Post on 06-Oct-2020
“That Was Weird”: Reflections on Myth-Busting
Canadian Nurses Association Biennial Conference
Dr. David Butler-Jones
MD, MHSc, LLD, CCFP, FRCPC, FACPMTuesday, June 17, 2014
Winnipeg, MB
Reflections on Myth-Busting
• Whither the Pandemic?
• Myth-busting part 1: strokes, brain health and a personal story
• Myth-busting part 2: professional myths and practical postulates
• Leadership
“Success requires the ability to go from failure to failure and not lose your enthusiasm” Winston Churchill
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Public Health Agency of Canada | Agence de la santé publique du Canada 2
2001-2014: How Far Have We Come?Key Public Health Events in Canada since 2003
2001-2014: How Far Have We Come?The Public Health Network
Consists of:
• Public Health Network Council
• Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health
• 3 F/P/T Steering Committees
• Task Groups
• Talent Pool of Expertise
Myth-Busting?: Or Why Lifelong Learning and Continuing Education is Important
• What we were taught with certainty: eg-DNA, Immunity, Brain Health
• Brain Health in the 21st century- still stuck in the 70s?
• Have you ever:
– Experienced a stroke?
– Met two people with exactly the same symptoms, signs and recovery?
• Infinite brains, infinitely complex – so why reductionist view of limitations and possibilities post-stroke?
• Distinctions between major or minor stroke – crudely inadequate
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A very public stroke
• “That was weird”
• From 100mph to 5.
• No such thing as a minor stroke
• Neglect, memory, processing, locked files, balance and strength
• Complexity
• Recovery, coping and support – It takes a village…
• Training for the Olympics
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Myths in the Health Sector?BJs - Postulates
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• Everything happens for a reason
• Avoid False dichotomies (public-private, clinical-PH, domestic-international, policy-practice)
• Focus = Healthiest Population per Resources
• Health Has Inherent Worth, However Achieved
• Greatest Health Improvements came from Outside of Health Services-but what we do matters
• Prevention is Not Last Resort of Failed Treatment
• Prevention/Health Promotionis not a Panacea - Both Benefits and Liabilities
• We’re not in a cult…
• Expertise? It’s Easy To Do…Poorly
• Spectrum = Promote-Prevent-Treat-Care
Social Determinism
vs.
Health Imperialism
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AdvocateWhat should be done at policy,
legislative level?
CheerleadEncouraging
and not getting in the
way
MitigatePicking up
some of the pieces, so it isn’t worse
EnableWhat we do directly to change the
determinants
PartnerWho can we work with, to do it better together?
Strengthening Connections
Tackling the Big Problems
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Success Factors and Considerations
Partner
Advocate
Cheerlead
Enable
Mitigate
• It’s all connected
• Integration and Intersectoral Approaches
• Space for Deliberation
• Learning
• Openness and Courage to Address Bigger Issues
• What expertise do we not need?
• Respect
• Make it Practical
• Rule of three
• Have something to offer
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Even when we’re on the right track,
if we’re not moving,We’ll get run over.
Mark Twain
Public Health Agency of Canada | Agence de la santé publique du Canada 11