Healthcare Change Makers

Rebecca Sheilds 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 promising, evidence-based best practices, how are we adopting better data analytics and decision making,” explains Rebecca. In this episode of Healthcare Change Makers, Rebecca also shares insight into York Region's first Mental Health Community Care Centre. She speaks passionately about how healthcare organizations can work together to move the needle around mental health and addiction issues, and the importance of equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and reconciliation strategies. Quotables: “The field of mental illness because of stigma has been left behind, in research, investment, in care; and so bringing people along is helping them believe and turning that belief into action that things can actually improve.” “Mental illness can be treated, people can recover. And that I think we can all get behind.” “And that collective vision is, what do we need to do to ensure that somebody’s first mental health crisis is their last.” “I just want to say a huge gratitude to all of our partners, and Ontario Health and the government, for stepping up and supporting this work. This is about system change, and although we’re leading it, everybody is committed to a collective vision and we can’t do it without going back and believing in the possible.” “All of us have to lean in right now as we see an erosion of, and people trying to dismantle the respect and identity of each and every person and their own personal identities.” “We know that there’s a tie between racism, oppression and mental health. It is a stressor. It is morally disruptive, you know absolutely that kind of ongoing trauma of racism, discrimination and oppression actually impacts somebody’s wellbeing.” “I’ve always thought back about Dr. Ian Dawe who used to say, all of us as healthcare providers, we might be able to treat the symptoms and treat mental illness, but mental health is a home, a job, and a friend.” “The value of each person, and the perspective and what they bring actually will be part of what makes communities resilient and allows for the recovery and support of people for all of us, and our kids, our families and our seniors.” “I feel that governance is incredibly important. Good governance really supports an organization to achieve great things.” “We are trying to solve wicked problems together – and good governance and leadership are part of that.” Mentioned in this Episode: · CHMA York and South Simcoe · CAMH · Dr. Ian Dawe · Health Common Solutions Lab (Sinai Health Systems) · Human Services Planning Board of York Region · IABC Communicator of the Year Award · Ontario Health Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence · Ontario Health · Share Scale Repeat: A Podcast by HIROC · Southlake Health Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

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. It’s fantastic for care, it means an awful lot to the patients who are receiving care now and to those who will need to access the unit moving forward,” explains Andrew when speaking to the new clinic and the importance of strong community relations. In this episode of Healthcare Change Makers, Andrew shares invaluable advice on being a strong leader, engaging board members, tapping into community support to leverage initiatives, and planting the seed to create strong partnerships and connections. Quotables: “Our vision is innovating for exceptional health, and I think it really speaks to where we see healthcare today and the role that it plays in not only the work that we do in the hospital sector, but also the broader health and wellness of the community.” - AW “The most important criteria for any successful partnership is a high level of trust where you’re confident the interest of all is equally viewed by the participants.” - AW “Facilities and contemporary facilities have a really positive impact on the quality of care you’re able to provide, both through the lens of the patient and the staff member.” - AW “There’s no such thing as not changing, you either proactively change and go a certain direction or you fall behind. Everyday you’re not adapting yourself, growing yourself, or focusing on where the organization is going, you’re slipping a little behind.” - AW “It’s a privilege to work in the healthcare space and I always believe that with privilege comes an accountability to make a difference.” - AW “Bloom where you’re planted, in other words make sure you’re focusing all your energy and effort in doing the absolute best you can in whatever role you’re in.” - AW “The most important thing you can do to have a successful career track is excel in the role you’re in in the moment, develop yourself, and make sure you’re focusing on what I believe to be the really important attributes to leadership: being accountable for your actions, making sure your actions are founded in integrity, and make sure you’re in tune to those you represent.” - AW “Those who know me know that I’m a strong proponent of integration and working together, there’s a lot of different organizations in the healthcare space but we all support the same population. We all have a role and that’s important, but the more we can work together the better it will be for those we serve.” - AW Mentioned in this Episode: · Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance · Stratford General Hospital · Ontario Hospital Association · Healthcare Collaborative Benefits · London Health Sciences Centre Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

