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....
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Dr. Andrew Boozary: The Need to Recentre Humanity in Healthcare
Healthcare Change Makers
Health is driven by more than what happens in a clinic or the operating room, it is driven by long-standing system decisions. One of the ways Dr. Andrew Boozary and the UHN are impacting health equity is through the inception of Dunn House, Canada’s first hospital-led supportive housing initiative. This unique model couples health and social care by improving health outcomes for unhoused Torontonians, embedding concreate solutions to UHN’s most vulnerable patients. “This brings a wholistic approach to healthcare, that it’s not just about access to physicians and nurses, that there’s...
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Karen Oldfield: Raise and Develop Those Around You
Healthcare Change Makers
Karen and her team are full steam ahead with all the initiatives at Nova Scotia Health today. She speaks with pride about their work around improving patient care and much more. One of the initiatives they’re working on includes the West Bedford Transitional Health facility which helps enhance the chances of patients going back home successfully. Another proud initiative includes the YourHealthNS mobile app, which over half the population in NS have already downloaded enabling them to better navigate the healthcare system. “We’re on quite a pace, quite a tear, and there’s going to be...
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Catherine Gaulton: The Magic of the Reciprocal Model
Healthcare Change Makers
With the insights from 2024 under her belt, Catherine is filled with ideas, hope, and confidence in the magic of the reciprocal model for the upcoming year. One of the initiatives Catherine is looking forward to includes continuing to meet Subscribers where they are across Canada through joining Subscriber forums, conferences, and quality days. Another exciting thing on the horizon is finalizing HIROC’s strategic plan for 2026 onwards by tapping into the phenomenal guidance from staff, Subscribers, and the board. On our final episode of the year, reflect alongside Catherine as she shares...
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Gail Hunt: Meeting the Needs of the Future
Healthcare Change Makers
Gail Hunt’s team at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Ontario describe her as being good at breaking down complicated things from a strategic perspective – a quality that helps lead the organization into the next decade. RVH recently announced a new 10-year strategic plan which has been carefully curated to ensure staff and the larger community feel connected, equipped, and excited long term. “With the population growth in this area of the province, what do we need to be able to meet the needs of the future, meet the patient expectations, and have the team members here be...
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Christine Donaldson: Moving the Needle on Sustainable Procurement
Healthcare Change Makers
Advocating for change and collaboration in our healthcare supply chain is part of Christine Donaldson’s purpose, this shines through in her leadership approach. Her team’s advocacy work is reflected with action as HealthPRO Canada recently became an Aboriginal Procurement Champion with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), thus making strides towards a more inclusive healthcare supply chain and system. “Part of our Indigenous journey and reconciliation of where we’re heading into the future is to do it through business partnerships,” says Christine when explaining the...
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Dr. Steven Harrison: Redefining Leadership in Seniors’ Care
Healthcare Change Makers
For this episode of Healthcare Change Makers, we sat down and had a captivating conversation with Dr. Steven Harrison, the CEO of Tri-County Mennonite Homes. Steven has a wealth of experience as a seasoned leader in long-term care. Throughout the episode, you’ll hear all about his insights from working internationally and how this experience has shaped his views about Canada embracing global perspectives and solutions for challenges at home. We also learned more about Steven’s career journey, beginning as a PSW and his decision to pursue a career in leadership focusing on system design and...
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