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In this episode, we explore an unlikely but powerful partnership between Terry Kostyna, a "get-shit-done" (GSD) entrepreneur and small-town mayor, and Dr. Jacob Al Hassan, an academic researcher focused on health equity. Together, they discuss their work with the Health Quality Council’s "Thrive at Home" initiative, specifically focusing on how rural communities can innovate to provide sustainable transportation for seniors. From volunteer-run shuttles to specialized software, Terry and Jacob share how they are working to bridge the gap between research and action to ensure older adults can age in place with dignity.

Resources

• Health Quality Council's Thrive at Home Initiative
• A Call for a Transportation Strategy
• Prince George's Social Prescribing Initiative
• Drive Happiness (Alberta)
• Gravelbourg Cares Shuttle

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In this episode, I sit down with John Mortimer, a specialist in systemic service design and founder of Impro, to tackle a concept that is silently draining the resources and morale of our health care system: Failure Demand. John explains that much of the "spinning" felt by practitioners today—the feeling of running faster while staying in the same place—is the result of a system designed to manage the consequences of its own failures rather than meeting the actual needs of the person.

If you have ever felt that you or your organization is only as helpful as the rules allow, this conversation offers ideas for finding traction in the spin and eliminating the invisible drain of failure demand.

Resources

John’s Videos on YouTube

Buurtzorg Model

Human Learning Systems

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Recorded just twenty-four hours before Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR)—formerly known as AIDS Saskatoon—officially closed its doors on April 9, 2026, this episode features a deep dive conversation with social worker and advocate Erin Beckwell. Erin shares her decade-long history with AIDS Saskatoon, starting from its roots as a community-led response to the HIV crisis to its evolution into a vital institution that provided life-saving services in the community. As you will hear, Erin and her co-workers were doing Relational Service long before it even had a name.

In this timely conversation, we explore what it means to lead with a health equity lens, the frustrations of working in a huge bureaucracy, and the opportunity to do change approaches when we think outside the health care box.

Resources

Prairie Harm Reduction (formerly AIDS Saskatoon)

Wellness Wheel Clinic (Regina)

University Health Network Housing Model

Video: How Public Policy Creates Poverty with Colleen Christopherson-Cote

This Week's Shift Shout Out:

Trillium Heath Partners AI Challenge