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the 3nolans in 2018: ted nolan, centre, with his sons jordan, left, and brandon.
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every week throughout december, the healthing team will share some of our most memorable stories of 2025. in this edition, we take a look at access to care and advocacy for change.
access to care remains a significant barrier for people who need treatment, their families and clinicians who want to help as many as they can but face limitations to do so. we’ve talked to people for a range of perspectives on the issue, from a couple who knows not everyone in rural ontario has the money and time to travel to a larger centre for cancer treatment to a former nhl coach with blood cancer who speaks to indigenous youth about self-advocacy for their health and sports opportunities.
the discussion about equitable access to care touches all conditions, flagging the need for scalable solutions that are culturally sensitive and appropriate. the challenges may be complex, yet the theme underscores how access to care is certainly on the radar.
here are our picks for stories of the year that address access to care and its impacts.
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one couple’s fight for blood cancer care in rural ontario: ‘we were just lost’
living with blood cancer is devastating. living with blood cancer in a rural area, though, comes with increased challenges, costs and disease care inequities—making the day-to-day that much more difficult.
jean guy belzile, 67, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2020, a blood cancer of infection-fighting plasma cells that affects bone marrow and causes problems such as low immunity, bone damage and kidney failure. the north bay, ont. former chief of emergency medical services for nipissing district is now on the other side of our healthcare system. he says he wouldn’t be alive today without his wife and caregiver erin belzile, a registered nurse who retired shortly after her husband.
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“i’m very fortunate that erin was here to advocate for me. otherwise, i wouldn’t be here,” he says, acknowledging her love and commitment which mean the world in cancer care.
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nhl great ted nolan takes lessons from the ice to surviving blood cancer
former nhl player and coach ted nolan has been in the memorial cup, the stanley cup playoffs and the olympics. this october, he’s honoured as an inductee into canada’s sports hall of fame, receiving the order of sport for his contributions to the nhl and for advocating for indigenous youth, using sport to inspire and build self-confidence.
while he’s faced difficult situations on the ice, he’s now turning his fierce determination on living with multiple myeloma, a chronic blood cancer that develops abnormal plasma cells in the bone marrow and impacts immunity. it causes severe bone pain, weakness, fatigue and frequent infections.
about 50 per cent of people diagnosed with multiple myeloma will survive for at least five years.
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elevating the standard of menopause care: breaking through menopause taboo to talk about symptoms and treatments
discussions about menopause, the biological process where women no longer menstruate and haven’t had a period in 12 consecutive months, shouldn’t be hushed or taboo, experts say.
they belong front and centre as a key part of primary care.
they belong front and centre as a key part of primary care.
“we need to have a system where every woman, no matter where she lives, can access compassionate, evidence-based support that recognizes menopause as a natural yet significant stage of life, not something that should be dismissed or endured in silence,” says nneka ezurike, pharmacist and pharmacy owner, co-founder of black pharmacy professionals of canada and board member of shoppers foundation for women’s health.
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team-based community care aims to solve family doctor shortage
this is a daunting problem: as many as 6.5 million canadians do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner they can see regularly.
this lack of access is an increasing burden on emergency care services, chipping away at trust in the healthcare system. in fact, the number of unscheduled emergency room visits jumped from about 14 million in 2021-2022 to almost 15.5 million in 2023-2024, according to data from the canadian institute for health information (cihi).
the pressure is only mounting as an aging and growing population will require more care, while more family doctors are closing their doors to new patients and retiring from practice.
how do you solve this? how can people get access to consistent, quality care?
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first national black physician database paves the way for better access and representation in healthcare
when she came from her home in nigeria to continue medical training in england, dr. somto ibezi was keenly aware of not fitting in with the crowd. she was a young black woman and a mom, determined to be a doctor and have a fulfilling career.
“i grew up in an urban area in a very community-focused home. there were a lot of community events and activities, lots of people coming around, and you feel that you’re expected to help people,” she says of her upbringing and interest in pursuing medicine. “you have to love what you do. i have a genuine interest in people. i find people fascinating.”
but during her medical residency in the u.k., she experienced the isolation of being a black female immigrant and a young mother. “i didn’t have a mentor who understood my challenges and where i was coming from.”
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