Today on the (w)healthy podcast we’re talking about an area of women’s health that needs to be talked about way more. It affects far more women than most of us realize — and for many women, the impacts last long after treatment ends. About a year and a half ago, thanks in part to a sizable donation from the Mississauga-based FDC Foundation, the Gynecologic Oncology Surgical Program was brought to Kelowna General Hospital. This was huge for the hundreds of women each year who are diagnosed with gynecologic cancers — those of the cervix, uterus, ovaries, vagina, and vulva — here in the Southern Interior. And now, we have the capacity to perform these delicate, life-saving surgeries right here at KGH!

In this episode of the (w)healthy podcast we are welcoming back Dr. Sophia Capo, a pediatric optometrist and founder of A B See Vision Therapy in Kelowna. When Dr. Capo first joined us, she helped us understand that vision is about so much more than eyesight. It shapes how children learn, move, regulate their emotions, build confidence, and experience the world around them. And yet, children’s vision challenges can be incredibly easy to miss. According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, it has been estimated that only 14% of children under the age of six receive professional eye care — even though early detection and treatment of vision problems can have a significant impact on a child’s development, learning, and well-being! This is a conversation you won't want to miss!

To learn more about the projects and initiatives that Dr. Capo is currently working on please visit ABSee.ca

Today we're joined by Pediatrician Dr. Alysha Mackenzie-Feder for a conversation about the inward experience of medicine, the realities of raising a family while working in health care, what it means to witness suffering every day, and how we can remain connected to others without losing ourselves in the process.

A Deeper Well | Discover Inner Peace

Heart disease is the broad term used to describe many conditions — problems that affect the structure and function of the heart or the blood vessels that supply it. Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in Canada, affecting millions of people and placing enormous demand on our health-care system. But it’s also one of the areas of medicine where prevention, early detection, and rehabilitation can dramatically change outcomes. Understanding how the heart works — and what happens when something goes wrong — can help people recognize risks earlier, recover more effectively, and in many cases avoid serious cardiac events altogether. Which is why today on the (w)healthy podcast we are joined by Dr. Kevin and Anne Pistawka, they are the Medical and Executive Directors of the Central Okanagan Association for Cardiac Health (COACH) — a community program that helps people living with heart disease recover, rebuild confidence, and adopt heart-healthy lifestyles. Together, they can provide comprehensive insight on the subject of cardiac care: treatment and recovery, medicine and lifestyle, hospital and community.

Multiple Sclerosis, commonly referred to as MS, is a condition that many of us have a limited understanding of. But with Canada having some of the highest rates of MS in the world many Canadians are wanting to learn more. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Scott Meckling, a leading neurologist here in Kelowna who specializes in multiple sclerosis. This conversation is about unpacking both sides of the MS story; what we know, what we're learning, and what it actually means for people living with MS today.

As of 2025, about 8.1 million Canadians are aged 65+, roughly 19.5% of the population. That proportion is expected to rise to about 23–25% by 2040. Meaning that the “oldest old” population is growing fastest! So what can we do to prepare ourselves for aging? In this episode of the (w)healthy podcast we are joined by Dr. Jenn Jakobi, Director of the Institute of Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention and Professor of Health and Exercise Science at UBCO, to talk about how we can support healthy aging through movement, community design, and research that centers the voices of older adults themselves.

In Canada, more than 772,000 people are currently living with dementia, and that number is expected to nearly double within the next 20 years. Which is why today we are joined by Dr. Pieter Strauss, a physician and clinical researcher who is not just observing where Alzheimer's research is going, he's actively involved in the trials that are shaping what's coming next!

Just over a year ago on Day of Giving the community rallied to raise funds to bring Vinni, a surgical robot, to Kelowna General Hospital. A year later we are joined by the Head of Robotics, Dr. Dimitri Coutsinos, to get an update on Vinni's first months at KGH and hear about all of the amazing work they've been up to! Whether you donated to the campaign or saw Vinni around town this is an update you won't want to miss!

April is Parkinson's Awareness Month and we are beyond excited to be introducing a very special new member of the Humphreys Family Movement Disorder Clinic, Dr. Talyta Grippe. Dr. Grippe is a neurologist with specialized training in neurophysiology and Parkinson's disease, and brings with her to Kelowna an extremely specialized knowledge base and emerging therapies. Through a partnership between the KGH Foundation and the Humphreys Family Foundation, a new model of care is being built, one that doesn’t just bring specialists here but supports them to do the full scope of their work.

Spring has sprung and with the nicer weather finally settling in to the Okanagan Valley you may have noticed the runners are back! But lots of us wonder what sort of impact running has on our joints? In this episode of the (w)healthy podcast we are joined by JF Esculier, a physiotherapist and co-founder of MoveMed Physiotherapy in Kelowna. Whether you're new to running or a seasoned pro JF answers all the burning questions you're bound to have!