Accountability: September 2010 Archives

Wednesday September 29, 2010

Bonus Interview on Political Activism with Quebec College President

On my way to Sept-Iles to interview the doctors who threatened to resign to stop Terra Ventures from exploring for uranium, I swung my Montreal to chat with Dr. Yves Lamontagne, President of the Quebec College of Physicians.  His candid comments on the doctors' threat to resign made it into the Sept-Iles documentary.

But the good doctor and I had a much longer chat about the dos and don'ts of political activism in La Belle Province.  You can listen to our bonus conversation by clicking on the audio link below. 

Dr. Lamontagne has had a storied medical career.  A psychiatrist by training, Dr. Lamontagne has served both the public and the medical profession well in Quebec.  He is an author and is also a quite the crooner, with a successful singing career on the side.  In October, Dr. Yves Lamontagne steps down from the College to pursue his many other interests.

We wish him a satisfying transition.

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Categories: Accountability, Blog Archives, Green Health Care, Health Professionals, Law & Ethics, Policy & Regulation

 

Wednesday September 29, 2010

Wednesday Mailbag

We had our usual high volume response to last week's show on MDs who are political activitists. 

Mary-Sue Haliburton of Nepean, Ontario writes:

"Dear Dr. Goldman, thank you for your extremely thoughtful presentation of the Quebec uranium issue and the individual and collective aspects of medical professional opinion in the debate in the public debate over the incipient mine.  There's a very real danger of contaminating the water supply.  As some residents pointed out, they would not want to raise their children in those circumstances.  I commend the doctors for standing up and objecting to uranium mining."

Dr. Peter Ross of Montreal said there are other stories in Quebec that merit a dose of MD activism.  "Dear Brian, I used to practice emergency medicine like you.  I have changed careers and am now studying environmental science.  I loved your show today about the Sept-Iles doctors.  Even more worrisome is shale gas drilling in Quebec and the widespread contamination of our watershed.  It's our privilege to practice and our duty to protect."

It's a duty not all of us make the time for.  The fact some physicians, nurses and other health professonals are willing to put their jobs on the line for their principles is something that merits our admiration.

 

Categories: Accountability, Family Medicine, Green Health Care, Health Professionals, Law & Ethics

 

Friday September 24, 2010

Put down the scalpel and raise a fist

You've probably heard it said it's impossible to fire a doctor, but have you ever wondered: what would it take to make one quit? Turns out a major threat to the health of your town.

This week on White Coat, Black Art we spend some time with a group of doctors from a small town up - way up - in northern Quebec. When they caught wind of a plan to move in a uranium mine, they threatened to go.

Then from revolutionary to evolutionary...we talk to an Alberta physician who's spent years learning the art and craft of political activism in the cause of injury prevention. He's got some stories to tell, and some hard-won do's and don'ts to share.

Click on the button over there on the right to download the podcast, or listen to the show now: 

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Categories: Accountability, Blog Archives, Family Medicine, Health Professionals, Law & Ethics, Past Episodes

 

• December 2011
  • Fri., 16 – Concussions and NHL Hockey: Past the Tipping Point
     
  • Thu., 15 – Park Your Frustration: Update
     
  • Thu., 8 – Generation Rx: Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 2 – Generation Rx: The Use and Abuse of Prescription Pain Medication
     
• November 2011
  • Wed., 30 – Generation Rx - The Role of Doctors in Opioid Abuse
     
  • Tue., 29 – Generation Rx: Four Days to Go
     
  • Thu., 24 – Generation Rx: Some Quick Thoughts
     
  • Tue., 22 – UK Report Slams Hospital Treatment of Seniors
     
  • Thu., 17 – Emergency Rooms Must Deliver Palliative Care
     
  • Tue., 15 – Park Your Frustration Mailbag
     
  • Thu., 10 – Marketing Medicine Mailbag
     
• October 2011
  • Fri., 28 – Park Your Frustration Show
     
  • Wed., 26 – Breaking Up Mailbag
     
  • Tue., 4 – Overdiagnosis = Overkill
     
• September 2011
  • Wed., 21 – Nurse Bullying Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 16 – Nurse Bullying Show
     
  • Wed., 14 – Personal Support Worker Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 9 – WCBA Season Debut: Personal Support Workers and Seniors
     
• August 2011
  • Mon., 29 – WCBA in the Summer: Will to Die Part 2 + Overdiagnosed
     
  • Wed., 10 – Do Mental Health Patients Fall Through the Cracks?
     
