and she and her family will never forget that act of kindness. In this second episode on living donors, we hear how Tara responded to a unique callout for a donor on social media, thanks to one woman’s passion for connecting donors with people in need. And how it led to a powerful bond between people whose paths might never have otherwise crossed.

When Mary Jarratt's brother, Billy, had a debilitating stroke at 58, she was thrown into the role of Power of Attorney. She had to make tough decisions about his care, the care of his teenaged son and whether to sell the family home. She wants people to know what they’re getting into when they sign up to be a POA.

Twenty years after her daughter died, Winnipegger Elaine Stevenson is still fighting to get people better and faster treatment for eating disorders. Roughly a million Canadians have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, and as many as 15 percent will die because of it. Despite that, wait lists for treatment in Canada can be over a year, and it's not offered in every province.

Patients don't like waiting in a clinic or ER to get them, doctors hate writing them, and yet, some employers continue to demand sick notes for a minor illness like the flu or a cold. Now, some doctors and other health-care providers are pushing back. They say sick notes tie up an already overloaded system, arguing that more paid sick days are needed instead.

Women are advocating for regular breast cancer screening to begin at age 40, pushing back against the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guidelines that recommend starting at age 50. They’re fighting for their voices to be heard, as the taskforce reviews its guidelines.

When Kalpit Sharma started smoking high-THC weed several times a day, he thought he was just “living his life” as a university student. But then, he started hearing voices. Researcher Dr. Daniel Myran shares the science behind stories like Kalpit’s – and why young men are particularly at risk for concerning mental health outcomes.

People with complex medical needs are welcome at Centretown Community Health Centre in Ottawa, one of about 120 CHCs across Canada. Teamwork by nurses, dietitians and others frees up family physicians to focus on patients, not paperwork.

Dr. Kate Greenaway is devoted to providing gender-affirming care to the trans and nonbinary folks who desperately need it. But with ever-increasing wait times and a lack of funding, she’s done something she never thought she’d do: go private. And as this care falls increasingly under threat in Canada, Kit Sparrow explains how Dr. Greenaway’s clinic saved his life – even though he feels he should have never had to pay for it.

Manitoba nurse Jennifer Noone was assaulted outside her hospital’s staff entrance, leaving her with a concussion and PTSD. She took the unusual step of having her assailant charged with assault. Now, she’s advocating for better protection against violence in hospitals, which nurses' unions say is on the rise. 

Receiving a cancer diagnosis and trying to weave through the health-care system can be confusing and frustrating. That’s where cancer patient navigators come in. They’re the person who takes your calls and listens when it seems like no one else will, and they’re the nurse who wants the best for their patients. They're not available to everyone in Canada — but both navigators and their patients think they should be.

Amie Archibald-Varley and Sara Fung are registered nurses who advocate for better healthcare on The Gritty Nurse podcast. Now they’ve published a book called The Wisdom of Nurses: Stories of Grit from the Front Lines. They join host Dr. Brian Goldman for a chat about why nurses make incredible leaders, and how healthcare can improve when we listen to nurses.

The burden of loneliness on seniors is real and well-documented. That’s why med students at McMaster University in Ontario are visiting a seniors’ home one Saturday a month… not with clipboards, but with emery boards. With manicures comes conversation – helping seniors feel less isolated, and helping med students “polish up” on their soft skills.

As a rapper, Bishop Brigante is no stranger to on-stage battles. Now, the 45-year-old is battling Stage 4 colon cancer, which he says was caught too late. Bishop wants Canadians to have easier access to colonoscopies and says advocacy has given him newfound purpose.

A unique medical team in the UK is able to treat hospitalized patients in their own homes. The team can make a diagnosis in the field, so they can offer treatment on the spot. The result? They're providing the same volume and complexity of care as a 20-bed ward, active 24/7. And it’s cheaper.

