12:00 – 12:30 PM:

Navigating the chronic disease landscape
Chronic diseases continue to drive rising health-care costs and impact workforce productivity. This session will explore how comprehensive wellness and prevention programs can help improve long-term health outcomes and support cost management for employers. It will also highlight strategies for implementing effective wellness initiatives and preventive care programs.

Speaker:

Alexandra Dalkie, director, ePharmacy, Sun Life

12:30 – 1:00 PM:

More than skin deep: How chronic skin conditions impact work and well-being
The impacts of chronic skin disorders aren’t always visible; they can lead to significant consequences on work productivity and mental health. With a focus on atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, this session will explore how employers can create workplaces that support health, inclusion and performance. It will highlight how thoughtful policies and benefits design can make a real difference in supporting employees living with chronic skin conditions.

Speaker:

Dr. Maxwell Sauder, dermatologist, Toronto Dermatology Centre

This session has been made possible by Galderma.

1:00 – 1:30 PM:

Hope and healing: Treatments for postpartum depression
Postpartum depression is an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition with potentially long-term impacts on both mother and child. Fortunately, mothers in Canada now have access to more information, resources and treatment options than ever before. This session will explore postpartum depression and its effects, review Canadian treatment guidelines and highlight the importance of early detection and timely treatment.

Speaker:

Dr. Tanya Tulipan, assistant professor of psychiatry, Dalhousie University

This session has been made possible by Biogen.

1:30 – 2:00 PM:

How relationship-based care drives better employee health
Today's health care is fragmented. Employees are forced to navigate a siloed system for physical and mental health, contributing to stress, burnout and unmanaged chronic conditions. This session will explore how a benefits program can offer employees a single, trusted "quarterback" for their total health needs. It will discuss proven models built on relationship-based care and explore how an integrated approach, with one team working together to address factors that contribute to chronic disease, is key to proactive prevention. It will highlight how these models build trust, can catch small issues before they become catastrophic claims and support preventive health goals by tackling the risk factors of chronic disease.

Speakers:

Dr. Matthew Chow, chief mental health officer, Telus Health

Dr. Adam Myers, senior vice-president, Telus Health Care Centres

2:00 – 2:30 PM:

Wellness break
While we take a brief pause from the conference program, we encourage you to use this time to get up from your desk and move around, stretch, practice breathwork or grab a snack and a refreshment.

2:30 – 3:00 PM:

Hitting the pause button on type 1 diabetes: Why slowing the progression of chronic disease matters 
This session will explore how type 1 diabetes and diabetes-related complications affect the daily lives and productivity of patients, as well as their caregivers. It will examine the often-overlooked psychosocial challenges of managing type 1 diabetes, including how glucose monitoring requirements, diabetes technology challenges and mental-health considerations negatively impact academic performance, workplace productivity and absenteeism both at school and at work. This session will also present evidence on quantifiable productivity losses, educational attainment gaps and economic burden. It will conclude with practical support strategies employers can offer employees to improve outcomes and quality of life for those affected by type 1 diabetes.

Speaker:

Michael Vallis, psychologist and associate professor, family medicine, Dalhousie University, affiliate research scientist, Nova Scotia Health

This session has been made possible by Sanofi Canada.

3:00 – 3:30 PM:

The human impact of chronic hepatitis B: A Canadian perspective
Chronic hepatitis B affects more than 250,000 Canadians, yet many patients remain undiagnosed, undertreated or disengaged from care. While often clinically silent, chronic hepatitis B carries a significant emotional, social and health burden for patients. The disease may also have implications in the workplace, where stigma, lack of awareness and limited employer support can affect productivity, engagement and overall well-being. This session will focus on the lived experience of chronic hepatitis B in Canada and discusses how clinicians, health systems and communities can align emerging treatment goals with meaningful outcomes for patients.

Speaker:
Jonathan Mapletoft, medical lead, specialty care and innovation team, GSK Canada

3:30 – 4:00 PM:

Employer discussion: Prevention in practice at Symcor
As an organization with well-being at the core of its employee value proposition, Symcor Inc. takes a holistic, inclusive and data-informed approach to chronic disease prevention. This session will explore this approach, including how Symcor reaches a diverse workforce with awareness and educational campaigns, as well as a new chronic disease program that targets diabetes, cardiovascular health and personalized medication delivery.

Speaker:

Rachel Wong, vice-president, total rewards and HR technology, Symcor

Moderator:

Jennifer Paterson, editor, Benefits Canada