Healthcare Change Makers

Intimate and honest conversations with leaders about the joys and challenges of driving change in our complex and demanding healthcare organizations.

Dr. Devin Singh: Tackling the Barriers to Efficient Care 03/25/2024

Dr. Devin Singh: Tackling the Barriers to Efficient Care Dr. Devin Singh refused to be a bystander when he recognized inefficiencies in health systems, and he jumped into action by co-founding Hero AI – a clinical automation platform which aims to improve patient safety and wait times. Devin fuels Hero AI by tapping into his experiences and expertise as Emergency Physician at The Hospital for Sick Children to recognize the needs of providers and patients. “It was really important to think through what the real barriers are to improving care in our institution and beyond”, says Dr. Devin Singh when explaining the early stages of creating Hero AI. In this episode, Devin shares his journey on becoming an entrepreneur including the barriers and lessons learned, advice he would give to other healthcare leaders on driving innovation and change, and how the sports space inspires his career. Quotables: “I’m so blessed that SickKids was willing to take this new technology on - there are hard questions to tackle, and as an institution rather than shying away SickKids said this is important let’s figure this out.” -DS “Although there’s so much cool technology that’s evolving, the technology isn’t the most important part – it’s actually about the humans, and it’s about the workflow that is being adopted and enabled by the technology.” -DS “Don’t let what feels like brick walls you run into again and again early on in the journey actually feel like these are reasons not to continue. They’re actually exciting opportunities to break ground on something that’s new and novel.” -DS “Early on in the entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial journey, you want to find the people who are going to say no quickly. It means they represent a really different opinion or potential landmine or roadblock down the road.” -DS “I always find in the athletics or sports space it’s surprising to see how much failure someone has to go through to be great. And so that’s something I’ve really taken to heart around this idea of truly promoting a fail fast fail safe culture.” -DS “No one can ever take education away from you.” -DS Mentioned in this Episode: h Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/30511173

Dominic Giroux: The Power of Connection, Communication and Community 02/20/2024

Dominic Giroux: The Power of Connection, Communication and Community When Dominic Giroux transitioned into the role of President and CEO and Hôpital Montfort, he took a unique and personalized approach. This approach included having 1 on 1’s with a variety of people in the organization to get to know their views and what’s important to them. “You need to get to know your people first and earn their trust, and they will tell you what your priorities should be”, says Dominic when explaining the importance of engaging with staff and providing a listening ear. In this episode, Dominic opens up about what helped him transition into his CEO role, what patient safety means to him personally, his hopes about healthcare moving in one direction, and more! Quotables: “What I love about healthcare is the teamwork, the level of commitment by, quite frankly, the smartest and most dedicated professionals I’ve ever met.” -DG “Montfort has really become a social symbol for linguistic communities across the country, so it’s definitely a source of pride and privilege to be leading Montfort at this time.” -DG “I find that the challenge in healthcare is to sustain improvements made around safety. I prefer to pick an area of focus and be relentless about it for years in a row.” -DG “We need to continuously benchmark ourselves around patient safety. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of data in healthcare and we need to confront the brutal facts.” -DG “I find that serving on so many boards instilled in me something that I was lucky to learn early in my career, that governance matters in organizations. I would submit that no where is that more important than in healthcare, given both the challenges and opportunities we have in the system.” -DG “If I had a magic wand, having a clear long term capacity plan for healthcare in Ontario is paramount. For me, the capacity plan is health human resources and its capital.” -DG “I find that the internal conversations change when patient family advisors are in the room. The focus shifts from the care providers to the patients.” -DG “There’s always insightful information we receive from HIROC that we use for our risk management framework, our audit committee, the board, and frontline managers.”-DG Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/30026553

Dr. Frank Martino: Leading with Passion and Inspiring Positive Change 01/15/2024

Dr. Frank Martino: Leading with Passion and Inspiring Positive Change In this latest episode of HIROC’s Healthcare Change Makers podcast, Dr. Frank Martino, President and CEO of the William Osler Health System, reflects on his leadership journey while emphasizing the importance of remaining positive and aiming high in your career, especially in the context of leading one of Canada’s largest community hospital systems. Dr. Martino highlights his organization’s ambitious initiatives, including the adoption of an advanced hospital information system, new redevelopment projects, and a groundbreaking partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) School of Medicine. Our discussion also touches on Osler’s commitment to innovation, such as incorporating technologies like artificial intelligence into future healthcare delivery. Throughout the interview, Dr. Martino's passion for healthcare and his commitment to building strong partnerships and a resilient, patient-centric culture shines through. He talks about the importance of cultivating a positive workplace, building psychological safety within his organization, and the value of learning from failures. Dr. Martino also delves into his thoughts on his outstanding healthcare team at Osler and their unwavering commitment during challenges posed by the pandemic, and how his organization has evolved to respond to the complexities of serving a growing and diverse community since he joined in 1991. Our conversation even turned personal for a moment as Dr. Martino shared a few heartwarming memories from his experience, including a critical life-saving moment early in his career, showcasing his dedication to his healthcare team. Quotables: “We were very proud of receiving accreditation with exemplary standing. Something that is the highest achievement that you would receive from Accreditation Canada. That allowed my staff to understand that they were exceptional healthcare workers and continue to be. Aim high and always be positive.” – FM “We as an organization have had to evolve. We’ve had to expand. We’ve had back-to-back redevelopments in our health system expanding the capacity that this community deserves.” – FM “And that is what we focus on, in addressing those challenges, with innovative projects and initiatives. Assuring that we communicate with our community. We go to them for advice when a new initiative or strategy has been put in place. We want to make sure we get the patient and caregiver perspective on how we should grow programs and what initiatives and innovations we should put in place, and whether they actually work for them.” – FM “When I go and do rounding, we call it ‘Let’s be Frank,’ or ‘Frank Conversations,’ and during these frank conversations we work around a huddle board and it’s been a huge success!” – FM “Our job is really to keep an eye on the future. Look at what healthcare will be like in 10, 20, 30 years. One area that we’re going to start to focus on is looking at how artificial intelligence becomes part of the way we deliver care in the future. Harnessing it in an effective way, both in our workflow and in the way we intersect with patients.” – FM “I think culture is what really defines and organization. We at Osler look at people as one of our foundational enablers to our strategic plan. We are to deliver patient-inspired healthcare without boundaries. To achieve that, you need to have the ‘people’ component of your organization inspired to provide the best care for both patients and families.” – FM “One mentor once told me, ‘you need to surround your yeses with a lot of no’s,’ so you need to focus on the things you know you can achieve and do them well and prioritize.” – FM “If I would give anyone advice, it’s get out of your office, out of your chair, and walk. I love walking meetings.” – FM Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/29475488