A restaurant in Muskoka, Ontario is doing its best to respond if necessary, after the slate of poisonings with a more dangerous form of fentanyl in Belleville. A manager and employee have taken training to accompany their new naloxone kit. But the deputy chief paramedic says the best hope to save people may be to teach bystanders to do CPR and rescue breathing and not flee the scene.

Newfoundland and Labrador leaders are ramping up virtual care for the thousands of residents without a family doctor. They’ve turned to private company Teladoc Health Canada to not only have doctors see patients virtually but also fill in on remote and rural ERs, for the next two years. But medical associations say it comes at the expense of recruiting and retaining healthcare workers long-term, and patients aren’t getting the care they need.

The climate is changing. So are we. On What On Earth, you’ll explore a world of solutions with host Laura Lynch and our team of journalists. In 1970, 20 million people showed up to fight for the environment on the first Earth Day. More than five decades later, is it time for this much tamer global event to return to its radical roots? OG organizer Denis Hayes recounts how – amidst other counterculture movements at the time – his team persuaded roughly one in ten Americans to take to the streets. As he approaches 80, Denis offers his singular piece of advice to the next generation of climate leaders. Then, environmental warriors Maria Blancas and Axcelle Campana share ideas on what a reinspired Earth Day could look like – including making it a public holiday. More episodes of What On Earth are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/L2RFol4W We love to hear from our listeners and regularly feature them on the show. Have a question or idea? Email [email protected] if you’d like to learn more about the very special guest Dr. Goldman mentioned, please check out this classic episode of White Coat, Black Art.

Attracting a family doctor to work in a community is challenging, with fewer physicians choosing family medicine. That's why Cheryl Gnyp, the recruiter for Castlegar, B.C., needs to stand out. She uses the board game Operation and specialized coffee as part of her 10-minute sales pitch to potential recruits at conferences. It can take years before a doctor actually starts working in the community, but she’s in it for the long haul.

At 28 years old, Dr. Soania Mathur was building her medical practice and expecting her first child. Then, she was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease. She tried to ignore her diagnosis for a decade, but as the symptoms progressed, she had to close her practice. Now, the self-described "Unshakeable MD" uses her experience as both a patient and a doctor to advocate for especially young people living with Parkinson's, as up to 10% of patients are under 40.

Sharon Chakkalackal was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s at 38. Now, two years later, Sharon’s life is transformed – but not for the worse. Her days are filled with self-care, including exercise and community involvement, to treat and slow her symptoms. Dr. Brian Goldman joins Sharon on her volunteer gardening shift to learn how she's gleaning good from the not-so-good.

Provinces are permitting pharmacists to prescribe for minor ailments, but in Alberta, pharmacists have been doing that and much more for 15 years. Because of their expanded powers, they’re filling gaps in health care. But it’s raising questions about the line between pharmacists and family doctors.

Judith Morrison needs a kidney. While she's on dialysis, her sister Catherine is putting out a public plea for a living donor. But the search has been hard. And if they do find a donor, the sisters say that person will have to go through a long and opaque testing process - one that experts say needs to be improved across Canada.

A single book can have the power to help us heal. A panel of celebrated physicians and nurses, along with members of the audience, weigh in on the books that inspired them at a live event recorded at Hamilton’s Central Library, hosted by Dr. Brian Goldman. 

Dr. Erin Sullivan worked a gruelling schedule as a family doc in rural Saskatchewan, struggling to balance ER shifts with a busy family practice–while lacking the system support she craved. She explains why she decided to retool her career when it had barely started.  

Health-care workers are making sure they're ready for increasingly severe wildfire seasons. An EMS manager and hospital co-ordinator share how they evacuated high-needs patients from northern Alberta towns affected by wildfires in 2023. And how their best practices have already been tested this year.

Canada’s nursing shortage is so dire that many provinces are stepping up efforts to recruit nurses from the Philippines. And as producer Stephanie Dubois discovered from Manila, that recruitment process is a well-oiled machine with a lot of players involved. From the Philippines government, to recruiters, to nursing schools, the message to nurses is clear: better opportunities only exist abroad.

