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 one of the creators of IVF, Dr. Baltz would go on to push fertility science to new heights. In this conversatio…

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-chair of the Campaign to Create Tomorrow. Ginger is an Ottawa Forty Under 40 recipient, a three-time RBC Women of…

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 career, he’s seen significant advancements in the technology used to treat patients facing a cancer diagnosis. You…

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 the Civic a reality 100 years ago and the pride when the new hospital opened its doors on November 27, 1924. T…

Kidney disease is a major health problem that affects around 4 million Canadians and 11 – 13 per cent of the population globally. Dialysis is an essential treatment that helps them maintain a quality of life – literally making the difference between life or death. The Ottawa Hospital has one of the largest renal programs in Canada, with more than 9…

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. Forgie talks about the hospital’s strategic plan for medical education and describes it as the boldest and most ambi…

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 pivotal role of an occupational therapist at the Rehab Centre and the special bond her team creates with patients,…

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 raised her hand to support the Campaign to Create Tomorrow and engage others to do the same. Listen to learn about …

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 allows them to move within the patient’s body — just like a video game — before surgery. It’s a whole new way of su…

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 in the On Track: First Episode Psychosis Program. She discusses the three-year program that cares for patients d…

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. Hear Heba’s story – one of our latest in the cancer journey series — and find out why cancer is not such a bi…

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. From there, his interest in medicine and research started to grow. Today, Dr. Tieu is an emerging leader at The …

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 hip-hop dancer. In this conversation, Phil talks about why he considers The Ottawa Hospital his home away from ho…

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 conversation, Dr. Aaron discusses his practice-changing research for cystic fibrosis and COPD. While he admits his re…

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 said it was time for her to have hip replacement surgery. Listen to hear more about Amy’s story and why she consid…

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 investigating ovarian cancer. You’ll learn about her dedicated team, and find out who are the unofficial members, an…

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 of survival, including two complex, 8-hour awake brain surgeries at The Ottawa Hospital to remove the tumour. …

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 Canadian hospital. In this episode, Dr. MacPherson talks about what it means to see this research become a reality,…

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 time, she was running her own business and the mother of two young children. The news was the shock of her life…

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, we go behind the scenes with the region’s stroke team to learn more about The Ottawa Hospital’s leading role in…

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, Holly Wagg shares the story of her widow’s journey with leukemia, as well as Julia’s decision to leave a legacy g…

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 board member of our research institute is standing alongside her granddaughter, Rebecca Leikin, who is undergo…

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 wartime experience and what led her to our hospital. She explains how our integrated trauma team comes together …

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 Groën, the Vice-President, Design Director at HDR — an architecture and engineering firm working on the project — …

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 cells in patients with septic shock. Early results are promising, and they could lead to innovative treatment opti…

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. She also dives into the role philanthropy plays in her life, including her family’s connection to The Ottawa Ho…

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, he describes the one simple question that sparked his interest in learning more about cancer, and you…

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 diagnosis and what it was like seeing care from the patient’s perspective. She also talks about witnessing the impac…

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 clinical care and research for stroke patients. Author of more than 34 papers to date, Dr. Lun received an honoura…

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 rollercoaster ride that led her to our hospital’s Canadian-first CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial — where she finall…

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 year. Listen to find out how he would best describe 2022, as well as: the donor stories that helped kick off th…

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 thrombectomy, where blood clots are plucked from the brains of patients suffering from ischemic stroke. You’ll learn more…

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 team that night and in the days and months ahead. In this episode, Travis is reunited with a member of his medical…

As a child growing up in northern Iran, Dr. Taha Azad was amazed as he watched the glow of fireflies. Today, he’s using the secret behind their glow to study cancer at The Ottawa Hospital and has big plans for the future. Dr. Azad is the 2022 recipient of the Worton Researcher in Training Award. Dr. John Bell described him as among the best post-do…

It's normal to get nervous before a doctor's appointment. Talking about personal health situations can be difficult. But it doesn't need to be. Dr. Erin Keely and Alicia Hilderley share their experiences with preparing for these meetings, and share tips on how to get the most out of appointments with your doctor. On Call: The Ottawa Hospital Podcas…

