Dr. David Kaiser, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Direction régionale de santé publique du Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, QC
The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging impacts on all of us, affecting mental and physical health, in addition to dramatically increased pre-existing health inequalities. The pandemic layers onto a context of multiple, overlapping crises – climate breakdown, social isolation and loneliness, homelessness, opioids, polarization. The impacts of the pandemic, notably the failure to take care of the most vulnerable people and communities, point to a need for transformative change in the way our health systems operate. Effective and appropriate decision making regarding public health measures during the pandemic has been hampered by siloed approaches, inadequate or absent mechanisms for integrating field data and feedback from the frontline, and a failure to include individuals and communities in crucial conversations. And yet, the pandemic has also highlighted incredible strengths and opportunities. How can collaboration and connection transform our capacity to improve health and reduce health inequalities in a world in crisis and work towards a collective vision of health for all?
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
- Identify how one’s own leadership as a clinician can improve the health and well-being of patients and communities;
- Describe ways in which collaborative practices can improve decision making and care delivery in a crisis context; and
- Understand the importance of social connection in reducing the impacts of a crisis on marginalized and vulnerable patients and populations.
CanMEDS Roles Addressed: Collaborator, Health Advocate, Leader