When famed British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, he was forced to confront aging and his own mortality. Marsh reflects on both in his book, And, finally: Matters of Life and Death. 

<p>Primary care providers don’t always recognize menopause symptoms for what they are, focusing instead on whether they’re a sign of a more serious problem. Not all know that menopausal hormone therapy is a safe and effective treatment for many women. We explain why that’s the case, and the range of treatments that can help women.</p>

Esther Schreiber felt like the luckiest woman when she married her sweetheart Eddi. They enjoyed a busy life until he was diagnosed with young onset dementia a decade ago. Now he's almost completely non verbal. The caregiving demands are all-consuming but she draws inspiration and support from other spouses.

When cancer patients receive chemotherapy, they often lose their hair, and that can wreak havoc on physical and mental health. Cairo Gregory was just 15 when she got ovarian cancer. Chemotherapy meant she lost her long curly hair just when she started to love it. She struggled to find a suitable wig through the hospital. She says the healthcare system must do more to help women deal with hair loss, especially young Black women like her.

Scott Hedlund and David Broman design, build, fit and fix prosthetic appliances like artificial limbs. They talk about the challenges and joys of their jobs.

Some doctors believe a minor gynecological procedure called an opportunistic salpingectomy can reduce dramatically the risk of ovarian cancer.

Childhood neglect and abuse can lead to serious health problems in adults. Toronto psychiatrists Dr. Bob Maunder and Dr. Jon Hunter are calling for radical change to deal with this national epidemic in their new book, "Damaged: Childhood Trauma, Adult Illness, and the Need for a Health Care Revolution."

The CBC’s Julianne Hazlewood takes us on a familiar journey that for her is filled with uncertainty and peril. Julianne is in the late stages of pregnancy. She also has epilepsy. For additional support, she joined a research program called The Lullaby Project. It paired her with a musician to help her write and record a song to soothe her baby, and her fears.

Pediatrician and vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez warns the anti-vaccine movement has morphed into a dangerous anti-science force. In The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist's Warning, Hotez says failing to act now will threaten governments’ ability to fight serious infectious diseases.

How far would you go to test your body in extreme heat? Ironworker apprentice Britnee Miazek travels hundreds of kilometres to Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario for a gruelling experiment to see how her body deals with high temperatures. She wants to find out why she stopped getting her period while working in sweltering conditions on a coke oven. Researchers are hoping to find answers for Britnee, and understand more about the long-term health effects of working in an increasingly hot environment.This episode is part of a CBC collaboration called "Overheated" where White Coat, Black Art, What on Earth, and Quirks and Quarks explore how heat is affecting our health, our cities and our ecosystems.

A behind-the-scenes chat about the making of the CBC collaboration "Overheated" where White Coat, Black Art, What on Earth, and Quirks and Quarks explore how heat is affecting our health, our communities and our ecosystems.

Every two weeks, tenants of a Toronto Community Housing high-rise benefit from an on-site food bank. It's run by an embedded healthcare team, to build trust and get people the help they desperately need.

A first-of-its-kind medical school, part of Queen's University in Ontario, is recruiting and training students with the sole intention of graduating family doctors. But can it prepare them for the daily realities of the job?

Companies are spending big bucks advertising weight-loss drugs like Rybelsus and Ozempic. But in Canada, "reminder ads" can give only the medication's name, not what it's for, telling people to ask their doctor for more. Special guest Terry O'Reilly, host of CBC's Under the Influence, says it can result in bad ads that turn people off, while pharmaceutical policy expert Barbara Mintzes says reminder ads can do more harm than good.

When he's not working in the ER, Dr. Nicholas Sparrow spends his spare time in a surprising way. He responds to critical threat-to-life calls as a volunteer through the Kootenay Emergency Response Physicians Association (KERPA), a charity he created. Dr. Brian Goldman rides along on one of Dr. Sparrow's shifts to learn how - and why - he does it.  