Catherine Gaulton: The Power of Human Interaction 12/05/2023

Catherine Gaulton: The Power of Human Interaction With a new year on the horizon, Catherine is looking forward to so many things – the continued efforts in Health Human Resources, advancing the work in the main areas of Risk, the future of Collaborative Benefits, and so much more. “My optimism is around people that surprise me every day. When I think you can’t help but be defeated, human spirit and strength comes forward every time”, says Catherine when explaining her positive outlook for 2024. In this episode, Catherine gives us a glimpse into the mind of a CEO, including her zest for learning new things and how she recharges and stays inspired through even the most difficult of times. Before we let her go, a surprise guest joins us to chat and gives us a sneak peak into what family time looks like for Catherine! Quotables: “There are these juxtapositions of so much that is going on, yet there’s reason for hope because the bedrock of what we provide in our healthcare system and the people that provide it is so very strong.” - CG “I’m continually impressed by the people I work with everyday and the people that we have the true pleasure of serving in the healthcare system who are doing the work that is fundamental to the lives of so many citizens of this country.” - CG “We have a population of employees who know that when they provide feedback, they will have a response and I think that’s phenomenal.” - CG “Our strength will always be that we have brilliant and caring people who are willing to spend time with us so we learn what they’re doing, and we can take that knowledge and put it into forms that are used more generally.” - CG “Lately I’ve been focused on how there are women who are coming into leadership, how they historically have not been facilitated to have a voice, and now are so strong in our system.” - CG “If you’re feeling like you’re not accomplishing what you need to or want to, or you’re making no progress at all, give yourself the 5 minutes to walk around the block and compare where your life is today with how it was 6 months ago, and you’ll be inevitably inspired by that.” - CG “Of course there are really hard times, and we’re all at times feeling defeated, but the people I interact with, the people that provide care in our system, the people at HIROC, there’s huge optimism on all those fronts.” - CG Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/28931003

Nimira Dhalwani: Staying Connected to What’s Happening on the Ground 10/26/2023

Nimira Dhalwani: Staying Connected to What’s Happening on the Ground Stress and burnout within IT have been on the rise, which is why it’s transformative to create a sense of work life balance which leaders can help implement. Nimira believes that it’s important to check in with her team’s wellbeing and be there for each other outside of work to establish solidarity and balance. “You take care of yourself first, then you take care of others,” says Nimira when explaining the importance of prioritizing one’s health and leading by example for her team. In this episode, Nimira offers her wisdom on preventing burnout, embracing technological change within IT, the importance of sharing learnings, and staying connected with patients and their families. Quotables: “Let’s think about how to use these technologies efficiently, how do we develop guiding principles around the ethical use around these technologies, and how do we also make sure that we think about some of our inclusion principles.” -ND “Try to bring in those people we don’t normally bring to the table just to hear their voices, and sometimes they may even bring in something we never would’ve thought about.” -ND “My goal at the end of the day is if a hospital or healthcare organization is able to take away one or two steps where they can be better prepared and they’re better supported, I think we’ve done a good job.” -ND “There were incidents like the cyber incident where you need to be directive, so in that point in time I had to really step up, make some decisions, drive some decisions forward, and bring in the right people. I needed to collaborate with the right people and ask for help when needed.” -ND “The foundation of being able to support each other is grounded in the ability to understand each other.” -ND “I strongly believe this partnership and communication between IT and communication teams or public affair teams is foundational.” -ND “I actually would appreciate when my team members share with me some of the challenges of that they’re going through because that way I can help them, and we have all of our team members that can support them.” -ND Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/28421570

Carol Couchie and Elvira Truglia: Sowing the Seeds of Healthy Relationships 10/02/2023

Carol Couchie and Elvira Truglia: Sowing the Seeds of Healthy Relationships Midwives play a vital role in supporting patients through their pregnancy journey, establishing strong connections with both the expectant individuals and their families as they prepare for parenthood. This close relationship uniquely positions midwives to recognize and address instances of family violence that their patients may experience. To support midwives in addressing family violence and abuse, Elvira Truglia, Knowledge Translation Lead at the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) and Carol Couchie, Indigenous Mentorship Lead at the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives (NCIM) have developed a comprehensive curriculum in their continuing education workshops and expert resources. Tune into this episode of Healthcare Change Makers to learn more about how their innovative project empowers both current and future midwives in providing trauma-informed care, and how they work to collaborate with their essential partners at McMaster University’s Midwifery Education Program and the NCIM. Quotables: “We try to talk about very complicated ways of looking at our society and prepare our midwives to be able to handle situations and look at the bigger picture.” – CC “Family violence can take many forms, it’s not just about physical violence, it can be psychological, emotional and even financial.” – ET “We’re hoping to sew the seeds of healthy relationships for families that are experiencing violence. With this project, we’re hoping that early intervention could mitigate the impact of family violence.” – ET “We really try to talk to the midwives and students that you’re never going to know all the answers, you’re not necessarily going to become some kind of expert on how to handle families who are experiencing violence. But what we want you to do is find out what’s out there, find out your resources, get your back up.” – CC “Trauma informed care is about welcoming and making people feel comfortable, forgiving missed appointments, asking people if they’d like a glass of water, thanking them for coming, and understanding how difficult it may have been for them to get there.” – CC “Kindness and love and patience are really what is needed for the most vulnerable in our community.” – CC “We’re hoping that through some of this work we’re creating a conversation that starts to take away the taboo of talking about violence.” – ET “As midwives we really have this beautiful opportunity to greet brand new human beings that come onto the planet and see that change happening and I want to greet those babies in a way that’s least violent as possible.” – CC Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/28182149

Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor: Being True to Oneself and the Path of Authentic Leadership 09/12/2023

Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor: Being True to Oneself and the Path of Authentic Leadership For Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor, being a healthcare leader and change maker is more than simply being the one at the helm. In this episode, Jackie offers a deep dive into her background, her experience in healthcare, and how she takes actions to cultivate an impactful organizational culture. Underscoring the importance of authenticity in leadership, Jackie believes leaders should be genuine and true to themselves. “It takes time to develop trust and that commitment to be believed and understood,” says Jackie, emphasizing that healthcare leaders should always be creating a culture of empathy, continuous learning and excellence within their hospitals and healthcare communities. Throughout the episode, you’ll be able to hear about LHSC’s commitment to health equity and community engagement, which shines throughout the discussion. She stresses that healthcare professionals have a duty to look beyond hospital walls and consider the social determinants of health, working with community partners to make a difference. She shares personal experiences and valuable advice on the courage to speak up and be oneself in leadership, encouraging others to do the same. Her vision of leadership as an opportunity to bring kindness, community building, and purpose-driven leadership to healthcare is truly inspiring. Quotables “I was so focused when I entered healthcare. I was completely motivated by the fact that I grew up with disability in my family. My memories are always revolving around how the health system intersected with everything in our lives. I found at a very early age that something seemed not as perfect as I hope it would be, and I was motivated to see how in some small way that I could be part of the system and make it better.” – JST “When you go up in leadership, it becomes, in many ways, a lonelier space. But I learned it doesn’t have to be if you’re the same and create more overt ways and demonstrate you want to be the same person, people just come into that.” – JST “I’ve doubled down on creating the space of accessibility to me, so that I can create that opportunity to continue to learn myself.” – JST “My philosophy, personally, is that as many decision that can be made locally by those who would know, ought to be support to be made locally.” – JST “What do we have to do differently now to not only keep people on the path to leadership, but also seek out and encourage people in their interest they might not even know.” – JST “It takes time to develop trust and that commitment to believed and understood.” – JST “I would say HIROC is the catalyst for excellence across the system. We don’t take the support lightly. We feel as though it’s a partnership with HIROC in all candor. It’s the conversations and the materials and relationships that you develop with hospitals, every one that I’ve worked in throughout my career, it’s been the same and it’s so incredibly important that it’s two way.” – JST “I don’t think anyone reaches any level of success without a circle of people who just lift them up in every way.” – JST “Culture is created a person at a time. It starts at the very top with the board, CEO, and leadership team, being the culture that they want to exist.” – JST “I spend time with my family and friends. That energizes me. I would say I don’t get enough time with my husband, adult children, and my friends. So, when I’m with them, I’m very present. I work hard, but also love hard, play hard any time I’m with my family or friends.” – JST Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/28005579

Sonia Hsiung and Natasha Beaudin: How Connection and Belonging Can Change the Culture of Our Health System 08/08/2023

Sonia Hsiung and Natasha Beaudin: How Connection and Belonging Can Change the Culture of Our Health System When HIROC put a call out at the 2023 Alliance for Healthier Communities Conference for changemakers, the community delivered. We heard about some amazing healthcare changemakers across the province of Ontario – people like Sonia Hsiung and Natasha Beaudin, and the social prescribing initiative they have been involved in. Sonia is with the Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing and the Canadian Red Cross, and Natasha works with the Alliance for Healthier Communities. On this latest episode, Philip De Souza sits down with Sonia and Natasha to talk about how the social prescribing pilot started with just 11 sites working in collaboration with providers and clients. They share the ripple effect the initiative has had in community health across Ontario, Canada and internationally – how work like this is changing the culture of our health system towards connection and belonging. Quotables “I saw how it improved our model in so many ways. So, it helped us really integrate our work. Helped make those connections between the clinical side of things and our health promotion side.” – NB “It really was work that was already happening in community health centres and other Alliance members. And it was more around building a bit more of that intentionality, the structure pathway, the measurements, within our system.” – SH “There was just so much creativity within each centre as well, where the teams ended up supporting each other.” – SH “I think part of how this work has been so successful is because everyone sees themselves in the pathway, everyone sees themselves as a contributor…” – NB “That ability to track outcomes were just powerful. We saw an overall decrease in people’s sense of loneliness by 49%, and that is huge – that was over just a nine-month period.” – SH “And what was really important, as an outcome of this pathway, is that people said they felt that they were seen and heard as whole persons, even when they were in their clinical appointments. And that made such a shift in people’s sense of self-confidence, their sense of purpose, their sense of ‘yes I can manage my own health’.” – SH Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/27691878

Kevin Smith: People Want the Context of ‘Why’ 06/28/2023

Kevin Smith: People Want the Context of ‘Why’ Today’s guest is President and CEO of University Health Network, Canada’s largest academic health sciences centre. Kevin Smith pursued his education in Canada, the U.S. and Great Britain, studying psychology, science, public policy and medicine. If Kevin’s had a frustrating day, one of his best experiences is talking to young people who are enthusiastic and filled with hope. He says the system is in good hands with the generation in training today. Open forums and site visits are a regular part of Kevin’s life at UHN, and he sees the challenging questions he gets as a sign of a healthy culture. In fact, when he feels the news is too positive, he’ll precipitate a tougher conversation, asking people to tell him what they are scared of, and what’s not going as well as it should. Quotables “I actually think this is the challenge of our generation in healthcare – adequate health human resources with appropriate quality of work life not only in Toronto or Ontario but around the world.” – KS “Our workforce should look like those we serve.” – KS “We’re looking at what can we do to support nurses who are early in their career trajectory. A large portion of that is making additional investments in mentorship.” – KS “We are seeing students now with a massive social conscience who are much more aware of population health and well-being.” – KS “We have really embraced the model that says integrated care is about invisible points of transition, both for patients but also for providers.” – KS “We have a responsibility to help our political and policy makers better understand that research is the lifeblood of the future economy, it is the lifeblood of building a civil society, and at the moment we are falling behind.” – KS “I see people embracing that AI working with humans can dramatically improve the healthcare and science experience and result.” – KS “The question now is how will we balance the needs of our patients and not make those people who provide that care ill from overwork.” – KS “We all have something to learn, we all have something to teach, but nobody has all the answers.” - KS Mentioned in this episode: by Frank Partnoy /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/27304812

