31st ANNUAL

RESPIRATORY hEALTH sYMPOSIUM

Health Professional Symposium topics:
-Reducing the Suffering Associated with RSV
-Radon Gas & Lung Cancer in New Brunswick
-Rates of Lung Disease in New Brunswick: Exploring the disproportionate burden of disease
-Cannabis: Effects on Respiratory Health & Harm Reduction Resources for Medical Professionals
-From Symptoms to Solutions: A Comprehensive Guide to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Respiratory Health Symposium, Sept 20th 2024

Speakers:

Melanie Langille M.Env.Sc., President & CEO, New Brunswick Lung:

Radon Gas & Lung Cancer in New Brunswick

Melanie Langille holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Brunswick, and a Master of Environmental Science from the University of Toronto. She worked for 12 years in environmental consulting, reporting for a wide variety of environmental impact assessments, contaminated site assessments, and human health and ecological risk assessments. With a technical expertise in vapour intrusion, she led the development of standards for soil vapour intrusion investigations in Atlantic Canada under the Atlantic Partnership in Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA) Implementation (Atlantic PIRI) Committee. Since joining NB Lung in 2019, Melanie has focused on public education and policy advocacy in environmental and lung health. 

Jamie Laking (RN BN) and Kizzie McGilligan :

Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy: Insights and Approaches

Jamie Laking is a Fredericton-based Registered Nurse with 17 years of experience, including the past 9 years specializing in Public Health. Her diverse roles in Public Health have included working with Healthy Families & Healthy Babies to promote optimal outcomes for new mothers and infants, assisting with contact tracing during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Communicable Disease unit, and contributing to Immunization efforts aimed at preventing infectious diseases. A Fredericton native, Jamie earned her Bachelor of Nursing Degree from the University of New Brunswick in 2007 and subsequently obtained her Registered Nurse license. She is a dedicated member of the Nurses Association of New Brunswick. Throughout her career in Public Health, Jamie has had the opportunity to mentor both nursing and medical students. Her passion for Immunization was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she played a crucial role in the success of the immunization campaign.

Kizzie McGilligan is a dedicated public health professional based in Aroostook, New Brunswick. With a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of New Brunswick and over a decade of experience in healthcare, she is actively involved in the immunization program for the Upper River Valley area. Kizzie is passionate about community health and continuous professional development, currently completing a certificate in Nursing Leadership and Management at the University of New Brunswick. She is committed to fostering wellness and health education in her community. 

Jesse Papenburg MD MSc FRCPC, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University:

RSV: The landscape of the illness, the burden of disease, and emerging vaccination

Dr. Jesse Papenburg practices Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology at the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre.

After his specialty training, Dr. Papenburg completed a research fellowship on the molecular virology of RNA respiratory viruses at Laval University and an MSc in epidemiology at McGill. As a clinician scientist, he works on the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections and has over 150 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Papenburg is also a member of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and the Quebec Immunization Committee. He actively contributes to national and provincial guidelines on RSV vaccination and immunoprophylaxis.

Dan Coulombe B.Sc. Pharm., ExecutiveDirector, Pharmaceutical Services, Department of Health :

NB Drug Plan: Support for Uninsured New Brunswickers

Dan Coulombe, BSc. Pharm, is the Executive Director of Pharmaceutical Services at the New Brunswick Department of Health, which is responsible for the management of the province’s publicly funded New Brunswick Drug Plans. Prior to his current role, Mr. Coulombe held positions as Executive Director of the Acute Care Branch and Executive Director of the New Brunswick Cancer Network at the NB Department of Health. His background also includes work within the hospital system in the province as well as community pharmacy practice.

Claude Vautour B.Ed:

Health Coaching: The Value of a Non-Clinical Intervention to Promote Behavioral Change. 

