Jeff Powis

Contributor

Jeff Powis is an infectious disease specialist at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto.

3387 Contributions
by Darren Cargill

Tapping into the power of hope

Learning about a patient’s hopes can create an opportunity for both special intervention and improve goals of care conversations and assist doctors in crafting a care plan that will optimize the chances of these dreams coming true. The Oneday Dreams charity offers the hope for better quality of life to patients with terminal illness.

by Maddi Dellplain ... ...

Provinces have charted their own paths, but should all adults in Canada have access to second boosters of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Canadian provinces and territories have gone their own ways on the advisability and availability of fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses. But should the general population be eligible for a fourth dose at this time? Or are we better off waiting? We asked a group of experts to weigh in.

by Natasha Correa Samira Jeimy

‘There aren’t many options for people like me’: A Q&A on living with food allergies

Rates of food allergy have increased in recent decades. 9 per cent of Canadians now report having a food allergy.

by Jeffrey Mo

Hunt is on for helium; rising cost has some hospitals turning to new MRI models

The rising costs and difficulty of sourcing helium, partly because of the war in Ukraine, have led to the development of new MRI machines that use significantly less helium.

by Justine Baek

Re-evaluating visitor restrictions

While visitor policies have undoubtedly helped prevent COVID transmission in hospitals, as we move away from a crisis response to COVID-19, caregivers and families may once again be able to support patients alongside their health-care teams.

by Stephanie Keeling

Clinical trial disruptions in Ukraine a little-known consequence of war

The Russian invasion has upended hundreds of clinical trials and interrupted the delivery of life-saving treatments, with devastating consequences for both Ukrainians and Russians.

by Catherine Varner

Let’s not be smug: Canada has much work to do in caring for pregnant women

At a time when there is impetus to preserve reproductive rights globally, in Canada there must be an emphasis on patient-centred approaches to education, policies and models of care for miscarriage - the most frequent complication of early pregnancy.

by Winnie Tsang

Togethering – An array of flexible housing options

The latest in the Togethering series looks at the spectrum of common housing options available to seniors and provides a roadmap for conversations with the elders in your life.

by Darren Cargill

Palliative care (still) in need of better PR and a new spokesperson

Palliative care has an image problem. We need to find someone who can get the message across to the thousands of Canadians who could benefit from a palliative approach to care and those who care for them.

by Sabina Vohra-Miller

What we can learn from the evolution of guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic

The only absolute in science is that there are no absolutes. Throughout the pandemic, recommendations have changed based on new data. For the public, this may come across as flip-flopping, but in actuality, it is simply that we are making the best decisions possible in the current context.

by Graham Dickson

How to deal with ‘wicked problems’

This month’s Top Three focuses on the "wicked problems" spurred on by the network of health and social issues created by the pandemic. Addressing these issues will require leadership focused on solutions through a systems-based lens.

by Erin Ariss

Ontario’s health-care system is failing women. Will the Ford government step up?

If we want to ensure an equitable Ontario, we need a government that recognizes the contributions of the many women workers providing health-care services to the people who live and work here.

by Michelle Cohen

Gender segregation, pay inequity. Understanding the ‘pink-collar’ tier in medicine

Understanding the history of health care’s gender segregation, the basis for today’s “pink collar” tier of female-dominated specialties, could help current efforts to improve pay equity in medicine.

by Darren Cargill

On fathers: Paying tribute to those in my life and career

My job gives me an interesting perspective. The simplest lesson I have learned is this: At the end of life, it is not what we have done that we remember most, but it is the things we did not do that we regret.

by Sandor Demeter

The dangers of ‘political capture’ for clinicians and scientists

The influence of politics on scientific endeavours has resulted in polarization and politicization of pandemic related issues.

by Inori Roy

Medical council considering alternatives to ‘outdated’ licensing exam

The MCCQE II, a Medical Council of Canada licensing exam, is considered by some critics to be an outdated and unnecessary burden. Temporarily paused by the pandemic, the MCC will soon decide whether and how the exam will return - and what role it will play in the changing world of medical education.

by Rachel Lebovic

Why I talk about mental illness when stigma tells me I shouldn’t

There is stigma surrounding the illness that nearly took my life and it will be hard for people to look beyond my past. But we will never break the stigma by continuing to give into it in remaining silent.

by Vivek Govardhanam

Call the ‘brown doctor’: A case for language-sensitive delivery of health care

In a multicultural city like Toronto, it only makes ethical and financial sense to provide language-sensitive care in hospitals. Without it, culturally sensitive communication is incomplete.

by Darren Cargill

No need for super heroes. What we need is the will to fix our health-care system

Panels have been stuck. Articles and reports have been written. But Canadians will have to stay informed and involved if we want to improve our health-care system.

46 of 170