Dr. Glaucomflecken: The Importance of Sharing a Laugh 06/01/2023

Dr. James Maskalyk: Making the Emergency Department Healthier for Everybody 05/04/2023

Dr. James Maskalyk: Making the Emergency Department Healthier for Everybody Burnout is a prominent issue for healthcare workers and a topic Dr. James Maskalyk is passionate about. This led to the creation of a wellness program at St. Michael’s Hospital and later across 15 hospitals in the GTA through the University of Toronto. The program promotes facets such as peer support for providers, critical incident debriefing, and more. On the episode, Dr. Maskalyk also touches on small yet important steps that can be taken to boost overall mood in the emergency department, such as mindfulness practices, and snacks. Quotables: “…medicine is not something that just happens in the emergency room, but something that very much follows us home as practitioners and patients.” “It really is just about beginning the conversation that doctors are people too, and nurses are people too, and the people who are there who support us as porters, the people who cook the food, we are human beings working in an increasingly inhumane system – to be honest.” “There is an opportunity for us to speak to each other about what’s happening inside of us that could be more clear, because vulnerability is not a skill that we learn in medical school, or I never did.” “You standing there, beside these people, doing the best you can, is one of the most beautiful acts ever completed by a human being.” “Life ultimately is a temporary situation. So, then the question becomes, what do you do with what you’ve been given… it sounds trite but the answer is just be kind, to yourself and other people.” “It’s an honour to be here and to have the trust of my patients and my colleagues, who are in the ER this very moment helping people.” Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/26739417

Denise Lalanne and Carrie Ricker: A Small Change Can Make a Huge Difference 04/19/2023

Denise Lalanne and Carrie Ricker: A Small Change Can Make a Huge Difference Denise Lalanne is the Director, Digital and Client Services at IWK Health Centre, where she focuses on delivering the best care through leading strategic and operational plans. Carrie Ricker supports IWK Health Centre’s Innovation and Research departments acting as legal counsel. Her passion lies in encouraging innovation through strategic business and legal advice. Denise and Carrie joined forces for the Chez Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Home initiative where their mutual passion for innovation and providing high-quality care was amplified. Using technology, this initiative will provide NICU families with the education and tools needed to be fully engaged in the care of their baby. In this episode, Denise and Carrie touch on how the Chez NICU Home initiative came to be and how it’s improving care at the IWK Health Centre. Quotables “We wanted to focus on the families and creating an environment that made them as comfortable and engaged as possible.” – CR “Having that ability to phone in and find out how their baby is doing and participate in rounds is really helpful and really makes parents feel like they’re part of the process.” -DL “At the IWK, how we approach it is really focused on promoting care for patients as well as the experience for the families that we serve.” – CR “A small change in practice can actually have a huge difference from a patient and family perspective.” -DL “It’s never easy but when it gets there and you see a mom saying how wonderful it was to be able to learn something or be able to see her baby today, it’s makes it all worthwhile.” – DL “The reality is innovation brings with it some risks, change is risky, and everything we do in healthcare has some risks associated.” – CR Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/26581848

Adam Topp: Transformation and Service as Anchors to Success 03/27/2023

Sarah Downey: A Time of Excitement and Challenge in Mental Health 03/08/2023

Sarah Downey: A Time of Excitement and Challenge in Mental Health Today’s guest has a special place in the HIROC archives. Sarah Downey was our first guest on Healthcare Change Makers when we turned on the mike in 2018. The years that followed that fun interview have been busy for Sarah. For 7 and a half years she was the CEO of Michael Garron Hospital where she shepherded the hospital through a major redevelopment project that included the newly opened Thomson Centre. Six months ago, Sarah made the decision to move into the President and CEO position at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, better known as CAMH. Leaving Michael Garron and the East York community was tough, but the pull to the mission of CAMH was stronger. Sarah believes mental health is the most important health issue of our lifetime. It’s a new place and a new culture to learn about, but Sarah always comes back to the importance of being human and being vulnerable in a leadership role. Where talking to people in the coffee line-up is one of the most important things you can do as a CEO. Quotables “You forget until you have to make those transitions how emotional they are.” – SD ”It’s thrilling to see these latest two buildings. The spaces are bright and airy. They’re respectful, and focused on recovery, healing and dignified care.” – SD “It’s not just a one in five who will get mental illness in their lifetime. It’s in everybody’s family. It’s in all your social circles, in all your employees. It’s everywhere.” – SD “I had forgotten until I came back how many people call to get advice on how to navigate the system.” – SD “Who’s more important for us to invest in than our young people? They are our future and we need them to be healthier and more resilient.” “You need to regularly connect with people, use a bit of humour. They want to know that their leader is real.” – SD “It’s become even more important the last few years to find a break and a space, but what an opportunity to learn.” - SD “I hold my dad’s lessons in my heart every day and try to act in a way that would always do him proud.” – SD “We should tell people every day in the moment how much they mean to us and how they’re helping us change our lives.” – PDS Mentioned in this episode: /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/26159217

Dr. Katharine Smart: Providing Healthcare is About Building Relationships 01/30/2023

Catherine Gaulton: Absolute Optimism for the Year Ahead 12/14/2022

Catherine Gaulton: Absolute Optimism for the Year Ahead Marking Healthcare Change Maker’s 50th episode, we’re in the mood to celebrate. HIROC CEO Catherine Gaulton and Director of Communications and Marketing, Philip De Souza jump right in celebrating the podcast, and HIROC’s 35th anniversary. Team HIROC is also celebrating a brand-new strategic plan, launching in 2023. Catherine previews what Subscribers can expect to see as a focus – topics like HHR and board education. Also on the horizon, HIROC and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) are collaborating on the launch of a brand-new start-up – Collaborative Benefits, simply known as Co. The two partners came together to determine the viability and approach for a universal provincial employee benefits strategy – co-designed by healthcare, for healthcare. With so many new initiatives coming in 2023, Catherine is also cognizant of self-care – that of her staff and everyone working in the healthcare system, including leaders. Before we let her go, Philip asks Catherine what gives her joy. Hearing her family play music, and seeing little kids pop up on Zoom meetings are just a few of the things that make her laugh and smile. Quotables “The stories that say, you allowed us to take care of people, they make me not just smile… they make me grin every day.” – CG “If it keeps our Subscribers up, it keeps me up.” – CG “We need everybody working in this system – and that includes leaders.” – CG “The compassion and strength of our leaders in the system is absolutely integral to how it is we deliver on what we need to for patients.” – CG “Subscribers will see a focus on more direct supports, on actioning patient safety, and looking at the science of implementation of patient safety.” – CG “Our work of course is to do what we can for not-for-profit entities that are delivering on healthcare in this country.” – CG “That’s true innovation – 35 years later, a company that’s still innovating, still thinking outside the box.” – PD “It’s very clear that you do what you love.” – PD Mentioned in this Episode: HIROC The Ontario Hospital Association Collaborative Benefits – Co (coming soon) HIROC Top GTA Employer for 2023 2022 HIROC Hackathon 2023 HIROC Strategic Plan (coming soon) The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at [email protected]. /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/25326525