When Mary Jarratt's brother, Billy, had a debilitating stroke at the age of 58, she was thrown into the role of power of attorney. That meant making significant decisions on Billy's behalf, including his personal care, the care of his high school-aged son, and whether to sell the family home. It has taken a physical and emotional toll on her and she wants people to know what they’re getting into when they sign up to be a POA.

Like many Canadian small towns, Carberry, MB had become a healthcare desert. In 2023, the small ER closed and the last doctor left. Carberry embarked on the fight of its life to get healthcare back. And now, just days before the first of two new MDs starts work, Dr. Brian Goldman visits Carberry to learn about the Herculean efforts it takes for one town to reinstate healthcare, and make sure they don't lose it again. 

Canada’s nursing shortage is so dire that provinces are stepping up efforts to recruit nurses from the Philippines. And that recruitment process is a well-oiled machine. From the Philippines government, to recruiters, to nursing schools, the message to nurses is clear: better opportunities only exist abroad.

A ride-along with TAIBU, a mobile crisis response team in Scarborough, Ontario that provides a non-police response to urgent mental health crises in the community.

After hearing from dozens of women about their experience with IUD pain, we find out how some gynecologists like Dr. Fiona Mattatall are making the experience of getting an IUD more comfortable, though there’s no standardized pain control method proven to work for everyone.

Shauna Pinkerton is waging a one-person campaign to save lives by passing out fentanyl testing strips, naloxone kits and safe drug paraphernalia. The people she is trying to save aren’t her clients. They’re her friends and sometimes her family.

30-year-old Aisha Uduman was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer and told her life expectancy was less than a year. But she and her family wanted more than the treatment plan her doctors provided, so they headed to Germany to try promising alternative treatments.

Women who have had troubling health experiences say perimenopause and menopause should be recognized and treated faster because it would reduce needless suffering. Four women share their stories and offer ideas about what should change in the health-care system to improve the experience for others.

On his 45th wedding anniversary, Ramesh Karnick was at home with his wife when he appeared to lose consciousness. He was in a coma for five weeks before he passed away. His daughter, Sonali has spent years trying to answer the question: how did her father die?

Author and activist Morningstar Mercredi is calling for coerced and forced sterilizations to be criminalized so that other women, especially Indigenous, Métis and Inuit women, won’t suffer the physical and mental trauma that she did.

The simmering crisis at Canada’s emergency departments.

Ketamine helped one police officer get through a childhood trauma. Some experts say psychedelics could help people with PTSD but much more research is needed.

Saskatchewan has lost so many of its family doctors in the last year that 200,000 "orphaned" patients are relying on walk-in clinics to get medical attention. Legends Medical Clinic in Warman is in the middle of the crisis, trying to meet the needs of all who seek their walk-in services but patients often wait for hours to see a doctor.

Nine-year-old Zack Bulger is wise beyond his years. He lost his older brother to cancer. He expresses his grief through play therapy and provides guidance for grown-ups on how to recover from loss.

Some doctors believe a minor gynecological procedure called an opportunistic salpingectomy can reduce dramatically the risk of ovarian cancer.

Some cancer patients are willing to go to great lengths to keep their hair through chemotherapy. But few hospitals offer cold capping: a system that cools the scalp to constrict the blood vessels to potentially reduce hair loss. A growing chorus of patients and doctors say more hospitals should offer it.

Cairo Gregory was just 15 when she got ovarian cancer. Chemotherapy meant she lost her long curly hair, just when she started to love it. She struggled to find a suitable wig through the hospital and says the healthcare system must do more to help women deal with hair loss, especially young Black women like her.

Famed British neurosurgeon and author Dr. Henry Marsh thought he was well-versed in human illness. That is until he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and was forced to see things from the patient’s point of view.

Now that single-event sports betting is taking off in Canada, ads and incentives are encouraging people to make a wager. But a recovering gambling addict and a gambling counsellor worry it’s easier than ever to get dangerously hooked. And they want way more done to limit advertising and to support treatment.

