Pulse: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Podcast
Health, Fitness & Longevity
About
Pulse will introduce you to the patients, healthcare providers, researchers, and donors of The Ottawa Hospital. You'll hear how they are reshaping the future of healthcare through new discoveries, expanding treatments, improving patient care, and philanthropy.
Episodes
- Episode 121: Mind, body, and the break that changed everything
In Episode 121 of Pulse, we sit down with Dr. Nicholas Fabiano — a rising researcher whose journey into psychiatry began with a broken bone and an unexpected lesson in the mind–body connection. We explore how physical trauma shaped his und…
- Episode 120: It's not 'if' — it's 'when'
This episode of Pulse takes listeners behind the scenes of the partnership between the Ottawa Hospital Foundation and RBC, the presenting sponsor of our podcast. Host Melanie Adams speaks with Glenn Sheen, Regional Director of Marketing an…
- Episode 119: "We can't stand for this anymore."
Danika Fleury was newly married and building a life she loved when a sudden breast cancer diagnosis — and the return of severe endometriosis symptoms — upended everything. In this episode of Pulse, we hear from Danika and Dr. Sony Singh ab…
- Episode 118: Ted Wagstaff's "Toughest Mudder": Inside the race to treat a rare form of lymphoma
When sudden, severe abdominal pain led to a diagnosis of an aggressive and rare "double‑hit" lymphoma, Ted Wagstaff found himself facing the unthinkable. Pulse follows Ted's journey through intensive, highly personalized treatment at The O…
- Episode 117: A conversation with Shelley McLean
Melanie Adams opens her first episode as host of Pulse by welcoming a familiar face — former host Shelley McLean — for a heartfelt conversation about her many years with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and the deeply personal experiences th…
- Episode 116: A conversation with Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng
Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is Head of Critical Care at The Ottawa Hospital. He's also a researcher and advocate for patients, through media interviews and his own podcast — Prevention Over Prescription . On top of all that, he's a co-chair of…
- Episode 115: Dr. Dawn Stacey on empowering patients to make informed decisions
Dr. Dawn Stacey has dedicated her career to improving patient decision-making processes and helping implement better systems for healthcare providers to guide patients and their families through their options. She is a Senior Scientist and…
- Episode 114: Annie Grenon's family legacy for a healthier tomorrow
Annie Grenon has strong ties to The Ottawa Hospital. She was a patient for kidney care years ago and, more recently, for a pulmonary embolism. She's also seen both of her grandchildren born at the Civic Campus, and her late husband receive…
- Episode 113: Meet neurosurgeon Dr. Safraz Mohammed
Dr. Safraz Mohammed is a neurosurgeon at The Ottawa Hospital specializing in the brain and spine. In this engaging conversation, you'll hear what led him to neurosurgery and how he's helping educate the next generation of medical talent. D…
- Episode 112: Dr. Tad Fantaneanu on building a comprehensive epilepsy program
The Ottawa Hospital is creating a comprehensive epilepsy program — a one-stop shop that will be a changemaker for patients. As a key part of bringing specialized, state-of-the-art care to the region, The Ottawa Hospital completed its first…
- Episode 111: Helen Tang and the power of one
Ottawa businesswoman Helen Tang knows what it means to reinvent yourself and to find your passion in life. Today, her passion includes leading with purpose, and that's why she's joined the Campaign to Create Tomorrow . In our conversation,…
- Episode 110: Cameron Love on reshaping the future of healthcare
The Ottawa Hospital is taking a leadership role to reshape the future of healthcare. Hear from Cameron Love, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, as he shares the ambitious plans that will focus on 21st-century needs and innovations,…
- Episode 109: Suzanne Madore reflects on 35 years at The Ottawa Hospital
From a front-line nurse to a leader in healthcare, Suzanne Madore reflects on her 35 years at The Ottawa Hospital. She looks back on her early days as a nurse, her first love of cancer care, and her progression into leadership. She dives i…
- Episode 108: Chantal Theriault is kickboxing her way through Parkinson's
When Chantal Theriault was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease at age 37, two names came to mind — Mohammed Ali and Michael J. Fox. Despite the shocking news, she faced it head-on, relying on specialized care at The Ottawa Hospi…
- Episode 107: A conversation with Dr. Rebecca Auer
The Ottawa Hospital is a global research powerhouse. In this conversation, Dr. Rebecca Auer, the Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation, discusses how our hospital is recognized worldwide for its scientific discoveries. You'll…
- Episode 106: The "magnetic draw" to help Katie Skidmore get a new kidney
In the spring of 2023, Katie Skidmore was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder known as anti-GBM. It attacked her kidneys and left her critically ill. While she recovered from the disease, she was left without functioning kidneys and…
- Episode 105: Understanding depression with Dr. Andrew Greene
The Ottawa Hospital's mental health program provides early diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness. Major depressive disorder is a mental health condition in which someone is feeling very low and not able to enjoy things the way t…
- Episode 104: The moment that changed shooting victim Brandon Peacock's life
Brandon Peacock was an innocent victim of a shooting in June 2020. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After being rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre by ambulance with a life-threatening injury, a team of medical experts…
- Episode 103 Dr. Jay Baltz: Helping eggs and embryos become healthy babies
When Dr. Jay Baltz, senior scientist emeritus at The Ottawa Hospital, first started in his field, researchers struggled with a puzzle that blocked the progress of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Through pioneering research and his work with…
- Episode 102: Ginger Bertrand — "It starts with us."
