I saw the movie Hamnet last night. What in the world does a fictionalized account of Shakespeare's origin story have to do with health care? It turns out a lot. Art is a salve for the suffering. People in health care - patients, families and staff - all suffer. Art comforts the artist in the process of its creation. Art comforts those who witness it, as they see themselves reflected in the art. Hamnet was full of reminders for the present day. Hamnet reminds us that art is a

Health systems aren't machines. They are made of people. -Nina Larsson I attended Healthcare Workforce Canada’ s Symposium in Vancouver last week.  Thank you to the Canadian Medical Association for sponsoring my registration.   The Symposium offered two days of jam-packed learning. Here I humbly offer my own take-aways as a lay-person patient. We all know the healthcare workforce is suffering. Here’s what to do about it, according to the speakers at the Symposium.   1.   

I saw the film One Battle After Another  last week. I loved it so much. I was especially struck by the character of Sensei Sergio St....

Recently I was warned a number of times by a health care conference organizer to 'not be negative.' Alas, real-life health care is full...

My daughter at her nursing graduation with her brother. Workplace conditions for health care professionals have come sharply into focus...

A selection of Time Card Art from the Clocking in for Unpaid Labour Exhibit   Historically there have been protest songs .   Provocative...

Moms Julie Chou and Francine Boyer "Those who love people with disabilities...we need to speak." -Julie Chou The documentary Ben's Animals...

People I care for (and manage). I was fortunate enough to interview patient partner Terry Wilde recently for an article that I'm writing...

My last essay, Moms Need Other Moms , introduced the concept of ACT, which is Acceptance and Commitment Training . I completed my ACT...

Me recently at brunch with my mom friends. xo.   This is the first of a series about what the system calls peer support and I call...

Susannah Fox has written a new book called Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care . Her book overlaps...

Ella and Isaac holding their baby brother Aaron This essay was originally published in 2005 in the Globe and Mail. I gave birth to my...

I’ve been an advocate in health care for a long time. I first realized the care was being eroded from health care when I was a student...

I’ve read all the memoirs written by moms who have children with Down syndrome (including obviously my own) and I can report that Adelle...

People tell me that American politics are none of my business.   That’s not true.   They say that health care isn’t political.   That’s...

My youngest son Aaron, who is 21 years old and has Down syndrome, had a long-awaited specialist appointment today. I’ll share my...

Well is it dark enough? Can you see me?   - My Skin  by Natalie Merchant   Moral injury, distress and burn-out does not only happen to...

Lately I've been hearing a lot about cancer from: People being investigated for cancer. People who have a brand new diagnosis of cancer....

Early in July, I took three planes and travelled a total of 24 hours to get to the Mount Gambier site at Limestone Coast Local Health...

My husband, youngest son Aaron and I went on an impromptu 12-day trip to Australia in early July. Who spontaneously jumps on a 16-hour...