Activities & Events

March 24, 2026

A better understanding
of Parkinson’s disease

The molecule dopamine is directly implicated in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease, but our understanding of how dopamine contributes to movement normally and how the degeneration of dopamine neurons causes motor impairments remains limited. In this conference, I will present our recent research efforts to address these important questions and highlight their potential for the development of novel therapies.

Objectives: 

• Understand Parkinson’s disease symptoms and the brain circuits that underlie them.
• Appreciate modern methods for studying Parkinson’s disease in the laboratory.
• Appreciate the important role that dopamine plays in motor control.
• Understand how dyskinesia - the main side effect of Parkinson’s disease treatments – arises and what could be done to avoid this side effect.

Speaker:

NICOLAS TRITSCH, PhD: Assistant Professor- Department of Psychiatry
McGill University
Douglas Mental Health University Institute

February 17, 2026

Digital Health and AI— Promises,
Adoption, and Implementation

AI in Healthcare: Where Do We Stand Today?

This panel brings together clinicians, user representatives, decision makers, and industry stakeholders to
discuss the challenges, limitations, and key conditions for the practical and sustainable integration of digital
health into the network.

Speakers:

ROSE GLADYS ALCIDAS: Trained clinical nurse. She has worked in the health and social services network for almost 19 years. She is currently the Associate Director of the Vaccination and Screening, Public Health and Populational Responsibility Directorate at the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de- l’Île-de-Montréal.

YVON LALUMIÈRE: Liaison officer for the Users’ Committee at the Centre jeunesse de l’Estrie (CJE) chairs the Alliance des comités des usagers CJ du Québec. He has more than 30 years’ experience working with Assessment and Guidance and Review teams in the application of the Youth Protection Act. Throughout his career he has been committed to the services provided to youth and the defence of users’ rights.

PIERRE BÉRUBÉ: Founder and CEO of Greybox
Solutions Inc., which develops digital solutions integrating AI to automate tasks low value-added tasks. They also optimize care trajectories for patients with complex chronic conditions.

YOSÉLINE LEUNENS: PhD in Business Administration
from HEC Montréal. She is a project manager at the CIUSSS de l’Estrie–CHUS and coordinated the roll-out of a pilot project evaluating time savings from the introduction of AI software to assist YPD caseworkers with writing case notes.

MATHIEU LESPÉRANCE: Clinical activities specialist focused on telehealth with over five years’ experience in digital and telehealth transformations. He works at the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte- Justine.

November 25, 2025

Example of a healthcare quality
assessment process by a Nurses Council (CII)

The Nurses Council (CII) is responsible for evaluating the quality and safety of nursing care provided within its institution. As this task can sometimes be complex, in 2024, the CII of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS conducted a scientific survey of its nursing staff.

This conference will present the main steps of this process, which led to the publication of an article*, as well as some of the results obtained. An opportunity to highlight the contribution of a CII to the continuous improvement of care!

* Cayer, C., Charest, S. et Cordeau, D. (2025, Été). Qualité des soins et services infirmiers : quand les experts eux-mêmes s’expriment. Perspective Infirmière

Objectives :

• Promote the role of the CII in evaluating the quality of nursing care services;
• Demonstrate the relevance of collecting subjective data on the quality of nursing care from the professionals who provide it;
• Demonstrate a concrete example of implementing a strategic lever to guide the CII’s future projects and opinions

Speakers:

CAROLINE CAYER, Inf., M. Sc. inf.: Clinical Nurse, Research Coordinator in Neurology at the CHUS Research Center, Chair of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie–CHUS Nurses Council.

DANY CORDEAU, Inf., M.A. Ph. D. (c): Clinical Nurse, Research Coordinator at the Clinical Research Unit of Granby Hospital, Advisor to the Nursing Council of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie–CHUS.

October 21, 2025

Demystifying
palliative care

Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients of all ages and their families who are facing problems related to a serious and progressive, even terminal, illness.