Doran Walker and David B. Kay: Developing their own Playbook for a Strong Mentoring Relationship 11/16/2022

Doran Walker and David B. Kay: Developing their own Playbook for a Strong Mentoring Relationship Our guests David Kay and Doran Walker have had a mentor/mentee relationship since 2018. Doran is an RN with an MBA, owner and Healthcare Consultant for BioMD consulting and a Patient Care Manager for Specialized Geriatrics, Glenrose for Alberta Health Services. He’s also the National Cochair for Emerging Health Leaders Canada. The fact that they came together well before the pandemic Doran says is fortuitous, since he had someone to turn to when his professional life became more challenging, and he became a new father. David runs his own healthcare and professional regulatory management consultancy. He says much of what he learned about being a good mentor comes from having strong mentors in the early stages of his career. One of those was a CEO of a large teaching hospital who shared his insights with David on long drives around Saskatchewan. This CEO would call fellow CEOs after hours to have open and casual conversations, something that imprinted on David the value of compassionate leadership. David and Doran talked to us about what they’ve learned from each other, what defines a good mentoring relationship, and the fact that we all probably have more mentors than we realize. Quotables “This was really another opportunity to give back to the next generation and to the profession” – DK “I believe goal-setting is important for all of us – both personal goals and professional goal setting. It helps provide some focus.” – DK “In some of those circumstances that we discussed I hadn’t lived it, but I could draw on something that might have been a little similar or at least this is how people might be feeling about what they’re hearing and ‘the why’. What do we do about the why, what’s the what and the how.” – DK “Because of the mentorship relationship and our discussion on goals and values, what changed for me was a deeper understanding of who I was and what I needed to value. For that I’m grateful.” – DW “There’s usually four or five different people who have mentorship within our lives in different ways. I think that’s going to be the next way forward for mentorship research and literature.” DW “I like to call it a kitchen cabinet. I’ve been fortunate throughout my career of having a network of people around me whose opinions I trusted and who could be honest with me.” – DK “Mentorship is probably the most direct way that knowledge can be passed on. It also has the added benefit of providing wellness to emerging leaders. Because when they come to stressful situations, they already have someone formally they can talk to about it.” – DW Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/25030599

CJ Blennerhassett: Growing Midwifery in an Area Where it’s Really Needed 10/25/2022

CJ Blennerhassett: Growing Midwifery in an Area Where it’s Really Needed Our guest CJ Blennerhassett, began her career as a midwife in a busy Toronto practice. She has since moved back to her home province of Nova Scotia where there are just 16 midwives who deliver reproductive care in an area that has both urban and large rural pockets. CJ is still a practicing midwife but now combines her duties with her role as Vice President of the Association of Nova Scotia Midwives and President-elect of the Canadian Association of Midwives. In those roles, CJ is honoured that her midwifery colleagues trust her to push health authorities, government, and decision-makers to think about creative solutions to the primary care crisis in Nova Scotia and across the country. So many people in her province are without care, she says, while midwives are here and willing and excited about delivering that care. Quotables “When the opportunity presented itself to be back here in Nova Scotia, I really jumped at that – to be closer to family but also to participate in growing the profession in an area where it’s really needed.” – CJB “Unfortunately, in Nova Scotia we turn away as many people as we take in to midwifery care. We’re only able to care for 50% of people who request midwifery care.” – CJB “British Columbia has a model where they try their best to ensure the right care provider for the right patient at the right time.” – CJB “I think about leadership as being somebody who is speaking on behalf of the will of the group.” – CJB “We really want to see Indigenous midwives working in all Indigenous communities in Nova Scotia not only to bring birth and care to people in their home communities but to improve birth outcomes for those communities.” – CJB “We offer a kind of care that is really unparalleled in this country and that’s something to be supported and celebrated.” – CJB “One thing I have always felt strongly about in terms of midwifery care and ways it can benefit the healthcare system in lots of other areas is this focus on informed choice.” – CJB “I’m really inspired by people who blend creativity with policy work.” – CJB Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/24791721

Brian Goldman: Leaning into Uncertainty 09/06/2022

Brian Goldman: Leaning into Uncertainty Our guest Brian Goldman is a longtime staff physician at Sinai Health System, and a podcaster – host of White Coat, Black Art on CBC Radio One and the CBC podcast The Dose. He’s also the author of three books. Many people who read his most recent book The Power of Teamwork have an ah-ha moment when they realize that they’re not actually working on a team but a group. As Brian explains, many teams flounder because the members of that team are more focussed on individual goals than team goals, they haven’t had much input in setting those goals, and they don’t help one another. Whether it’s in healthcare, the military, aviation or a corporate environment, for real team problem-solving to happen, Brian says everybody must feel safe to say what they see. That means breaking down longstanding hierarchies, taking chances and leaning into uncertainty. Quotables “Everybody talks fast. Everybody wants to cut to the bottom line, get to the answer quickly. And that is death to a team meeting.” - BG “We hate uncertainty so much that we prematurely close conversations.” – BG “To me the Rosetta Stone was meeting Alexa Miller at dotmd 2019 and eventually forging a friendship with her. I think the world of her and think Visual Thinking Strategies really deserves a stronger public airing.” – BG “You have to know their superpower because you have to position them to function on a team that brings out the best in them, that doesn’t keep asking them to do what they’re not best at.” – BG “You know you’re in a silo if you tend to see the world as insiders and outsiders.” – BG “The highest compliment people tell me is that they feel I’ve taken them into the world of medicine, to my side of the gurney, and they understand more than they did before.” – BG “I firmly believe that medicine has become so complex there is no ‘I alone’ anymore. We can’t understand everything, know everything. I’ve discovered that I work better in an environment where I can be prompted.” – BG “Cross-over wisdom is something we practice a lot at HIROC and we do it on our team, speaking to people outside our sector – we learn a lot from looking at things from a new lens.” - PDS Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/24283050

