Ahs Podcasts

In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with AHS — talks about how healthcare workers can take care of their mental health and how to de-stress at work.

The latest CEO podcast shines a spotlight on the importance of health information management. The AHS Health Information Management (HIM) team manages, maintains and provides support in all aspects of health information, from collection and use to access and disclosure. Their work touches or is touched by all AHS clinical and business services. HIM is woven throughout AHS in places such as switchboard, registration in a clinical setting, as well as record retention throughout the organization. This helps to facilitate healthcare delivery, patient safety and health- and business-related decision-making. Joining the podcast to tell us more are: • Kathleen Addison, Senior Provincial Director, Health Information Management. • Karen Carlson, Executive Director, Health Information Management, Operational Practice.

In this Mental Wellness Moment installment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for AHS Addiction and Mental Health — discusses the role boredom plays in maintaining good mental health and ‘recharging’ the brain.

This CEO Podcast shines a spotlight on one of our most innovative programs, eSIM—which stands for educate, simulate, innovate, motivate. Simulation facilities re-create clinical events enabling participants to practise their skills in an interactive, real-world experience with the chance to learn from mistakes without causing any harm. Last year, the program supported more than 2,100 simulation sessions involving around 18,500 learners—and 154 of these sessions took place in rural and remote areas. Their rural simulation training bridges the gap between theory and practice, equipping healthcare practitioners with vital skills for quality care delivery specific to rural needs. Joining the CEO Podcast to tell us more are: • Tara Fuselli, eSIM education program lead. • Anna Maria Mundell, rural simulation consultant.

The latest CEO Podcast highlights some of the great work that’s being done by the Indigenous Support Line. The support line is for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples, including youth and Elders, living on or off reserve, in a settlement or in cities and towns. It helps callers navigate the healthcare system, connect them with resources and cultural supports, and offers immediate support for addiction and mental health concerns. No call is turned away, and the Indigenous listener helps guide the caller through each step in the patient’s healthcare journey. This toll-free, confidential phone service is the first of its kind in Canada to connect Indigenous callers and service providers with Indigenous health professionals. Joining the podcast to tell us more are: • Andrea Jackson, program manager of the Indigenous Support Line. • Melissa Creyke, mental health therapist and Indigenous listener with the support line.

Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director with AHS Addiction and Mental Health — talks about supplements and vitamins, especially Vitamin D, and whether they can affect mental health.

Our People Survey opens Sept. 12, and is a chance for AHS staff and physicians to share thoughts on what it is like working at AHS and how our systems and actions are supporting patient safety. Joining the CEO Podcast to tell us more are: • Thora Eyford, Director of People Experience, Talent Management Strategies. • Deb Scharff, Director, Patient Safety Learning & Improvement. • Dr. Sharron Spicer, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Physician Experience.

In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with Alberta Health Services — talks about what causes sleep problems and how to sleep better.

Aug. 31, 2023, is International Overdose Awareness Day. In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health — talks about the importance of reducing stigma around addiction.

This week's CEO Podcast shines the spotlight on some important work being done at AHS to support children with pediatric feeding disorders. Difficulty eating and swallowing is associated with significant health risks and increased use of medical services, not to mention family stress. The Pediatric Eating and Swallowing Project — or PEAS — is working to enhance and standardize interdisciplinary practice around eating, feeding and swallowing, to get the best outcomes for our patients and their families. Over the past three years, their work has resulted in fewer emergency visits and hospitalizations due to pediatric feeding disorder, more families receiving a care plan, more timely access to services, and a high satisfaction rating from families. Joining AHS President and CEO Mauro Chies to tell us more are: • Nancy Whelan, speech language pathologist, Children's Rehabilitation Services, Vermilion Community Health. • Dr. Justine Turner, medical lead of the Pediatric Home Nutrition Support Program.

In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with Alberta Health Services — talks about how getting outdoors, especially in green spaces, can improve one’s mental well-being.

The Summit: Marian and Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience opened in Calgary earlier this year. Joining the AHS Vlog to talk more about this youth mental health facility are program manager Ryan Clements and Saifa Koonar, President and CE) of the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation.

In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with Alberta Health Services — talks about the importance of monitoring your mental health even after a disaster or emergency has passed. There can be a delayed response or reaction that requires attention or, in some cases, professional treatment.

As a healthcare organization, AHS is trusted with huge volumes of confidential information, and a lot of the work we do depends on our IT infrastructure. Every person at AHS has an important role to play in safeguarding privacy and information security in our organization—and that’s where InfoCare comes in. InfoCare is the main source of support for privacy and information security matters at AHS, and it promotes organization-wide awareness of these key topics. For the past month, we’ve been holding the first- nnual InfoCare celebration at AHS to recognize the importance of these topics. Joining the CEO Podcast to tell us more about the positive impact InfoCare has on AHS and how they support staff are: • Victoria Lane, Chief Privacy Officer and Legal Counsel • Robert Martin, Chief Information Security Officer

This final episode for spring 2023 interviews expert Doug Gross who spends his time learning more about long COVID research, leading research studies and interpreting data around COVID-19 and long COVID.

Calgary’s new cancer centre opens next year, enabling patients to access to comprehensive cancer care services in a world-class facility. Joining the CEO Podcast to tell us more are Dr. Don Morris, Clinical Department Head of Oncology and Facility Medical Director for the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the new cancer centre; and Wendy Beauchesne, CEO, Alberta Cancer Foundation.

In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with AHS — talks about the common phases that many people go through when dealing with a disaster.

Patients and families are at the heart of everything we do and it’s important they share their healthcare experiences with us. Their feedback helps improve our programs, services and the care we provide. We encourage people to speak with their care team. They can also share their feedback with our Patient Relations department, which listens and responds with privacy and respect, gathers information and follows up on patient or family concerns. There is also the Office of the Alberta Health Advocates through the Ministry of Health. It empowers Albertans to be effective advocates in their own health and healthcare, and provides support and advocates for a healthcare system that is responsive and accountable to the people being served. Joining the AHS Podcast to talk about their roles are: • Sharon Berry, Patient Concerns Officer & Executive Director, Patient Relations • Catherine Douglas, Health and Mental Health Advocate, Alberta Health.

In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with AHS — talks about common responses to stress in children and teenagers, and what adults can do to help young people deal with a disaster or emergency.

In this Mental Wellness Moment, Dr. Nicholas Mitchell — Provincial Medical Director for Addiction and Mental Health with Alberta Health Services — says listening is key when helping family members or friends as they deal with a disaster or emergency.