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 really a more integrated way to think about health, and Dunn House is real action on that kind of thinking and philosophy.” In this exciting episode of Healthcare Change Makers, learn more about UHN’s social medicine program, the impact of Dunn house, and the value of partnership with community organizations. And stay tuned until the end to hear Dr. Boozary’s take on medical TV dramas and which musician helps give him an energy boost. Quotables: “How do we recenter humanity in healthcare for those of us who work in the system, for families, for caregivers, and most ultimately for patients.” “Health and so much protection in society are system choices or policy choices, and it’s not about individual failures but how resources, protection, power, and privilege, really play roles in worse health outcomes.” “The idea that some lives matter more than others is the fundamental issue or injustice that we face in the world.” “Whatever it is that grips you, that you lose sleep over, that makes your blood boil, whatever it is that you feel this sense of injustice, to not lose that feeling and energy, and pursue it however you can.” “If the University Health Network is really serious (which they are) about advancing health and not being the university healthcare network, but truly about heath, we need to be able to take different approaches in how we reach people… who need it most.” “Housing and health are inextricably linked.” “This is what I think is really the secret sauce, is the partnership and the willingness to think differently about the solution – that the band-aid fixes are not going to work. That there is a moral distress that becomes imposed on health workers seeing the same revolving door… and how can we start embedding, building concrete solutions for people.” “I think it’s really important to shout out the incredible work of community health centres that have been leading social medicine work for 50 years or more.” “Preventing some of these feelings of despair or burnout is understanding this is part of the work, and how do you hold and create space for some of it, because trying to deny it or push it out or discount it has its own downsides as well.” “We don’t need a magic wand, we need real investment in people, and that we can see magical outcomes if we actually dedicate that focus.” Mentioned in this Episode: · HIROC’s 2025 Conference, Save the Date · University Health Network (UHN) · Dr. Kevin Smith · UHN’s Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine · UHN’s Dunn House · Dr. Jeff Turnbull · Wendy Muckle · Dr. Paul Farmer · Emmanuelle Gattuso · City of Toronto · Fred Victor · The United Way · Angela Robertson, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre · Camden Coalition · Kendrick Lamar · The Knick (tv drama) · The Pitt (tv drama) Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

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 no rest that’s for sure,” explains Karen when speaking to the dedication of her team and the magnitude of their efforts. On our newest episode of Healthcare Change Makers, learn more about the initiatives Karen and her team are proud of, the collaboration between NS Health and Life Sciences Nova Scotia, and ways to be supportive of those around you! Quotables: “I like to sit down with the members of the team and basically say, that was then this is now – your history is irrelevant, I’m turning a page.” – KO “I really like to give people a fresh start with a new leader and it’s something that has worked really well for me. Even in this current role, I can think of a number of people with a fresh start that just blossomed.” – KO “I want to serve my province in this role and hopefully make a difference.” – KO “I love having an opportunity to showcase the innovation and intellectual pros of some of our professionals. And they could come from any part of our system, these are people who want to make positive change for the better.” – KO “Success breeds success, it energizes you and you need the energy to get through the bad.” – KO “You need to have people around you that care about you, not about your job but about you, and can help separate the important from the urgent. We all get stressed out over the urgent, where it’s the important things you have to stay focused on.” – KO “I think for the leader, it’s important to find the ways to raise people, to develop people, so they can give voice to what it is they care about and are passionate about.” – KO Mentioned in this Episode: · Nova Scotia Health · NS Health’s More Than Medicine · Dr. Angela Merkel · Dr. Jane Philpott · Margaret Thatcher · Chelsea Handler Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

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 some of the new things she has learned in 2024, the top trends and success stories she’s heard from Subscribers, and what brought her joy this year. You’ll even hear about her new puppy, stay tuned until the end! Quotables: “We’ve done lots of work around ensuring we’re staying focused on service, that’s such a dominant feature for HIROC and its staff.” - CG “It’s amazing to me how creative and talented the people who work in this system are.” - CG “When you listen to what Subscribers are able to do with $20,000 or less, it’s absolutely amazing to me. Whether that’s making sure newborns’ temperatures are kept constant or how we use the implementation of oxytocin protocols as a driver across the system.” - CG “There’s this predominant underpinning of change, and yet the things that are important stay very true for Subscribers in all of those jurisdictions.” - CG “How do we learn from each other so that these are not pockets of things that are innovative and so they really spread? HIROC is in the midst of that, and we have the beauty of seeing everything that’s happening in so many parts of the country and supporting it.” - CG “We as a group focus on where things didn’t go marvellously well, but the fact is that the overwhelming majority of the time, we’re delivering exactly what people in this country need and I’m grateful for that.” - CG Mentioned in this Episode: HIROC Staff Café HIROC Safety Grants, Learn More HIROC East Coast Safety Symposium HIROC Prairies and Territories Safety Symposium André Picard True Reconciliation Book Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

