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Throughout this season of Injury is NOT Equal, we’ve heard from professionals about the systemic factors driving injury recidivism. But what about those who live this reality every day? In this episode we hear from Sarah Ginn—a longtime injury survivor and advocate. From a catastrophic injury over two decades ago to the many challenges she’s faced with repeated injuries since, Sarah reflects on the barriers, gaps in support, and resilience needed to navigate life after injury.

Guest Speaker:

Sarah Ginn

Sarah is an injury survivor, advocate, and ambassador who has been courageously sharing her story for the last 15 years, including through Sunnybrook’s P.A.R.T.Y. Program. After experiencing a catastrophic injury over two decades ago, she has faced ongoing challenges with repeated injuries. Through her advocacy, Sarah sheds light on the long-term impacts of trauma, the resilience needed for recovery, and the many factors that have contributed to her experiences with injury recidivism.

Host:

Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN

Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Podcast Produced By:

Centre for Injury Prevention

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Producer:

Cassandra Matchett

Media Production Student at Toronto Metropolitan University

Music:

Klimenko Music at Premium Beats

Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

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Violent injury is a pressing global public health issue, with survivors at a much higher risk of experiencing repeated injuries. At Sunnybrook, violent injuries make up approximately 19% of all trauma activations—a figure that has risen significantly over time. To combat this, the BRAVE Program (Breaking the Cycle of Violence with Empathy) delivers hospital-based violence intervention aimed at reducing injury recidivism and preventing retaliation. Through coordinated wraparound services, BRAVE addresses key modifiable risk factors, fostering recovery and disrupting the cycle of violence.

Guest Speakers:

Michael Lewis

Case Manager, BRAVE Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Michael is a Case Manager with Sunnybrook’s BRAVE Program and has over 20 years of experience in the Social Services sector. Michael played a pivotal role in the launch of the BRAVE Program in September 2020. As the programs first and sole case manager for the first 3 years, Michael worked diligently to support violently injured patients receiving care through Sunnybrook’s trauma program.

Elena Gordon

Case Manager, BRAVE Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Elena is the second case manager working with Sunnybrook’s BRAVE Program. Elena joined the team in 2023, partnering with Michael as the BRAVE Program expanded to support patients across the city’s East and West ends through Scarborough Health Network and Humber River Hospital. A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor of Social Work, Elena brings over 8 years of experience working with vulnerable youth.

Resources:

BRAVE – Introduction to Sunnybrook’s Hospital-based Violence Intervention Program

BRAVE Program

SafeTO: A Community Safety & Well-Being Plan

Host:

Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN

Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Podcast Produced By:

Centre for Injury Prevention

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Producer:

Cassandra Matchett

Media Production Student at Toronto Metropolitan University

Music:

Klimenko Music at Premium Beats

Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

Send us a text

In 2021, Sunnybrook opened the Jennifer Tory Trauma Recovery Clinic, aiming to provide coordinated, centralized follow-up care for all trauma patients up to one year after discharge. In this episode, host Shaelyn Fitzpatrick is joined by guest Lindsay Witiuk to discuss the impact of tertiary prevention efforts, including trauma recovery services and community resources, in disrupting the cycle of repeat injuries. Lindsay shares insights from her work at the Trauma Recovery Clinic, highlighting how these services address gaps in care and exploring areas where there is still room for improvement.

Guest Speakers:

Lindsay Witiuk, MSW, RSW

Registered Social Worker, Jennifer Tory Trauma Recovery Clinic, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Lindsay is a Registered Social Worker with nearly 10 years’ experience in the social services field. She is an advocate in supporting individuals in various settings living with a myriad of psychosocial challenges including, mental health and substance use, homelessness, child welfare involvement and individuals accessing the health care system.

Lindsay enjoys her role as a Social Worker at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in the Outpatient Trauma Recovery Clinic working with survivors of traumatic injuries once they have transitioned from acute care and into the community. Lindsay believes in health equity and the importance of ensuring a safe and trauma-informed environment for patients and families to heal.

Resources:

Jennifer Tory Trauma Recovery Clinic

Host:

Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN

Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Podcast Produced By:

Centre for Injury Prevention

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Producer:

Cassandra Matchett

Media Production Student at Toronto Metropolitan University

Music:

Klimenko Music at Premium Beats

Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

Send us a text

This episode contains discussions about human trafficking and intimate partner violence, which may be sensitive for some listeners. Listener’s discretion is advised.

Human trafficking in Canada is a serious human rights violation that can lead to emotional, physical, and psychological trauma. Between 2012 and 2022, nearly 4000 incidents of human trafficking have been reported in Canada, however, many cases go undetected (Statistics Canada, 2023). In this episode, host Shaelyn Fitzpatrick is joined by guest speaker Dr. Julianna Deutscher to examine how cycles of violence, control, and exploitation contribute to repeated injury, and what healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities can do to break these cycles.

Guest Speakers:

Dr. Julianna Deutscher, MD

Emergency and Trauma Physician, University of Toronto

Dr. Deutscher is an emergency and trauma physician at the University of Toronto. She graduated from medical school at the University of Alberta and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Toronto prior to completing a fellowship in Global Emergency Medicine at Queen's University. She has worked in human trafficking prevention and education for over a decade, starting initially from the community level as a board member for Magdalene House Society. While much of her career has focussed on trafficking in Canada, she has more recently contributed to projects overseas focussing on refugees and migrants.

