Episode 37 | Tackling Physician Burnout – Building a Resilient Health Care System for Physicians 

To foster patient-first care, Canada needs healthy physicians.

In Canada, the issue of burnout is reaching critical levels, with nearly three-quarters of health care providers reporting symptoms of burnout. This has a profound impact not only on physicians but also on patient care and the sustainability of our health system. Dr.Bill, a key venture of RBCx, in partnership with the Ontario Medical Foundation, has invested $150,000 into three grants for physician-led research projects to help address this challenge. With over 200 applications, the selected projects focus on peer support, mindfulness training, and wellness evaluations.

In our latest episode hosted by acclaimed health journalist Avis Favaro, we’ll hear from three dedicated Ontario physicians — Dr. Noah Ivers, Dr. Elli Weisbaum, and Dr. Treena Wilkie — who are leading these projects and pioneering solutions to help physicians thrive. Together, we’ll explore the specific approaches of each project, early findings, and the potential to help reshape physician wellness in Canada.

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Dr. Noah Ivers, MD, PhD, CCFP

Family Physician and Scientist, Women’s College Hospital

Dr. Noah Ivers (MD, CCFP, PhD) is a family physician at Women’s College Hospital and a scientist at Women’s College Research Institute, where he leads a research program in implementation science, focusing on the use of data to drive evidence-based, patient-centred improvements in healthcare. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, where he is also the Scientific Lead for the Office of Health System Partnerships. He also has cross-appointments at the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and the Institute for Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto and is an adjunct scientist at ICES. He holds a Canada Research Chair in the Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice.

Dr. Elli Weisbaum, BFA, MES, PhD

Assistant Professor, Buddhism, Psychology & Mental Health program (BPMH), Faculty of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Dr. Elli Weisbaum, BFA, MES, PhD, has worked internationally facilitating mindfulness workshops and retreats within the sectors of education, healthcare and business. She is currently the Acting Program Director for the Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health Program (BPMH), at New College, in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and is jointly appointed to the Department of Psychiatry, in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, with a cross-appointment to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in their Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME). 

Past and ongoing collaborations include working with UofT’s Faculty of Law, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Faculty of Engineering, Rotman School of Management, Physical Therapy Department, the Ontario Hospital Association, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to integrate mindfulness into programming for faculty, staff, clinicians, patients and students. 

She attended her first retreat with Zen Master and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh at the age of ten and has continued to train with his international Plum Village community. Elli’s novel background in both academic research and traditional mindfulness practice provides a distinct approach to her ongoing work teaching and researching in the field. 

Dr. Treena Wilkie, BScH, MD, FRCPC

Forensic Psychiatrist, Chief of Forensic Services, Complex Care and Recovery Program, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Associate Professor, University of Toronto

Dr. Treena Wilkie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and the Associate Chief Medical Officer at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She has been qualified as a specialist in forensic psychiatry by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is the Chief of the Forensic Service, in the Complex Care and Recovery Program at CAMH. Dr. Wilkie is a clinician and educator of psychiatry residents. Her clinical and scholarship interests include the alignment of risk assessment and management principles with recovery-based care, and physician wellness and professionalism initiatives.