Longwoods Healthcare Services Radio

Why Some Types of Cancer are Harder to Treat Than Others: New Frontiers in Oncology

Over the past thirty years, groundbreaking innovations have saved and transformed thousands of lives of Canadians with cancer. Immunotherapies and precision medicines in particular have made huge strides for many cancer types, including lung, prostate and melanoma, sometimes turning a diagnosis people dread into something that requires less invasive treatments. However, some cancer types are far more difficult to treat: they are particularly aggressive and very hard to eradicate, including rare lung tumours, glioblastoma, as well as pancreatic, liver and gynecological cancers. Other countries have dedicated research programs for hard-to-treat cancers, while the world’s top medical centres are developing new diagnostics and medicines, often using tried-and-true therapeutics combined with new treatments. What can Canadian researchers, clinicians, cancer agencies and patient leaders do differently to shift the survival curves and help cancer patients live longer and with a better quality of life? 

 

Featuring:

Robert Bick, Co-Lead, Health Policy Consultant, CanCertainty

Anita Angelini, Vice Chair, Brain Cancer Canada

Dr. Rodney Ouellette, Sr. Researcher, Founder, Atlantic Cancer Research Institute

Dr. Barbara-Ann Millar, Radiation Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Moderator: Fred Horne, Policy Consultant

Brain Cancer Canada and Novocure are pleased to participate in this Longwoods Leadership Discussion

Why Canada Should Look to Australia for Health-System Fixes

Canadian provinces are struggling with affordability, access and equity as populations age and demand rises. This episode compares Canada’s provincial systems with Australia’s states, highlighting Australia’s stronger performance on equity and health outcomes and examining how private insurance operates alongside public medicare.

The authors call for low‑cost, high‑impact collaboration: federal‑led comparative analyses, data sharing, personnel exchanges and joint research to identify adaptable policies and practices that improve primary care access, reduce fragmentation and address inequities in both countries.

Healthcare Policy, Volume 20, Issue 4, August 2025

Authors: 

Michael Pervan, Chief Executive Officer, Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority, Sydney, Australia

Jason M. Sutherland, Phd, Editor-in-Chief, Director, Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

This podcast was created using an AI generated voice. 

Innovations in Primary Care: The Power of Virtual Triage

The Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RC VTAC) is an innovative, collaborative healthcare program launched in 2020 to provide timely, rural-focused care, connecting patients with virtual or in-person support from family doctors and paramedics, reducing ED visits, and managing non-urgent needs, acting as a crucial link for residents without regular primary care.

 

Featuring:

Robert McKay, Practice Leader, Healthcare Delivery, IQVIA

Dr. Jonathan Fitzsimon, Family Physician, Medical Lead, Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centres

Vaccine Policies for Older Canadians

How Can We Better Protect Older Canadians – A Booster Shot for Canada’s Vaccine Policies

With Canada’s age demographics continuously shifting, policymakers and science hubs have invested in strategies that can better serve our social, economic, and healthcare infrastructures. This session will focus on the latter, highlighting recent advancements for optimizing infectious disease mitigation through vaccination, and deconstructing the necessary strategies to bolster healthy aging via immunization.

With vaccination as a cornerstone for public health, this dynamic and engaging panel of global experts will discuss where we stand in Canada regarding the current state of vaccine uptake, knowledge dissemination and vaccine education, and the potential future of precision immunization. Participants will gain insights into how policy developments and innovative strategies can drive these advancements and their impact on our public healthcare system.

Featuring

Dr. Ronald F. Grossman, Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto

Laura Tamblyn-Watts, CEO, CanAge,

Jennifer Chan, Executive Director, Policy and Government Affairs, Merck Canada

Moderator: Bill Dempster, President, 3Sixty Public Affairs

The Path to Connect all Ontarians to Team-Based Primary Care

Ontario faces a significant challenge: 2.5 million Ontarians do not have a family doctor or any other access to primary care, and that number is projected to grow to 4.4 million people in 2026. This challenge is even greater for people in Ontario living with complex, difficult to manage chronic diseases as they struggle to access the comprehensive, team-based care they need, close to home and in communities. The journey of health system transformation requires the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative models of team-based care. This panel discussion will explore tangible solutions to achieve Ontario’s ambitious goal of connecting every Ontarian with team-based primary care within five years. We will examine the success of exemplar models like Best Care, a physician-led integrated chronic disease management program that has avoided up to 24000 hospital bed days over three years, saving the health system more than $37 million in hospitalization costs. Access to team-based primary care for effective chronic disease management is how Ontario can improve patient experience and outcomes, improve the provider experience and create millions of dollars in savings across the continuum of care.

