April 4th marks Refugee Rights Day, a time to reflect on the challenges faced by refugees. Explore a curated collection of diverse books that capture the resilience, courage, and humanity of refugees from around the world. From personal memoirs to fictional stories inspired by real-life events, this collection offers a window into the experiences of those forced to flee their homes in search of safety and a better future.
Gaining a deeper understanding of the struggles, triumphs, and dreams of refugees can impact your clinical practice by fostering empathy and enhancing your ability to provide culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed care. It empowers you to deliver compassionate care that respects the dignity and humanity of each individual you serve. By incorporating these insights into your practice, you can create a more inclusive healthcare environment where refugees feel seen and supported.
Research Voices from the Field is a new feature that showcases cutting-edge research that breaks barriers and promotes inclusion in medicine. Each edition spotlights a research publication and includes insights directly from the authors—revealing their motivations, the significance of their findings, and why the research matters for healthcare professionals everywhere.
In this third edition, Dr. Faisal Khosa, Dr. Jeffrey Ding, and Dr. Sabeen Tiwana reflect on their edited book “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice” and its relevance to healthcare professionals, medical educators, leaders, and policymakers in advancing inclusion in clinical practice and medical education across disciplines.
Dr. Faisal Khosa, Dr. Jeffrey Ding, and Dr. Sabeen Tiwana reflect on their edited book “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice” and its relevance to healthcare professionals, medical educators, leaders, and policymakers in advancing inclusion in clinical practice and medical education across disciplines.
Healthcare is at a crossroads. Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) have long been essential in breaking down barriers to healthcare access and professional advancement, yet today, they are increasingly caught in political debates. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to not only defend EDI but to strengthen its foundation with practical, evidence-based solutions that lead to better outcomes for everyone.
That’s where Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice comes in. This book brings together top experts and frontline practitioners to explore key issues like anti-racism in medicine, implicit bias, intersectionality, and the structural barriers that stand in the way of true equity. More than just theory, it offers real strategies for healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers to create more inclusive, culturally safe spaces in clinical practice, medical education, and leadership.
We put this book together because meaningful change doesn’t happen without awareness and action. By amplifying diverse voices and real-world experiences, we hope to give healthcare professionals the tools they need to challenge systemic inequities and push for lasting change.
At a time when equity in healthcare is being questioned, we need to stand firm in our commitment to inclusion. We hope this book sparks important conversations, deep reflection, and, most importantly, real action toward a more just and inclusive healthcare system.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Healthcare: From Knowledge to Practice offers a comprehensive text on the landscape of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in the health professions. Each chapter is dedicated to a health profession and is authored by an expert in EDI and workforce diversity in their respective discipline (such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and so on). Chapters characterize the present state of workforce diversity in the discipline, chronicle historical developments, provide rationale for systemic action, and include possible solutions and interventions in an evidence-based manner.
By serving as an all-in-one reference text, this resource is meant for students, healthcare professionals, and organizational leadership who wish to understand and implement EDI in the health professions.
We especially welcome submissions of research articles that explore equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, decolonization, Indigenization, or trauma-informed practices in medicine and healthcare.
Thank you for joining us on Wednesday, March 26th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (PST), for “The First Page of a New Chapter: Leading Transformative Change for Indigenous Peoples in an Era of Truth and Reconciliation.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we had a conversation with Dr. Alika Lafontaine, an award-winning physician, social innovator, and the first Indigenous physician listed by the Medical Post as one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Doctors. Grounded in a mixed Indigenous ancestry of Métis, Oji-Cree, and Pacific Islander, Dr. Lafontaine has served in provincial and national medical leadership positions for two decades. Dr. Lafontaine was a driving force behind the Canadian Medical Association’s historic apology to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. If you missed the session, watch the recording to gain a unique perspective on what it means to lead transformative change in the processes of truth and reconciliation in health care at both the provincial and national levels.
Dr. Alika Lafontaine, President, Canadian Medical Association (2022-23); Sir Charles Tupper Award for Political Action (2023); Maclean’s Power List – Top Health Care Innovator (2023); First Indigenous Physician | The Medical Post – 50 Most Powerful Doctors; Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 (2021); Public Policy Forum Inaugural Emerging Indigenous Leader Award (2017); National Aboriginal Achievement Award Youth Recipient (1999).
Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician, social innovator, and the first Indigenous physician listed by the Medical Post as one of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Doctors. Grounded in a mixed Indigenous ancestry of Métis, Oji-Cree, and Pacific Islander, Dr. Lafontaine has served in provincial and national medical leadership positions for two decades.
From 2013 to 2017, he co-led the Indigenous Health Alliance, one of the most ambitious Indigenous health transformation projects in Canadian history. At its peak, it represented more than 150 First Nations and successfully advocated for $68 million in funding for health transformation across the traditional territories of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.
