Drawing on decades of frontline experience, Dr. Goldman offers an unfiltered look at the pressures facing emergency medicine today, from rising patient complexity and staff burnout to life-or-death decision-making under constant uncertainty. In a fireside chat moderated by Dr. Brian Golden, the discussion will explore what these frontline stories reveal about leadership, resilience, and the future of healthcare in Canada, followed by a moderated Q&A and book signing.

Book Synopsis

The Casino Shift is an hour-by-hour account of what a Canadian emergency room is like in turbulent times, when ER staff must be prepared to see, diagnose, and treat any condition under unrelenting pressure. Alongside the introduction of the “casino shift”—a shorter night shift—there have been major advances in technology and clinical expertise since Dr. Brian Goldman wrote the bestselling The Night Shift fifteen years ago. At the same time, patient cases have become increasingly complex.

More than a portrait of one shift or one hospital, The Casino Shift explores what unfolds in emergency rooms across Canada. From the challenges of practising “waiting room medicine,” to uncovering undiagnosed cancer in young patients, to identifying rare conditions such as auto-brewery syndrome, Dr. Goldman shares stories of exhausted and frustrated colleagues, as well as the deep sense of purpose that drives them.

With compelling accounts of diagnoses made, puzzles solved, and lives saved, The Casino Shift offers a raw and revealing look at life on the front line of emergency medicine.

Speaker

Dr. Brian Goldman is an emergency room physician and bestselling author. His CBC Radio show and podcast, White Coat, Black Art, has been on the air for more than a decade. He is also the host of The Dose, a CBC podcast focused on personal health. Dr. Goldman lives in Toronto with his family.

Dr. Brian Golden is the Sandra Rotman Chaired Professor in Health Sector Strategy and Academic Director of the GEMBA Program at the Rotman School of Management and UHN. He previously served as Vice-Dean, MBA Programs. His research focuses on strategic change, health system integration, sustainability, organizational strategy, and leadership. He is a faculty lead in the Canadian Medical Association’s Physician Management Institute’s Leading Change and Innovation program, and his article “Transforming Healthcare Organizations” is the most downloaded piece in Healthcare Quarterly over the past twelve years.

Additional Information

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