Pulse: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation Podcast

The Ottawa Hospital is taking a leadership role to reshape the future of healthcare. Hear from Cameron Love, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, as he shares the ambitious plans that will focus on 21st-century needs and innovations, looking beyond to not only care for the patient in the hospital, but also support the person in the community. (37:00)

From a front-line nurse to a leader in healthcare, Suzanne Madore reflects on her 35 years at The Ottawa Hospital. She looks back on her early days as a nurse, her first love of cancer care, and her progression into leadership. She dives into the unique role of The Ottawa Hospital, supporting its community hospital partners and the impact it has on patients. Suzanne also looks at how she will continue to help create those innovative solutions in her new role as President and CEO of Renfrew Victoria and St. Francis Memorial hospitals. And, she takes time to reflect on the mentors who helped guide her career. (30:15)

When Chantal Theriault was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at age 37, two names came to mind — Mohammed Ali and Michael J. Fox. Despite the shocking news, she faced it head-on, relying on specialized care at The Ottawa Hospital and immersing herself in leading-edge clinical trials to help others like her. She’s also added in a little bit of humour along the way. (23:51)

The Ottawa Hospital is a global research powerhouse. In this conversation, Dr. Rebecca Auer, the Executive Vice-President of Research and Innovation, discusses how our hospital is recognized worldwide for its scientific discoveries. You’ll learn how the patient is at the centre of all our research and the importance of integrating research into every aspect of care at The Ottawa Hospital. We tackle biotherapeutics — an exciting and disruptive field — along with expansion plans for our Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre (BMC), and Dr. Auer has an important message about how philanthropy fuels research. (27:34)

In the spring of 2023, Katie Skidmore was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder known as anti-GBM. It attacked her kidneys and left her critically ill. While she recovered from the disease, she was left without functioning kidneys and Katie learned to navigate her new world of being on dialysis. While that was happening, she actively searched for a living donor. Then, on September 12, 2024, Katie’s dream of getting a new kidney became a reality.   This conversation brings Katie together with her living donor, Jay Turner — who felt a “magnetic draw” to help this young woman. (34:54)