From the Burgundy Chairs

Episode 26: Reflecting on the State of Addictions Care

In February 2023, the Government of Canada announced it will increase health funding to the provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years. Included in this funding, in an effort to address Canada’s overdose crisis, is targeted support for mental health and substance use to ensure Canadians have equal access to “timely, equitable, and quality mental health, substance use, and addictions services.”

With rates of addiction rising across the country, community organizations like Addiction Services Central Ontario (ASCO) offer services including bed-based treatment slots, drop-in programs, peer support, counselling, case management, harm reduction and psychoeducation to those affected by addictions.

On International Overdose Awareness Day, the world’s largest annual campaign to end the overdose crisis and acknowledge those who are affected by addiction and overdose, Santis Health is proud to share this conversation with Penny Marrett, Executive Director of ASCO. We discuss the current state of addictions services in Ontario and across Canada, some of the challenges being faced today and the steps we can take together to strengthen the addictions sector.

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Penny Marrett is the Executive Director of Addiction Services Central Ontario (ASCO), a leading government funded clinical treatment provider for substance use, problem gambling and mental health concerns. 

Under Penny’s leadership, ASCO operates more than 13 programs from different locations in York Region, South Simcoe and North York, embracing a holistic, biological, psychological, social and spiritual approach to understanding addiction. This year, ASCO celebrates their 40th anniversary. Since 1983, the organization has served thousands of clients each year, providing a range of addiction and mental health programs and services, supports and referrals for adults, youth (12+) and their families. 

Over the span of her 40-year career in the not-for-profit sector, Penny has also been an active volunteer. Her volunteer experience has included serving a Board Member of Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, the Windsor Family Health Team, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Trillium Chapter of the Canadian Society of Association Executive and the Canadian Soccer Association. She has also volunteered at Distress Centres of Greater Toronto and the Assaulted Women’s Helpline, among others.

AI Podcast Series: How AI is Changing How Hospitals Work

Artificial intelligence has made remarkable advancements in recent years, with the potential to revolutionize the health care industry. From aiding in disease diagnosis and treatment planning to optimizing patient care and streamlining administrative tasks, AI systems can enhance medical outcomes and improve the overall efficiency of health care delivery.

However, along with these promising advancements, we must also critically examine the ethical dilemmas and regulatory hurdles accompanying AI integration in our health care systems.

In this second episode in Santis’ AI Podcast Series, Ben King and Zahava Uddin discuss the use of artificial intelligence in health care, specifically through the lens of administrative efficiencies. We talk about the GE HealthCare Command Center approach and how it's used to optimize acute care utilization. Zahava also shares her industry perspective on the role of predictive analysis and machine learning across hospitals to balance work loads, improve patient flow and support transitions in care.

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Zahava Uddin is a Managing Director with GE HealthCare’s Command Center team. She helps health care organizations re-engineer clinical operations and implement capabilities for real time orchestration of patient care delivery.

At the core of this work, is the planning, design, build and activation of Real Time Apps that prompt timely action by expediters and front-line care teams across the organization to eliminate delays, solve care progression barriers, level-load demand and de-risk issues. In many instances, the deployment of these Apps is accompanied by the development of a hospital command centre department that proactively monitors capacity pressures and other risk and provides a centre of gravity for learning and culture change.

Since joining GE HealthCare (GEHC) in 2000, Zahava has worked in both Canada and the US on hospital capacity strategy, workflow re-engineering, health care facility design, capital equipment planning and hospital command centers. Prior to GEHC, Zahava worked in administration at an academic health sciences centre in Toronto and at a health care consultancy that develops functional programs for Canadian hospital redevelopment projects.

Zahava has an MBA in Health Services Management and a BSc in Biochemistry, both from McMaster University. She is a Six Sigma Black Belt and a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders. She routinely presents on topics related to seamless patient care and digital transformation at forums that have included the Brazil National Congress of Private Hospitals, TECHNA, Canada’s National Health Leadership Conference, DASH Toronto and Canadian Healthcare Infrastructure.

