OPH update: Future of Health and Wellness Speaker Series
On behalf of Ottawa Public Health, in partnership with Algonquin College, we would like to invite you and your network to a moderated panel discussion on Friday, March 15th, 2024 as part of the Future of Health and Wellness Speaker Series.
A multidisciplinary panel, moderated by Claude Brulé, President of Algonquin College, will discuss the importance of children’s early years and the well-being of families in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Positive infant and early childhood development are key drivers for lifelong health and well-being. Many families are still experiencing the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, with delayed child development and a reported increase in depression, anxiety and stress in parents. Early childhood development, through preventive education and community services, plays a critical role in supporting the health of parents and children. Investments in children’s well-being contribute to the overall health and prosperity of our society and can pay real dividends.
This event will be offered in a hybrid setting for your convenience. If you would like to attend in person, we will be meeting at Algonquin College, at the Ottawa Campus in Nawapon (C100). Doors will be open at 7:30 a.m. for networking and a light breakfast will be available. Panel discussion is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m. Please click here to RSVP.
Panelists include:
Dr. Robin C. Williams, Canadian Pediatric Society, Early Years Task Force, former Medical Officer of Health for Ontario’s Niagara Region. Dr. Williams is a retired paediatrician and public health physician who is widely recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for her contributions to the area of children’s health and welfare. Dr Williams currently chairs the Early Years Task Force for the Canadian Paediatric Society and the Medical Advisory committee for the Canadian Children Literacy Foundation.
Dr. Josephine B. Etowa, Professor at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing. Dr. Etowa is a professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing. Dr. Etowa’s research program is grounded in the area of inequity in health and health care as well as maternal-newborn health. As the lead investigator for the COVID-19 ACB Provider Project, her work highlighted the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African, Caribbean, and Black communities and the unintended consequences of current health care practices on those communities.
Dr. Nicole Racine, Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Racine is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Racine holds a Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. Her research program examines the impact of early childhood adversity on mental health and wellbeing, risk and resilience processes, and what prevention and intervention strategies break cycles of risk across generations.