People with complex medical needs are accepted at Centretown Community Health Centre in Ottawa, and thriving because of it. Patients at about 120 CHCs across Canada are more likely to get cancer screenings and avoid costly trips to emergency. Team work by nurses, dietitians and others means the family physicians aren't saddled with paperwork that can lead to burn out.

If laughter really was the best medicine, Gavin Crawford would have cured his mother of Alzheimer’s disease. As a son, his mother’s dementia has been devastating. As a comedian though…it’s been sort of funny. Honestly, how do you respond when your mom confuses you with her teenage crush and wants you to take her to the high-school dance? Well, you laugh. Because it’s the only thing you can do. In this seven-part series, Gavin tells the story of losing his mother — his best friend and the inspiration for a lot of his comedy — to a disease that can be as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. He’s joined by comedian friends who share their experience caring for family members with dementia. The result is a cross between an improv act and a support group. Part memoir, part stand-up, part meditation on grief and loss, Let’s Not Be Kidding is a dose of the very best medicine for anyone dealing with hard times. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/dvxFtqRY

Esther Schreiber married her sweetheart Eddi and enjoyed a busy life until he was diagnosed with young onset dementia a decade ago. Eddi, 68, is now almost completely non verbal. As he slowly lost his caring personality, Esther’s caregiving demands became all consuming. Now, the trailblazer draws inspiration and emotional support from other spouses.

Janet Nisbet was primary caregiver to her husband Richard. Since his death, Janet has experienced the gamut of complex feelings that family caregivers sometimes experience following the death of a loved one.

Part two of our series on cancer previvors - the growing number of people who through genetic testing live knowing it’s highly probable that one day they’ll get cancer.

The stories of two women who are cancer previvors. Both Jordyn and Anne had family members with breast cancer. Both got genetic testing and found out they too carried genes that gave them very high odds of getting cancer too. Both of these women decided to deal with the risk preemptively by having surgery.

A look at virtual medical appointments. The pendulum is swinging back to in-person visits. But some Canadians say virtual clinics are filling a huge and growing gap in our health care system.

Now that single-event sports betting is taking off in Canada, ads and incentives are encouraging people to make a wager. But a recovering sport gambling addict and gambling counsellor worry it’s easier than ever to get dangerously hooked. And they want way more done to limit advertising and support treatment.

Alberta allows pharmacists to prescribe medications for a wide variety of ailments. Dr. Brian Goldman visits a pharmacist in that province to ask how it's working out.

Childhood neglect and abuse can lead to serious health problems in adults. Toronto psychiatrists Dr. Bob Maunder and Dr. Jon Hunter are calling for radical change to deal with this national epidemic in their new book, "Damaged: Childhood Trauma, Adult Illness, and the Need for a Health Care Revolution."

A visit to Saskatoon's Sherbrooke Community Centre where grade-six students spend their school day learning and getting to know the residents.

Dr. Brian Goldman rides along with Constable Scott Woods of the Hamilton Police Service and Sarah Burtenshaw, a mental health worker at St. Joseph’s Healthcare. They are a Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team in Hamilton that responds to 9-1-1 mental calls related to mental health crises. Originally broadcast December, 2021

BONUS PODCAST: Kealey Pringle and AnnMarie Churchill conclude their coaching sessions with a sweet-tasting win over Kealey's pandemic anxiety.

85-year-old Ron Robert graduated from King's University College at Western University last fall despite being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He's fit and wiry with a strong handgrip. He’s also got a surprising grip on living with dementia. His insight may help us understand a bit more about how to live with this terrible disease.

19-year-old Iain White went from serving meals to residents at a long-term care centre to becoming their confidante in the depth of the pandemic. He was nominated as one of White Coat, Black Art’s health-care heroes. We include an update with him now that he’s in a recreation therapy program.