This care focuses on preventing and alleviating suffering through a comprehensive approach (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects) and is provided by a multidisciplinary team. This conference aims to shed light on the world of palliative care.

Objectives :

• This conference aims to demystify palliative
  care as a whole. Participants will first be
  invited to explore the various foundations and
  basic concepts, such as the provisions of the
  law concerning end-of-life care, death, pain,
  suffering, etc.
• Finally, participants will be able to recognize
  the specificities of the reality of the patient
  and their loved ones that influence support
  and care plans.

Speakers:

SOPHIE LATOUR, M.SC., T.S.: Sophie Latour is a social worker
at La Source Bleue palliative care home in Montérégie for 10 years.
She also provides training and specializes in grief, loss, and transitions.

LYNE DUGUAY: Lyne Duguay has been a nurse for
29 years and has worked for nearly 10 years at La Source Bleue palliative care home in Montérégie. In 2016, she
completed a graduate microprogram in palliative and
end-of-life care at the University of Sherbrooke.

September 23, 2025

The power of storytelling: media, suicide, and responsibility

When talking about suicide, words matter. The media has a direct influence on how people perceive and experience this reality. Unfortunately, some reports can have a contagious effect, known as the “Werther effect.”

But the opposite is also true: stories of resilience and support highlighted by the media can offer hope; this is known as the “Papageno effect.” This conference explores how responsible media coverage can help save lives.

Objectives :

• This conference aims to raise public awareness of the role of the media in suicide prevention. Participants will learn to recognize the risks associated with certain forms of media coverage and understand how positive stories can promote hope and encourage people to seek help.
• The goal is to promote a responsible approach to communication so that journalists, professionals, and citizens can help save lives through the power of words

Speakers:

DR. MASSIMILIANO ORRI: Assistant professor at McGill University and a researcher at the Douglas Research Center.

Holder of the Canada Research Chair in Suicide Prevention, he studies suicide risk factors. As a clinician, he practices psychotherapy with people suffering from depression and at risk of suicide at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute (DMHUI).

SANNI AYININ: Doctoral student in public health at the University of Montreal.

He was an intern at the WHO Collaborating Center for Mental Health at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute under the direction of Dr. Massimiliano Orri and under the academic supervision of Ms. Annabelle Martin, where he developed a framework for evaluating media coverage of suicide.

June 10, 2025 

The ECHO Model:
Interactive Learning for All Practitioners in Québec

The ECHO model is a virtual learning method designed to strengthen the skills of healthcare professionals through the sharing of best practices among peers and experts, using educational capsules and real case studies.

The Douglas Mental Health University Institute has been mandated by the MSSS to coordinate ECHO telementoring in mental health, addictions, and homelessness across the province.

This project aims to broaden access to expertise for practitioners in Québec. This presentation outlines the benefits of the approach and explains how practitioners can access and contribute to the development of ECHO telementoring.

Objectives :

• Understand the ECHO model, its principles, goals, and how it works;
• Explore the learning opportunities offered and how to access them;
• Discover how to actively contribute to practitioner learning in Québec.

Speakers:

VALÉRIE NOËL: is a Senior Advisor specializing in the implementation and evaluation of mental health services at the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

She has research experience, particularly with youth and individuals living with severe mental disorders.

MARIE-EVE ARSENAULT: Marie-Eve is a Planning, Programming,
and Research Officer within the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Service at the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-’Île-de-Montréal since July 2022.

She is a nurse and master’s candidate in communication.

May 20, 2025 

How can we better support young people experiencing suicidal crises?

This interactive presentation, based on real-world clinical cases, will offer practical tools to enhance clinical interventions.

By stepping away from a purely clinical lens, you will explore the lived experiences of young people, their families, and professional teams. You will identify strategies, grounded in the latest evidence-based recommendations, to strengthen therapeutic alliances, foster emotional regulation, and tailor interventions to real needs.

