Healthcare Change Makers

Nova Scotia Health's Dr. Nicole Boutilier brings great optimism to the system. In all that she shares about their work, Dr. Boutilier reminds us why it's important to understand our true north.   Dr. Nicole Boutilier is known at Nova Scotia Health as Executive Vice President, Medicine and Clinical Operations, but she is so much more to the system at large. In her work, Dr. Boutilier dedicates hers...

Dr. Vera Etches asks herself, "How do we make sure we're supporting children to have a good start in life and the best lives they can live?", to help guide her work as President and CEO of Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).   This question is Vera's north star when leading initiatives such as CHEO's Integrated Treatment Centre. Set to open in 2028, this new building will join different...

Peterborough Regional Health Centre's Dr. Lynn Mikula, President and CEO, and Evan Lyons, EVP, Digital Services, Strategy & Transformation and CIO, help us understand how to initiate and sustain delivery around Artificial Intelligence (AI). They value building a solid foundation around data first and then using AI as a lever to build on what's created.   When it comes down to it, partnerships are...

Francis opens up about how his experiences as a newcomer to Canada and a trained mediator shaped his leadership philosophy, emphasizing that listening is a foundational skill all leaders must intentionally practice.   Creating a culture of trust means creating a space for staff, partners, and community members to share their perspectives, and through this, his organization has been able to design...

Sue Graham-Nutter, CEO of The Rekai Centres, and her entire team are hard at work developing a new long-term care home in downtown Toronto, the Cherry Place Campus of Care. The heart of this new Campus is innovation, and the collective input from the community and their partners. While leading this major construction project, Sue reaffirmed the value of relationships with organizations such as HIR...

Research analyst, communications expert, event planner, and video editor – these are just some of the many hats worn as a knowledge broker. Renira Narrandes, Knowledge Translation (KT) Program Manager at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and her entire team carry a diverse skillset to share and implement evidence that's beneficial, easy to access and understand.   On this episode, Renira h...

Sustainability and shelter, with a good dose of innovation. These are the words that come to mind when Catherine thinks about HIROC and the past year. It is her hope that for Subscribers, when things feel in flux, HIROC is viewed as that calm place in the storm. Catherine and Philip tease HIROC's new strategic plan "The Art of Safety", which is launching in January 2026. Spoiler alert: topics like...

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 bein...

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 less...

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...

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...

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...

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 l...

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 so...

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...

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 t...

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 re...

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 Torontoni...

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...

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 H...

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 lo...

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 supp...

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 persp...

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 compa...

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...