How do you safeguard Canada’s public health in an era of unprecedented upheaval — from the growth of health misinformation and conspiracy theories to advice from Dr. Google and looming pandemics? That is the role of Canada’s new chief public health officer, Dr. Joss Reimer — a physician from Manitoba and former president of the Canadian Medical Association — who began her new job on April 1, 2026.

In this wide-ranging interview, host Avis Favaro talks with Dr. Reimer about the origins of her commitment to public service, how sleep deprivation and burnout were turning points in her career, what her work in Nairobi taught her about looking beyond our borders and how leading Manitoba’s COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce shifted how she communicates.

This episode is available in English.

Episode transcripts can be found on our podcast web page.

Learn more about the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Say hello on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also stay up to date on the latest news and upcoming releases with our monthly newsletter.

Vous préférez les balados français? Voyez le Balado d’information sur la santé au Canada.

Every day across Canada seniors who live in long-term care are sent to hospital for medical care, some in their final days of life. In fact, according to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, nearly one in five transferred from long-term care to the ER die within a day - meaning they were likely near end of life. Which raises the question, were these transfers necessary, ethical and what the residents really wanted?

Host Avis Favaro talks with Jill Oliver, an ethicist from the William Osler Health System in Brampton, Ontario about a new program called POET, which stands for the Prevention Of Error-based Transfers. The aim - to make sure residents have their wishes respected, especially at the end of life. And two members of a LTC home that adopted POET - Lindsay Passfield and Lori Norris-Dudley - describe the profound difference the program has made in the life and death of the residents they care for

This episode is available in English.

Episode transcripts can be found on our podcast web page.

Learn more about the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Say hello on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also stay up to date on the latest news and upcoming releases with our monthly newsletter.

Vous préférez les balados français? Voyez le Balado d’information sur la santé au Canada.

There are some 3.8 million men across Canada who are 65 and older- with studies showing once they leave the workforce they lose connections, friendships, and purpose. Loneliness in this group boosts the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and even suicide.

So how do you help keep this large and growing group of older Canadians mentally and physically healthy, and out of hospital and long-term care? We're going to introduce you to something called "Shedicine” - or Shed Medicine. These are men's groups - called Men's Sheds- sprouting up across the country and around the world. They’re turning sawdust, tools, and hobbies into conversations and companionship. And it's medicinal, say advocates.

It's an important example of the power of community senior support programs. Surveys show that over 90% of older Canadians want to stay in their homes and their communities. So, Canada needs to tap into the over 8,000 independent groups like Men's Sheds to keep seniors physically and mentally healthy.

In this episode host Avis Favaro talks with Robert Goluch, President of Men’s Sheds Canada, about this relatively new program to help older men stay happy, healthy and living longer and Raza Mirza, a gerontologist and chief operating officer of Help Age Canada, a non-profit charity that works with community-based senior service organizations to keep seniors in their communities and out of hospital.

This episode is available in English.

https://www.youtube.com/@MensShedsCanada

https://www.linkedin.com/company/men-s-sheds-canada/

https://www.instagram.com/menssheds_canada/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Mens-Sheds-Canada/61573205204280/

Episode transcripts can be found on our podcast web page.

Learn more about the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Say hello on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, or subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can also stay up to date on the latest news and upcoming releases with our monthly newsletter.

Vous préférez les balados français? Voyez le Balado d’information sur la santé au Canada.