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 able to fill all the roles”, says Gail when explaining one of the main priorities with their new strategic plan. On our newest episode of Healthcare Change Makers, learn more about how RVH’s leadership will keep the momentum going with their strategic plan, ways in which Gail ensures she is approachable to staff, how to balance being an introvert in leadership, and much more! Also, stay tuned until the end to hear about Gail’s love for Jiu Jitsu! Quotables: “The relationship with medical schools really helps ensure you have that feeder system coming in that’s going to help you, make sure you have the specialists and physicians that you need as you grow.” - GH “RVH does so much research right now, we have an amazing team here and we run the largest clinical trials for community-sized hospitals.” - GH “We mapped out what some of our big moves are, and everything we do now ties back to asking where is it taking us? Where is that big move? So, the team here can feel connected.” - GH “We felt we needed to embed our values in actions that people can relate to. Do great things, inspire trust, be kind, the things we could imagine ourselves doing and that’s how we make our choices.” - GH “Really connecting with a couple layers away from you on a regular basis gives you that feedback about if the culture is building in the direction I’m aiming for and what my expectations are, do people feel they can speak up about things, do they feel connected to the vision?” - GH “Whether you’re introverted or extroverted you bring your own strengths and gifts to every role you’re in. Instead of trying to be something you’re not, own what you are and let the team know that’s what you’re like and where they have to help lift you up.” - GH “I have certain underlying values about really supporting other organizations in the community. A lot of times hospitals are the big player in the community and fundraising, and the smaller agencies in the community have a harder struggle raising money.” - GH Mentioned in this Episode: Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) RVH Foundation Pamela Ross Telus Friendly Future Foundation Dancing with Easter Seals Stars Adam Grant Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

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 importance of collaborating with CCAB. Christine also shares her leadership approach centred around collaboration, transparency, openness, and meeting people at the level they’re at. And collaboration is a big part of the work Christine and her team are doing on moving toward a more sustainable procurement model. Don’t miss our special 70 episode of Healthcare Change Makers! It’s a great chance to hear from Christine about how HealthPRO is focusing on sustainable practices, their strategies to ensure constant supply for its hospital members, and Christine’s advice to healthcare organizations on implementing a collaborative culture! Quotables: “Sustainable products have always been an interest of mine, how do we really take the weight of the system, be more climate friendly, look at greening our healthcare environment, it’s always fascinating to me from back to my clinical days.” - CD “My professional clinical background has been unbelievably important in how I’ve taken different leadership roles in my career.” - CD “In the end, we look different on the outside but we’re really the same and that’s really that spirit of getting at the ground floor, really getting to know each other goes a long way towards that healthy new world we’re building for the future.” - CD “I want all Canadian patients to have the same access, the best products, the highest quality, and how can we make that happen? Some of that is organic and getting the right people together.” - CD “The legacy of any issues or mistakes is you move forward, and you create the stronger and better systems moving forward.” - CD “In your career you want to have a purpose for the greater good of the system or greater good of what you do, and I think what drives us is we have an important role in the whole machinery of how things operate.” - CD “We’re using procurement as a gateway to create some better practices.” - CD “Too often we start off with contributing challenges, problems, and issues, I like to flip it on its head and say let’s talk about some of the positive first and get to a place of where we can really understand each other.” - CD “You learn as much from the person you’re mentoring as much as they learn from you, it’s a two-way street and it’s part of that very healthy way of challenging each other and dialoguing.” - CD Mentioned in this Episode: HealthPRO Canada U of T Pharmacy Dr. Fiona Miller Dr. Zubin Austin Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

