Pulse: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Podcast

Dr. Robert Fahed is one of only four interventional neuroradiologists and stroke neurologists in Canada. In this episode, he discusses the innovative and ever-evolving stroke treatment happening at The Ottawa Hospital, including thrombectomy, where blood clots are plucked from the brains of patients suffering from ischemic stroke. You'll learn more about what he means by thrombectomy "home runs",...

On a cold night in December 2019, Travis Vaughan was rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre after a snowmobile crash in rural Ottawa. He had a critical leg injury and was losing blood quickly. It was all hands on deck for his care team that night and in the days and months ahead. In this episode, Travis is reunited with a member of his medical team, orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Geoff Wilkin. Travi...

As a child growing up in northern Iran, Dr. Taha Azad was amazed as he watched the glow of fireflies. Today, he's using the secret behind their glow to study cancer at The Ottawa Hospital and has big plans for the future. Dr. Azad is the 2022 recipient of the Worton Researcher in Training Award. Dr. John Bell described him as among the best post-doctoral candidates he's had the pleasure of mentori...

Born into a family of nurses, it might seem like a career in nursing was the natural choice for Mary Farnand. But it took her a little while to find her way there. Today, Mary is a nurse navigator at The Ottawa Hospital's Ages Cancer Assessment Clinic and can't picture doing anything else. She spends her days working with patients, advocating for efficient and high-quality care. Mary is with each...

As a young athlete playing semi-pro soccer and studying overseas, Haydn Bechthold felt invincible. But a diagnosis of colorectal cancer at age 22 quickly changed that perspective. The news was a shock. He was young, active, and otherwise healthy. When Haydn was referred to The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, there was a full team assembled to care for him. While traditional treatments were initiall...

Growing up in Mumbai, India, Dr. Pradeep Merchant dreamed of becoming a doctor. For the past three decades, he's worked at The Ottawa Hospital as a leader in neonatology, advocating for our tiniest patients. He also sits on The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Board and Campaign to Create Tomorrow Executive Committee — dedicated to delivering the best healthcare to our community for generations to come....

Philanthropy is a core value for Janet McKeage . It was instilled in her growing up in a military family and it's reflected in the work she does today as a business leader in our community in her role at RBC. For Janet, philanthropy is not only about giving but about volunteering time for things that matter most to her, like The Ottawa Hospital. Today, as the Board Chair of The Ottawa Hospital Fou...

Faced with an MS diagnosis at age 23, and with her condition deteriorating, Geneviève Bétournay turned to a groundbreaking MS stem cell transplant pioneered right here at The Ottawa Hospital.    Geneviève shares the emotional journey since diagnosis, the life-changing moment of meeting Dr. Mark Freedman, and the raw reality of the treatment. She talks about the progress she witnessed afterward and...

In the spring of 2022, Dr. Michael Rudnicki was formally admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Society — the world's oldest and most prestigious scientific institution. He is one of only 12 Canadians to hold this honour. In our conversation, Dr. Rudnicki describes this as a pinnacle moment in his career. He explains how he prepared to be welcomed into the oldest scientific association in the world and...

Ten years ago, at the age of 16, Lukas Marshy was rushed to The Ottawa Hospital in medical distress and extreme pain. He needed our skilled neurosurgery team to treat a rare condition that resulted in a massive brain hemorrhage. In our conversation, Lukas explains how his condition deteriorated quickly that day, the calmness that came over him when he was told he needed brain surgery to save his l...

The Ottawa Hospital is ahead of the game when it comes to data in healthcare . In fact, for two decades we've been exploring the role of "big data", while other institutions are only getting started. Today, our hospital is a world-leader in this field and has ambitious plans to deploy one of the most advanced data analytics platforms in Canada, if not the world. Dr. Alan Forster , Vice-President o...

If you met Casey Delaney today, you'd never know the kindergarten teacher was once in a life-altering accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury and an uncertain future. Casey and her husband, Scott Labrosse, reflect on the hot summer day in 2018 that changed their lives. They discuss Casey's extensive injuries, the specialized care she received from our hospital, the neurosurgeon Casey...