AI Podcast Series: Exploring the Crossroads of AI and Clinical Care

Artificial intelligence has made remarkable advancements in recent years, with the potential to revolutionize the health care industry. From aiding in disease diagnosis and treatment planning to optimizing patient care and streamlining administrative tasks, AI systems can enhance medical outcomes and improve the overall efficiency of health care delivery.

However, along with these promising advancements, we must also critically examine the ethical dilemmas and regulatory hurdles accompanying AI integration in our health care systems.

In this first episode of Santis’ two-part AI Podcast Series, Ben King and Dr. Jaron Chong discuss the implementation of artificial intelligence in the practice of radiology. We unpack the evolving AI discussion since Dr. Chong began practicing, and explore the need for oversight to ensure AI augments, not replaces, the capabilities of radiologists to benefit patient care.

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Dr. Jaron Chong MD, MHI, FRCPC is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Medical Imaging at Western University. He completed his diagnostic radiology residency training at McGill University with an Abdominal Imaging fellowship at Yale New-Haven Hospital and a Masters in Health Informatics at the University of Toronto. His clinical interests include cross-sectional abdominal imaging, Abdominal/GU oncologic imaging in MRI and CT modalities, with research interests in the appropriate utilization of medical imaging and AI-assisted augmented radiology. He also serves as the Chair of the Canadian Association of Radiologists Artificial Intelligence Standing Committee.

Episode 23: Connecting the Health Care System: Canada’s Approach to Health Data and Implications for Cancer Care

Canadians take pride in the health care system. However, access to health care services across Canada remains an ongoing challenge. The pressures within our system – an aging population, chronic illness, hallway medicine and increased demand, among others – have only been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadians, be they patients, health care workers, or otherwise, expect more from their health care system. 

 

On February 7, 2023, and subsequently in Budget 2023, the Government of Canada outlined its plan to invest close to $200 billion over 10 years to improve health care services for Canadians, including a commitment by all levels of government to improve how health information is collected, shared and used by adopting common standards and policies. 

 

In this episode, we learn more about how the Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories, health data partners, and other stakeholders to modernize Canada’s health data system. We also hear from the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) to contextualize the necessity and impact of pan-Canadian efforts to modernize Canada’s health data system. With a federal health plan that puts health data front and centre, this episode will explore what the future state could be for Canadians and the health care system with more robust, quality data – using cancer as a tangible example. 

 

Jo Voisin is Assistant Deputy Minister at Health Canada's Strategic Policy Branch. 

In her ten years working at Health Canada, she was instrumental in the negotiation of the Common Statement of Principles and health agreements with provinces and territories in 2017, focused on funding for home and community care, and mental health and addictions. She occupied several executive leadership positions, including in federal-provincial-territorial relations, health product regulation, horizontal policy and public health. Jo returned to Health Canada in 2020 to support Canada’s efforts to fight COVID-19 after two years working in youth employment policy. 

Jo also worked in social policy at the Privy Council Office, and in economic policy at Treasury Board Secretariat and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Jo is an avid weekend and vacation cyclist, as well as an artist.

 

Dr. Stuart Edmonds joined the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) in February 2020 following the amalgamation with Prostate Cancer Canada (PCC). As Executive Vice President of Mission, Research and Advocacy, he oversees the Research and Advocacy teams.Prior to the amalgamation, Stuart spent eight years at PCC as Vice President of Research, Health Promotion and Survivorship. He has held leadership roles at several national cancer research institutes and government agencies. Stuart holds a Doctorate in pharmacology from Oxford University.

Episode 22: Overcoming Ideology in Health System Delivery

There is a strong belief in Canada that our health system is inherently “universal” and “public”, despite longstanding and long-term collaborations between partners from across sectors.

