Pride Month - Spotlight - Dr. Dale Kalina (he/him)

Pride Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the impact, history, courage and diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Joseph Brant Hospital stands in solidarity with this community and wishes everyone a Happy Pride!

Dr. Dale Kalina is the Pandemic Lead for the Infectious Diseases Group and Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control in 2020 at Joseph Brant Hospital. We had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about visibility in healthcare, what it means as a gay man to be one of the faces of the hospital during the pandemic and more.

“Being a gay man is only one part of the larger picture of my life. I am also a partner, a brother, a doctor, a great cook, and a mediocre gardener. I have strengths and weaknesses.”

We asked Dr. Kalina why visibility in healthcare was important for the queer community.

“Visibility in healthcare allows others in the 2SLGBTQ+ community to feel safe in our hospital, in our clinics and with every member of our care team. It also allows for our staff to bring their whole selves in to work, just like I am able to do every day.”

Joseph Brant Hospital believes that every health care organization has a responsibility to improve diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to better serve patients, families and employees.

Over the last 15 months, Dr. Kalina has frequently appeared in the news, including on all major national networks, providing expert advice on the pandemic response, information about Variants of Concern and important advice on COVID-19 vaccinations. We asked him what it meant to be one of the faces of our hospital during the pandemic.

“It has allows me to do what I can to help keep our broader community safe. My visibility is also a reflection on the community in which I live, which benefits every day from its diversity.”