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It started with an eye condition, a laptop, and a growing sense that public health professionals deserved more support. What came next? A mentorship model shaking things up across Canada. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Carly La Berge shares the story behind the Canadian Public Health Hub, including its triad mentorship model, how she’s keeping it inclusive and burnout-free, and why she believes mentorship should be accessible, flexible, and community-driven. She also reflects on the lessons from an early failed attempt at mentorship involving $500 worth of uneaten pizza and makes a compelling case for why more public health professionals should step up as mentors. References for Our Discussion ◼️The Canadian Public Health Hub [https://www.thecanadianpublichealthhub.ca/]  Guest ◼️Carly La Berge, MPH [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlylaberge/] Host(s) & Producer(s) ◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-thane/] Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room [https://www.youtube.com/@themusicroombyharris] Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here [https://thepublichealthinsight.com/subscribe/]. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1023340/open_sms]

Carly La Berge never planned to work in public health. After years of pursuing a career in medicine, rejection letters, and frustrations in healthcare clinics sent her down an unexpected path — one fueled by advocacy, system change, and a lot of detours. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Carly shares how working as a medical office assistant opened her eyes to deeper health inequities, why she pursued an MPH in Social Policy, and how policy writing became a tool for accountability and action. She also talks about imposter syndrome, board leadership, and the story behind Charlie’s Colourful Plate, a public health children's book inspired by her own experiences as one of the world's pickiest eaters. References for Our Discussion ◼️The Canadian Public Health Hub [https://www.thecanadianpublichealthhub.ca/]  Guest ◼️Carly La Berge, MPH [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlylaberge/] Host(s) & Producer(s) ◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-thane/] Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room [https://www.youtube.com/@themusicroombyharris] Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here [https://thepublichealthinsight.com/subscribe/]. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1023340/open_sms]

When public health stories are told right, they don’t just inform—they move people. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast with Alexson Calahan, Founder of Small Adventures Communications, we dive deep into the ‘how’ of public relations in public health and explore tangible takeaways to do it better. From building trust with patients to crafting campaigns that change behavior, Alexson shares the tools, strategies, and lessons she’s learned across two decades in the field, including: ◼️The difference between PR, marketing, and communications in practice ◼️What happens when PR and public health work really well together ◼️How to connect emotionally and ethically with communities and patients ◼️A step-by-step approach to collecting, crafting, and sharing patient stories responsibly ◼️How organizations can prepare for crises and protect both relationships and reputations Plus, we unpack the role of AI in PR (spoiler: it’s not ready to write your press releases just yet). References for Our Discussion ◼️Small Adventures Communications [https://www.smalladventurescommunications.com/] ◼️Today Show Article: How parents of children born with heart defects share their hope [https://www.today.com/popculture/how-parents-children-born-heart-defects-share-their-hope-t124622] Guest ◼️Alexson Calahan, APR [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsoncalahanpublicrelations/] Host(s) & Producer(s) ◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-thane/] Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room [https://www.youtube.com/@themusicroombyharris] Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here [https://thepublichealthinsight.com/subscribe/]. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1023340/open_sms]

What does public health have to gain from public relations? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we speak with Alexson Calahan—Founder of Small Adventures Communications and a seasoned public relations expert with nearly 20 years of experience about her unconventional journey from selling classified ads to how she turned a data inquiry from the Today Show into a $100K gift for congenital heart defect research. Whether you're in public health, comms, or curious about how stories shape change—this one’s for you. References for Our Discussion ◼️Small Adventures Communications [https://www.smalladventurescommunications.com/] ◼️Today Show Article: How parents of children born with heart defects share their hope [https://www.today.com/popculture/how-parents-children-born-heart-defects-share-their-hope-t124622] Guest ◼️Alexson Calahan, APR [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsoncalahanpublicrelations/] Host(s) & Producer(s) ◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-thane/] Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room [https://www.youtube.com/@themusicroombyharris] Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here [https://thepublichealthinsight.com/subscribe/]. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1023340/open_sms]

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the world’s vulnerabilities—and reignited global conversations about how to prepare for the next one. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Garry Aslanyan returns to unpack the proposed WHO Pandemic Treaty and how it builds on existing tools like the International Health Regulations. We explore what makes this treaty different, the debates shaping its negotiation, and what it could mean for countries like Canada. From vaccine equity to intellectual property rights and misinformation, we break down why global health treaties matter for you as a local public health professional. References for Our Discussion ◼️TDR [https://tdr.who.int/] ◼️Global Health Matters Podcast [https://tdr.who.int/global-health-matters-podcast] Guest ◼️Dr Garry Aslanyan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/garry-aslanyan/?originalSubdomain=ch] Host(s) & Producer(s) ◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordon-thane/] Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room [https://www.youtube.com/@themusicroombyharris] Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here [https://thepublichealthinsight.com/subscribe/]. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think. [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1023340/open_sms]