Born into a family of nurses, it might seem like a career in nursing was the natural choice for Mary Farnand. But it took her a little while to find her way there. Today, Mary is a nurse navigator at The Ottawa Hospital’s Ages Cancer Assessment Clinic and can’t picture doing anything else. She spends her days working with patients, advocating for e…

As a young athlete playing semi-pro soccer and studying overseas, Haydn Bechthold felt invincible. But a diagnosis of colorectal cancer at age 22 quickly changed that perspective. The news was a shock. He was young, active, and otherwise healthy. When Haydn was referred to The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, there was a full team assembled to care f…

Growing up in Mumbai, India, Dr. Pradeep Merchant dreamed of becoming a doctor. For the past three decades, he’s worked at The Ottawa Hospital as a leader in neonatology, advocating for our tiniest patients. He also sits on The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Board and Campaign to Create Tomorrow Executive Committee — dedicated to delivering the best he…

Philanthropy is a core value for Janet McKeage. It was instilled in her growing up in a military family and it’s reflected in the work she does today as a business leader in our community in her role at RBC. For Janet, philanthropy is not only about giving but about volunteering time for things that matter most to her, like The Ottawa Hospital. Tod…

Faced with an MS diagnosis at age 23, and with her condition deteriorating, Geneviève Bétournay turned to a groundbreaking MS stem cell transplant pioneered right here at The Ottawa Hospital. Geneviève shares the emotional journey since diagnosis, the life-changing moment of meeting Dr. Mark Freedman, and the raw reality of the treatment. She talks…

In the spring of 2022, Dr. Michael Rudnicki was formally admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society — the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific institution. He is one of only 12 Canadians to hold this honour. In our conversation, Dr. Rudnicki describes this as a pinnacle moment in his career. He explains how he prepared to be welcomed into …

Ten years ago, at the age of 16, Lukas Marshy was rushed to The Ottawa Hospital in medical distress and extreme pain. He needed our skilled neurosurgery team to treat a rare condition that resulted in a massive brain hemorrhage. In our conversation, Lukas explains how his condition deteriorated quickly that day, the calmness that came over him when…

The Ottawa Hospital is ahead of the game when it comes to data in healthcare. In fact, for two decades we’ve been exploring the role of “big data”, while other institutions are only getting started. Today, our hospital is a world-leader in this field and has ambitious plans to deploy one of the most advanced data analytics platforms in Canada, if n…

If you met Casey Delaney today, you’d never know the kindergarten teacher was once in a life-altering accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury and an uncertain future. Casey and her husband, Scott Labrosse, reflect on the hot summer day in 2018 that changed their lives. They discuss Casey’s extensive injuries, the specialized care she r…

At The Ottawa Hospital, we are harnessing biology to fight disease. Our hospital is home to a state-of-the-art Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre (BMC). It’s our unique contribution to one of the most advanced areas of scientific innovation. Dr. Jen Quizi is the Director of the Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre in the virus manufacturing facil…

Dr. Lynn Megeney is a senior scientist in the regenerative medicine program at The Ottawa Hospital. In this episode, he explains why he jumped at the chance to come to Ottawa instead of going south of the border, and the influence Drs. Ron Worton and Michael Rudnicki had on his career. He also shares why sometimes it’s good to “rock the boat”, like…

The Greenberg name in Ottawa has long been synonymous with service to the community and countless philanthropic projects. As Chair of the Campaign to Create Tomorrow — the largest fundraising campaign in our city’s history — Roger Greenberg continues his family’s legacy. In this episode, he discusses: why this role was important to him. his family’…

Tuberculosis (TB) was once one of the most common and deadliest infectious diseases in the world. Even to this day, it still impacts millions of people, with over 10 million new cases, and approximately 1.3 million deaths each year. Dr. Gonzalo Alvarez is a Respirologist and Scientist at The Ottawa Hospital. Much of his work is focused on TB resear…

On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation launched the historic $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow. This comprehensive fundraising campaign will transform healthcare not only in our community and across our country, but around the world. This episode brings you the official announcement from the New Campus Development site on…

Jess Lambert is training for her first marathon. It’s a feat for anyone, but just eight years ago, after a cliff diving accident, Jess didn’t know if she’d ever walk again. Today, she shares her story of being rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre by air ambulance, why she gives back to The Ottawa Hospital, and her message for others who are …