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:

  • Sept. 30 is Truth and Reconciliation Day / Orange Shirt Day, a day to learn and reflect about the history and intergenerational impact of Canada’s Indian Residential School System, to recognize that Every Child Matters and a day to come together in the spirit of hope and reconciliation.

    In the leadup to this important day in Canada, and in recognition of Treaty 7 Day (Sept. 22) check out the following events:  

    • Spark Science Centre is providing special programming on Sept. 27 from 10:00am – 3:00pm MT for visitors to explore ancestral land, Residential Schools and Indian Day School, the 94 Calls to Action, and reconciliation journeys.

    • The CSM’s Indigenous Health Office is hosting a webinar featuring a conversation on Anti-Indigenous Racism in Emergency Care, with Dr. Esther Tailfeathers and Dr. Patrick McLane on Sept. 29, 12:30 – 1:30pm MT.

    • UCalgary’s Office of Indigenous Engagement and the Calgary Public Library are hosting a screening of the documentary, WaaPaKe (Tomorrow) on Sept. 29, 6:00 – 8:00pm MT at the Central Library. This deeply personal film explores the intergenerational impacts that the Canadian Indian residential school system.

    • Oct. 2, 9:00 – 10:30am MT: The Health Equity Hub at the O’Brien Institute for Public Health is presenting an interactive virtual workshop, Planning for Impact in Health Research: A Hands-on Knowledge Mobilization Workshop. Participants will explore key elements to map how their health research can lead to actionable change, guided by a structured planning approach. Open to researchers, staff, trainees and community partners working as part of research teams. Details and registration here

    Articles and Resources:

  • The Equi’Vision data visualization tool offers easy-to-use, comparable information about workforce representation and pay gaps among federally regulated employers. It helps users see trends in employment equity for women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities across Canada. 

  • The recently published article, Birthing Injustice: Unmasking Structural Racism and the Illusion of Reconciliation in Indigenous Perinatal Care in Canada, Insights from the RESPCCT Study, reveals how Indigenous people in continue to experience systemic racism, disrespect, and loss of autonomy within the healthcare system, particularly in the context of pregnancy and childbirth.

  • A recent article in The Conversation Canada, Alberta’s Education Reforms tell Students Public Life is Safest when Differences are Hidden, authored by a UCalgary faculty member, describes how the Alberta government, through changing schools’ educational mandate in conjunction with legislation restricting the flying of Pride flags among other symbols, erases marginalized youth.

    Recordings of recent webinars, podcasts and presentations:

  • The Canadian Poverty, Health Equity, and Climate Change initiative and the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health hosted a webinar that explored the connections between poverty, the climate crisis, women’s health, and health equity.

  • The Docs With Disabilities Podcast has released a three-part series that examines the consequential decisions that disabled healthcare providers make about whether, when, and how to disclose a disability. Episode One focuses on the Decision to Disclose. Episode Two discusses Medical Culture, Stigma, and What Prevents Disclosure. Episode Three looks at Creating the Conditions for Disclosure.

  • Late in ‘88 is a podcast hosted by Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda, two friends from grade school who share their experiences of growing up queer and gender non-conforming in Calgary in the 1980s and ‘90s. The podcast series hosts special guests and experts including grade school classmates, curriculum professors, clinical psychologists, and experts in their fields.

     

     

Physician Wellness

Resources available to support you in your wellness:

The Well Doc Initiative
The Well Doc Initiative (comprised of “Well Doc Alberta” and “Well Doc Canada”) is a non-profit organization that advances a collaborative, co-operative approach to physician wellness by working with interested groups and organizations across Canada. They aim to help physicians, physician groups, and healthcare system leaders embed policies, practices, and programs in their healthcare systems to proactively enhance the wellness of physicians across Canada.

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.