As the Founder and President of Gab Group Inc., Ginger Bertrand is a leading communications professional, award-winning publicist, talent agent, and business owner. She loves her hometown of Ottawa and we're thrilled to have her as a co-ch…
- Episode 101: Behind the scenes of our radiation medicine program
Dr. Miller MacPherson is the Head of Medical Physics at The Ottawa Hospital. In this conversation, he takes us behind the scenes to better understand the radiation medicine program at The Ottawa Hospital's Cancer Centre. Throughout his car…
- Episode 100: Celebrating a century of care at the Civic
From reflections on the Civic's 100th to planning for the next century of care in Eastern Ontario – Tim Kluke, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, joins the 100th episode. He looks back on how the community rallied to make…
- Episode 99: Dr. Melissa Forgie & TOH's ambitious plan for medical education
From a very young age, Dr. Melissa Forgie had her sights set on medicine. Today, as the Vice President of Medical Education at The Ottawa Hospital, she is shaping the next generation of healthcare providers. In this conversation, Dr. Forgi…
- Episode 98: The pivotal role of an occupational therapist
Frankie Nadeau is a senior occupational therapist at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. She's dedicated more than two decades to caring for patients, combining her knowledge and humour. In this conversation, she talks about the piv…
- Episode 97: Jill Barr and the next generation of giving
Jill Barr is a young professional who has stepped forward to help lead the next generation of philanthropy. As a childhood cancer survivor, Jill has a unique perspective on the importance of having state-of-the-art healthcare. She has rais…
- Episode 96: A Canadian surgical first thanks to VR technology
It's not just the stuff you see in science fiction movies anymore. VR technology is changing the way complex surgeries are planned. Picture a virtual reality system taking hundreds of medical images and giving a surgeon a 3D view that allo…
- Episode 95: Getting On Track with psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Brandigampola
The Ottawa Hospital's mental health team provides early diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness to patients across Eastern Ontario. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sarah Brandigampola , a psychiatrist at our hospital who works…
- Episode 94: Making sure cancer isn't a big scary word
When Heba Haidar was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, her world came to a grinding halt. She was on maternity leave, with three young children under the age of five, and she worried about what the future might hold for her and her family…
- Episode 93: A big bang of influence
As a young boy, Dr. Alvin Tieu likely saw himself becoming a professional athlete because of his love of sports. But there was a shift in grade 7 — science became more interesting, and he decided to write an essay on the Big Bang theory. F…
- Episode 92: RN Phil Nguyen's home away from home
Registered Nurse Phil Nguyen exudes energy — whether he's caring for patients on 5W in the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Unit at the General Campus, teaching the next generation of healthcare workers at uOttawa, or busting a move as a hi…
- Episode 91: Breaking barriers: Dr. Shawn Aaron's award-winning journey in cutting-edge research
Dr. Shawn Aaron's path to research wasn't planned. In fact, his goal was to become a physician and care for patients with lung disease, but that all changed when he came to The Ottawa Hospital and fell in love with research. In this conver…
- Episode 90: Amy Volume considers our ortho team the real rock stars
Faced with an autoimmune disorder since childhood, rock radio announcer Amy Volume has been a patient of The Ottawa Hospital for about 20 years. More recently, she started losing mobility in one leg and that's when her orthopaedic team sai…
- Episode 89: Unlocking discoveries in ovarian cancer
Meet Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden – a senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital who's held the inaugural Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research since 2000. In this episode, Dr. Vanderhyden talks about why she's devoted her career to inves…
- Episode 88: Stefanie Scrivens still going strong after specialized brain surgery
After nearly a decade of mini seizures, Stefanie Scrivens was diagnosed with a rare form of a brain tumour at only 20 years old — that was in 2009. She would be one of the first to benefit from a new treatment option to increase her chance…
- Episode 87: A first for gay men's health in Canada
Dr. Paul MacPherson is a longtime advocate for gay men's health. In 2023, he was named the first Clinical Research Chair in Gay Men's Health at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. This chair is a first of its kind in any Cana…
