The HQ

In celebration of #HIPWeek2025, we’re revisiting one of our most insightful conversations from The HQ Podcast archives — featuring Monique Rasmussen , Regional Director, Coding & Informatics at Providence Health . Originally released in 2022, this special re-release highlights timeless lessons in health information, leadership, and its impact of health human resources. If this episode has insp...

The issues of workplace violence and workforce safety have quickly become among the most important topics we’re having in healthcare today. Every healthcare worker has the right to a safe workplace that is free from violence and other hazards. However, in healthcare, there is a persistent challenge in how to balance this right with the duty to care. Conversations about workplace violence are now f...

In this special episode of The HQ Podcast, we explore one of the most difficult—and most important—of healthcare topics: suicide. A conversation about suicide likely seems fraught and fearful to most people. Even health professionals, who may be in some of the best positions to save someone from harm, can struggle with where to begin and what to say. How personal should you be, and how vulnerable...

Over the past 5 years in particular, there has been a lot of discussion about human resources, or HR – but what does this include … and what more could it mean? In episode 61 of The HQ Podcast, we explore HR in its capacity to be a strategic lever for transformation in healthcare. Far beyond transactional processes, HR has the power to (re)shape the future of our health systems—especially during t...

Across Canada, healthcare leaders are turning awareness into action when it comes to environmental sustainability—and the momentum is growing. In this episode of The HQ Podcast, we highlight a powerful example of what’s possible when a health system embraces sustainability not just as a goal, but as a guiding principle for innovation, equity, and long-term impact. Joining us is Bryan Witt, Vice Pr...

Canada’s healthcare system is at a critical juncture as it continues to face workforce challenges with respect to capacity —a challenge which had long persisted before the pandemic made it into a crisis. The gap between the number of healthcare professionals needed to deliver quality care and the actual supply of available professionals is huge and will continue to widen over the next 10 years if...

The current trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada and other countries would have real consequences for our healthcare systems which are still not fully recovered from the impact of the COVID pandemic. A resurrected policy issue, tariffs are now at the centre of economic and political discourse, raising urgent questions for all health care organizations, leaders, and governments. The proposed...

Season 4 of The HQ podcast begins with a compelling discussion on what continues to be one of the most pressing issues: planetary health. Healthcare professionals face the dual challenges of responding to the impact our shared climate crisis is having on health and health equity, as well as adapting our health system to lessen its massive contribution to this problem. As such, this episode invites...

In this thought-provoking episode of The HQ, we continue our exploration into the interconnectedness of healthcare and planetary health. Building on previous discussions about climate change, environmental sustainability, and the broader social impact of our consumptive healthcare practices, we now take a deeper dive into alternative approaches that challenge the prevailing systems. Our guest, Dr....

In this episode of The HQ , we explore a crucial yet little discussed issue in healthcare: the environmental – and social – harms caused by our medical supply chains. These challenges became particularly evident during the pandemic, when global supply chains were pushed to the brink, highlighting our dependence on foreign production for critical medical items like masks and gloves. Yet the issue o...

In this episode of The HQ, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Leigh Chapman, Canada’s Chief Nursing Officer. With the ongoing challenges facing our healthcare workforce, as highlighted by the Snapshot of Canada’s Healthcare Workforce, a benchmarking survey of HealthCareCAN member institutions, this conversation could not be more timely or important. The survey reveals that notwithstanding...

Welcome back to The HQ podcast, where we continue our insightful series on Planetary Health. In our last episode, Dr. Husein Moloo introduced the concept of planetary health, providing valuable insights on how we can shift from eco-anxiety to eco-action. His discussion laid the foundation for understanding the broader impact of environmental sustainability within the healthcare sector. Today, we d...

Did you know that healthcare is one of the largest contributors to pollution, waste, emissions, and overall environmental harm? As such, The HQ podcast is starting a series to examine and discuss this in more detail. In this first episode, we explore the concept of planetary health, an area of growing importance around the world and within the healthcare sector. Joining us to unpack this complex a...