• July 2011
  • Tue., 26 – Before You Fire Your MD - Have a Chat
     
  • Tue., 12 – Beware of Small, Rural Hospitals
     
• June 2011
  • Thu., 30 – WCBA in the Summer: Boundaries Part One
     
  • Fri., 24 – The Perils of Involving MDs in Crime Prevention
     
  • Wed., 22 – Sleepy Residents Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 17 – U of A Med School Dean Resigns Amid Plagiarism Allegations
     
  • Thu., 16 – Unifinished Business Show Mailbag
     
  • Wed., 15 – Update on Alleged Plagiarism by University of Alberta's Dean Baker
     
  • Wed., 15 – Getting Past Vaccine Skepticism
     
  • Mon., 13 – Medical Deans Who Plagiarize Should Resign
     
  • Thu., 9 – Mental Health Show Mailbag
     
  • Tue., 7 – For Whom the Patient Call Bell Tolls
     
  • Fri., 3 – Mental Health Show
     
  • Wed., 1 – Diseases That Get No Respect Mailbag
     
• May 2011
  • Wed., 25 – To Err Is Medicine Mailbag
     
  • Wed., 18 – Nursing Home Violence Show Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 13 – Nursing Home Violence Show
     
  • Wed., 11 – Mother's Milk Mailbag
     
  • Tue., 10 – "Is There a Doctor on Board?"
     
  • Fri., 6 – Mother's Milk Show
     
  • Wed., 4 – Healthy Skepticism Mailbag
     
• April 2011
  • Wed., 20 – Election Show Mailbag
     
  • Thu., 14 – Overdiagnosed Mailbag
     
  • Wed., 13 – Beware of "Off-Label" Prescribing
     
  • Tue., 12 – Older Doctors: Update
     
  • Mon., 4 – Will to Die Mailbag
     
• March 2011
  • Thu., 31 – Older Doctors Mailbag
     
  • Tue., 29 – Taking Better Care of Seniors in the ER
     
  • Fri., 18 – Older Doctors Show
     
  • Thu., 17 – Concierge Mailbag
     
  • Wed., 16 – Does Your Doctor Check Your Medical Tests?
     
  • Thu., 10 – Breaking Up Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 4 – A Leaky Medical Gadget?
     
  • Tue., 1 – Rrrrroll Up the Rrrrrim to Live?
     
• February 2011
  • Fri., 25 – Good Samaritan show
     
  • Tue., 22 – Getting Older Drivers Off the Road: An MD's Lament
     
  • Thu., 17 – Listen to Me Mailbag
     
  • Tue., 15 – Beware the Blood Test Not Checked
     
  • Mon., 7 – Reverse Medical Tourism?
     
• January 2011
  • Thu., 27 – Hospital Fixer Mailbag
     
  • Thu., 27 – Wanted: Stories on Loved-Ones with Dementia Who Wander
     
  • Tue., 25 – Surgeons and Suicidal Thoughts: Behind the Mask
     
  • Mon., 24 – Why I Respect Eastern Health's CEO
     
  • Fri., 21 – The Hospital Fixer Show
     
  • Thu., 20 – Goldman on 'Q' With Jian Ghomeshi
     
  • Wed., 19 – Wednesday Mailbag
     
  • Thu., 13 – Thursday Mailbag
     
  • Mon., 10 – Patient Privacy: More to Come
     
  • Fri., 7 – Patient Privacy show
     
• December 2010
  • Mon., 20 – Patients with Early Alzheimer's Should be Told!
     
  • Fri., 10 – Lights and Sirens show
     
  • Thu., 9 – Sneek Peek: Our "Lights and Sirens" show
     
  • Wed., 8 – Public Health, Private Lives: Live Chat on December 8, 2010
     
  • Thu., 2 – Thursday Mailbag
     
• November 2010
  • Wed., 24 – Wednesday Mailbag
     
  • Mon., 22 – MS Zamboni Treatment: Where are We Now?
     
  • Thu., 18 – Thursday Mailbag
     
  • Tue., 16 – Can Doctors Impose Do Not Resuscitate Orders? They Can
     
  • Fri., 12 – In Sickness and In Health
     
  • Wed., 10 – Wednesday Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 5 – Healthy Design
     
• October 2010
  • Thu., 28 – Thursday Mailbag
     
  • Tue., 26 – ER Wait: Shame on ERs!
     
  • Fri., 22 – Sex, Lies and Medical Mistakes Episode
     
  • Wed., 20 – Wednesday Mailbag
     
  • Mon., 18 – More Excerpts from Our Townhall
     
  • Sat., 16 – 'To Err is Medicine' Townhall Episode
     
  • Thu., 14 – Sneak Preview of Our Medical Errors Town Hall
     
  • Tue., 12 – Town Hall Tonight
     
  • Fri., 8 – To Err Is Medicine? Meet Our Panel of Experts
     
  • Thu., 7 – To Err is Medicine? Anatomy of a Modern Problem
     
• September 2010
  • Wed., 29 – Bonus Interview on Political Activism with Quebec College President
     
  • Wed., 29 – Wednesday Mailbag
     
  • Fri., 24 – Put down the scalpel and raise a fist
     
  • Wed., 22 – Wednesday Mailbag
     
  • Wed., 15 – Wednesday Mailbag: Reaction to MS Show
     
  • Sat., 11 – WCBA Season Debut
     
  • Tue., 7 – Euthanasia Debate Heats Up in Quebec
     
• August 2010
  • Wed., 11 – Medical Errors: a list you don't want to ignore
     
  • Wed., 4 – Pharma-Sponsored Research: Good News Means Bias
     
• July 2010
  • Mon., 26 – MDs at the Root of Big Pharma's Influence