For our new season’s launch, we’re taking an in-depth look at home care. It’s a crucial part of a health-care system that’s on the brink of collapsing. Nearly one million Canadians rely on home care and another 500,000 will need it within the decade. But the care people are receiving is far less than what they need. We go into the homes of three families to bring you their stories.

Charles Kinch searches for answers in the death of his wife Leslie Kissel from uterine cancer.

Emergency room waits across Canada are reaching unprecedented levels, for both kids and adults. There are many factors: nursing shortages, lack of hospital beds and staff unable to work because of COVID. We talk about the stresses, and the solutions. They include more cooperation across hospital departments and building capacity to handle more emergencies.

Millions of Canadians don’t have a family doctor or primary care provider. Dr. Peter Lin, a family physician and a director of the Canadian Heart Research Centre, spells out practical ways people can take charge of their health when they're searching for a family doctor. [Adapted from a popular episode of The Dose.]

The hit TV show 'The Good Doctor' is about a surgeon on the autism spectrum. But JJ Mracek is the real deal. The resident physician has finally found her calling in pathology where she can use her super power of pursuing justice. But she had to overcome severe setbacks in medical school and a rough residency in Internal Medicine, almost quitting the profession altogether.

After hearing from dozens of women about their experience with IUD pain in Part 1, we find out how some gynecologists like Dr. Fiona Mattatall are making the experience of getting an IUD more comfortable, though there’s no standardized pain control methods proven to work for everyone.

BONUS PODCAST: Maryam Mahdavi finds the courage to make one huge breakthrough thanks to coaching from Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng.

Broadway star and long-time dancer Catherine Wreford Ledlow was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013. But that hasn’t stopped her from living life to the fullest. She continues to be involved in film and theatre productions and advocates for more brain cancer research, while raising two young kids. And…she just won Amazing Race Canada. We’ll have an update with her on how she’s doing now.

Halifax cardiologist Dr. Gabrielle Horne spent 14 years fighting to restore her reputation after she was bullied and bad-mouthed by supervisors when she was an up-and-coming researcher. She was awarded what was the largest settlement in Canada for loss of reputation. While her story is extraordinary, it's not isolated. This episode explores why doctors bully and what it will take to change the culture that allows it to happen, with insights from Dr. Horne and lawyer Valerie Wise, who represents both doctors and their employers in disputes.

The Kilala Lelum health cooperative in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside merges Western medicine with cultural practices to help hard-to-reach patients. It also uses an innovative mobile clinic that offers everything from wound care to prescriptions for treating opioid drug addiction.

BONUS PODCAST: Maria Glavine's 9-month-old daughter Clare is too young to be vaccinated and has one functioning kidney. Hillary McBride, a clinical psychologist and host of Other People's Problems, is coaching Maria through her first steps back into the world.

An intimate conversation with Alex Munter, President and CEO of CHEO in Ottawa. Like other pediatric hospitals across Canada, CHEO is bursting at the seams trying to cope with a tridemic of COVID, RSV and flu.

Polio is making a comeback around the world and falling vaccine rates in Canada make us vulnerable to a disease that was once close to eradication. Miki Boleen, an 83-year-old polio survivor, has made it her mission to urge parents to get their infants vaccinated as routine immunization rates slip.

IUDs are an effective and popular form of birth control in Canada. But many women experience intense pain from the insertion that they weren’t warned about. In this episode, women across the country share stories of unexpected pain, complications and emotional distress. In Part 2, what some gynecologists are doing to make the experience of getting IUDs more comfortable.

Futurist Zayna Khayat and Geriatrician Samir Sinha offer home care solutions which are less expensive and more effective than our current system.

One in five women who get breast cancer are in their 40s. Canada's current guidelines say women in that age group who are at low risk of breast cancer don't need regular mammograms or breast self-exams. But Lucy van Oldenbarneveld disagrees. She and her sister got breast cancer in their 40s. Lucy survived, but her sister did not.

