2024 In Review
Your top 5 favourite Pulse Podcast episodes of 2024
5
Making sure cancer isn’t a big scary word
Guest: Heba Haidar
When Heba Haidar was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, her world came to a grinding halt. She was on maternity leave, with three young children under the age of five, and she worried about what the future might hold for her and her family. Hear Heba’s story – one of our latest in the cancer journey series — and find out why cancer is not such a big scary word anymore.
4
A Canadian surgical first thanks to VR technology
Guest: Dr. Kawan Rakhra
Picture a virtual reality system taking hundreds of medical images and giving a surgeon a 3D view that allows them to move within the patient’s body — just like a video game — before surgery. It’s a whole new way of surgical planning and this new VR program was used for the first time in Canada right here at The Ottawa Hospital.
Dr. Kawan Rakhra, a senior Musculoskeletal Radiologist, takes us behind the scenes of this game-changing technology and the impact it will have on the future of care not just here in Ottawa but internationally as well.
3
TOH’s ambitious plan for medical education
Guest: Dr. Melissa Forgie
From a very young age, Dr. Melissa Forgie had her sights set on medicine.
Today, as the Vice President of Medical Education at The Ottawa Hospital, she is shaping the next generation of healthcare providers. In this conversation, Dr. Forgie talks about the hospital’s strategic plan for medical education and describes it as the boldest and most ambitious she has ever seen. You’ll hear about TOH’s plan to recruit and retain young professionals, along with all the possibilities with the new hospital campus and the impact of research.
2
The pivotal role of an occupational therapist
Guest: Frankie Nadeau
Frankie Nadeau is a senior occupational therapist at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre. She’s dedicated more than two decades to caring for patients, combining her knowledge and humour. In this conversation, she talks about the pivotal role of an occupational therapist at the Rehab Centre and the special bond her team creates with patients, including the “TSN turning point” in Sean Sisk’s story. Frankie also shares how she’s known as a bit of a “MacGyver” when required.
1
RN Phil Nguyen’s home away from home
Guest: Phil Nguyen
Registered Nurse Phil Nguyen exudes energy — whether he’s caring for patients on 5W in the Transplant and Cellular Therapy Unit at the General Campus, teaching the next generation of healthcare workers at uOttawa, or busting a move as a hip-hop dancer.
In this conversation, Phil talks about why he considers The Ottawa Hospital his home away from home. He reveals what he loves most about his job, his special connection with patients, and how his team will go beyond the call of duty to provide compassionate care — he shares one special story in particular. You’ll also find out why it’s not so unusual to find him dancing with his patients.
About Pulse Podcast
Pulse Podcast, hosted by Shelley McLean, will introduce you to the patients, doctors, researchers, and donors of The Ottawa Hospital. You’ll hear how, through their commitment, they are changing the future of medicine through new discoveries, by expanding treatments and improving the patient experience.
It’s these stories that show how crucial your support is to improving patient care and advancing research at The Ottawa Hospital.
For more inspiring episodes, subscribe to Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
Episode 125: “It’s My Turn to Fight”
Fight for the Cure is more than a night in the ring. It’s a powerful testament to resilience, community, and the deeply personal reasons that drive ordinary people to do extraordinary things. In this episode of Pulse, fighter Eric Bellemare shares how a lifetime of family cancer experiences fuels every step of his training, while CEO Trevor Clark reflects on how this iconic Ottawa event transforms months of hard work into powerful support for cancer research. It’s a glimpse into the heart behind the punches, and the hope driving the fight forward.
Episode 124: The long walk back
In this episode of Pulse, we sit down with someone who has faced moments that would shake anyone — and found a way to meet them with honesty, grit, and hope. Ziyada Callender tells us about the fear that settles into quiet moments, the people who carried her through, and how she’s turning everything she’s been through into something meaningful. It’s a candid, heartfelt conversation about resilience, gratitude, and finding your way forward one step at a time.
"What if it was your dad?"
In this episode, Rockland’s Mathieu Chatelain shares the extraordinary story behind his mission to run 100 kilometres in 12 hours and raise $100,000 for The Campaign to Create Tomorrow. What begins as a conversation about an ultramarathon quickly becomes a deeply personal journey — from the childhood moment when The Ottawa Hospital saved his father’s life, to the emotional discovery that the surgeon who operated on his dad decades ago was sitting beside Mathieu at an Ottawa Hospital Foundation event. Mathieu tells us why he’s pushing himself beyond his limits: to inspire generosity, strengthen the future of healthcare in Ottawa, and help bring more parents back to their families.