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NOSM University stands against hate-motivated attack

This weekend, we have heard more about the appalling hate-motivated attack that occurred at the University of Waterloo on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. It has been reported that the three individuals suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds—injuries that will take a long time to recover from both physically and emotionally. The NOSM University community is holding the professor, students and first responders in our thoughts.

NOSM University stands against all forms of hate. We stand in unity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, reiterating the foundational NOSM University values of social accountability, collaboration, inclusiveness and respect.

As Pride Month comes to a close, this is a stark reminder of why we are pushing forward to increase the number of BIPOC physicians—including women, transgender and non-binary people—in Northern Ontario. We continue our commitment to human rights, equity, increasing diversity, and strengthening the culture of inclusion at NOSM University.

Hate has no place at NOSM University. Each and every one of us has the right to learn, work and live without the fear of discrimination, hate and violence.

If you need support, please visit NOSM University’s new Virtual Health and Wellness Hub.

Our thoughts are with the University of Waterloo community, the individuals and their families who will be forever affected by this senseless act of violence, and to all 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples in Northern Ontario and around the globe.

Dr. Sarita Verma,
President, Vice-Chancellor, Dean and CEO
NOSM University

Francophone Features, Homepage News, Media Releases

New Active Offer training module increases equitable access to care for Francophones in Northern Ontario

A new complementary online training module added to the activeoffertraining.ca was created by the Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario (Réseau) in collaboration with NOSM University. This specialized training is designed for professionals working in the primary-care sector and will enhance their ability to provide tailored services to Francophone patients. The module was created as part of a series of sector-specific courses that can be completed individually or as part of the full Active Offer Training.

Diane Quintas, Executive Director of the Réseau explains, “The primary goal of this training module is to empower health-care professionals with the necessary skills and strategies to ensure the active offer of French language health services. The goal of implementing these best practices is to bridge the language barrier and ensure equitable access to health care for Francophones.”

The training module, which is one hour in length, is free of charge and provides valuable insights and practical tools for health-care professionals. Dr. Mélanie Patrie, a NOSM University alumna and family physician who works with Francophones in minority communities says: “This training gives us a good insight into the reality of Francophones living in minority situations and the importance of active offer. No matter what our speciality is, whether we speak French or not, this training enables us to come up with practical and flexible strategies to meet our needs.”

“NOSM University is expanding its efforts to support Francophone medical students who will practise in French, as well as support Francophile and Anglophone medical students in recognising and providing linguistic and culturally sensitive care,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, President, Vice-Chancellor, Dean, and CEO of NOSM University. “To create a lasting impact, a fulsome Active Offer training is mandatory for all new medical students admitted to NOSM University. This new training module will soon be rolled out to other learners. By raising awareness about the importance of Active Offer and providing all learners with the necessary tools, we are fostering a future generation of care providers who are equipped to meet the needs of Francophone patients.”

NOSM University was founded with an explicit social accountability mandate, which informs how students interact with communities across Northern Ontario through advocacy for equitable access to care. This mandatory online training module is one more way that NOSM University learners are becoming leaders who can help to transform health-care systems and improve population health outcomes.

Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario and NOSM University invite all primary-care professionals to take advantage of this training opportunity by registering at activeoffertraining.ca. “Together, let us strive to enhance the quality of health-care services provided to Francophone communities and promote equitable access to care,” says Quintas.

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The Réseau relies on evidence-based data, the community and the Francophone movement, as well as its collaboration with the healthcare system to ensure active offer and equitable access to French language health services.

NOSM University is Canada’s first independent medical university and one of the greatest education and physician workforce strategy success stories of Northern Ontario. More than just a medical university, it was purpose-built to address the health needs of the region. While advocating for equitable access to care, the university contributes to the economic development of Northern Ontario. NOSM University relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote, and underserved communities. With a focus on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy, NOSM University is an award-winning, socially-accountable organization renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research.

For more information:

NOSM University
Caroline Cox, External Relations Officer
news@nosm.ca

Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario
Katia St-Onge, Communications Lead
kstonge@rmefno.ca or 705-335-1781



In the Spotlight, Spotlight on Research

Researchers at NOSM and Lakehead Universities studying artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of Northern health care

Researchers from NOSM University and Lakehead University are collaborating to better understand artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of Northern Ontario. The AI-NORTH project aims to identify ways that Northern and rural patients and populations are represented in, and benefit from, the global AI paradigm shift.

The project also connects people doing healthcare AI research through a collaboratory—a virtual space to share and discuss current projects happening in Northern Ontario.

Spearheaded by Dr. Erin Cameron, the inaugural Academic Director of NOSM University’s Centre for Social Accountability (CFSA), the project is funded by an AMS Healthcare Compassion and Artificial Intelligence Grant. Dr. Cameron co-leads this project with Dr. Michelle-Marie Spadoni, Associate Professor in Nursing at Lakehead University, along with NOSM University colleagues Drs. Alex Anawati and Joseph LeBlanc.

“Innovation is at the heart of health-care practice in Northern Ontario, and we are interested in how artificial intelligence is already being used and could be used to identify and address health priorities in the future,” says Dr. Cameron. “Artificial intelligence in the North is different, and we hope to begin to articulate how—and in what ways.”

The use of technology in education and health-care delivery in Northern Ontario has increased with the widespread shift to online technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift has helped to catalyze new ways of teaching and learning for many.

“Advances in AI are driving rapid changes in health care, and health professional education programs must adjust and quickly adapt to this reality, all while considering the social and political structures at play in the advancement of technologies that may shape the underpinning ethical and relational tenets of social accountability,” Dr. Spadoni says.

“This is critical for anchoring contemporary health professional ethics, standards of practice, and ultimately shaping the lives of patients, families, communities, and health providers in ways expected and unexpected.

“While technology and artificial intelligence have the potential to drive better, more accessible care, there is a need to explore ways to reorient AI to better address priority health and social needs across the region.”

The project brings together researchers and learners from across Northern Ontario, including Dr. Brian Ross (professor, NOSM University), Dr. Trevor Bruen (family medicine resident, NOSM University), Daniel Lamoureux (medical student, NOSM University), Dr. Muhammad Mamdani (Director, The Temerty Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine at the University of Toronto), Ghislaine Attema (PhD student, Faculty of Education, Lakehead University), and Sophie Myles (Health System Fellow, Algoma Ontario Health Team), and the team continues to grow. For a complete list, visit the AI-NORTH website.

In the future, AI-NORTH will explore topics around AI and education, AI and policy, AI and equity, and AI and public health. Anyone interested in being part of these discussions is welcome to contribute and can contact ai.north@nosm.ca or subscribe to the AI-NORTH newsletter.

NOSM University