At The Ottawa Hospital, we are harnessing biology to fight disease. Our hospital is home to a state-of-the-art Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre (BMC). It's our unique contribution to one of the most advanced areas of scientific innovation. Dr. Jen Quizi is the Director of the Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre in the virus manufacturing facility and is an investigator at our research institu...

Dr. Lynn Megeney is a senior scientist in the regenerative medicine program at The Ottawa Hospital. In this episode, he explains why he jumped at the chance to come to Ottawa instead of going south of the border, and the influence Drs. Ron Worton and Michael Rudnicki had on his career. He also shares why sometimes it's good to "rock the boat", like with his recent global research collaboration on...

The Greenberg name in Ottawa has long been synonymous with service to the community and countless philanthropic projects. As Chair of the Campaign to Create Tomorrow — the largest fundraising campaign in our city's history — Roger Greenberg continues his family's legacy. In this episode, he discusses: why this role was important to him. his family's decision to make the single-largest healthcare d...

On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation launched the historic $500-million Campaign to Create Tomorrow . This comprehensive fundraising campaign will transform healthcare not only in our community and across our country, but around the world. This episode brings you the official announcement from the New Campus Development site on Carling Avenue. Guest speakers include: Cameron...

Jess Lambert is training for her first marathon. It's a feat for anyone, but just eight years ago, after a cliff diving accident, Jess didn't know if she'd ever walk again. Today, she shares her story of being rushed to The Ottawa Hospital Trauma Centre by air ambulance, why she gives back to The Ottawa Hospital, and her message for others who are facing similar health challenges. (25:34)

Through a $2-million donation from TD Bank Group, The Ottawa Hospital will create the new TD Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIM) Hub that will accelerate the development and use of AI in healthcare. This could be a game-changer for patients not only in Ottawa but also across Canada and around the globe. In this episode, our guests include: Dr. Doug Manuel, senior scientist Eric Thor, Ottawa...

In March 2015, Ashley Ruelland was driving to a bachelorette party in Mont Tremblant, when she was hit head-on by another car that crossed over the centre line on a Quebec highway.  She was rushed to The Ottawa Hospital's Trauma Centre and spent nine months in hospital. Ashley shares her story including: enduring over 100 hours of surgeries. how she woke up from a coma to learn she was a functioni...

Dr. Grace Christou is a hematologist in the leukemia program at The Ottawa Hospital.  In this episode, she discusses MDS (myelodysplastic syndromes) and how it was once known as pre-leukemia but it's now recognized as a form of cancer. Dr. Christou also talks about the team approach to caring for patients, the impact of research, and her special bond with patients. And, she explains why she didn't...

With each cancer diagnosis, a patient and their family face a difficult and uncertain future. Stu Schwartz, better known as Stuntman Stu, takes us through his personal cancer journey starting when he received a leukemia diagnosis in 2016. Stu talks about: the initial hours and days following his diagnosis. the physicians and nurses who have been by his side and why he will always champion nurses....

The Grass Family Men's Health Clinic opened in late 2021. It's a new, dedicated space to provide excellence in men's health and research. Dr. Stuart Oake takes us inside the new clinic — a first-of-its-kind in Canada — to explain the impact it will have on patients in the future and the role philanthropy played in making it a reality. (17:37)

A made-in-Canada CAR-T therapy clinical trial offers new hope to patients with leukemia or lymphoma. Dr. Natasha Kekre, a hematologist and an associate scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, is leading the development of Canada's first CAR-T research platform. In this conversation, Dr. Kekre takes us behind the scenes to learn more about this groundbreaking clinical trial, she discusses the future for...

Meet Jeannette Cheng, a registered nurse at The Ottawa Hospital. Jeannette talks about the car crash in 2007 that brought her to our Trauma Centre — she was suffering from life-threatening injuries. She'll share the moment during her care that would redefine her career path and she explains what her role means to her today. Jeannette also discusses working on the COVID-19 unit, the biggest challen...

Meet Dr. Dean Fergusson — this year's recipient of the Grimes Career Achievement Award. As a senior scientist specializing in transfusion medicine at The Ottawa Hospital, Dr. Fergusson's research has already saved thousands of lives and improved blood transfusions for millions of people around the world. In this episode, he talks about his research that changed the practice of medicine "almost ove...