This event is supported by Best Care who aspires to set Ontario Health on a path to improve lives of those living with chronic diseases and reduce the health system costs. Information on Best Care can be found at www.argi.on.ca

Featuring

Dr. Christopher Licskai, CEO, Best Care
Kimberly Moran, CEO, Ontario Medical Association
Wendy Smith, Executive Director, Nipissing Wellness Ontario Health Team
Moderator: Dr. Cathy Faulds, Board Chair, Best Care and Ontario Medical Association

The Canadian Thoracic Society COPD Pharmacotherapy Guidelines: Implementing Science to Improve Outcomes

The Canadian Thoracic Society COPD Guidelines were updated in the Fall of 2023. The evidence based recommendations represent a significant change in the pharmacological management of COPD when compared to the previous versions. They represent a pro-active management approach to improve quality of life, reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations and reduce the mortality associated with COPD. In this seminar, an update will be provided as to the new guidance and a discussion on the need for provincial formularies to reassess how patients and physicians access COPD specific medications.

 

Featuring:

Dr. Paul Hernandez, Respirologist and Professor, Dalhousie University

Dr. Jean Bourbeau, Pulmonologist and Professor, McGill University

Dr. Brandie Walker, University of Calgary

Moderator: Dr. Mohit Bhutani, Director, Asthma and COPD Clinics, University of Alberta

Practical Application of AI to Support Medical Event Prediction and Clinician Decision Making

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can introduce clarity to the clinical journey for the most-challenging diseases and treatment pathways.  AI brings power to consume large disparate data sets and transform information into succinct, actionable insights with the power to identify opportunities to reduce avoidable costs, predict medical events, and, ultimately, improve patient care. But developing, implementing, and interpreting to drive actionable results can be challenging without the right data, the right process, and the right actions to be successful. This session will focus on approaches for clinical decision support and identifying opportunities to engage providers with actionable care gaps aligned to best-practice guidelines.

Featuring:
Helen Angus, CEO, AMS Healthcare
Matthew Hackenberg, Associate Product and Strategy Director, AI for Healthcare, IQVIA

From Approval to Access How will Canadians See the Full Potential of Gene Therapy

Gene therapy has emerged as an exciting innovation for Canadians with rare diseases. As more gene therapy treatments gain approval in Canada, there is promise for transforming and advancing healthcare, especially in areas of high unmet need. Access to those new therapies, however, remains challenging. Join us to discover the untapped potential of gene therapy in Canada as this panel of experts addresses the barriers to access and explores innovative solutions to overcome them, ensuring every Canadian who needs it can access gene therapy with timely, equitable, and effective delivery. 

Featuring:
Durhane Wong-Rieger, President and CEO, Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders
Dr. Jerry Teitel, Medical Director, Hemophilia Treatment Centre·St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto
David Page, Consultant, Safety and Supply of Coagulation Products, Canadian Hemophilia Society
Graham Statt, Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Alberta
Moderator: Carly Weeks, VP, Public Affairs, Communications and Stakeholder Relations, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Thinking Differently Recreating a Health System We Are Proud Of

Ontario healthcare landscape.

There was a time when Canadians could confidently claim theirs was the best health system in the world. Time to face reality – that is no longer true. The system faces major challenges, with access to care at the top of the list of concerns. Despite spending more on healthcare than most developed countries, we struggle to create enough capacity to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and aging population.

What can we do to break out of this chronic decline and bring back a sense of vibrancy and optimism to the healthcare enterprise? Brian and Michael will discuss current trends and new ideas with the potential to change the narrative and address the explosive growth in the seniors demographic that is already upon us. There is lots to be optimistic about, if you know where to look. We need to think differently to create a different dynamic.

Featuring:
Brian Golden, Sandra Rotman Chair in Health Sector Strategy, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
Dr. Michael Guerriere, President and Chief Executive Officer, Extendicare

Dignity in Care

Insights on the struggles of life limiting experiences and understanding end-of-life care for patients, care providers and medical professionals. Patients and their caregivers require physical and emotional care, especially as they enter the later stages of life. Failure to attend to personhood can be as subtle as being kept waiting for an appointment, as insidious as being required to wear a plastic hospital bracelet that tracks patients according to an institutional number or code, as jarring as being referred to as an aberrant body part - the proverbial "GI bleed in room two" or "breast tumor in room three." This conversation on Dignity in Care will describe what healthcare providers need to know about the humanity and tone of care; and how they can engage in these facets of care in a thoughtful and meaningful way that will satisfy their patients' needs to be seen and appreciated as "whole persons."

Featuring
Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and a Senior Scientist, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute and
Nancy Lefebre, Senior Vice President and COO for the Business of Caring, SE Health