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:

  • Jan. 24, 11:00am – 12:00pm MT:  The Confluence is hosting Blackfoot Fireside Stories at the former site of Fort Calgary Historical Park. This ticketed event is held outdoors around a fire, providing participants an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the diverse Indigenous cultures that make up Treaty 7. Another session take place on Jan. 31.  Details and registration here

  • Feb. 3, 10:00 – 11:00am MT:  Join an online workshop on Weight Stigma: An Evidence Update for Medical Educators, hosted by the CSM Office of Faculty Development. Weight-based bias remains common in clinical training and can unintentionally affect diagnosis, clinical reasoning, and patient trust. This workshop reviews current evidence on weight and health, clarifies misconceptions, and helps faculty align their teaching and clinical modeling with up-to-date, patient-centred best practices. (Also offered in person at Foothills campus on Feb. 4 noon). Information and registration here

  • Feb. 12, 12:00 – 1:00pm MT:  Join the One Child Every Child Equitable Pathways Reading Group as they discuss Working Together: Practicing the Science of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by Mikki Hebl and Eden King, every second Thursday until June 11. Join in person or online. More details and registration here

Articles and Resources:

  • Statistics Canada’s Insights on Canadian Society released an article on the availability of Health Services in a Patient’s Own Official Language.  This study examines how distance to health care facilities, alongside regional and sociodemographic factors, relates to access to language-concordant care for the official language minority population in Canada.

  • Dr. Malinda Smith, UCalgary’s AVP of Research – EDI, recently wrote an op-ed on Diversity Strengthens Discovery, highlighting how Nobel Laureates recognize how diversity produces high-quality research, teaching, and innovation.

  • Proposal submissions are now being accepted for the Conference on Postsecondary Learning and Teaching, hosted in April 2026 by the UCalgary Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. The 2026 conference theme is From Disruption to Connection: Digital Transformation in Postsecondary Education, with a great number of potential session topics, including those with an EDIA slant.  More information on submitting a proposal by the Jan. 9 deadline here

    Recordings of recent webinars, podcasts and presentations:

  • The Canadian Race Relations Foundation and The Globe and Mail have released a recording of Finding Common Ground: Systemic Racism in Canada – Policy Opportunities, a recent event in Calgary that explored plans and strategies to tackle racism and discrimination, with a focus on actionable policies to create a more equitable Canada.

  • The Alberta Human Rights Commission has several webcast series on YouTube discussing topics such as Understanding and Preventing Harassment in the Workplace, Gender Discrimination, and Duty to Accommodate.

     

     

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.