Janet Kushner-Kow

Contributor

Dr. Janet Kushner-Kow is the physician program director of elder care at Providence Health Care and division head of geriatric medicine at the University of British Columbia.

3256 Contributions
by Stephanie Sarmiento Jesse McLaren

Denying paid sick days is driving the pandemic

Bill 247 would legislate 10 paid sick days. No government should vote against paid sick days in the middle of a pandemic—again.

by Anne Borden King

Proposed guidelines on alternative medicine must be enforced to stem the tide of misinformation

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario doesn't go far enough in updates it is making to its policy about doctors' use of alternative medicine.

by Bryony Lau

‘Their lives are at risk’: Variants heighten concerns at meat plants

Canada's slaughterhouses have been the sites of large COVID-19 outbreaks. New safety protocols are not enough to keep workers out of harm’s way in the face of variants, advocates say.

by Gabrielle Bauer

COVID messaging for Year 2: We’ve had a year of sticks. It’s time for carrots

Communications about COVID-19 have wielded the pointy stick of shaming to keep people in line. It’s time to retire those sticks and bring out a few carrots.

by Lene Andersen Laurie Proulx Catherine Stratton Emily Sirotich

COVID-19 and the forgotten disability community

Canadians pride themselves on diversity, inclusion and public health care. But COVID-19 has shown how people with disabilities are consistently left behind. Now is the time that changed.

by Michael Fralick John Fralick

Episode 23 – Rapid Fire!

by Sandor Demeter

Finding the balance between public health ethics and medical ethics

Restrictive pandemic control strategies can have significant adverse consequences. Governments must use established public health ethical frameworks to guide their imposition.

by Casandra Boushey Sarah Willms

Pandemic highlights need for psychiatric EDs

Canada is undergoing a mental health crisis exacerbated by COVID-19, but hospital emergency departments are not suited for mental health emergencies. We need psychiatric EDs.

by Larry W. Chambers Madeleine Smith

As isolation nears its dreary end, we need a plan for brain health

As we emerge from the pandemic, we need a plan to optimize physical health and ensure good vision and hearing to enable people to stay sharp and reduce isolation and depression.

by Janette Leroux

We all need somewhere ‘to go’: Paucity of public washrooms is clogging up efforts to get outside and stay safe

During the pandemic, being physically active outside is crucial to staying healthy and safe. But how can we enjoy the outdoors without public washrooms?

by Joanna Cheek

Home and horny? Sex during a pandemic

As the social restrictions of COVID-19 have stalled many sex lives, they’ve also sparked a sexual revolution for others by encouraging conversations about sex and pleasure.  

by Shohinee Sarma

Celebrating the richness of plural identities

A South Asian woman reflects on how "a coalition of young Brown women" and Black neighbours helped her grow into herself while studying for her master's of public health in Harlem.

by Pooja Gandhi Arnav Agarwal

Health Care in Hues: Navigating Changing Tides

Our latest installment of Health Care in Hues, a monthly feature that uses art to comment on the state of health care in Canada.

by Catharine Chambers

Comparing vaccines: efficacy, safety and side effects

Do you have questions about vaccines in Canada? Epidemiologist Catharine Chambers compares the four vaccines now approved in Canada.

by Paul Taylor

Patient Navigator: Will we need annual COVID-19 shots?

Will we need annual COVID-19 shots the way we need yearly flu shots? Paul Taylor explains what we do and don't know about how variants will affect vaccination efforts in the long term.

by Ahmed Bagit Wendy Wang Amirpouyan Namavarian Abdulwahab Sidiqi Saad Ahmed

To catch up on vaccinations, we must include family doctors, pharmacists in rollout plans

It is only through primary and community care that we will be able to vaccinate populations that are neglected and/or mistrustful of the health-care system.

by Milena Forte Warren Rubenstein

Teaching and learning to trust: the essence of medicine

The practice of medicine is predicated on trust. Our patients trust that we will do what is in their best interest. But how should we trust those we are teaching to be doctors?

by Matthew Herder

Biopharmaceuticals, Financialization & Nationalism in the Age of COVID-19

Canada spent a lot of money on a COVID-19 therapeutic that has been a flop. The deal reflects the financialized state of drug development and the nation-state's failure to stop it.

by Amy Tan

‘Painful and difficult’: A BIPOC woman’s journey in medicine

Navigating the medical profession has been a painful and difficult journey. How far have we come in ensuring that women can thrive within the system?

by Maeve Gamble

‘Do we have space to pump’: Another barrier for female physicians

More than half of Canada’s young doctors may be women, but our hospitals force breastfeeding physicians into shower stalls, bathrooms, hallways and makeshift lactation spaces.

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