In this episode, we continue our collaboration with the Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities for a conversation with Dr. Michael Quon about the lessons he learned from his own experience with Traumatic Brain Injury and the work he's doing to support physicians with disabilities across Canada.

Key Words: TBI, Internal Medicine, Policy, Canada, Cognitive Disability

Bio: Michael Quon - Biography 

Dr. Michael Quon is a General Internal Medicine specialist in Ottawa, Canada and Lecturer at the University of Ottawa.  He is a determined advocate to improve inclusion of physicians with disabilities.  The start of his career was delayed because of a terrible road cycling crash and a traumatic brain injury. During his rehabilitation and work reintegration, he identified many opportunities for improvement in care for both physicians and patients with disability.

 

He is dedicated to improving support, accommodations and opportunities for physicians with disabilities. He is a board member for the Canadian Association for Physicians with Disabilities.  He contributes with the Medicine Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) working group at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH).   He is contributing to the development of a peer support initiative for physicians with disabilities and medical conditions with the Ontario Medical Association Physician Health Program. He will be joining an EDI Fellow Advisory Table for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and EDI Working Group for the Canadian Medical Association. 

 

He successfully helped develop a position statement for physicians with disabilities at TOH, the first of its kind at any Canadian hospital institution. This was published and shared widely by every Provincial Medical Association, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, and the HealthCareCAN national organization.  He and his colleague presented at the Building a Culture of Health Equity Summit at Stanford University this year.  The statement has since led to the first accessibility policy for physicians with disabilities in Canada, expected to be approved in the Department of Medicine at TOH in 2022.

 

Twitter handles: @mjquon @OttawaHospital