Janice Kaffer and Bill Marra: ‘Healthcare CEOs should never lead from their office desk’ 08/03/2022

Janice Kaffer and Bill Marra: ‘Healthcare CEOs should never lead from their office desk’ Welcome to Healthcare Change Makers, a podcast produced by HIROC. I’m Ellen Gardner with Michelle Holden and Philip De Souza. Today’s guests are Janice Kaffer, former President and CEO of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor and Bill Marra, current President and CEO of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. Although she formally retired from the CEO position in January, Janice has stayed involved through a project looking at re-establishing the hospital’s role in long-term care. She’s also taking an Executive Coaching course at Royal Roads University. Bill and Janice have a connection based on mutual respect, admiration, and camaraderie, some of it formed through working closely during the pandemic and their shared passion for the mission of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. Bill’s association with the hospital goes back to his teen years when he worked in the dietary department. Although his career took him in many diverse directions – including serving six terms as a municipal councillor for the City of Windsor – he never fully stepped away from the hospital. He stayed involved through his work on the foundation and as VP, People, Mission, Communications and Corporate Affairs. When Janice approached Bill about being part of the CEO succession plan, he was humbled and flattered. The hospital is engaged in many development projects and a key area of focus for him right now is attracting new talent and developing the leadership team. Bill is comforted knowing he’s got Janice on speed dial whenever he needs her. __________________________________________________________________________ Quotables “Hôtel-Dieu Grace is always going to be a priority for me and anything that the hospital and Bill needs, I will always be there.” – JK “I wanted to ensure that every moment of every day that I served in that capacity was creating impact.” – BM “I still pinch myself every once in a while, to be honest with you. It’s a very humbling experience to be asked to lead an organization of this nature.” – BM “One of the really important leadership pieces is to always remember the mentorship piece. There are people watching you and learning from you, so we have an obligation to ensure that what they’re taking away from us is positive and reinforcing and inspiring.” – JK “One of her qualities that I admired the most was her authenticity with our staff. Her authentic effort to get to know, to understand, and respect the people around her.” – BM “It may not always be great news, but the respect and admiration you’ll get from those you lead because you’re communicating with them, keeping them engaged – they’re going to feel part of the organization.” – BM “It’s so incredibly important particularly in healthcare, that CEOs don’t lead from their office desk, that they’re out and about in the organization, hearing directly from the frontline staff and from patients and families.” – JK Mentioned in this Episode: by Thomas G. Crane by Tom Feltenstein and Mac Anderson /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/23940141

Jo-anne Marr and Mike Arnew: Transparency and Mutual Respect as Critical to the Board-CEO Relationship 07/04/2022

Susan Bisaillon: Share Frequently and Share Freely 06/16/2022

Susan Bisaillon: Share Frequently and Share Freely Welcome to Healthcare Change Makers, a podcast produced by HIROC. I’m Ellen Gardner with Philip de Souza. Today’s guest is Susan Bisaillon, CEO of The Safehaven Project for Community Living. Susan started her career in healthcare as a nurse in St. Anthony, Newfoundland, later moving west to St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, then to UHN where she worked as a clinical nurse specialist and nurse manager in the CCU. She moved on to direct the Neuroscience Program and oversee Clinical Operations at Trillium Health Partners. Before joining Safehaven, Susan was the Chief Operating Officer at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. She grew up in a small community in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and says it was a strong sense of curiosity and desire to keep learning that motivated her to move to the bigger centres. Early in her time at Safehaven, Susan and her leadership team noticed the lack of education and support for people working in the community. The subsequent development of education programs has moved far beyond their walls to the point where the organization is now seen as a leader in the delivery of education. In recognition of their role as Infection Prevention and Control Lead Champion for Toronto Region during the pandemic, Safehaven received the Celebrating the Human Spirit award from the Canadian College of Health Leaders. HIROC is proud to play a role in supporting that award. The award goes to an organization that provides acts of caring and compassion that go above and beyond – having a profound and lasting impact. __________________________________________________________________________ Quotables “The continuum of care for individuals with complexities is really not developed well in Ontario, and I just felt that the timing was there to be able to make some changes that could potentially help other families and individuals in the community.” – SB “I do think the next big frontier is community care. And I see it every day – it’s tough work.” – SB “Our goal is to try to let these kids have fun, and go to school, and participate in a way that it’s not all about appointments and care – it’s about living your best life.” – SB “I think HIROC is an organization that we all look to – it’s an organization that really helps keep us safe, on track… Having that award from HIROC that really recognizes the spirit of the work that was done in the last two years is incredibly meaningful.” – SB “I know our board has been great, our community has been great, in terms of just small touches… it let the staff know that we understand.” – SB “Everybody who comes to the table, no matter who they are, what position they are in, everybody has something to offer, everybody has something that’s valuable… that’s teachable.” – SB “I think understanding what your value is, what your gift is, but also sharing. Because when you share, you learn so much more.” – SB “Share liberally and share freely, and you will reap the rewards of that.” – SB “We all belong. We all have differences. We all have abilities.” – SB “I think breaking down some of the barriers and inequities that exist in our system, I see some glimmers of hope but we’re not quite there in many respects.” – SB Mentions /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/23441264

