Aaron Derfel
LightNews LightNews
banner
aaronderfel.bsky.social
Aaron Derfel
@aaronderfel.bsky.social
3.6K followers 100 following 200 posts
I'm a health journalist at the Montreal Gazette. You can also find me on Mastodon at mas.to/@aderfel and Telegram at t.me/AaronDerfel.

My bio: https://www.concordia.ca/faculty/aaron-derfel.html
Posts Replies Media Videos
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) How Quebec is playing musical chairs on the deck of the Titanic. Here is my interview earlier today with CJAD's Aaron Rand on the government's latest proposal to transfer heavily backlogged surgeries from the public system to the private-for-profit sector.
omny.fm/shows/montre...
Quebec wants to hand over backlogged surgeries in the public sector to the private system - Montreal Now with Aaron Rand Podcast
Aaron Derfel, investigative health reporter at the Montreal Gazette
omny.fm
October 21, 2025 at 2:16 AM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) The New York Times today has published a devastating and heartbreaking profile of a 20-year-old man who died after being sent home with the wrong diagnosis from a busy ER. Sound familiar?

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/w...
It’s Just a Virus, the E.R. Told Him. Days Later, He Was Dead.
www.nytimes.com
October 5, 2025 at 7:00 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
BREAKING: File this under bizarre and morbid: Montreal police found a detached human head along the shoreline of the Rivière des Prairies on Sunday. Pending the outcome of the police investigation, here is something I wrote about this rare phenomenon: 👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Macabre discovery in Montreal is rare, but not unheard of
Police are investigating after a detached human head was found on the shore in Rivière des Prairies.
www.montrealgazette.com
September 8, 2025 at 7:58 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
What a tragic story: An 18-year-old Innu man who was attending Dawson College — his whole life ahead of him — died because Urgences-santé paramedics took too long to drive him to a hospital that was only 700 metres away.

www.montrealgazette.com/news/health/...
Urgences-santé ordered to pay $450,000 to family of Innu man who died from severe peanut allergy
Judge Jeffrey Edwards ruled that the paramedics acted negligently, but he did not conclude Nutin McFarland was the victim of discrimination.
www.montrealgazette.com
September 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
Will an A.I. Big Brother be coming to the Montreal General Hospital? Click on my story below to read more about efforts to reduce deadly superbug outbreaks by deploying "nodes" — but not cameras — in the ceilings of the rooms of patients and in hallways.

www.montrealgazette.com/news/health/...
New ceiling sensors at Montreal General to prevent deadly outbreaks
The overhead nodes will be installed to encourage better handwashing by patients, staff and visitors, thus reducing the potential for germs to spread unchecked.
www.montrealgazette.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:22 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) EXCLUSIF: Les étudiants en médecine et les parents sont furieux qu'un étudiant qui a fait l'objet de plaintes pour propos racistes, sexistes et antisémites ait été admis à l'Université de Sherbrooke. Voici mon texte ci-dessous. 👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Exclusive: Université de Sherbrooke med student at centre of Discord storm denies making antisemitic slurs
“The environment is so bad and everybody is talking about it,” says a concerned parent
www.montrealgazette.com
August 30, 2025 at 9:22 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: The Quebec medical student at the centre of a social media storm — against whom allegations have been made that he has fomented hatred against Jews and other minority groups — finally speaks out. Below is my story on the subject.

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Exclusive: Université de Sherbrooke med student at centre of Discord controversy denies making antisemitic slurs
“The environment is so bad and everybody is talking about it,” says concerned parent
www.montrealgazette.com
August 29, 2025 at 11:54 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING: A first case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever has been identified in Quebec. In this thread, I draw attention to how human-induced climate change contributes to the spread of tick-borne diseases like RMSF, as well as other harms to our health.
www.montrealgazette.com/news/health/...
First case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever discovered in Quebec
Patient in Eastern Townships recovering after antibiotics
www.montrealgazette.com
August 19, 2025 at 11:04 AM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) Il y a vingt ans, j'ai écrit une série de six articles sur la privatisation croissante des soins de santé au Québec. L'un des textes traitait de 90 médecins qui ne participaient plus au système public. Comme j'étais naïf à l'époque ! 👇
August 5, 2025 at 12:04 AM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) To hear my take on the intensifying exodus of Quebec physicians from the public to private systems, please click below to listen to my interview with the ever-insightful @eliasmakos.bsky.social‬. 👇

www.iheart.com/podcast/962-...
Hundreds of Quebec doctors are still going private despite new law - The Elias Makos Show | iHeart
<p>Aaron Derfel, Investigative reporter at the Montreal Gazette </p>
www.iheart.com
August 4, 2025 at 5:38 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING: Santé Québec has authorized 246 doctors' requests since April to become "non-participants" of the medicare system — and thus legally allowed to charge patients from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars for services. See my exposé below.
www.montrealgazette.com/news/health/...
Revealed: Exodus of Quebec doctors to private sector accelerates despite new law
More than three months after Quebec adopted a law to reverse the exodus of family physicians and medical specialists from the public system to the private-for-profit sector, more doctors than ever hav...
www.montrealgazette.com
August 4, 2025 at 2:23 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) Montreal reported the worst air quality of any city in the world on Saturday, as The Gazette's ‪@hsnorth.bsky.social‬ revealed. But it was also bad on Sunday, especially in some east-end neighborhoods of the city. Please see Harry's insightful story below. www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
From Hochelaga to Verdun: See which Montreal neighbourhoods have the worst air quality now
Chateauneuf and Hochelaga had the pollution levels around Montreal.
www.montrealgazette.com
July 27, 2025 at 6:06 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING: Nearly two out of three Quebecers who need to see a medical specialist are now waiting past medical acceptably delays, raising concerns about their health and raising questions about the efficiency of Santé Québec. Please see my story below. 👇
www.montrealgazette.com/news/health/...
More than 900,000 Quebecers on wait lists for consultations with medical specialists
Almost two-thirds are waiting past medically acceptable delays
www.montrealgazette.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:26 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) On the perils of private-for-profit care in the U.S.: The New York Times reports today that Encompass Health Corporation scores way below average on two key safety measures, drawing attention to chilling deaths of patients at some of its hospitals.