We think nothing today of calling healthcare workers “front line workers,” engaged in a “battle” against disease. But the roots of the war metaphor in medicine go a long way back ⁠— entrenched by pop culture icons like the TV show M*A*S*H and Hawkeye’s army. Dr. Jillian Horton explores a less heroic but healthier work environment for doctors and health professionals. Hear more IDEAS episodes where you get your podcasts.

The CBC’s Julianne Hazlewood takes us on a familiar journey that for her is filled with uncertainty and peril. Julianne is in the late stages of pregnancy. She also has epilepsy. For additional support, she joined a research program called The Lullaby Project. It paired her with a musician to help her write and record a song to soothe her baby, and her fears.

BONUS PODCAST: Listen to the one-on-one coaching sessions between Kealey Pringle and AnnMarie Churchill, a social worker in St. John’s. She's helping Kealey take baby steps towards overcoming her COVID fears and rekindling her in-person social life.

In December 2019, Jennifer Fotheringham was stuck in traffic on the Queensway in Ottawa. She heard a White Coat Black Art episode about women in their forties dying of breast cancer, in part because they don’t get access to screening mammograms. She credits that episode of White Coat Black Art with saving her life.

Some family doctors struggling with huge patient loads, paperwork and the pandemic are cutting back or cutting out of medicine altogether. Montreal family doctor Marc Cotran has handed in his medical licence at the age of 45. Dr. Rashmi Bhalla in London has reduced her clinical hours to better cope.

Ketamine helped one police officer get through a childhood trauma. Some experts say psychedelics could help people with PTSD but much more research is needed.

Ketamine helped one police officer get through a childhood trauma. Some experts say psychedelics could help people with PTSD but much more research is needed.

In Ontario’s Renfrew County, one in four people don’t have a primary caregiver. But an innovative program where community paramedics do house calls is helping take care of patients so they don’t need to go to the ER. And it just got permanent provincial funding.

BONUS PODCAST: For university student Maryam Mahdavi, COVID crushed her social life and began a sedentary lifestyle with too many trips to the fridge driven by loneliness and boredom. Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, an Ottawa ICU physician and healthy living advocate helps her take the first steps to getting back on track.

Saskatchewan has lost so many of its family care doctors in the last year that 200,000 "orphaned" patients are relying on walk-in clinics to get medical attention. Legends Medical Clinic in Warman is in the middle of the crisis, trying to meet the needs of all who seek their walk-in services but patients often wait for hours to see a doctor.

A feature interview with Dr. Kathryn Mannix. In her new book, "Listen: How to find the words for tender conversations," Mannix shares lessons on how to connect with loved ones and friends on deeply personal subjects.

Scott Hedlund and David Broman design, build, fit and fix prosthetic appliances like artificial limbs. They talk about the challenges and joys of their jobs.

Likening the 100-year-old hospital gown to a prisoner's orange jumpsuit, a prominent British doctor says the "alien, open-at-the-back garment" is in desperate need of a redesign.

A surprisingly intimate conversation with Dr. Alika Lafontaine. This weekend, the Metis anesthesiologist from Saskatchewan becomes the first Indigenous physician to lead the Canadian Medical Association.

In December 2019, Jennifer Fotheringham was stuck in traffic on the Queensway in Ottawa. She heard a White Coat Black Art episode about women in their forties dying of breast cancer, in part because they don’t get access to screening mammograms. She credits that episode with saving her life.

Iatrophobia is a fear of doctors. Barbara Old had panic attacks just thinking about doctors, so she avoided them like the plague. Until one day she discovered a lump in her breast.

It's a story of gratitude. One year ago, hospital housekeeper Maria Valverde was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Thanks to treatment, her cancer has stabilized. She says that's given her a second chance for life.

A Canadian-American emergency physician with Doctors without Borders has just led its first Medical Train across Ukraine. Dr. Dan Schnorr and his team evacuated nine trauma patients and their families from Zaporizhzhia, near the frontlines of the war in the southeast, to Lviv in the west. A risky thousand-kilometre journey to bring injured civilians to safety.

