Prospering with Young-Onset Parkinson's

Canada’s nursing shortage is so dire that many provinces are stepping up efforts to recruit nurses from the Philippines. And as producer Stephanie Dubois discovered from Manila, that recruitment process is a well-oiled machine with a lot of players involved. From the Philippines government, to recruiters, to nursing schools, the message to nurses is clear: better opportunities only exist abroad.

Primary care providers don’t always recognize menopause symptoms for what they are, focusing instead on whether they’re a sign of a more serious problem. And not all know that menopausal hormone therapy is a safe and effective treatment for many women. We explain why that’s the case, and the range of treatments that can help women.

Health-care workers are making sure they're ready for increasingly severe wildfire seasons. An EMS manager and hospital co-ordinator share how they evacuated high-needs patients from northern Alberta towns affected by wildfires in 2023. And how their best practices have already been tested this year.

Dr. Erin Sullivan worked a gruelling schedule as a family doc in rural Saskatchewan, struggling to balance ER shifts with a busy family practice–while lacking the system support she craved. She explains why she decided to retool her career when it had barely started.  

A single book can have the power to help us heal. A panel of celebrated physicians and nurses, along with members of the audience, weigh in on the books that inspired them at a live event recorded at Hamilton’s Central Library, hosted by Dr. Brian Goldman. 

Judith Morrison needs a kidney. While she's on dialysis, her sister Catherine is putting out a public plea for a living donor. But the search has been hard. And if they do find a donor, the sisters say that person will have to go through a long and opaque testing process - one that experts say needs to be improved across Canada.

Provinces are permitting pharmacists to prescribe for minor ailments, but in Alberta, pharmacists have been doing that and much more for 15 years. Because of their expanded powers, they’re filling gaps in health care. But it’s raising questions about the line between pharmacists and family doctors.

Sharon Chakkalackal was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s at 38. Now, two years later, Sharon’s life is transformed – but not for the worse. Her days are filled with self-care, including exercise and community involvement, to treat and slow her symptoms. Dr. Brian Goldman joins Sharon on her volunteer gardening shift to learn how she's gleaning good from the not-so-good.

At 28 years old, Dr. Soania Mathur was building her medical practice and expecting her first child. Then, she was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease. She tried to ignore her diagnosis for a decade, but as the symptoms progressed, she had to close her practice. Now, the self-described "Unshakeable MD" uses her experience as both a patient and a doctor to advocate for especially young people living with Parkinson's, as up to 10% of patients are under 40.

Attracting a family doctor to work in a community is challenging, with fewer physicians choosing family medicine. That's why Cheryl Gnyp, the recruiter for Castlegar, B.C., needs to stand out. She uses the board game Operation and specialized coffee as part of her 10-minute sales pitch to potential recruits at conferences. It can take years before a doctor starts working in the community, but she’s in it for the long haul.