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 Childr…

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 w…

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…

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 an…

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, the…

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 sup…

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…

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…

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 enthusi…

Dr. Glaucomflecken has a unique backstory as he made the pivot from performing stand-up comedy to becoming a physician. TikTok is now his stage with over 2 million followers, creating comedic skits about the healthcare world. Besides comedy, he also uses his platform to spread awareness about his sudden cardiac arrest in 2020 and his diagnosis with…

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…

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…

System change is a big topic across healthcare in Canada right now. HIROC’s Catherine Gaulton sits down with Adam Topp to learn about the transition undertaken by Shared Health Manitoba, and the importance of engagement at every step along the way. Adam also touches on his organization’s approach to the current HHR crisis – having good practices in…

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 redevelopme…

Our guest Dr. Katharine Smart does it all - she’s a pediatrician working in Whitehorse, former Canadian Medical Association (CMA) president, the podcast host for Spark: Conversations, and holds a strong platform on social media. Through all her roles, her focus remains steady on advocating for kids’ health across Canada, holding the unwavering beli…

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 Subscribe…

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 ca…

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 …

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 …

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 positi…

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…

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 s…

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 …

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 home…

Lisa Levin’s passion for seniors’ care started when she was just a child, watching her young and intelligent grandfather battle dementia. Today, as CEO of AdvantAge Ontario, Lisa and her team are the voice of not-for-profit seniors’ care, dedicated to supporting their members in creating the best possible aging experience. Again this year, HIROC an…

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 t…

When Denise Koster was asked to identify the body of one of her elderly clients 35 years ago, her life and career changed forever. Since then, Denise founded Koster Consulting & Associates in Toronto and has dedicated her life’s work to ensuring elder abuse never happens again with services such as abuse investigations, threat management, and media…

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 P…

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…

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…

In a special year-end episode, HIROC’s CEO, Catherine Gaulton sits down with Philip De Souza, Director, Marketing and Communications. The two talk about the strong culture at HIROC, a culture of caring – caring about those we serve, and those they serve (patients and families). As a leader, Catherine knows how important it is to build in moments of…

At the 2021 HIROC Conference, we had the honour of hearing from Marni Panas, Program Manager of Diversity and Inclusion with Alberta Health Services (AHS). This episode is a recording of that incredibly information session, edited for length. While walking delegates through the work she and her team have done at AHS, Marni connected diversity and i…

For this special edition of Healthcare Change Makers, HIROC is partnering with the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) to bring you the voices of health leaders on the cutting edge of advancing emergent technologies in clinical practices. In today’s episode, we speak with Dr. Mohamed Alarakhia about artificial intelligence (AI), a…

For this special edition of Healthcare Change Makers, HIROC has partnered with the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) to bring you the voices of health leaders advancing emergent technologies in clinical practices. In today’s episode, we speak with Dr. Ervin Sejdić, Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence for Health Outcomes at…

Today we’re talking with Bruce Squires, President of McMaster Children’s Hospital and Vice President, Women’s and Children’s Health at Hamilton Health Sciences. In this episode, we talk to Bruce about preventable harm and his approach to turning the corner on patient safety. Bruce says it’s important to be explicit when talking about harm, sharing …

Today we’re talking with Liben Gebremikael, the first Executive Director of TAIBU Community Health Centre in Toronto. He’s held the position since 2008. Liben is a social worker with over 25 years of experience in the primary healthcare sector, social services, and mental health field. TAIBU was created to meet the specific healthcare needs of the …

Today we’re talking with Dr. Tim Rutledge, President and CEO of Unity Health Toronto. Tim was previously President and CEO of North York General Hospital. Tim is a physician, trained in Emergency Medicine. He developed a strong interest in medical education early in his career and chaired the committee that developed the University of Toronto’s fir…

Today we’re talking with Carmine Stumpo, President and CEO of Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital. Carmine joined Orillia Soldiers’ in 2018 after spending 21 years at Michael Garron Hospital in East Toronto. Even if one of his first acts as CEO was participating in a polar swim fundraiser, Carmine has warmed up to every element of running a communi…

For this special series, Voices Lifting the Community, HIROC is partnering with the Alliance for Healthier Communities to highlight the work of several of the presenters at their online primary healthcare conference in June. Today we’re talking with Kate Vsetula, Director of Community and Organizational Development at the Guelph CHC. One of the man…

For this special series, Voices Lifting the Community, HIROC is partnering with the Alliance for Healthier Communities to highlight the work of several of the presenters at their online primary healthcare conference in June. Today we’re talking with Cheryl Prescod, Executive Director at Black Creek Community Health Centre and member of the Alliance…

For this special series, Inspiring Impact, HIROC is partnering with AdvantAge Ontario to highlight the work of several of the presenters from their 2021 online education and networking event. Today we’re talking with one of the session presenters, Jennifer Cornell, Director of Long Term Care for the County of Grey. She moved into the position in 20…

For this special series, Voices Lifting the Community, HIROC is partnering with the Alliance for Healthier Communities to highlight the work of several of the presenters at their online primary healthcare conference in June. Today we’re talking with Celeste Turner, the LGBTQ2+ Support Coordinator at the Niagara Falls Community Health Centre and a m…

For this special series, Voices Lifting the Community, HIROC is partnering with the Alliance for Healthier Communities to highlight the work of several of the presenters at their online primary healthcare conference in June. Today we’re talking with Sarah Hobbs, CEO of the Alliance, a role she assumed in the fall of 2020. Sarah has worked in commun…

For this special series, Inspiring Impact, HIROC is partnering with AdvantAge Ontario to highlight the work of several of the presenters at their online education and networking event in May. Today we’re talking with one of the keynote speakers, Trish Tutton. Trish is a yoga instructor and mindfulness expert. Trish suffered a devastating loss early…

Paul is living proof that behind every healthcare leader is a nurse – in his case his mother and his wife. Their compassionate dedication to their craft has helped Paul develop a caring and thoughtful approach to leadership that’s helped him in posts he’s held in Calgary, Inuvik, Georgian Bay, and for the past 8 years in North Bay. Paul is a true l…

For this special series, Inspiring Impact, HIROC is partnering with AdvantAge Ontario to highlight the work of several of the presenters at their online education and networking event in May. Today we’re talking with one of the session presenters, Paige Fernandes, Planning and Community Engagement Coordinator at Belmont House, a long-term care faci…

For this special series, Inspiring Impact, HIROC is partnering with AdvantAge Ontario to highlight the work of several of the presenters at their online education and networking event in May. Today we’re talking with one of the session presenters, reporter Moira Welsh, author of the recent book Happily Ever Older. For close to two decades Moira had…

Our guest today, Jennifer Zelmer, is the newly appointed CEO of the organization formed through the amalgamation of the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. It’s called Healthcare Excellence Canada and we were fortunate to speak with Jennifer on the exact day the organization officially opened it…

Dr. Daniel Pepe did his medical training at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. He did a surgery residency before moving into family medicine. His wife is also a family physician and together they run the London Lambeth Medical Clinic. Dr. Pepe is truly a different kind of family physician - he loves the give and ta…

In this episode we’re speaking with Dr. Lisa Calder, CEO of the Canadian Medical Protective Association, known as the CMPA. She stepped into the role in August last year and is the CMPA’s first female CEO. Dr. Calder studied medicine at the University of Western Ontario and did an Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Ottawa. She has a …