Dr. Brian Goldman visits Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon. It's Saskatchewan's only safe consumption site for people using illicit drugs -- and it receives zero funding from the province.

Susie Goulding speaks out about her own experience with long Covid and how that made her an advocate for others like her.

Dr. Chris Applewhaite is a family doctor on Salt Spring Island in BC, a place where nearly half of all residents don’t have one. Low pay, a mountain of paperwork and lack of timely access to MRIs and specialists make the work so frustrating to Chris and his colleagues that many are giving up.

The federal government has offered billions to help fund an ailing healthcare system. Help can’t come soon enough for a system that many say is in a state of crisis, if not collapse. Take home care. Nearly one million Canadians rely on it and another half a million will need it within the decade. But the care people are receiving is far less than what they need. We go into three people's homes to bring you their stories.

Maryam Mahdavi musters the courage to make a social breakthrough at university thanks to coaching from Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, an Ottawa ICU physician.

On his 45th wedding anniversary, Ramesh Karnick was at home with his wife, Sandhya, when he appeared to lose consciousness. Ramesh was in a coma for five weeks before he passed away. His daughter, Sonali has spent years trying to answer the question: how did her father die?

We recently did an episode on White Coat Black Art on sports betting addiction, which is on the rise in Canada, and the enormous physical and mental toll it can have. CBC’s The Fifth Estate went to the UK to see how sports betting is playing out there and it’s a cautionary tale for Canada.

As masking in public places shifts from a requirement to a recommendation, some Canadians are getting called out for continuing to wear masks. Experts say mask harassment could be part of a trend of increased aggression during the pandemic. And it may discourage people from wearing masks as the infectious BA.5 subvariant sweeps across Canada.

Brian Goldman and producer Jeff Goodes ride along with TAIBU, a mobile crisis response team in Scarborough that provides a non-police response to urgent mental health crises in the community.

Canada's assisted dying law now includes deaths that are not reasonably foreseeable for people with serious and incurable illnesses or disabilities who aren't dying in the near future. Dr. Stefanie Green, president of the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers and Dr. Naheed Dosani, a palliative care physician and health justice activist, share how the law opens the door to Canadians seeking MAiD as a means of escape from intolerable lives.

Like Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system, the UK’s National Health Service is in crisis. Overcrowded ERs are groaning with patients, there aren’t enough hospital beds and people are paying for some elective surgeries at private facilities. Nurses, ambulance workers and junior doctors are striking. Dr. Brian Goldman takes a guided tour of a hospital in Reading, England to hear their lessons for Canada.

The impact of delayed surgery on Nathan Gilson. He’s a sixteen-year old whose surgery to correct severe scoliosis was postponed five times.

Listen in on the one-on-one coaching sessions between Kealey Pringle and AnnMarie Churchill, a social worker in St. John’s. She's helping Kealey take baby steps towards overcoming her COVID fears and rekindling her in-person social life.

Primary care providers don’t always recognize menopause symptoms for what they are, focusing instead on whether they’re a sign of a more serious problem. And not all know that menopausal hormone therapy is a safe and effective treatment for many women. We explain why that’s the case, and the range of treatments that can help women.

The Acute Hospital At Home program in Oxford, England keeps patients in their own homes, who might otherwise be admitted to hospital. Professor Dan Lasserson takes Dr. Brian Goldman on the road to show how they bring effective and safe hospital care right into patients’ homes.

Shauna Pinkerton is waging a one-person campaign to save lives by passing out fentanyl testing strips, naloxone kits and safe drug paraphernalia, and sometimes by being there when people overdose. The people she is trying to save aren’t her clients. They’re her friends and sometimes her family.

BONUS PODCAST: Through the coaching of psychologist Hillary McBride, Maria Glavine taps into a powerful emotion to give her the strength to take her daughter on a fun adventure.

Women who have had troubling health experiences say perimenopause and menopause should be recognized and treated faster because it would reduce needless suffering. Four women share their stories and offer ideas about what should change in the health-care system to improve the experience for others.