Claude has a Bachelor of Education and taught physical education for several years before accepting a position as a Health Coach at the “Live Well/Bien Vivre!” program. Since 2012, he has contributed to the development of the “Live Well/Bien Vivre” program which is now recognized as a contributing factor to help improve the health of New Brunswickers. Since August 2019, the program has a new home at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick. Claude believes that wellness and achieving goals should provide enjoyment, should produce a sense of accomplishment and should be individualized or based on our strengths. 

 Respiratory Health Symposium, Sept 27th 2024

Speakers:

Daniel Landry BScPharm, RPh, Regional Coordinator, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program:

RSV: Réduire la Souffrance associée au VRS

Dr. Cora Constantinescu is a pediatrician, infectious disease physician and clinical associate professor in Calgary AB. From seeing vaccine hesitant patients in clinic, to her academic pursuits in vaccine acceptance and surveillance, she has a strong passion for vaccine research and promotion. She holds a masters in medical education and specializes in development and study of education interventions rooted in behavioral change theory. She has applied these skills to vaccine education for healthcare workers and the public and continues to be a vaccine advocate at the local and national levels.  

Melanie Langille M.Env.Sc., President & CEO, New Brunswick Lung:

Radon Gas & Lung Cancer in New Brunswick

Melanie Langille holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Brunswick, and a Master of Environmental Science from the University of Toronto. She worked for 12 years in environmental consulting, reporting for a wide variety of environmental impact assessments, contaminated site assessments, and human health and ecological risk assessments. With a technical expertise in vapour intrusion, she led the development of standards for soil vapour intrusion investigations in Atlantic Canada under the Atlantic Partnership in Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA) Implementation (Atlantic PIRI) Committee. Since joining NB Lung in 2019, Melanie has focused on public education and policy advocacy in environmental and lung health. 

Carol Reimer RN, M.Sc, Co-owner of Verus Consulting:

Rates of Lung disease in NB: exploring the disproportionate burden of disease

Carol Reimer is co-owner and health care consultant of Verus Consulting. She has consulted on projects regarding health care access in developing countries, funding models for health resources, rural health, cost-comparisons between models, health care resourcing, and community health.

As a health educator, Carol has taught at the University of New Brunswick, facilitated online courses in occupational health and wellness, and taught personal care workers employed in the home health care field. Carol earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Alberta and received her RN designation. She later earned a Master of Science in epidemiology and community health from the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine.

Today, Carol serves on the board of Horizon Health Network, and has served in various chair and committee roles over her six-year tenure. She has previously served on a number of national and local boards, both in the corporate and non-profit sectors.

Dr. Sanjeev Sirpal M.D., J.D., M.Sc., CCFP:

Navigating Cannabis: Health Impacts, Harm Reduction Strategies, and Policy Pathways

Dr. Sirpal is an emergency physician, public health and health policy enthusiast, lawyer, and researcher with a diverse professional portfolio. He serves as a staff attending physician at Edmundston Regional Hospital, where he plays a vital role in various intra- and extra-hospital committees. His commitment to advancing healthcare extends to his active participation in the New Brunswick Medical Society (NBMS), where he serves on the Health Policy and Promotion Committee. Additionally, Dr. Sirpal serves on the Cannabis Harm Reduction Advisory Committee, a collaborative effort between NBMS and NB Lung. His research and policy interests are centered on improving healthcare accessibility, enhancing healthcare performance, and promoting evidence-based health policy creation. 

Dr. Meena Kalluri MD, FCCP, Founder and Director of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative ILD Clinic at the University of Alberta:

From Symptoms to Solutions: A Comprehensive Guide to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Dr. Kalluri is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia and fellowships in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, USA. She is the founder and director of the Multidisciplinary Collaborative ILD clinic at the University of Alberta. She has developed a patient centric approach with early-integrated palliative care to improve health related quality of life and death in fibrotic interstitial lung diseases. Her clinic has received the Jon B Meddings Clinical Innovation award from the Department of Medicine and has been recognized nationally by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement as an emerging innovation in Palliative and end of life care. Her research focus is on developing clinical tools to improve care and service delivery in ILD.