Northgate Medical Centre

07/01/2025

Canada is a country of equality, justice, and friendship. May unity & love always be the priority of every Canadian.
Cheers to our independence and to our happily growing country. It's time to raise the flag and have a good time with your family and friends
Happy Canada Day from all of us at Northgate Medical Clinic.

05/11/2025

05/01/2025

National Physicians' Day is celebrated on May 1. The date was chosen by the Canadian Medical Association in recognition of Dr. Emily Stowe, the first female physician to practice in Canada. We are so grateful for our doctors here at Northgate Medical clinic as well as all Saskatchewan doctors!

04/20/2025

Happy Easter!

04/14/2025

Su***de is at a high in teenagers and young adults, now is the time we need to open conversations up with our kids, talk about mental health and struggles they may be having. Question do you ever have suicidal thoughts. Do you feel the stresses from your school, peers or social media? Let them know you are there and that you care. Let them know they matter. Sometimes it feels small but one small gesture can make a huge impact…good or bad.

Kenny Lacy, Kyren Lacy’s father, spoke out about mental health awareness and the importance of parents checking in on their kids at an early age.

“Young parents, start talking to your kids at a very early age and make sure they are confident and comfortable confiding in you.
Don’t be cool with “I’m Alright, or I’m good” when you know deep down something isn’t right. Mental Health is real, and for the most part, it’s invisible, don’t ignore the signs, even if they may seem small,” Kenny Lacy wrote.

“Our lives have changed forever and this will never be ok, but God needed my baby more than he was needed here. This has to be the biggest pill our families have had to swallow but I know the love and compassion in our families will get us through. This will never get easier, but we’ll learn to live with it.
Check on your kids mental!!!!!!!!!!!”

02/26/2025

It’s Pink shirt day! Be kind to each other and,
speak out when you see bullying happening.

02/17/2025

Black History Month-
Clotilda Yakimchuk January 11, 1932 – April 15, 2021, was born and raised in Whitney Pier, Nova Scotia. In 1954, she became the first Black graduate of the Nova Scotia Hospital School of Nursing. She also received a post graduate midwifery diploma from Colony Hospital, Grenada, West Indies, a post graduate psychiatric nursing certificate from the Nova Scotia Hospital and a diploma in adult education from St.FX University.
Ms. Yakimchuk spent 50 years in the nursing profession. She began her career as Head Nurse of the Admission/Discharge Unit of the Nova Scotia Hospital. From there she moved to Grenada, West Indies, where she was the Director of Nursing at the Psychiatric Hospital. Ms. Yakimchuk moved back to Canada in 1967, where she took a position as Staff Nurse at the Sydney City Hospital. She later became Nursing Supervisor and later Director of Staff Development at the Cape Breton Hospital. She then served as Director of Education Services at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital until her retirement from nursing in 1994. Commitment to the nursing profession has always been evident in Ms. Yakimchuk. Her passion and commitment were exemplified when she served as President of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Nova Scotia (now known as The College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia). Notably, she is this organization’s only elected Black president in 100 years of the organization history to date. She is a proponent of education and lifelong learning and was an exceptional role model to the many nurses who followed in her path. In addition to her work as President, she served on numerous national, provincial and local committees and working groups.
In 2003, she received the Order of Canada; she is also a member of the Nova Scotia Black Hall of Fame and in 1991, received the national Harry Jerome Award in acknowledgement of her cultural and community achievements.

02/10/2025

Black History Month celebrates,
Dr.Chika Stacy Oriuwa is a Canadian physician, spoken word artist, and advocate against systemic racism in health care.
In 2017, the University of Toronto created the Black Student Application Program (BSAP), an optional application process that requires the same standards and includes an interview process conducted by members of the Black community, faculty, and students,and Oriuwa became an ambassador and public face of the program. As of 2020, the incoming class of 2024 has 24 black students.
During medical school, Oriuwa co-founded the Black Interprofessional Students' Association (BIPSA) to network students across graduate programs.She also served as a strategic advisor and contributing writer to Healthy Debate, a healthcare journalism platform.
In 2018, she delivered the keynote speech at Women's College Hospital for International Women's Day, titled "Thriving at the Intersections: Being a Black Woman in Medicine," and was a speaker at the 2018 International Women and Children's Health Conference at McMaster University. In 2019, she was a workshop speaker at the Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership.[16] She has said she uses poetry both as an outlet for her struggles with encountering racism and as a form of advocacy against it and during her second year of medical school, created a spoken word video titled, "Woman, Black.
In 2021, she was one of six frontline workers honored by the Barbie Role Model Program with a doll created in her likeness.In 2020, Oriuwa was the first black woman to become the sole valedictorian at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine.

