Christina Bisanz: Empowering Older Adults
Healthcare Change Makers
A core component of what Christina Bisanz, CEO of CHATS, focuses on is understanding the caregiver perspective and the pressures that come with it. By listening to the experiences of caregivers, the programs and services offered by CHATS reflect their voices and respond to their needs. “Caregivers really are the unsung heroes of our health system. If not for the presence and support that is being provided by informal caregivers, our health system could likely collapse,” Christina explains. Christina also tells us about CHATS’ Assisted Living for High-Risk Adults program and CIBPA...
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Paul Young: Undertaking Courageous Leadership
Healthcare Change Makers
When Paul Young, COO of the University of PEI Faculty of Medicine, sees an uphill battle, he doesn’t turn the other way. His love for healthcare fuels his ability to face a challenge head on, with the outcome rooted in finding solutions collaboratively. Paul’s courageous leadership was witnessed through his support in bringing UPEI’s Faculty of Medicine to fruition. Paul shares key leadership lessons on helping teams feel empowered, how to drive positive partnerships, and navigating intergenerational differences in the workplace. Having been named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOS...
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Dr. Mike Heenan: The World is Constantly Learning
Healthcare Change Makers
Dr. Mike Heenan is the President and CEO of St. Joseph's Health System and President of St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. On the episode, Mike tells us about a time when he received one very striking complaint and how it pivoted his work and that of the organization. We also speak to Mike about his career path and how no matter who you are, you can have an impact on someone’s life. Throughout his career, Mike has dedicated a lot of time to learning. He shares with us his views on how it’s an important balance for all of us to keep in view. While covering some heavy but important topics,...
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Charbel Daniel: Adding Life to Our Years
Healthcare Change Makers
Leading the largest not-for-profit continuing care organization in Atlantic Canada, Charbel Daniel is always looking at how the organization can do better to serve its people. On this episode of Healthcare Change Makers, Charbel tells Philip and Michelle about Northwood’s career college, which is adding capacity in a growing sector. He shares the work Northwood’s Behavioural Support Unit is doing – challenging the standards of care provided to patients with dementia. Throughout this, Charbel weaves in lessons from his parents who immigrated from Lebanon, and how this has shaped him as a...
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Dr. David Zorko: Ensuring Children Are Surviving and Thriving
Healthcare Change Makers
For critically ill children, survival is just the beginning of their story and post-PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) care is the cornerstone of ensuring children thrive afterwards. Dr. David Zorko’s research places a magnifying glass on post-PICU care, aiming to better understand this type of care, identify the types of children who are at higher risk, and generate evidence-based practices to better support children and their families. Dr. David Zorko’s role as researcher also helps him become a stronger paediatric critical care physician, as his eye for the long-term effects impacts...
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Carey Lucki: A Vision for Aging in the Home
Healthcare Change Makers
Carey Lucki sat down with us to talk about her deep pride and passion for the work Circle of Care does as a predominant organization in Ontario’s home and community care sector. What sets Circle of Care apart, as you’ll hear in this episode, is its unique combination of traditional home care and upstream social care programs. This includes transportation, meals on wheels, and innovative programs like their Adult Day Program, which contributes to that true wrap-around experience for their clients. Carey speaks passionately about her vision for the future of homecare, one where people can...
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Mary Jane Dykeman: Thinking About Solutions, Not Answers
Healthcare Change Makers
As a health lawyer, Mary Jane Dykeman, partner at INQ Law has a strong pulse on health information, privacy, and AI, believing that these factors are critical to the future of healthcare. This pulse allows for a unique and tailored perspective on preventing risk and strengthening privacy. In this episode of Healthcare Change Makers, Mary Jane taps into her dual expertise to share insight into some of the biggest influences on the future of healthcare, finding the balance between privacy and AI, and the risk processes that improve healthcare. Quotables: “I come from a place where I...
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Dr. Tunde-Byass and Jennifer Dockery: Transforming Pain into Purpose
Healthcare Change Makers
Black maternal health in Canada requires collective change, and that belief is exactly what sparked Toronto’s first Black Maternal Health Week. Dr. Modupe Tunde-Byass, OB-GYN (NYGH) and President-Elect (FMWC), and Jennifer Dockery, Vice President, Quality, Post-Acute Care & Community Integration at North York General Hospital are determined to spotlight gaps in care and amplify the voices of Black mothers. In this episode of Healthcare Change Makers, Dr. Tunde-Byass and Jennifer talk candidly about why there is limited data about Black maternal health in Canada, what data is available,...
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Rebecca Shields: A Cure for Mental Illness
Healthcare Change Makers
Rebecca Shields and her team at CMHA York and South Simcoe have strong throughlines in place for their 2025-2028 Strategic Plan. A key driver of this plan is the update of their mission and values, and their new vision which is all about a cure for mental illness. This disruptive and exciting thought stems from CHMA’s belief that true recovery is possible when institutions globally work together towards this goal. What does this vision mean for their organization? “It means that we begin more and more to look at how do we partner in research, how do we ensure that we’re adopting...
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Andrew Williams: Innovating for Exceptional Care
Healthcare Change Makers
Andrew Williams and his team at HPHA are steadfast towards innovating to provide exceptional care for Canadians. One of the many efforts towards achieving this is through the completion of the Cancer and Medical Care Clinic and Pharmacy at Stratford General Hospital. This initiative is a strong testament to the fact that facilities have a positive impact on the quality of care provided, and the relationship between hospitals and their communities are key. “We would not have been able to do this had the community not stepped forward and donated their hard-earned money towards this project....
info_outlineToday’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:
The Michener Institute for education at UHN
Inspire: UHN Nursing Strategy 2023-2028
DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster
Canadian Institute for Health Information
The Match King by Frank Partnoy