Resources:

Canadian Hotline for Human Trafficking

1-833-900-1010

Magdalene House

Abused and Brain Injured

Trafficking in persons in Canada, 2022

Host:

Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN

Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Podcast Produced By:

Centre for Injury Prevention

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Producer:

Cassandra Matchett

Media Production Student at Toronto Metropolitan University

Music:

Klimenko Music at Premium Beats

Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

Send us a text

In this first season 3 episode of "Injury is Not Equal," we explore the critical intersection between injury recidivism and mental health. Research has found that one of the greatest predictors of unintentional injury recidivism is Mental illness. One study that analyzed injury recidivism following orthopedic trauma, found that mental illness was present in 57% of recidivists (Heimke et al., 2023).

In this episode, host Shaelyn Fitzpatrick is joined by guest speaker Dr. Stephanie Mason to discuss the connection between mental health and injury recidivism.

Guest Speakers:

Dr. Stephanie Mason, MD PhD

Burn and General Surgeon, and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto

Dr. Mason completed her residency training in general surgery at the University of Toronto. She completed fellowship training in Burn, Trauma, and Surgical Critical Care at the University of Washington and Harborview Medical Center. She is the Interim Medical Director of the Ross Tilley Burn Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Dr. Mason’s clinical interests include emergency general surgery, and multidisciplinary management of skin and soft tissue diseases, particularly thermal injury. Dr. Mason’s research interests include burn health services research and survivorship, with a particular focus on the impact of socioeconomic marginalization on injury outcomes.

Interested in engaging in the conversation? Send a short voice note to preventinjury@sunnybrook.ca

Your recording may be featured in a future episode!

Resources:

Trauma recidivism is pervasive and is associated with mental and social health opportunities

Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors

Host:

Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN

Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Podcast Produced By:

Centre for Injury Prevention

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Producer:

Cassandra Matchett

Media Production Student at Toronto Metropolitan University

Music:

Klimenko Music at Premium Beats

Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

Send us a text

Have you ever thought about traumatic injury as a chronic disease? We often perceive injury as a one-time event, but the reality is that the effects of traumatic injury can last a lifetime. In season 3 of Injury is NOT Equal, we delve into injury recidivism—when survivors of traumatic injuries return to the emergency department with repeated injuries. We’ll explore the psychological and physiological aspects of re-injury and the social determinants that perpetuate this cycle.

Stay tuned as we uncover the critical role of tertiary prevention in breaking the cycle of injury recidivism. Through insightful discussions with experts and personal stories from those affected, we aim to bring awareness to health inequities and discuss ways to improve health through an injury prevention lens.

Resources:

Trauma recidivism is pervasive and is associated with mental and social health opportunities

A novel prospective approach to evaluate trauma recidivism: the concept of the past trauma history

Host:

Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN

Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Podcast Produced By:

Centre for Injury Prevention

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Producer:

Cassandra Matchett

Media Production Student at Toronto Metropolitan University

Music:

Klimenko Music at Premium Beats

Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

Send us a text

This season is made possible with the generous support of the Kimel-Schatzky Traumatic Brain Injury Innovation Fund.

Throughout season two we heard from many experts and individuals with lived experience who discussed the intersecting determinants of health associated with traumatic brain injury. In this season finale, host Shaelyn Fitzpatrick reviews each episode this season and shines light on some of the key messages and common theme’s raised.

Guest Speakers:

• S2. Ep. 1 - Steve Lanys-Morris & J Lanys-Morris
• S2. Ep. 2 - Julie Osbelt & Nicole Cross
• S2. Ep. 3 & 4 - Halina (Lin) Haag
• S2. Ep. 5 - Matthew Burke & Vincy Chan
• S2. Ep. 6 - Flora Matheson
• S2. Ep. 7 & 8 - Judy Gargaro

Resources:

• Brain Injury Canada

Host & Producer:
Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN
Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Producer:
Rheegan Goodale
Student Journalist and Multimedia Reporter at Humber College

Podcast Produced By:
Centre for Injury Prevention
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Music:
Klimenko Music at Premium Beats
Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury

Send us a text

This season is made possible with the generous support of the Kimel-Schatzky Traumatic Brain Injury Innovation Fund.

Traumatic brain injury is observed in all age groups across the lifespan, but some groups are more vulnerable than others for a number of factors. Seniors aged 65 years and older are at a significantly higher risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury. Evidence suggests that falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury in older adults. It is estimated that 1 in 5 Canadians 65 years and older fall. On average, older adults with TBI experience higher rates of death and disability, slower recovery, and greater impacts to cognition, functional ability and psychosocial outcomes.

In part 2 of this episode series, host Shaelyn Fitzpatrick continues the conversation with guest speaker Judy Gargaro to understand the complex relationship between TBI and older age, and the solutions needed to best support this growing population.

Guest Speakers:
Judy Gargaro
Manager, Neurotrauma Care Pathways Project, University Health Network

Judy is the Manager for the Neurotrauma Care Pathways Project at University Health Network. Judy has been focusing on developing, implementing and evaluating evidence-based pathways of care for persons with neurotrauma, with particular focus on those with comorbidities and who have traditionally been under-served by the healthcare system. Judy has been working with persons with brain and spinal cord injury for the last 35 years and has collaborated with administrators, clinicians (brain injury, spinal cord injury and other sectors) and policy makers to improve the quality of care available to persons after all severities of neurotrauma.

Resources:

• Brain Injury Canada

Host & Producer:
Shaelyn Fitzpatrick, RN, BScN
Injury Prevention Educator, Centre for Injury Prevention

Producer:
Rheegan Goodale
Student Journalist and Multimedia Reporter at Humber College

Podcast Produced By:
Centre for Injury Prevention
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Music:
Klimenko Music at Premium Beats
Alexander Blu Music at Orangefreesounds.com

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast are the speakers own and do not represent Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @letstalkinjury