In the summer 2022, Dr. Lafontaine became the first Indigenous doctor and youngest physician to lead the Canadian Medical Association in its 156-year history. During his presidency year (summer 2022–2023), the CMA successfully advocated for the largest federal investment in healthcare since 2004 as well as achieving breakthroughs in decades-old issues like pan-Canadian licensure, health data sharing and health human resource planning. Dr. Lafontaine was also a driving force behind the CMA’s historic apology to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, which was delivered on September 18th 2024, speaking in its capacity as the national voice of the medical profession.
Dr. Lafontaine is a Canada’s top 40 under 40 recipient, Maclean’s Top Health Care Innovator, and the youngest recipient of an Indspire Award. He continues to write and speak frequently on the politics of healthcare, implementing and scaling equity, redesigning health systems, the mechanics of reconciliation, and effective advocacy.
Moderator
Derek K Thompson – ČaabaťBookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement
Description
Written by Derek K Thompson – ČaabaťBookwilla | Suhiltun
There are few leaders who spark a transformative and inspiring movement for all of us to take up the charge to move from the process of becoming to that of being. If history is being written in the present, and if our stories are being told today, Dr. Alika Lafontaine has created the first page of a new chapter that changes the debate of what history was and claims it as ours. He’s moved us to create a narrative that shines a light on what it means to be Canadian in an era of truth and reconciliation.
On September 18th, 2024, the Canadian Medical Association apologized for its role, and the role of the medical profession, in past and ongoing harms to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in the health system. Dr. Lafontaine was instrumental in creating this historic moment, and by virtue of his leadership, he centred the priorities and aspirations of all Indigenous peoples. The cumulative effect of his work holds a new promise and a new resolve to fundamentally shift the attitudes and principles of the medical profession to commit to accountability in working with Indigenous peoples and to do better in a spirit of humility and reciprocity.
We are fortunate and honoured to welcome Dr. Alika Lafontaine to the Indigenous Speakers Series for this important and inspiring conversation. We’ll talk about the need and urgency for all of us to continue the work of reckoning with the truth and reconciling for the present day. We will also explore how to ensure that we establish a strong foundation in which Indigenous peoples can access a future healthcare system created with the best of our intentions.
Topic: The First Page of a New Chapter: Leading Transformative Change for Indigenous Peoples in an Era of Truth and Reconciliation
Date:Wednesday, March 26th, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 PM (PST)
What Will I Learn?
You will gain a unique perspective on what it means to lead transformative change in the processes of truth and reconciliation in health care at the provincial and national levels.
Continue Learning
“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”
Learn more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives here
Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives Speakers Series here
Research Voices from the Field is a new feature that showcases cutting-edge research that breaks barriers and promotes inclusion in medicine. Each edition spotlights a research publication and includes insights directly from the authors—revealing their motivations, the significance of their findings, and why the research matters for healthcare professionals everywhere.
I have been involved in faculty development for over 10 years, and during that time have become particularly interested in better understanding the motivations of our teaching faculty. Our health professions education programs thrive because of our dedicated teachers, and at the same time, recruitment and retention of faculty to teach in some contexts is a persistent challenge—not just here in British Columbia, but also nationally and internationally. When I started asking faculty about what kept them engaged in their teaching roles, they shared that feedback from learners was particularly motivating. On the other side of this same coin, they shared that oftentimes, the feedback they received from learners was brief, vague, and lacklustre. In this article, we spoke to medical students about their approaches and challenges in providing feedback to their teachers (known as “upward feedback”). While I knew going into this project that power dynamics would make the provision of constructive upward feedback challenging, the extent to which power dynamics were pervasive in influencing learners’ approaches in general was surprising. For example, learners hesitate to offer even positive feedback to their teachers for fear of being perceived as sentimental, which they feel could pose risks to their assessments/grades. This paper is a valuable read so we can better understand the many ways in which learners struggle to give feedback to their educators and better support upward feedback processes—for the sake of both our learners and teachers.
Feedback from learners is known to be an important motivator for medical teachers, but it can be de-motivating if delivered poorly, leaving teachers frustrated and uncertain. Research has identified challenges learners face in providing upward feedback, but has not explored how challenges influence learners’ goals and approaches to giving feedback. This study explored learner perspectives on providing feedback to teachers to advance understanding of how to optimize upward feedback quality.
We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 learners from the MD program at the University of British Columbia. Applying an interpretive description methodology, interviews continued until data sufficiency was achieved. Iterative analysis accounted for general trends across seniority, site of training, age and gender as well as individual variations.
Learners articulated well-intentioned goals in relation to upward feedback (e.g., to encourage effective teaching practices). However, conflicting priorities such as protecting one’s image created tensions leading to feedback that was discordant with teaching quality. Several factors, including the number of feedback requests learners face and whether learners think their feedback is meaningful mediated the extent to which upward feedback goals or competing goals were enacted.
Our findings offer a nuanced understanding of the complexities that influence learners’ approaches to upward feedback when challenges arise. In particular, goal conflicts make it difficult for learners to contribute to teacher support through upward feedback. Efforts to encourage the quality of upward feedback should begin with reducing competition between goals by addressing factors that mediate goal prioritization.
We especially welcome submissions of research articles that explore equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, decolonization, Indigenization, or trauma-informed practices in medicine and healthcare.