Burnout is a widespread system issue that significantly impacts healthcare professionals today. The consequences are far-reaching, contributing to a healthcare system in crisis as professionals leave their jobs or struggle to continue in increasingly overwhelming conditions. How can we address this pervasive issue? What is getting in our way? Is it a matter of knowing what to do, a lack of resourc...

Welcome to a special milestone episode of The HQ Podcast! And what better way to celebrate our 50th episode than with another inspiring and critically important conversation. Today, we dive into a topic that's rapidly reshaping all parts of our lives, including the future of healthcare: artificial intelligence (AI). Dale’s conversation with Dr. Muhammad Mamdani, Vice President of Data Science and...

In episode 49 of The HQ Podcast, Dr. Allen Power, Schlegel Chair in Aging and Dementia Innovation at the Schlegel—University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging in Ontario and keynote speaker at the upcoming Walk With Me 2024 conference, joins us to explore the relationship between leadership, culture change, and organizational transformation all so very critical to changing our approach to l...

In this thought-provoking episode of The HQ podcast, we dive into one of the critical topics surrounding the future of healthcare delivery and a key solution out of  the health human resource (HHR) crisis healthcare is facing today. With a special focus on the concepts of models of care and scope of practice, we explore the challenges and practical solutions to reshaping the healthcare landsc...

In episode 47 of The HQ podcast we discuss the fundamental role Canadian health research plays not only in uncovering game-changing new discoveries, but also in improving healthcare and health systems around the world. From the discovery of insulin in 1921 to directing decades of scientific research that led to the development of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to combat COVID-19, Canadian health re...

In episode 46 of The HQ podcast, we're exploring a topic at the heart of our health and well-being: Nutrition. With March marking National Nutrition Month, we're taking a closer look at the complexities surrounding nutrition and its profound impact on our health, especially as we age. Joining us once again is Professor Heather Keller, the Schlegel Research Chair in Nutrition & Aging at the Uni...

In this thought-provoking episode of The HQ, we explore several different dimensions of aging and the innovations in seniors’ and long-term care and what it means to age well in Canada. For this conversation, we are joined by Zannat Reza, Director of the Future of Aging social impact team at SE Health, co-lead of the COUR AGE : Action for Better Aging initiative, and host of SE Health's own podcas...

To kick off Season 3 of The HQ podcast, we are honoured to welcome an internationally distinguished expert in mental health, Dr. Javeed Sukhera. As Chair of Psychiatry at the Institute of Living (IOL) and Chief of Psychiatry at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, Dr. Sukhera brings invaluable insights to our discussion about structural stigma in the healthcare system, as it relates to thos...

Welcome to Episode 43 of The HQ. In this heartening episode, we are joined by Zofia Dove, a seasoned expert in Geriatric and Palliative Care with over 30 years of international healthcare experience. Through her best-selling book "Unexpected Gifts" and numerous speaking engagements, Zofia emphasizes the importance of compassionate communication, especially in caring for those in the final stages o...

In Episode 42 of The HQ podcast, we are joined by Kevin Hayes, Senior Advisor, Clinical Ethics at the University Integrated Health and Social Services Centre for West-Central Montreal. What happens when healthcare professionals step into someone else's home? During our conversation, we explore the concept of "home" and the ethical complexities of providing services in a place that is home to other...

For Episode 41 of The HQ Podcast, we have the privilege of welcoming Kathleen Ledoux, a distinguished nurse with extensive experience in clinical, leadership, and academic roles, to engage in a discussion on compassion in healthcare. Kathleen, who has published both research and commentary on compassion, explores with us what it is to be compassionate, where compassion comes from, and its integral...

Welcome to episode 40 of The HQ Podcast! In this episode, we continue our special series exploring the critical and compelling issues equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in healthcare. Our conversation moves beyond the need for these principles; it focuses on the actionable steps organizations can take to enable genuine culture change. As previous guests of The HQ have pointed out, creating inc...