Pulse: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Podcast

In this episode, Rockland's Mathieu Chatelain shares the extraordinary story behind his mission to run 100 kilometres in 12 hours and raise $100,000 for The Campaign to Create Tomorrow. What begins as a conversation about an ultramarathon quickly becomes a deeply personal journey — from the childhood moment when The Ottawa Hospital saved his father's life, to the emotional discovery that the surge...

Dr. Doug Manuel joins Pulse to talk about how The Ottawa Hospital is becoming a global leader in AI ‑ powered care — from ER decision tools to AI scribes that give clinicians more time with patients. He shares why AI ' s future in healthcare is both exciting and nerve ‑ wracking, and why " the most important thing right now is talking about it " as Ottawa shapes a more human, more connected model...

In Episode 121 of Pulse, we sit down with Dr. Nicholas Fabiano — a rising researcher whose journey into psychiatry began with a broken bone and an unexpected lesson in the mind–body connection. We explore how physical trauma shaped his understanding of mental health, why exercise is emerging as a powerful treatment for depression, and how community movement can support emotional well ‑ being. This...

This episode of Pulse takes listeners behind the scenes of the partnership between the Ottawa Hospital Foundation and RBC, the presenting sponsor of our podcast. Host Melanie Adams speaks with Glenn Sheen, Regional Director of Marketing and Citizenship at RBC, about why the organization is deeply invested in community health and the future of care in Ottawa — a future that every one of us will rel...

Danika Fleury was newly married and building a life she loved when a sudden breast cancer diagnosis — and the return of severe endometriosis symptoms — upended everything. In this episode of Pulse, we hear from Danika and Dr. Sony Singh about the groundbreaking imaging, virtual‑reality planning, and expert surgical care at The Ottawa Hospital that uncovered the true extent of her disease and helpe...

When sudden, severe abdominal pain led to a diagnosis of an aggressive and rare "double‑hit" lymphoma, Ted Wagstaff found himself facing the unthinkable.  Pulse  follows Ted's journey through intensive, highly personalized treatment at The Ottawa Hospital, guided by hematologist Dr. Kevin Imrie and a collaborative team determined to outpace a fast‑moving disease.  

Melanie Adams opens her first episode as host of Pulse by welcoming a familiar face — former host Shelley McLean — for a heartfelt conversation about her many years with The Ottawa Hospital Foundation and the deeply personal experiences that connect her to the hospital. Shelley reflects on how her family's cancer journey shaped her passion for research, why new clinical trials offer so much hope,...

Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng is Head of Critical Care at The Ottawa Hospital. He's also a researcher and advocate for patients, through media interviews and his own podcast — Prevention Over Prescription . On top of all that, he's a co-chair of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation's $500 million  Campaign to Create Tomorrow . In this conversation, Dr. K, as he's known, takes us into the day in the life of hi...

Dr. Dawn Stacey has dedicated her career to improving patient decision-making processes and helping implement better systems for healthcare providers to guide patients and their families through their options. She is a Senior Scientist and Co-Scientific Director of the Patient Decision Aids Research Group at The Ottawa Hospital, and the 2025 recipient of the Grimes Career Achievement Award. In thi...

Annie Grenon has strong ties to The Ottawa Hospital.  She was a patient for kidney care years ago and, more recently, for a pulmonary embolism. She's also seen both of her grandchildren born at the Civic Campus, and her late husband received cancer care. It was when her husband was diagnosed with a rare cancer that their family came together to discuss leaving a gift in their will to The Ottawa Ho...

Dr. Safraz Mohammed is a neurosurgeon at The Ottawa Hospital specializing in the brain and spine. In this engaging conversation, you'll hear what led him to neurosurgery and how he's helping educate the next generation of medical talent. Dr. Mohammed also takes us behind the scenes of the highly skilled neurosurgical team at our hospital and shares an important message about the impact of philanth...

The Ottawa Hospital is creating a comprehensive epilepsy program — a one-stop shop that will be a changemaker for patients. As a key part of bringing specialized, state-of-the-art care to the region, The Ottawa Hospital completed its first-ever stereo EEG procedure in January 2025. Dr. Tad Fantaneanu, the Medical Director of the Epilepsy Program, shares the exciting developments in the program and...

Ottawa businesswoman Helen Tang knows what it means to reinvent yourself and to find your passion in life. Today, her passion includes leading with purpose, and that's why she's joined the Campaign to Create Tomorrow .  In our conversation, Helen discusses her connection to our hospital and how it compelled her to give back, the life lesson from her father that guides her professionally and person...

The Ottawa Hospital is taking a leadership role to reshape the future of healthcare. Hear from Cameron Love, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, as he shares the ambitious plans that will focus on 21st-century needs and innovations, looking beyond to not only care for the patient in the hospital, but also support the person in the community. (37:00)

From a front-line nurse to a leader in healthcare, Suzanne Madore reflects on her 35 years at The Ottawa Hospital. She looks back on her early days as a nurse, her first love of cancer care, and her progression into leadership. She dives into the unique role of The Ottawa Hospital, supporting its community hospital partners and the impact it has on patients. Suzanne also looks at how she will cont...

When Chantal Theriault was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease at age 37, two names came to mind — Mohammed Ali and Michael J. Fox. De spite the shocking news, she faced it head-on, relying on specialized care at The Ottawa Hospital and immersing herself in leading-edge clinical trials to help others like her. She's also added in a little bit of humour along the way. (23:51)

The Ottawa Hospital is a global research powerhouse. In this conversation, Dr. Rebecca Auer, the Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation, discusses how our hospital is recognized worldwide for its scientific discoveries. You'll learn how the patient is at the centre of all our research and the importance of integrating research into every aspect of care at The Ottawa Hospital. We tackl...

In the spring of 2023, Katie Skidmore was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder known as anti-GBM. It attacked her kidneys and left her critically ill. While she recovered from the disease, she was left without functioning kidneys and Katie learned to navigate her new world of being on dialysis. While that was happening, she actively searched for a living donor. Then, on September 12, 2024, Ka...

The Ottawa Hospital's mental health program provides early diagnosis and treatment of severe mental illness. Major depressive disorder is a mental health condition in which someone is feeling very low and not able to enjoy things the way they normally would over a prolonged period. It's persistent and can go on for months or even years but there is hope. In this episode, we learn more about depres...

Brandon Peacock was an innocent victim of a shooting in June 2020. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After being rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre by ambulance with a life-threatening injury, a team of medical experts was ready. Today, Brandon's here to share how that moment changed his life. (28:19)

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 conversation, Dr. Baltz talks about when the first test-tube...

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 Influence nominee, and a fierce advocate for wom...

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'll find out why our hospital is described as one...

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 . Tim discusses the parallels between what we're se...

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 ambitious she has ever seen. You'll hear about TOH's p...