Dr. Erin Brennand: Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Cummings School of Medicine and Alberta Health Services, Urogynecologist at the Calgary Pelvic Floor Clinic, Foothills Medical Centre.
Dr. Erin Brennand leads the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Alberta Health Services and is a Urogynecologist at the Calgary Pelvic Floor Clinic, empowering women to take control of their pelvic floor and overall well-being. This is what makes Dr. Brennand a Hero in Health!
The Heroes in Health initiative encourages patients and their families to give back in thanks for the extraordinary care they’ve received. To donate and nominate your health hero, go here.
As a small child, Dr. Erin Brennand knew she wanted to become a physician. Although no one in her immediate family worked in healthcare, her interest was influenced by her aunt who was a nurse.
She went to the University of Alberta for medical school, before completing an obstetrics and gynecology residency in Calgary. She then pursued a urogynecology fellowship under one of her mentors, Dr. Magali Robert, founder of the Calgary Pelvic Floor Clinic.
Her passion was in urogynecology, an area that she felt was often shrouded in shame. Educating women about their pelvic floor health is of particular importance to her.
“The pelvic floor muscles provide core stability. It’s what keeps your insides from falling when you stand up. You’d be unable to walk, move, or lift without your pelvic floor,” Dr. Brennand explains.
Working with women who have prolapse and incontinence is something she feels is very meaningful, as many women suffer in silence rather than reach out for help – but once they get the care they need, it changes their lives.
“For many women, there’s really nothing more embarrassing than not having control of your genital tract.”
The Clinic is revolutionary in taking a multidisciplinary approach to care. Dr. Brennand tries to use a goal-oriented approach to understanding which path a patient should go down. Some patients aren’t ready for any type of surgical intervention and are looking for lifestyle modifications, like learning how to do pelvic floor exercises or understanding how their activity levels or diet affect their pelvic floor.
She skillfully manages the roles of clinician, research scientist and department head with a quiet confidence that is vital to lead a dedicated team.
Outside of her demanding career, Dr. Brennand is a mother of three, keeping her life equally full at home. Having experienced pregnancy herself, she understands its impact on the body and can relate personally to what some of her patients endure.
According to Dr. Brennand, women’s health is chronically under resourced and underfunded. Calgary doesn’t have a women’s health centre of excellence – making it harder for women and their care providers to connect them with the specialist they need.
“Women’s health affects our mothers, our daughters, our sisters, it affects us in our childhood all the way to the end of our life. Because of the critical roles that women play in our families and communities, women’s health affects all of us.”
What’s most difficult for Dr. Brennand to see is when women are getting care much later than they should have, resulting in more severe health problems.
“I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of women coming to the emergency room to receive care for a condition that 10 years ago would have been seen in clinic. I’m hearing their stories about being on waitlists for over a year and things get so bad they need to call an ambulance to come in. Too often I am telling these women they have cancer and it’s very hard knowing that if they had been diagnosed earlier, their outcome would be better.”
She’s identified a rapid access clinic to be a top priority, where a woman can be referred, seen in consultation and ideally offered treatment on the same day.
Her commitment to prioritizing women’s health in our city helps ensure women are getting patient centred care that is focused on their needs.
Dr. Brennand, we’re proud to call you a Hero in Health, and to have you as part of our extended family.
The Heroes in Health initiative through Calgary Health Foundation encourages patients and their families to give back in thanks for the extraordinary care they’ve received.
HAVE YOU RECEIVED EXCELLENT CARE? TO NOMINATE A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL WHO PROVIDES AMAZING CARE AND TO GIVE A DONATION AS A THANK YOU, GO HERE.
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