In this week's episode of Action on Pain, Keith, Jennifer, and Virginia welcome retired physiotherapist and long-time pain advocate Mary Brachaniec, who shares her journey living with inflammatory arthritis and in leading national efforts to improve chronic pain care in Canada. Mary discusses her pioneering work in patient engagement, research, and advocacy—especially for seniors and those with dementia. The conversation highlights the impact of collaborative research, new national care standards, and the importance of evidence-based, compassionate pain management, as guided by Health Canada’s Action Plan for Pain.

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Links for this episode:

Follow Mary Brachaniec:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-brachaniec-519a69386/

Pain in Dementia Patients Research - https://www.uregina.ca/arts/psychology/directory/faculty/hadjistavropoulos-t.html

Follow Action On Pain:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-on-pain/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/actiononpain/

Follow Virginia:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-mcintyre-8867a247/

Website - www.pipain.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/virginia_mci/

Follow Jennifer:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdalycyr/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jen_dalycyr/#

Follow Keith:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-meldrum-03701734/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-path-forward-pain

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/meldrum_keith/

Website - https://www.facebook.com/APathFWD

Follow Chronic Pain Network

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cpn-rdc/posts/?feedView=all

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cpn.rdc

The Action on Pain podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Chronic Pain Network, a national research and knowledge mobilization network.

In this week's episode of Action on Pain, Keith, Virginia and Jennifer spotlight innovative efforts to improve chronic pain care in Newfoundland and Labrador. Guest Julie Sullivan, the Director of the Strategic Health Network for Complex Pain discusses the province’s new hub and spoke model, designed to bring pain services closer to rural communities and reduce barriers to care. The conversation highlights the importance of patient involvement, cross-provincial collaboration, and data-driven approaches. Listeners gain insight into how Health Canada’s Action Plan for Pain is shaping better, more accessible pain management across Canada, offering hope and practical solutions for those living with chronic pain.

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Links for this episode:

Follow Julie Sullivan:

LinkedIn - https://ca.linkedin.com/in/julie-sullivan-4881392ab

Follow Action On Pain:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-on-pain/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/actiononpain/

Follow Virginia:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-mcintyre-8867a247/

Website - www.pipain.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/virginia_mci/

Follow Jennifer:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdalycyr/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jen_dalycyr/#

Follow Keith:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-meldrum-03701734/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-path-forward-pain

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/meldrum_keith/

Website - https://www.facebook.com/APathFWD

Follow Chronic Pain Network

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cpn-rdc/posts/?feedView=all

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cpn.rdc

The Action on Pain podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Chronic Pain Network, a national research and knowledge mobilization network.

In this episode, we revisit Keith and Virginia's conversation with physiotherapist, educator, researcher, and lived-experience advocate Lesley Singer. Lesley shares how some outdated beliefs about work-related injuries shaped her early career until her own journey with chronic neuropathic pain transformed everything. Together, they explore some of the challenges within physiotherapy education, some misconceptions that may still exisit, and the powerful impact of bringing real patient stories directly into the classroom. This conversation shines a light on how meaningful change happens: one perspective, one conversation, and one future clinician at a time.

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Links for this episode:

Follow Lesley Singer:

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/lesley-singer-3513a444

PhysioConnection - https://www.physioconnection.ca/lesley-singer

McGill University - https://www.mcgill.ca/spot/lesley-singer-norris

Follow Action On Pain:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/action-on-pain/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/actiononpain/

Follow Virginia:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-mcintyre-8867a247/

Website - www.pipain.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/virginia_mci/

Follow Jennifer:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdalycyr/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jen_dalycyr/#

Follow Keith:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-meldrum-03701734/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-path-forward-pain

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/meldrum_keith/

Website - https://www.facebook.com/APathFWD

Follow Chronic Pain Network

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cpn-rdc/posts/?feedView=all

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cpn.rdc

The Action on Pain podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Chronic Pain Network, a national research and knowledge mobilization network.