Zayna Khayat and Will Falk: Hanging Out with the Future 06/01/2022

Zayna Khayat and Will Falk: Hanging Out with the Future Welcome to Healthcare Change Makers, a podcast produced by HIROC. I’m Ellen Gardner with Michelle Holden and Philip de Souza. Today we’re talking with Zayna Khayat and Will Falk. Zayna is Vice President, Client Success and Growth at Teladoc Health. Will is a Senior Fellow at the CD Howe Institute and has an appointment at the University of Toronto as an Executive-in-Residence at Rotman. Zayna and Will have collaborated in many different ways over the years and delight in wading into the messy problems in healthcare. They don’t always agree, but Zayna and Will are united in their desire to use technology to move care forward. That task, they readily admit is hard work. As they call it, the clash of the static and the dynamic – when the industrial age and technological age collide with not always pleasant results. The real satisfaction comes from breaking down the barriers to thinking big and getting stuff done. The tools they’re using and approach they’re advocating doesn’t just improve access to care, it delivers culturally appropriate care to communities that have been isolated in the past. It's all about hanging out with the future, something Zayna and Will agree is a highly privileged place to be. Quotables “The thing that really gets me going these days is working with young founder teams who are dealing with tough problems.” - WF “One of the great things about having to teach MBA students and other learners is having to explain yourself in front of really smart people.” – WF “As soon as I see the doubt, the skepticism, hear ‘it’s impossible’, then I think time to double down, that’s the lock and I got the key!” – ZK “In talking to people, many of whom were on the frontlines during the pandemic, I was blown away by how hard people worked in spite of the technological choices that are available.” – WF “A study done by Dr. Eric Topol and the NHS in the UK concluded that 90% of all jobs will change because of what’s happening now and coming in tech. That’s a massive reskilling, retooling of the current workforce, let alone how you breed and train the next generation.” – ZK “As soon as our tools can de-couple time and place from care, you’ve got a real gamechanger for access.” – ZK “If you think economically about the fact that a public visit to a free provider costs the average Canadian $99 – that’s a big barrier for a lot of people.”– WF “I’m not conceding the compassion high ground to anyone who’s advocating physical care over virtual care because it is not at all clear to me that the compassionate answer for most people is to insist that they show up in your office when other alternatives exist.” – WF “No matter where you are – student, administrator, clinician, department chair – I always say, at least 10% of your capacity, 1/2 a day a week has to be blowing up the past and putting it together for the future.” – ZK Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/23286176

Kathryn Nichol: Leading from a Place of Compassion 05/18/2022

Kathryn Nichol: Leading from a Place of Compassion Today we’re talking with Kathryn Nichol, who is President and CEO of VHA Home HealthCare. She stepped into the role in early 2021 after several years at VHA working as Vice President Quality, Best Practice, Research and Education. Our aging population, movement towards a community-based model of care, and the pandemic have put the spotlight on homecare like never before. For Kathryn, this has reinforced homecare’s crucial role in facilitating the flow of people out of hospital so they can return to their homes where they want to be. Her initial desire was to go to medical school but when that proved too expensive, she happily went to nursing school and worked as a frontline nurse for several years before discovering her passionate interest in research. Having a clinical background in a leadership position Kathryn says is valuable – not just for her but for all healthcare leaders – because it enables them to lead from a place of compassion. Quotables “There is a ton of pride because homecare never stopped for a moment.” - KN “There was a realization that homecare is a very safe way to provide care in a pandemic. It’s much safer than providing care in an institution where there’s many more people involved, and you have to be closer together.” – KN “If we don’t have people who want to work in our sector and who are compensated at an equal level, they’re going to leave.” – KN “The capacity issue is more acute than it ever has been before.” – KN “If I had superpowers, homecare would be recognized as a clinical specialty and our workers recognized as clinical specialists because it takes a very unique set of skills to be able to operate in this kind of environment.” – KN “Those people who were self-deployed for a month into LTC, that is the most remarkable example of courageous leadership I can share with you.” – KN “Homecare is significantly understudied yet it’s an incredibly important part of our healthcare system.” – KN “Health system leaders with some kind of clinical background is more important than ever before because you’re leading from a place of compassion in a field that is people-based.” - KN “When you find yourself at the top of ‘S curve’, it’s time to disrupt yourself. You have to jump to your next curve.” - KN Mentioned in this Episode: by Whitney Johnson Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/23144684

Inspiring Impact with Nadine Persaud and Dr. Amit Arya 03/31/2022

Inspiring Impact with Nadine Persaud and Dr. Amit Arya Nadine Persaud and Dr. Amit Arya have a deep passion for seniors’ care that extends beyond healthcare facilities with their community work, advocacy, education, and so much more. You’ll be able to catch them presenting alongside their colleague Dr. Naheed Dosani at the 2022 Advantage Ontario Convention with a session titled “Adopting a Specialist Palliative Care Program in Your Home.” Again this year, HIROC and AdvantAge Ontario have come together to produce the Inspiring Impact podcast mini-series. This four-part series highlights several amazing presenters at the 2022 AdvantAge Ontario convention, and explores the innovation and passion at play in the long-term care sector. In today’s episode, HIROC’s Marc Aiello and Philip De Souza speak with Nadine and Dr. Arya from Kensington Health in Toronto to gain their perspective on the current state of palliative care in Ontario, what they’ll be speaking about at the convention, and the future they envision for long-term care. Quotables: “I came to Kensington and felt that it’s different. This doesn’t feel like long-term care. This actually feels like a home. And it’s these misconceptions that you hear in the media about what long-term care is. This isn’t actually happening in many long-term care homes.” – NP “When you step into homes like Kensington, where beautiful moments are happening every day, we see such powerful moments, we learn stories of individuals that really make it an honour for us to care for them.” – NP “I think my experience has really taught me that we need a lot more recognition about the palliative care needs in long-term care, because this is just the norm. Complexity in acuity is rising and unfortunately, long-term care is under resourced and understaffed.” – AA “A second myth that we often encounter is that palliative care means giving up on other treatment. That is absolutely not true. Palliative care can and should be integrated along with other life prolonging treatments. It simply means that there’s proper care for the whole person.” – AA Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/22630574

