In Our VoICES
In Our VoICES
Podcast Description
In Our VoICES is an ICES podcast that takes you beyond the data to meet the people – and hear the stories – that help shape health and healthcare, for all of us.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes such as health data analytics, mental health, and substance use, with episodes like the one featuring Dr. Daniel Myran discussing the societal impacts of cannabis policy changes and the health inequities related to substance use.
In Our VoICES is an ICES podcast that takes you beyond the data to meet the people – and hear the stories – that help shape health and healthcare, for all of us.
What can a national health data system reveal about perinatal opioid use in Canada and the supports families need most? In this episode, Dr. Andi Camden and peer researcher Ashley Smoke speak about the Canadian Perinatal Opioid Project, its interactive dashboard, and the importance of storytelling, community engagement, and compassionate, evidence-based care.
Dr. Andi Camden is an Epidemiologist and Senior Research Associate at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children at SickKids and the University of Toronto, as well as an ICES Fellow. She holds both a PhD and an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto, where she also completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship. Andi’s research uses administrative data and community engagement to explore the impact of medication use, including opioids, during pregnancy on maternal and child health across the life course. Andi currently leads a Public Health Agency of Canada-funded project called the Canadian Perinatal Opioid Project where she is developing Canada’s first health data system to monitor perinatal opioid use and subsequent health outcomes.
Ashley Smoke is a First Nations community member from Alderville First Nation, a Peer Researcher with the Canadian Perinatal Opioid Project, a Drug Strategy Coordinator, consultant, and public speaker based in Port Hope, Ontario. Ashley brings together professional expertise and lived experience to help achieve better healthcare for people who use drugs, particularly Indigenous families and pregnant and parenting people. Both of their children were born while Ashley was receiving methadone treatment, giving them firsthand experience navigating pregnancy, parenting, health care, stigma, and systems that often make families feel judged rather than supported. Through research, education, and advocacy, Ashley works to challenge harmful assumptions and help build more compassionate, culturally safe, and evidence-based approaches to perinatal substance use care.
Resources
Dashboard – Canadian Perinatal Opioid Project
EPISODE CREDITS:
Produced, edited and mixed by Will Mcintyre, Richard Villeneuve and Pop Up Podcasting
Artwork designed by Stella-Luna Ha
Music licensed through Melodie Music
LINKS:
Be sure to follow and tag ICES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about our organization, visit us at ices.on.ca
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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