More information about speakers for Health and Wellness Conference – 2021

Post published:October 22, 2021

Norma Spicer	Prayer and Land Acknowledgement	Norma Spicer has a passion for Métis history, culture and customs developed from hearing stories of her ancestors on her mother’s side. A descendent of Jean Baptiste Lagimodière and Marie Anne Gaboury (the first white woman to settle in Western Canada) through their daughter Josepthe, Spicer’s family history includes those who fought alongside Louis Riel during the Métis Resistance.Formerly with the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) in a variety of positions, Spicer remains a member of its Cultural Team, and conducts prayers and blessings for MNA events and ceremonies. Recently, she prepared a research paper on the Métis History of Fort Edmonton and Surrounding Areas for the Fort Edmonton Management Company and sits as a member of its Indigenous Expansion Committee. (Ananya)
Stephen Mandel	Keynote	Stephen Madel has held a taken part in the community through a wide variety of roles such as political leader, business person, and volunteer. He served as the mayor of Edmonton from 2004 to 2013. During this time he worked on city infrastructure, renewing older neighbourhoods, expansion of transit services, and recreation. He also made contribution efforts to help homelessness, safety, and senior’s housing. Stephen is an avid volunteer with experience at the Mazankowski Heart Institute, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Jewish Community Centre and Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre. Stephen holds a lot of knowledge from his experience in these roles as well as being the previous Minister of Health and board member of AHS.
Reagan Bartel	Health Priorities	Reagan Bartel is a registered nurse within the Alberta Health Services who now works as the Director of Health at the Métis Nation of Alberta. With her experience of 16 years of working as an Intensive Care Nurse at Edmonton’s Inner City Hospital. There she provided high quality care to vulnerable peoples and mentored new staff at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. She is a daughter, granddaughter, wife, and Auntie. She is a proud Métis woman, descending from the line of Ignace Poitras Sr. on her father’s side and Irish settlers on her mother’s. Her focus is on ensuring that the Métis stories, experiences, and perceptions gifted to the MNA are incorporated into health advocacy, policy, programs, and services. She values leadership, culture, community, growth and transparency in her life and work. With her education from both the Grant MacEwan University and the University of Alberta, as well as her previous experience with the Métis Nation of Alberta, and her current experience as a registered nurse and the Director of Health at the Métis Nation of Alberta, Reagan holds lots of knowledge and expertise within the health centre community, and has a passion for helping others be more in touch with their health as well. Join Reagan Bartel, the director of health for the Métis Nation of Alberta as we explore Métis health. This 30-minute presentation will provide a brief overview of the strengths and ongoing challenges that Métis in the province of Alberta experience in their journey to be well. This presentation will encourage people of all ages and walks of life to reflect on how “being well” can mean many different things, and how the impacts of past and present colonial policies have shaped the health of Métis people in Alberta.
Dr. Adrian Wagg	Maintaining Bowel Health	Adrian Wagg, MD, is a specialist in Geriatric and General Medicine with expertise in health services research. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta and Professor of Continence Sciences at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He is Deputy Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta. Dr. Wagg has significant front-line experience in healthcare administration and systems development, a strong knowledge of operational issues and an in-depth perspective of healthcare of older Albertans. Dr. Wagg holds the Alberta Health Services Chair in Healthy Ageing. His research interests involve improving care for people with urinary incontinence, community engagement and the quality of care for older people in nursing homes. He is active in national and international clinical practice guideline development and is the Co-Chair of the International Consultation on Incontinence; prior to this he was General Secretary of the International Continence Society. In his service to the community, Dr. Wagg is President of the Canadian Continence Foundation and participates in numerous other activities promoting health literacy and the healthy ageing of seniors. (Sarah)
Dr. Donna Wilson	Living With Pets	Dr. Donna Wilson’s research focuses on health services and health policy, although primarily in relation to aging and end-of-life care. She has undertaken a wide range of studies such as those focusing on: grief and bereavement, high users of hospitals, ageism, social isolation, bioethics and social values, acute delirium, location of death, the good death, home care utilization, home care client trends, long-term-care resident trends, health services use before and after admission to a nursing home, use of hospitals prior to death, linkages between chronicity and home care utilization, transitions in place of care in the last year of life, waiting for placement, and many others. Join Dr. Donna Wilson as she explores “Living With Pets”, a discussion that will include the benefits of living with one or more pets/companion animals, and issues and concerns associated with pets/companion animals, including grief.
Kyla Prakash	Smoking Cessation	Austin- Kyle Prakash is a QuitCore Group Program Facilitator (AHS), a certified tobacco educator (CNRC) andprevention practitioner (theBETTERprogram) . Some projects Kyla is involved in include the cessation or reduction of tobacco products, as well as opioid awareness and community based naloxone training. In the past she has been credited as the research and project co-ordinator for Opioid Navigation Services for the MNA. In this project Kyla and colleagues handed out dozens of naloxone kits across the province to raise awareness toward opioid use. Join Kyla Prakash (BA, CTE), the Métis Nation of Alberta’s (MNA) Community Prevention Practitioner, as she shares how important it is for culture and lived experiences to be woven into health programming related to commercial tobacco use. This presentation will take a closer look at the MNA’s response to cancer prevention by looking at their Tobacco Reduction Programs. The Community Prevention Practitioner will share lessons learned while providing Métis in Alberta with culturally adapted and relevant tobacco cessation interventions. A closer look at program development, delivery, and evaluation will also be explored. This presentation will also look at why tobacco cessation is so crucial for seniors’ health, and how we may utilize our seniors’ experiences to shape healthier generations. By joining this presentation, we hope to inspire those working with Indigenous Peoples to design their cessation interventions with a community led focus on culture and peer lived experience.
Dr. Sha Tao	How to find a Chinese speaking doctor, how to navigate the Health Care system, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine	Sha Tao, MD, if a Family Medicine doctor, who speaks Mandarin and English. He has an understanding of the needs and issues facing Chinese seniors in Alberta and will address issues they have identified.
Dr. Hongmei Tong		Carelyn – Dr. Tong received her Master of Law in Sociology from Fudan University and Master of Social Work from the University of Hong Kong. After several years of teaching social work in Fudan University in Shanghai, China, Hongmei came to Canada and completed her PhD degree in social work at the University of Calgary in 2013. Dr. Tong is actively engaged in the practice community in Edmonton, Calgary and more broadly. Her expertise is in social exclusion and integration of ethno-cultural older adults, mental health in later life, gerontological social work education and practice, social determinants of health, digital storytelling, mixed methods. Dr. Hongmei Tong is an Associate Professor of the School of Social Work, MacEwan University, Canada. Dr. Tong received her Master of Law in Sociology from Fudan University, and Master of Social Work for The University of Hong Kong and completed her PhD degree in Social Work at University of Calgary in 2013. Her scholarly goals are to promote and facilitate healthy, and active aging, and to create inclusive and friendly communities for older Canadians. Dr. Tong’ teaching focuses on developing a positive attitude and a sense of social justice among students, as well as the anti-oppressive knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary for them to effectively address social issues. A short description of the presentation: Dr. Tong will present an eastern approach for health and well-being, Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Model. She will also introduce some technical tips to apply this model in practice and self-care.