Panel: Making women’s health a priority

With women representing a large percentage of the Canadian workforce, many companies are making women’s health a priority by introducing key benefits. This panel discussion will dig into topics including mental health, endometriosis, cancer, menopause and more.

Panellists:

Carmen Bellows, registered psychologist, director, mental-health solutions, Sun Life Financial 

Patricia Lee, founder, Canadian Women with Fibroids

Dr. Mita Manna, medical oncologist at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and assistant professor, University of Saskatchewan

This session has been made possible by AstraZeneca Canada, Pfizer Canada and Sun Life.

Menopause and work in Canada: Unleash the potential

Women are too often blindsided by menopause in their prime working years, which leads to a loss of invaluable experience, skills and leadership in the workplace. While this hurts employers and the economy overall, groundbreaking Canadian research reveals that women bear the brunt of the impact, losing income during the time when they should be earning the most. Employers have an exciting opportunity to reverse this trend by creating menopause inclusive workplaces that tap into the full potential of women in their prime.

Speaker:

Janet Ko, president, co-founder, the Menopause Foundation of Canada

This session has been made possible by Astellas.

Break

The impact of early Alzheimer’s disease in the workplace

Alzheimer’s disease isn’t just a disease of old age. The early stages can affect many working Canadians, both as individuals living with the disease or as care partners for people living with it. In this fireside chat, attendees will learn about early Alzheimer’s disease, its impact on the workplace and hear a personal story of someone with lived experience.

Speaker:

Laura Tamblyn Watts, chief executive officer, CanAge

This session has been made possible by Eisai.

Nuts and bolts of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare, progressive disease caused by abnormally high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries that can lead to heart failure and death. It can cause substantial life changes for patients and caregivers, including physical, emotional, social and financial burdens, impacting employment and productivity. This session will review how pulmonary arterial hypertension impacts plan members and their families, the challenges with current treatments and a promising new novel therapy.

Speaker:

Dr. John Granton, respirologist, University Health Network

This session has been made possible by Merck.

Inflammatory bowel disease unveiled: Workplace impact and treatment insight

This session will share insights on inflammatory bowel disease, specifically Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and the impact in the workplace. Attendees will learn about the growing prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in Canada, the impact on patients and caregivers and the evolving treatment landscape.

Speaker:

Dr. Vipul Jairath, gastroenterologist at London Health Sciences Centre and professor of medicine, Western University

This session has been made possible by Takeda.