- Episode 86: How breast cancer turned Alison Hughes' world upside down
UPDATE: Sadly, Alison passed away on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. We offer our deepest condolences to all those who loved her and we remain profoundly inspired by her. Alison Hughes was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 37. At the…
- Episode 85: Big breakthrough could be coming for most deadly kind of stroke
Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi is a stroke neurologist and senior scientist at our hospital. He is leading the Canadian site of a global research trial that could change how we treat the deadliest and least treatable form of stroke. In this episode,…
- Episode 84: How Julia Wagg's legacy is giving others an extra shot at life
Before Julia Wagg passed away in 2017 at age 36, she decided to leave a gift in her will to support cancer research. She was inspired by a young 'spitfire' doctor and researcher who cared for her at The Ottawa Hospital. In this episode, Ho…
- Episode 83: Former Ottawa mayor and her granddaughter fuel cancer research
When Jackie Holzman, the former mayor of Ottawa, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, she went public with her story hoping to encourage people to get a mammogram and to further advance research at The Ottawa Hospital. Now, the former…
- Episode 82: From war zone to Ottawa Hospital trauma team – a journey of lifesaving care
Dr. Jacinthe Lampron is a trauma surgeon and the medical director of The Ottawa Hospital's Trauma Program. She's also a reserve medical officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, where she served in Afghanistan. Dr. Lampron shares with us her w…
- Episode 81: Go behind the scenes of the new hospital campus
The Ottawa Hospital's new state-of-the-art campus will be the most patient-centred and technologically advanced research hospital in the country. Simply put, it will revolutionize how we deliver healthcare. In this episode, Jason-Emery Gro…
- Episode 80: How stem cells may hold a clue into treatment for sepsis
Sepsis accounts for almost 20% of global deaths annually, and the search for answers has been decades in the making. However, The Ottawa Hospital is taking a big step forward in the next phase of a world-first clinical trial using stem cel…
- Episode 79: Kathryn Tremblay and "What's possible?"
Kathryn Tremblay is the CEO and co-founder of Canada's leading independent staffing firm – Altis Recruitment. In this episode, she discusses her billboard message "What's possible?" and how that's shaped her professionally and personally.…
- Episode 78: One simple question fuels career in cancer research
Dr. Meshach Asare-Werehene is the Immuno-Oncology Program Lead in the Tsang Lab at The Ottawa Hospital, specializing in gynecological cancers. Since he was a young boy growing up in Ghana, he was curious and always asked questions. In this…
- Episode 77: A cancer journey through a different lens
After dedicating 27 years of her career to The Ottawa Hospital, Denise Picard-Stencer was shocked when she found herself back at the hospital in 2019 — this time as a patient. Denise shares her cancer journey after a multiple myeloma diagn…
- Episode 76: Young neurologist pushing the boundaries in stroke research
From a young age, Dr. Ronda Lun was fascinated by neuroscience and the brain — you could say it came naturally, as her father was a neurosurgeon. But today, Dr. Lun is carving out her own career path at The Ottawa Hospital, focusing on cli…
- Episode 75: CAR-T clinical trial gives Camille Leahy 'one last shot'
When Camille Leahy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 35, it was a devastating blow. Despite many rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, her cancer kept returning. In this episode, she talks about the roller…
- Episode 74: Creating Tomorrow and a lasting legacy
The year 2022 was an important one at The Ottawa Hospital Foundation with the launch of the historic Campaign to Create Tomorrow . In this episode, Tim Kluke, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, looks back at the momentous…
- Episode 73: "Disruptive" innovation improves stroke care
Dr. Robert Fahed is one of only four interventional neuroradiologists and stroke neurologists in Canada. In this episode, he discusses the innovative and ever-evolving stroke treatment happening at The Ottawa Hospital, including thrombecto…
- Episode 72: Snowmobiler's harrowing crash and lifesaving care
On a cold night in December 2019, Travis Vaughan was rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre after a snowmobile crash in rural Ottawa. He had a critical leg injury and was losing blood quickly. It was all hands on deck for his care tea…