02/08/2025

Happy Black History Month!
Anderson Ruffin Abbott (7 April 1837 – 29 December 1913) was the first Black Canadian born doctor.
Anderson Abbott was educated at the Buxton Mission School, a racially integrated school near Chatham, Canada West, that was noted for its superior education. The school was part of the Elgin Settlement, a safe haven for refugees from enslavement established in 1849. Later, he studied at the Toronto Academy, where he was an honours student, followed by Oberlin College in Ohio. In 1857, Abbott enrolled at University College in Toronto to study chemistry. In 1858, he began studies at the Toronto School of Medicine, which later became affiliated with the University of Toronto. He then completed a supervised placement with Dr. Alexander Augusta, a family friend and leader of the Black community in Toronto who had a surgical practice and drug store in the city. In 1861, Abbott was licensed to practise medicine, becoming the first Canadian-born Black doctor in Canada.
During the American Civil War, Anderson Abbott applied for a position as assistant surgeon in the Union Army but was unsuccessful. In June 1863, however, he signed a contract as a civilian surgeon and began working at the Contraband Hospital (later Freedmen’s Hospital) at Camp Barker in Washington, DC. The hospital cared for Black soldiers and freedmen and was staffed by Black doctors and nurses under the direction of Alexander Augusta, by then a commissioned officer in the Union Army. Abbott later served in other Washington hospitals and became well-known in the capital. Both he and Augusta attended a function at the White House, where they met President Abraham Lincoln and his wife. Abbott was among the group that stood vigil for the dying president after he was shot in April 1865.
In 1866, Anderson Abbott returned to Canada. He married Mary Ann Casey in 1871 and moved to Chatham. There he was appointed coroner for Kent County. He was also a public advocate for integrated schools. Abbott moved his practice to Dundas, Ontario, in 1881, and later moved to Oakville and then Toronto. In 1894, he accepted an appointment in Chicago, Illinois, as surgeon-in-chief of Provident Hospital, a training hospital for Black nurses; he became medical superintendent of the hospital in 1896. After returning to Toronto in 1897, he spent his later years writing on Black history and other topics.

02/05/2025

To celebrate Black History month, we will be sharing people that have made history in healthcare!
Olufunmilayo Olopade was born in Nigeria in 1957.
She attended St Anne's School in Ibadan for her secondary school education. Olopade first expressed her interest in becoming a doctor at a young age because the Nigerian villages were scarce for doctors and medical resources which were both in high demand.
She graduated from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria in 1980. ( the same university as our Dr.K)
She works closely with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and has performed extensive clinical work surrounding the role of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in the incidence of breast cancer in women of African descent.
Olufunmilayo started her career in 1980 as a medical officer in the Nigerian Navy Hospital. She moved to the US in 1983 and worked at Cook County Hospital in Chicago until 1987. In 1991, Olufunmilayo joined the University of Chicago as an assistant professor in hematology and oncology, Dean of Global Health, and Director of the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics at the University of Chicago.
Olufunmilayo Olopade was one of the three African-Americans to receive the $500,000 award. This award was appointed by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This "no strings attached" stipend grant was given as support for up to five years and was referred to as the "genius grant.”This grant allowed Olopade to continue her research on her groundbreaking discoveries on diseases and health concerns.

02/04/2025

WHAT CAUSES CANCER?
Cancer can be caused by a combination of factors. Some are modifiable, and reducing these risks can prevent over 40% of cancer cases.

Modifiable risk factors
* Alcohol consumption: Increases risk of cancers such as bowel, breast, mouth, throat, esophageal, liver, and stomach.
* Being overweight or obese: Linked to an increased risk of 12 types of cancer, including bowel and pancreatic cancers.
* Diet and nutrition: High intake of red meats, processed meats, and salted foods, and low intake of fruits and vegetables, impact cancer risks.
* Physical activity: Regular activity helps reduce cancer risks.
* To***co use: Contains carcinogenic agents responsible for 22% of cancer deaths.
* Ionising radiation: Includes radon, x-rays, gamma rays, and ultraviolet radiation.
* Workplace hazards: Exposure to substances like asbestos increases cancer risks.
* Infection: Viruses like HPV and Hepatitis B and C can cause cancer.
Non-modifiable risk factors
* Age: Cancer risk increases with age.
* Carcinogens: Substances that alter cell behaviour.
* Genetics: Inherited genetic predispositions increase cancer risk.
* Immune system: Weakened immune systems increase cancer risk.

02/04/2025

WHAT ARE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF CANCER?
With so many different types of cancers, the symptoms vary and depend on where the disease is located. However, there are some key signs and symptoms to look out for, including:
* Unusual lumps or swelling – cancerous lumps are often painless and may increase in size as the cancer progresses
* Coughing, breathlessness or difficulty swallowing – be aware of persistent coughing episodes, breathlessness or difficulty swallowing
* Changes in bowel habit – such as constipation and diarrhea and/or blood found in the stools
* Unexpected bleeding – includes bleeding from the va**na, a**l passage, or blood found in stools, in urine or when coughing
* Unexplained weight loss – a large amount of unexplained and unintentional weight loss over a short period of time (a couple of months)
* Fatigue – which shows itself as extreme tiredness and a severe lack of energy. If fatigue is due to cancer, individuals normally also have other symptoms
* Pain or ache – includes unexplained or ongoing pain, or pain that comes and goes
* New mole or changes to a mole – look for changes in size, shape, or colour and if it becomes crusty or bleeds or oozes
* Complications with urinating – includes needing to urinate urgently, more frequently, or being unable to go when you need to or experiencing pain while urinating
* Unusual breast changes – look for changes in size, shape or feel, skin changes and pain
* Appetite loss – feeling less hungry than usual for a prolonged period of time
* A sore or ulcer that won’t heal – including a spot, sore wound or mouth ulcer
* Heartburn or indigestion – persistent or painful heartburn or indigestion
* Heavy night sweats – be aware of very heavy, drenching night sweats
Most of the signs and symptoms mentioned here are likely due to something less serious than cancer, but early detection is crucial if it is cancer. If you notice any changes that aren't normal for you or something that persists, don't hesitate to speak to your doctor. Even if it's not on this list, it's important to get it checked out.