Inspiring Impact with Denise Koster 03/31/2022

Inspiring Impact with Laura Tamblyn Watts 03/31/2022

Inspiring Impact with Laura Tamblyn Watts Laura Tamblyn Watts believes that the future of seniors’ care is about taking a care-at-home approach, and reserving 24/7 long-term care for those who need it most. As CEO of CanAge, Laura works with long-term care operators, families, and caregivers to educate, inform, and advocate. Again this year, HIROC and AdvantAge Ontario have come together to produce the Inspiring Impact podcast mini-series. This four-part series highlights several amazing presenters at the 2022 AdvantAge Ontario convention, and explores the innovation and passion at play in the long-term care sector. Today HIROC’s Michelle Holden and Philip De Souza sit down with Laura to chat about her presentation at the AdvantAge Ontario convention. Laura’s session delves into the two national standards drafts on long-term care, highlighting what operators, families and caregivers need to know. Quotables: “Our organization, CanAge, represents seniors and really all Canadians as we age.” “In a perfect world our seniors’ care would be informed by overcoming ageism.” “The good news is this, we know the recipe for improved seniors’ care. We know we need to move to a care-at-home approach.” “Those walls of long-term care should be walls of safety and inclusion in community…” “I think as we are more multicultural and more diverse, we also need to understand that people don’t just become heterogenous white men magically when they come into long-term care. And so a greater understanding of diversity and inclusion around gender, sexual orientation, sexual expression…” “The good news is it’s not that hard, a human-based approach just means that we need to come together as diverse communities and support the planning of the physical space, the operations, and the programming. It allows us to be better.” “You don’t want to miss the AdvantAge Ontario conference.” Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/22630541

Inspiring Impact with Lisa Levin 03/31/2022

Krista Jangaard and Catherine Woodman: The Secret Sauce to a Strong CEO-Board Relationship 03/01/2022

Krista Jangaard and Catherine Woodman: The Secret Sauce to a Strong CEO-Board Relationship At HIROC, we recognize the critical importance of good governance in healthcare, and its impact on safe, quality care. What makes for a positive relationship between a senior leadership team and their Board? This year, we are digging deeper on Healthcare Change Makers and talking all about governing with impact. Today HIROC’s CEO, Catherine Gaulton, sits down with Krista Jangaard, President and CEO of IWK Health Centre and Catherine Woodman, IWK Board Chair. Krista and Catherine W. open up about what makes for good governance at the IWK. The two agree that it’s about stewarding the organization, while respecting the boundaries between the roles of the board and the senior team. For Krista it’s critical to get to know the board, and what they each wish to contribute – honing in on the unique wisdom of their members helps the senior team make better decisions. Since the start of the pandemic, Krista and Catherine W. have had to be nimble and work together to ensure staff are comfortable with change. Their work is also about positioning the IWK as part of the larger system, working collaboratively to meet the challenges brought on by COVID. Underscoring their wisdom around governance, is a passion and love for the IWK – a place that is making a lasting impact on lives for years to come. Quotables “I have a deep love for the organization, a deep love for the purpose.” – CW “In healthcare we are purpose-driven organizations because it’s about making people better and keeping them healthy.” – KJ “Rapid change and uncertainty have really been the points of pressure for us in the healthcare system as we try to do our regular work, plus meet the challenge of the pandemic.”- KJ “Organizations have talked about being nimble for years, but I don’t think we’d learned how to be nimble until this pandemic arrived.” - CW “Well, you spend time in Halifax, and you know that the IWK is frankly a magical place. We commonly refer to the secret sauce, that there’s something really inherent to the core mission and purpose of women and children that excites everyone and focuses everyone who is part of the IKW community.” – CW “Children make up about a quarter of our population, but they are 100 per cent of our future.” KJ “It is part of peoples’ families and once you are part of the IKW family, we never let you go.” – KJ “I think you build the best relationships with your board by finding out just where their wisdom truly is and making sure that you don’t lose the opportunity to pull on it.” – CG “I think that one of the most important professional development opportunities every CEO should take on is to serve another board.” – CW Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/22289978

Janice Kaffer: A Vision for Community Health that Goes Beyond Hospital Leadership 02/01/2022

Janice Kaffer: A Vision for Community Health that Goes Beyond Hospital Leadership Early in her leadership journey, Janice Kaffer, Former CEO of Hôtel-Dieu in Windsor, realized that you need people around you who think differently than you and have different skillsets. Building that kind of team resulted in better decisions, including those that weren’t always easy for Janice to make. Show Summary: Today we’re talking with Janice Kaffer, who up until early January was President and CEO of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor Ontario. She’s calling this time semi-retirement as she continues to work on a project that will keep her connected with the hospital for at least six months. Janice honestly admitted on social media last year that being a leader in a time of extended crisis takes a toll. When she did finally take some time off, she recovered her sense of self in a surprising and delightful way – by doing Lego. It grounded her in a way she could never have imagined. Janice says it took some time to understand she was more than a hospital leader – that she was a community leader as well. Her own modest upbringing convinced Janice that she had an obligation to talk about issues around poverty, politics and the social determinants of health because it all has an impact on health. Today she’s proud of the part she played and continues to play in changing the perception in Windsor of what a hospital is and what it can be. Quotables “Through the last two years of the pandemic, Bill (Marra) has been at my side, we’ve been working together, we went into the nursing home together, we’ve led most of the response together.” - JK “Because the crisis has been going on for so long – it’s not constant, it’s ebbing and waning periods of intense activity – so you never really get a chance to step away from that time, to take care of yourself unless you make that time.” – JK “My grandkids love Lego, but they’re brutal. I find little bits all over the house!” – JK “The team we built at Hôtel-Dieu Grace is incredibly diverse and very involved in the decision-making at all levels. I always benefitted from the fact that many members of the team felt comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.” – JK “Over the years I developed a perspective that the job of the CEO for a community hospital it isn’t just about leading your own team, it’s also talking about those things in your community that affect health in the broader sector.” – JK “Hôtel-Dieu Grace is more than a service delivery organization. We’ve tried to be an organization that connects to the community and speaks to a longer-term contract to change health for the better.” – JK “Social media allows me to interact with people in a way that is super comfortable for me.” – JK “One of the things that was important to me when I became CEO at Hôtel-Dieu was to create an opportunity for patients and families to have voice, but also for staff so that there’s balance.” – JK “Unless we start taking seriously that the healthcare system is too lean, is too efficient, is needing investment, retaining staff is going to difficult.” - JK “A lot of women hesitate to ask. Leaders have an obligation to make sure that everybody understands that we’re open to mentoring and coaching, and we’re here to share and assist.” - JK Mentioned in this Episode: Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at Follow us on , and listen on iTunes. Email us at . /episode/index/show/healthcarechangemakers/id/21949991

Healthcare Change Makers

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