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Healthcare Change MakersAuthor: HIROC (Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada)
Intimate and honest conversations with leaders about the joys and challenges of driving change in our complex and demanding healthcare organizations. Language: en Genres: Business, Health & Fitness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Dr. Shazma Mithani and Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe: Honouring the Patient Experience
Wednesday, 16 September, 2026
When the pandemic hit, Dr. Shazma Mithani and Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe came together as creators to launch The Doc Talk Podcast. A guiding principle through the podcast and their work in emergency and family medicine, has always been addressing misinformation and supporting Canadians in navigating the healthcare system. Through our conversation, you'll hear how they hold space for their patients, whether that's in emergency medicine or family practice. We talk about what it means to be racialized women in healthcare. Finally, we ask them about managing work, life and family pressures… and when they sleep. And, if you know the HIROC Comms Team, you know we're big fans of the HBO series The Pitt. It turns out Shazma and Sheila are equally big fans, so we pick their brains about how the show pulls back the curtain on healthcare workers and the realities they face. Quotables: "So being a woman in healthcare is challenging to begin with, but then being a racialized woman in medicine adds that extra layer. And I think that seeing the injustices that my patients faced, and then being able to relate to them at different intersections is really what made me feel compelled to continue to advocate for good healthcare and for equity in medicine." – S.M. "Even though I couldn't necessarily put it into words, I understood very early that how people are treated by the healthcare system matters as much as the medicine itself." – S.W. "You can have a platform, and it doesn't mean very much unless you're willing to use it for those who may not have that same access or power to use it." – S.W. "I think that's what people will remember. They'll remember when Shaz comes down to their level and holds their hand through a diagnosis; they'll remember the extra minute that was spent. It's hugely impactful and therapeutic." – S.W. "I love The Pitt… as an ER doctor, it is such an accurate portrayal of how challenging, chaotic, but still beautiful the work is." – S.M. Mentioned in this Episode: Dr. Shazma Mithani Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe The Doc Talk Podcast St. Michael's Hospital: Family Health Team Royal Alexandra Hospital: Alberta Stollery Children's Hospital: Alberta Women's College Hospital HIROC HIROC's Strategic Plan – The Art of Safety The Doc Talk Podcast: Dr. Jacob Lentz (Medical Advisor on The Pitt) The Doc Talk Podcast: Fiona Dourif (Dr. McKay, The Pitt) HBO's The Pitt Noah Wyle Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at communications@hiroc.com.