Objectives :

• Identify practical tools to support young
  people experiencing a suicidal crisis;
• Adopt a decentered approach by integrating
  the perspectives of young people, families, and
  professionals into intervention planning;
• Apply best-practice strategies to reduce
  young people’s suffering and prevent suicide.

Speakers:

MICHEL SPODENKIEWICZ, MD, PHD: is a child psychiatrist at the CIUSSS
de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and an associate researcher at the CEYMH
and INSERM (France).

Trained in Paris, Montreal, and San Francisco, he specializes in suicide prevention and trauma-related disorders in young people. He develops an integrative approach centered on the experiences of young people,
families, and teams.

He is also a reviewer for several international psychiatry journals and an active member of various research networks.

CHELSEA CUFFARO, BA.: is a Master’s student in Counselling Psychology at McGill University and a Lived Experience Coordinator at the Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health (CEYMH) at the Douglas Research Centre.

After struggling with mental health issues for years, she decided to transform her pain into power to help others through her story.

May 12, 2025

Cyberfraud unleashed:
a battle against the invisible

In 2018, Canada ranked 3rd among 20 countries with the highest number of reported online fraud cases – though only 5-10 % of victims came forward. By December 31, 2024, nearly 35,000 victims were reported, with 49,438 reports processed and losses totaling $638 million.

This interactive webinar features different perspectives: one will explore the hidden world of virtual fraud through real-life cases, while the other highlights victim profiles. With a better understanding of these issues, the participants will leave with tools to protect themselves and help raise awareness among family and friends.

Objectives :

• Learn about six major types of cyber frauds
• Demystify victim profiles
• Understand how to support fraud victims
• Know who to contact in the event of fraud

Speakers:

JO-ANNE M. WEMMERS: Professor at the School of Criminology of the University of Montreal, Jo-Anne Wemmers is a specialist in victimology. She heads the Victims, Rights and Society research team at the International Centre for Comparative Criminology. She also co-directs the Centre de justice pour les victimes d’actes criminels (www.cjvac.ca) at the Université de Montréal. Ms. Wemmers is vicepresident of the World Society of Victimology and editor of the International Review of Victimology.

SERGEANT-INVESTIGATOR: member of the Integrated Financial Crime Team of the Specialized Cyber and Financial Crime Investigation Department of the Sûreté du Québec

April 29, 2025

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): The Imperative for Action

New guidelines from the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) include strategies for reducing exacerbations. For the first time, they also include reducing the risk of mortality as part of managing patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

They are also innovative in that they consider the climate impact of treatment options available to patients. These guidelines also address the connection between COPD exacerbations and cardiovascular risks, which often lead to complications and premature death.

Objectives :

• Recognizing how the risk of future exacerbations, mortality, and cardiopulmonary complications highlights the need for urgent action in COPD patients;
• Identify the best approaches and eco-friendly treatment options for COPD patients;
• Promote and integrate adoption of the new 2023 guidelines for better management in primary care from the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS).

Speaker:

STÉPHANIE ALEXANDRE: has been an AstraZeneca Medical Sciences Liaison—Primary Respiratory Care since 2024.

Stéphanie has more than 25 years’ experience as a respiratory therapist at the Lakeshore General Hospital of the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-
Montréal, including 18 years as the coordinator for systematic COPD follow-up.

April 1, 2025

Humanizing nursing care management in a context of perpetual change

Is humanization in management an abstract ideal? In this webinar, we’ll explore humanization strategies in management, using storytelling and the audience’s own experience.

Objectives :

• Understand humanization in healthcare management and the impact of dehumanization;
• Identify humanist practices applicable in a context of change;
• Illustrate the application of the Zhang et al. (2022) humanist leadership model using concrete examples

Speakers:

MARIE-PIERRE AVOINE, RN. M. Sc.: Assistant Director of Nursing Care at the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

CATHERINE HUPÉ, inf. M. Sc. Ph. D.: Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the Université du Québec à Rimouski.