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 change, rather than becoming a clinician. Furthermore, Steven also discusses overcoming the most pressing issues in seniors’ care, such as the damage caused by the pandemic, and the coordinated efforts needed to recover and adapt. We also talk about a much-needed shift from large-scale institutional models to more personalized, community-based care, emphasizing the importance of adapting to modern societal needs. When speaking about his leadership values, Steven believes in the importance of hard work, resilience, giving back to his community and learning from failure. As a healthcare leader, Steven says it’s critical to be vulnerable and selfless, especially when it comes to inspiring his staff and providing a safe space for them to express their concerns. Steven also talks about how impactful it is for his staff to create opportunities for them to be their best selves by focusing on their strengths and pushing them out of their comfort zones. Quotables: “Leadership is truly a privilege. You hear people say that a lot, but it is. It becomes very real when it impacts you directly as a leader. So, I always take that approach that you have to be selfless, supportive, community oriented, focused – those kinds of things, but it’s not a birthright being in a leadership role. What this also taught me is be ready for tomorrow and learn from every single opportunity that presents itself to you.” – SH “Vulnerability is key to leadership. It’s not about crying in a meeting or anything like that. It’s really about understanding that you have a role and a place within the organization, and people look up to you constantly.” – SH “In my home, in the community, working for home care, the experiences all those years ago is so different from today. Our needs have changed. The system’s changed. Expectations have changed. But what has stayed core to all of this is that compassion, the perseverance, the willingness to go above and beyond. That’s what makes you a great clinical support person and PSW.” – SH “I always joke with people – my luggage feels heavier coming home than when I go out into the world because I’m bringing that much more depth and understanding of people and all that work I’ve done when I come back.” – SH “Most people I’ve met in health and social services come into the field out of a place of wanting to help in some way. You don’t come here because you want to be a millionaire. There are other options to do that. You come here because this is your calling, so to speak, and as one of my team would say here, it gets you in your feels like it really is an emotional response to things. That makes the job a whole lot easier when you start from that place.” – SH “I look at our organization, and we are not just a building. It’s bricks and mortar, but what happens inside that building is what will set us apart. It is inspiring people to operational excellence. It’s not the edifice that will make this house a home, it is what they will do inside this home that will make it rich and lively and I think that is the most important part.” – SH “I was once told, compromise when you can, but never be intransigent. Always remember, shifting your position is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of learning from the room, growing your position and actually inspiring others.” – SH “You need to manage your reputation, but you have to stay true to who...

John Yip and the team at SE Health are growing their social impact by bringing hope and happiness to different segments of society. As SE Health celebrates its 115-year anniversary, they’ve continued to stay true to their long legacy of service through leveraging powerful initiatives such as operating hospices for the homeless, investing in start-ups in the health space, running a technology company, and supporting communities across the country, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Through these initiatives, SE Health keeps their vision strong by impacting how people live and age at home. “It’s the combination of business and social mission that makes SE Health a perfect landing spot for me,” says John when explaining why his organization is so special to him. In this exciting new episode, learn all about a few of SE Health’s main priorities and their balance between business and social impact, how being a first-generation Canadian helps shape John’s values, his practical tips for emerging leaders, how running triathlons positively impacts his life, and so much more! Quotables: “If you have a room full of providers, we’ll talk provider talk and that means full of acronyms, but you bring a patient, a care giver, and family member, it becomes real, and that tangible experience helps shape and influence the direction of where these Ontario health teams would go.” - JY “There’s enormous pressure to perform and as a result a lot of young leaders aren’t themselves, so the first piece of advice I would give is to be your authentic self, lead with empathy, be kind, be thoughtful.” – JY “My parents really instilled those values of work ethic and around kindness as a means to integrate into Canadian society where they really believed that they were so lucky they were able to leave where they came from which was war-torn China.” – JY “We have 8,000 staff that serve 22,000 Canadians every day and we want to make sure we take care of our own.” – JY “You don’t need to go very far to experience adventure, you can do it in your own backyard.” - JY “It’s healthy to have different interests and do different activities and that leads to a very positive lifestyle.” – JY “Everyone has their own brand with how they lead, and it takes time to figure out what your personal brand is.” – JY “I’m a big supporter of the public library system because I spent a lot of time there, I read everything and it still sticks with me, so I think reading creates that sense of curiosity.” - JY Mentioned in this Episode: SE Health McMaster DeGroote School of Business Unity Health Toronto Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