archive.is/xdLk5
archive.is
July 15, 2025 at 5:56 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) It's been a while since I've written about the crisis in chronically overcrowded — and therefore unsafe — emergency rooms from coast to coast. In this thread, I will focus on a B.C. ER doctor's plight, highlighted in the Vancouver Sun article below. 👇
vancouversun.com/news/local-n...
ER doctor sues Fraser Health for wrongful dismissal, alleges workplace bullying
Doctor was reprimanded for posting a notice about long waiting times, alleges Fraser Health ignored overcrowding and attacks against staff
vancouversun.com
June 21, 2025 at 11:50 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Record numbers of Quebec heart patients are dying while waiting for their surgery. This crisis has become exacerbated as the newly-created Santé Québec and the provincial health ministry squabble over jurisdiction. My exposé below.👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/health/...
Santé Québec, Health Ministry squabble as heart patients die on wait lists
A record 37 deaths have occurred over six months as nearly two-thirds of patients wait past medically acceptable delays
www.montrealgazette.com
June 17, 2025 at 6:45 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
Given today's sad news regarding Marc Garneau, I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing him in 2015 for the @mtlgazette.bsky.social. Below is a story I wrote tonight which I hope illustrates his patriotism and humanity.👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Marc Garneau’s last social media posts: From opposing land mines to standing up for Canada
Former Montreal MP commented on wide range of topics in the last months of his life
www.montrealgazette.com
June 5, 2025 at 2:42 AM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) For those who enjoy reading murder mysteries — with ancient Roman history thrown in, along with a dash of Epicurean philosophy and a budding love story — I can't recommend highly enough a new book by Montreal writer Eric Siblin. See below. 👇

ecwpress.com/products/fat...
The Fatal Scroll: A Herculaneum Mystery
A literary murder mystery about the shady side of the antiquities trade, ancient philosophy, and tech’s utopian promises.
ecwpress.com
May 17, 2025 at 7:07 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) In the last few days, I've reported on Montreal police and Dawson College investigating med school applicants spewing racist epithets and violent threats. Puzzlingly, other news media aren't following this. Below is my interview with CJAD's @eliasmakos.bsky.social. www.iheart.com/podcast/962-...
Racist Discord channel used by Quebec med school hopefuls has been taken down - The Elias Makos Show | iHeart
<p>Aaron Derfel, health journalist at the Montreal Gazette</p>
www.iheart.com
May 15, 2025 at 6:50 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Quebec's lieutenant-governor's office has reached out to Dawson College about its racism investigation into the antisemitic Discord channel used by med school applicants. Please see my story below.👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Quebec lieutenant-governor inquires into Dawson’s racism probe
CEGEP student could lose youth medal award
www.montrealgazette.com
May 14, 2025 at 11:52 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Discord has deactivated from its social media platform a racist channel used by Quebec medical school applicants. But inflammatory rhetoric is popping up already on another Discord channel. Please see my story below. 👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Discord takes down racist channel used by Quebec med school applicants
But users promptly revived other channel, with one poster praising Hitler
www.montrealgazette.com
May 14, 2025 at 1:56 AM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING: Quebec urges students to come forward in racism investigation to help identify those spreading antisemitic, homophobic, misogynistic and anti-Black slurs on Discord channel for med school applicants. Please see my story below. 👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Quebec urges students to help in racism investigation
Higher Education Minister praises Dawson College for launching probe.
www.montrealgazette.com
May 12, 2025 at 10:00 PM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Dawson College confirms it has launched an investigation into the origin of racist posts on a Discord social media app channel used by Quebec medical student applicants. Please see my story below. 👇

www.montrealgazette.com/news/article...
Racist, sexist posts flood group chat for Quebec med student applicants
Dawson College launches investigation into offensive Discord posts
www.montrealgazette.com
May 10, 2025 at 1:58 AM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
1) Bravo to Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman and and Aidan Raynor for winning the 2025 Student Achievement Award from World Press Freedom Canada for their exposé on how universities across the country are far less than transparent when it comes to access-to-information requests.
wpfc-lpc.bsky.social World Press Freedom Canada - Liberté de la presse Canada @wpfc-lpc.bsky.social · May 1
Congrats to Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman & Aidan Raynor for putting transparency, #accesstoinformation and #pressfreedom at the heart of their reporting.

Félicitations à Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman et Aidan Raynor!

Learn more: buff.ly/Cwcjj9E
May 3, 2025 at 1:15 AM
aaronderfel.bsky.social
Bob Dylan quote of the day:

"You got gangsters in power and lawbreakers making rules."
April 27, 2025 at 9:58 PM