ZONE NEWS

Scroll down to view a collection of updates, news and upcoming events relevant to physicians across Alberta.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Wellness

For more, follow on X (formerly Twitter): 
@CSM_PESJO

Online events, webinars, courses and conferences:

  • May is Jewish Heritage Month, a commemoration proclaimed by Parliament in 2018 to recognize the many positive contributions made by Jewish Canadians to the fabric of our country coinciding with the holiday of Shavuot (May 21-23), which celebrates the spring harvest and commemorates the gift of the Torah. Check out the history of Jewish Canadians; podcasts, resources, and blogs available through the Library and Archives Canada; and CBC’s curated reading list by Jewish Canadian authors.

  • June 3, 12:00 – 1:30pm MT:  The Alliance against Violence & Adversity (AVA) presents a webinar, Reproductive Violence. Based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in Quebec, this presentation will illustrate areas of tension between the needs of women and individuals receiving care and the care actually provided. The relationship between healthcare staff and patients will be addressed along with a discussion of autonomy and free will. The session will conclude with some recommendations formulated by those most directly affected. Details and registration here

  • June 11, 2:30 – 4:00pm MT:  Everyone is welcome to join the One Child Every Child Indigenous Accelerator for an in-person (HMRB) screening and discussion of Through the Lens of First Peoples: Two-Spirit and Indigenous Identity, a recording of a presentation at Trans Summit. Details and registration here

  • June 11-13: The Canadian Women in Medicine Conference takes place in Winnipeg. This accredited conference is the largest gathering of women physicians in North America, and includes inspiring keynote addresses and workshops, social gatherings, and networking opportunities.

    Articles and Resources:

  • Do you create charts, graphs, or other visual representations?  Check out this comprehensive guide to creating effective scientific colour palettes that are also legible to people with colour blindness, a condition that affects approximately 8% of men and 0.5% of women. After choosing a potential colour palette, you can enter the colour codes into the Viz Palette Tool and see what the colours look like to someone with colour blindness.

  • The Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) has launched its Call for Proposals for the 2026 Summit conference, taking place in Toronto on Oct. 29-Nov. 1 with the theme, Building Our Futures. All are invited to submit a proposal to showcase your work, share personal experiences, report on research, and offer practical and/or innovative strategies to transform healthcare for 2S/LGBTQ+ communities in Canada. Deadline is to submit proposals for sessions, presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and poster presentations is May 31. More details here

  • The recently released report, Understanding and Addressing Anti-Sikh Hate in Canada, is the first comprehensive report dedicated to documenting and analyzing the experiences of hate and discrimination against Sikhs across Canada.

    Recordings of recent webinars, podcasts and presentations:

  • Equity on Life Support is a limited podcast series with Dr. Saleem Razack and guests exploring the intersection of health equity, social justice, and anti-racism/anti-oppressive practices with medical education in Canada

  • The CornellU podcast recently interviewed Dr. Sarah Temkin, the maker of the documentary 1001 Cuts, which explores the everyday challenges women surgeons still face such as equipment and infrastructure not built for them.

  • The Continuing Education department at the University of Alberta is offering free registration until Feb. 28 for an asynchronous micro-course, Black Canadians: History, Presence, and Anti-Racist Futures. The 8-hour course explores some of the major histories, migrations, artists and activists that have contributed to the presence and survival of Black people in Canada.

     

     

     

Physician Wellness

Resources available to support you in your wellness:

Well Doc Alberta
Well Doc Alberta is an initiative aimed at advancing a collaborative, co-operative, pan-provincial approach to physician wellness. Their work, focused on education and prevention, is supported by the science of physician wellness and driven by need. Well Doc works with physicians at the grassroots level and with leadership to grow capacity, empower change, shift culture, and achieve their vision of “Shaping the future of physician wellness, together.”

Alberta Medical Association Physician & Family Support Program
The AMA's Physician and Family Support Program provides confidential support and help with personal health issues and enhances the quality of patient care and public safety by promoting health and well-being for the medical profession that cares for all Albertans. More resources are posted on the AMA website link above.

Their phone line is available for you at any time:
1.877.SOS.4MDS (767.4637)
International: 403.930.0529 (you may call collect)
CONFIDENTIAL 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year

Canadian Medical Association Physician Wellness Hub
This Hub provides reliable wellness tools and resources to empower physicians, medical learners and leaders to create change in the culture of medicine.

Community Collect YYC
Community Connect YYC is a collaborative of Calgary-based agencies committed to helping community members quickly and easily access mental health and other social support services.

Vital Signs

Vital Signs began in 1996 as a black-and-white stapled newsletter. It evolved over the years, eventually becoming a sleek and modern digital magazine until it was discontinued in 2020. To learn more about the history of Vital Signs and those who helped create it over the years, take a look at the final issue.

Archives
Click on links below to view each year's issues in pdf format.