Jeff Powis

Contributor

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

3269 Contributions
by Max Binks-Collier

‘Liberty is at stake, but not just the liberty of the unvaccinated’: An interview with Arthur Schafer

Ethicist Arthur Schafer argues that vaccine certificates are a clearly ethical means of protecting the vulnerable, the unvaccinated, and our health-care system, thereby allowing us to return to something resembling our pre-pandemic way of life.

by Max Binks-Collier

‘Is it a violation of people’s rights? I would say it is’: An interview with Kerry Bowman

Ethicist Kerry Bowman says that vaccine certificates give him pause because they restrict people's movement, are divisive, and likely further disadvantage the marginalized – all while providing a benefit whose overall impact is hard to gauge.

by Keeley Watt Rachel Tkach Kyra Thompson Riley White Kathryn Preiss Jordyn Stratychuk Lisa Guirguis

Are pharmacists really the most accessible health-care providers?

Pharmacists claim to be the most accessible health-care providers – but recent research has found that pharmacies in Alberta are often not very accessible to people with disabilities or mobility issues.

by Marianne Apostolides

Health Canada’s controversial ‘regulatory sandbox’: Enabling innovation or lowering the bar for safety?

Health Canada has a controversial plan for regulating new, complex health tech. Instead of the old vetting and approval process, a company and the agency would decide the standards as they go. Does this enable innovation or put patient safety at risk?

by Nigel Rawson John Adams

Pharmacare reform pits affordability against access to novel drugs

For many Canadians, important pharmaceuticals are too expensive. But initiatives by the Trudeau government and a federal regulator to combat this problem won't help Canadians access new, life-saving, but costly medicines. Just the opposite.

by Maddi Dellplain ... ...

Vaccine Hunters looks forward to the day it isn’t needed anymore

During the pandemic, Vaccine Hunters Canada became a household name because the group worked around the clock to help Canadians get vaccinated. We're profiling the group as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

by Fredrick Martyn

Telemedicine proves its value for trans and non-binary community

The pandemic has led to a rise in virtual care, which has increased access to primary care for the transgender and non-binary communities. But this trend highlights the relative lack of gender-affirming care available through traditional primary care.

by Miranda Caley

Musician, aspiring writer – and one of Ontario’s toughest medical officers of health

Lawrence Loh, Peel Region’s medical officer of health, worked tirelessly to promote public health in one of Ontario's worst-hit COVID-19 hotspots. We're profiling him as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

by Miranda Caley

‘We’re doing this together’: Researcher advocates for transparency and community involvement

Kate Mulligan, member of the Toronto Board of Health, has kept the public informed of discussions and debate at the board while also helping empower front-line community health leaders. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

by Mary-Kay Whittaker

Hospitals ‘bleeding out’ as nursing shortage intensifies

Nurses are leaving the profession in large numbers. Due to Ontario's wage-restraint legislation, poor working conditions, and other issues, all hospitals are bleeding out. But some advocates have ideas for how to retain nurses before it's too late.

by Anne Borden King

Our Surgeries, Ourselves

Columnist Anne Borden King combines meticulous research with moving reflections about living with breast cancer to expose an overlooked form of medical paternalism and explore the thought-provoking relationship between one’s body and most intimate self-image.

by Tim Li

To eliminate food insecurity, we must dismantle anti-Black racism

A recent study broke down how race is connected to factors that lead to food insecurity. The findings point to anti-Black racism as the underlying reason for the disparity in food insecurity between Black and white Canadians.

by Miranda Caley

‘We deserve better’: Health centre director advocates for marginalized communities

Cheryl Prescod is the executive director of a community health centre that was on the front lines of vaccinating the inhabitants of a disadvantaged area of Toronto. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

by John Fralick Michael Fralick

Episode 28 – Asthma and Urinary Tract Infections

by Zahra Hasan

Compassion fatigue, burnout, PTSD: Health-care professionals need protection

We need to protect the mental health of health-care professionals suffering from compassion fatigue, burnout and PTSD due to the pandemic. Here's how we can start.

by Cassandra Felske-Durksen

Decolonizing the swab

To many Indigenous peoples, a swab represents colonial Euro-Canadian medicine. It represents colonialism itself. So how do we as physicians decolonize the swab?

by Healthy Debate Staff

Heart & Stroke survey highlights growing concerns for patients and health professionals

People living with heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment are worse off – both physically and mentally – because they have not been able to access the care they needed during the pandemic, according to a recent survey.

by Larry W. Chambers Rebecca Correia

Dementia care in need of province-wide network in MINT condition

Ontario does not have a standardized primary care model for dementia. But for other prevalent health conditions, Ontario has provincial clinical networks. Such a network should be established for dementia care too. Here's why.

by Rachel Watts

COVID-19 fallout an opportunity to fix crisis in care

Sharon Straus is a geriatrician and physician-in-chief at St. Michael’s Hospital, among other leadership roles. We're profiling her as a Pillars of the Pandemic honouree.

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