Michael Green understands that forging relationships with those who support Canada Health Infoway’s mission is crucial to navigating our complex system and accelerating innovation. With this understanding top of mind, Canada Health Infoway works with different systems and stakeholders across the globe to strategize, innovate and advance digital health. “Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel in Canada or any other country, it’s often better to try and take the best international practice, and then try to implement that at home,” says Michael when explaining the importance of collaborating with international organizations who set health standards. In this fascinating episode of HIROC’s Healthcare Change Makers, learn all about how Canada Health Infoway is impacting the advancement of digital health in Canada, Michael’s expert strategies for finding partners to support Infoway’s mission, how his team is adopting and securely implementing artificial intelligence (AI), as well hearing who inspires Michael, and much more! Quotables: “We’re an organization that is focused on digital health and innovation.” - MG “Our concept is to work with all the different systems across Canada and really try to help them innovate faster than they can do on their own.” - MG “In a complex health system like Canada there’s so many stakeholders that are into play, and so we really try and make sure that we connect with the best people that are responsible for digital health, for example, in each of the provinces.” - MG “One of the big roles we have is liaising with some of these big international organizations that set standards, and really helping provinces across Canada to synchronize and link into those to effectively get their systems speaking to each other.” - MG “There’s tremendous potential with AI and at the same time, there’s so many different solutions appearing, so what we try and do is provide advice to people to help guide them through the AI forest.” - MG “I think one of the things that most people in the organization including myself feel, is that we’re making a difference and helping to improve healthcare, and that’s a very exciting challenge.” – MG “We try and help front line institutions and care providers with tools to prioritize privacy and cyber security.” - MG Mentioned in this Episode: Canada Health Infoway Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and x, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your favourite podcasts. Email us at Communications@HIROC.com.

Paris Semansky is Director, Communications and Public Affairs at CAMH. This role urges her to wear a variety of hats, including being a brand protector, advocate, and problem-solver. Patricia Hoffer also wears a number of hats while being Chief Communications Officer and Vice President, External Relations at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. She takes pride in leading a diverse and dedicated group of communicators and storytellers. In this episode, Paris and Patricia share key strategies that help them ensure their teams succeed in the healthcare setting, their thoughts on strategic integrated communications, the importance of removing the noise that comes with their jobs, and more! Quotables: “We’re known for the what and the how, but when we go back to the why then that’s where the strategy comes in and that’s where the purpose and the matter come in.” – PH “When you have a team approach, you bring much more diversity and thought, much more creativity, and much more strategy to the table.” - PH “Make sure that Communications has a seat at the leadership table, because without it we don’t have a line of sight on not just the issues, but opportunities that others won’t think about from a communications perspective, storytelling perspective, or brand perspective.”- PH “One of the core things we can do to make our team successful is to have our team not all be the same, in experience, socioeconomic background, racial background, religious background, there’s so many different components to that.” - PS “Our goal is to take your plan and enable success and make it sing no matter what it is, whether it’s an issue we’re trying to manage or a great story that we’re trying to tell.” – PH “When communicators have the opportunity to be at decision making tables in the middle of a crisis, we show our full scope of practice. We show our ability to be strategic and to think about the broader community.”– PS “The role and value of communications is all about driving culture, improving and strengthening our brand and reputation, and making that alignment of what are the priorities of the organization, what is the strategy, and how does that all converge with our community we serve.” – PH “We’re the boundary spanners and environment scanners, we’re looking at what’s going on in the world, we’re that contact with the outside world.” - PS “Provide time and opportunity and space to be proactive versus reactive because that fuels creativity and allows time for that strategic opportunity.”- PH “Why am I throwing the covers off in the morning?” - PH Mentioned in this Episode: CAMH St. Joseph’s Health Care London 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: The Hospital for Sick Children Hero AI Special Olympics Ontario University of Edinburgh Cambridge University Dr. Jason Fischer Dr. Sasha Litwin Dr. Anna Goldenberg 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: Hôpital Montfort Ontario Hospital Association 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: Toronto Metro Metropolitan University School of Medicine Brampton Civic Hospital Etobicoke General Hospital Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health & Wellness The College of...

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: TOH’s Innovation Framework Ontario Hospital Association HIROC Safety Grants Program 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: The Hospital for Sick Children 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) McMaster University Midwifery Education Program National Council of Indigenous Midwives Graphic Novel: Something Is Off CAM – Family Violence Resources Community Midwives of Ottawa Association of Ontario Midwives 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: Alliance for Healthier Communities Canadian Red Cross Centretown Community Health Centre Cormac Russell: The Connected Community National Health Service Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario Public Health Agency of Canada Rexdale Community Health Centre Social Prescribing Network The Ontario Caregiver Organization 211 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 Communications@HIROC.com.

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: University Hospital Network The Michener Institute for education at UHN Inspire: UHN Nursing Strategy 2023-2028 Rotman School of Management DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster Canadian Institute for Health Information Mayo Clinic Platform_Connect The Match King by Frank Partnoy