progress notes


kathryn’s hope is powerful story

kathryn’s hope is powerful story

hope is powerful

These were the three words I said to the surgeon when he told me all I had was hope, as they wheeled my two year old daughter into the operating room.

I was asking him what her odds were. 

She was unconscious and going into organ failure with still no known diagnosis. As a physician, I knew the odds were not in her — our — favour. But as a mother when you hear, “all you have is hope” — you look the other doctor in the eye and say “well we are lucky hope is powerful”.

And it is. I held onto that hope. I had friends hang onto that hope for me, us as well. It still gives me chills remembering that moment.

Picture of Charlotte at 2 years old - same day that she was raced to the Alberta Children's Hospital - diagnosed with HUS, rushed to the OR, and started on 24/7 dialysis as her organs completely shut down.

I was full of fear, don’t get me wrong, but I choose to hold onto hope and let it give me strength. I was reading the book “The Scalpel and the Soul” at the time, and right before this happened, I was reading about the power of hope. The unexplainable medical outcomes we see.

I held onto that.

There is a lot we do not, and cannot, control in medicine, and I know that hope does not hurt.

The intentions we carry through our day, the energy we put out there as we see patients, has a ripple effect. We can hold ourselves up and help build others up with this.

As part of this belief, I wanted reminders for health care workers as they start their day that Hope is Powerful and We Got This.

Both mantras will be inside of our scrubs. Discrete, but a reminder when you put them on to start your day.

Because right now, who couldn’t use a little hope? 

We Got This.

And yes, I was lucky. My daughter survived. She learned to sit and walk again, and years later one would not know she had been so close. I have incredible doctors and nurses to thank and the power of hope.

- Dr. Kathryn Dundas, CEO & Founder

transformational scrubs, shifting medical culture

transformational scrubs, shifting medical culture

As a health care worker, your days are varied and demanding. Running clinics, compassionately dealing with patients, handling emergencies—you’re constantly tackling what gets thrown your way. 

The clothes you wear to work need to support the actions you take everyday to keep our society moving. Comfort, fit, and function are crucial to you feeling and looking your best, while also ensuring you stay safe on the job.

formation scrubs were designed by a physician who understands the physical, emotional, and mental demands of our modern day health care responsibilities. The scrubs of 10 years ago don’t work anymore in this rapidly changing industry. Today’s health care workers are unique, and their scrubs need to reflect that.

The formation production team is hard at work in Vancouver, Canada, creating a new type of scrub—one that is inclusive and that takes into consideration the modern health care worker’s preferences. Unlike traditional scrubs, our gender-neutral pieces will come in five different body shapes, forms, and in petite to plus sizes. You’ll also have the option to further customize an item to find that perfect fit. Careful consideration has been given to the details of each piece, right down to the placement of pockets and transformational features. We’re aiming to help transform and shift medical culture all while adding features that will transform your scrubs to suit what you do daily.

We’re extremely proud of the Canadian and ethically-made products that are in creation. You can feel confident knowing your scrubs were made by our production team who is paid a living wage and receive medical and dental benefits. Keep your eyes on our social media channels for sneak peeks of our production team hard at work.

Pre-sales will be beginning soon - stay subscribed to this email list to be the first to know!

- The formation Team
COVID-19 has forever changed the health care industry

COVID-19 has forever changed the health care industry


The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the health care industry. 

We’ve witnessed trauma and tragedy, glimmers of hope and joy, and when the time is right all of us will have stories to tell about the miracles we performed to save patients’ lives.

The pandemic is going to leave a lasting impact on the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers worldwide. At formation, we’re more than just a scrubs company. Part of our mission is to provide resources and tools to our community that focus on improving mental wellbeing. Like a rock formation, we are stronger together—especially when we support one another and are in turn supported by our communities. 

We’ve compiled (and will continue to compile) mental health resources for our community. We encourage you to check out these events, articles, and videos, for helpful tools and resources to support your mental health:


Event: Understory - Aftermath
This is an “I’m done with the pandemic” burnout course for women docs. One-month Mainpro+ CME accredited narrative medicine and life coaching course.

Next session begins May 31.

Learn more


Event: Alberta Doctors - Now is the Time to Practice a Just Culture in Healthcare
The concept of a Just Culture in healthcare has been described for over 20 years, but still has not been implemented universally or consistently. The session will explore what a Just Culture is and what it looks like. 

Session takes place May 17.

Learn more


Video: I’m Tired of the Pandemic
Short, yet very relatable video.

Watch it here


Article: Physicians and the Midlife Dip by Beverly Joyce, MD 
The midlife “slump,” “crisis,” or “malaise” phenomenon is actually something that has been studied and written about a lot in the last 40+ years. The article digs into how the midlife dip affects the medical industry.

Read more


When formation’s website launches soon, we will have an entire section dedicated to mental health resources available at no cost to our community. Until then, we encourage you to share this email, invite your colleagues, friends, and family to sign-up for our email list and connect with us if you have mental health resources, events, or CMEs, you’d like us to share.


Stay safe. Be well.
We got this.


- The formation team

some thoughts to share for our first progress note

some thoughts to share for our first progress note

 

Strong.

What do you see? What do you feel?

Sit with it for a minute. Or two.

I was recently presented the image above during a website build-out meeting.

When I first saw the image I thought:

“Wow. Love that.”

But then immediately I was unsettled.

It didn’t feel right. 

Something was building in me.

“The world needs us to be strong.”

That was it. That day, I was tired.

Tired of being strong—being strong for people who didn’t seem to care. The patient I saw who had just returned from Mexico, but didn’t mention that on their COVID screening form because the airport screening said they were fine. Mexico. Because that was essential?

Meanwhile I can’t remember the last time I saw my 89 year old mother who lives only ten minutes away.

Here I am—here WE are—putting our lives on pause while some days it feels as though a lot of the world is having a party. One that I’m not invited to until someone contracts COVID and needs our help.

That was a bad day. Some days are like that and I find that I beat myself up because as a physician I’m supposed to be non-judgemental, care for everyone, no questions asked. But—and it’s a big but—it feels like a slap in the face when you go onto Facebook and see photos of “friends” breaking COVID public health recommendations. I am rarely on social media now except for my doctor groups, where thankfully I’ve found community and strength because as a community of health care workers, we get it.

A lifelong friend texted me in November: “You really think COVID is that bad?”

Yes, yes I do. Another friend bites the dust... This has also been a casualty of COVID—my friendship list is dwindling.

Fast forward to the first ever Canadian Women’s Physician Day hosted by the Canadian Women in Medicine organization.

An amazing virtual event with tributes to our women public health colleagues. We had lots of tears. But we came together as a community. Together, we are strong. And yes we need to be strong for each other.

The next day I felt renewed.

I looked at the above picture again and I said, “Yes.” Yes we do and yes we can, together.

So I now see this as my barometer. How am I feeling today? Was there an overriding feeling of entitlement from others today, or people showing support?

I have some amazing patients—one even had coffee delivered to all staff during the height of the early pandemic days. I’ve had people drop notes of cheering us on, thanking us. This is important as we know the negative reviews and critical patients seem to be the squeakiest. 

We are changing that with formation. For me, and I hope for you too, formation is a beacon of hope. We are building this community to help support each other because We Got This. 

Like a rock formation, we are stronger together.
 

- Kathryn
  Founder & CEO
  formation

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