Recent debates about the pros and cons of opening health care to “other organizations” have ramped up on the heels of Ontario’s February 2023 announcement to expand the role of private clinics in the province’s delivery of health care. Not up for debate; however, are the pressures within the system – an aging population, a health human resource crisis, a rise in chronic illness and barriers accessing care.

Traditional thinking and old solutions won’t address these crises. The question then becomes “what is the right mix of new policies and programs that can provide Canadians with the kind of high-quality, accessible, publicly funded health care that seems increasingly out of reach?”

In this podcast episode, Ross Wallace is joined by Bernard Lord, Chief Executive Officer of Medavie, to explore the private delivery of publicly funded health care services, and the value of collaboration to meet the health care needs of Canadians. 

Episode 21: Creating Equity in First Nations Addictions Treatment Programs

First Nations communities experience inequitable access to health care, as well as a disproportionate burden of harm related to substance use. It is now widely recognized that this reality reflects the impact of policies implemented to assimilate Indigenous peoples, as well as the effects of grief and chronic trauma on First Nations communities. These policies have had devastating intergenerational impacts and unfavourably shaped First Nations health outcomes.

In this episode of From the Burgundy Chairs, Santis Health Associate Caroline Pitfield is joined by Dr. Carol Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, and Rolanda Manitowabi, Executive Director of Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre. Together, they discuss the challenges First Nations communities face in accessing appropriate addictions treatments, what must be done at various levels of government to improve the situation, and the importance of culturally relevant care.

Episode 20: The Future of Research, Advocacy and Care for the Parkinson’s Community

With April being Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and April 11 being World Parkinson’s Day, Parkinson Canada is sharing the story of the “Why”; why Parkinson’s continues to be so prominent in Canada. Parkinson Canada is also sharing the “How”, exploring the four pillars of support Parkinson Canada provides, including funding critical research, providing support programs and resources, advocating alongside people living with Parkinson’s, and building awareness for the disease.
 
In this episode, Caroline Pitfield is joined by Karen Lee, Parkinson Canada President and CEO, Dr. Tony Lang, Movement Disorder Specialist, and Liz Loewen, a member of the Parkinson Advisory Council who also lives with Parkinson’s.

Episode 19: Rute Fernandes on What we Need in Canada to Have a Successful Rare Disease Strategy

Canadians rightfully ask why it takes so long to access new, innovative medicines. Government’s ability to review, approve and regulate the marketing of drugs is a robust, complex process. This is particularly true in Canada for people who need treatments for rare diseases, where access can vary based on where they are located in the country.

While the federal government has spent the last two years focused on the COVID-19 response, one of Health Canada’s key policy objectives is to create a National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, and to decide on how to invest the $500 million a year that it set to flow in 2022.

In this episode, Peter Cleary is joined by Rute Fernandes, General Manager of Takeda Canada, a pharmaceutical company that specializes in the development of rare disease medications. They discuss global best practices to develop better approaches to provide access to these critical medications, and what Canada can learn from other OECD countries and their rare disease drug strategies.

Episode 18: Bernard Lord on Reimagining Health Care to Improve the Wellbeing of Canadians

Across Canada, access to health care remains an ongoing challenge and the pressures within our system – aging population, chronic illness, hallway medicine and increased demand – have only been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As health care continues to be debated in legislatures, virtual forums and at dinner tables across the country, we must ask hard questions and find ways to reimagine the way Canadians access health care services, programs and information.

In this episode, Ross Wallace is joined by Bernard Lord, Chief Executive Officer of Medavie, a health solutions partner, to discuss innovative, collaborative, patient-focused approaches to health and care that help people stay healthy and in their homes as long as possible, help them navigate the health care system when they do need it and ultimately ensure they receive care at the right time and in the right place.

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Bernard Lord is the Chief Executive Officer of Medavie.

In his role, Bernard provides strategic leadership to further the organization’s mission to improve the wellbeing of Canadians. Previously, Bernard spent almost a decade on the Board of Medavie, served as President and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association of Canada, and served as Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006. He sits on boards of several companies and organizations and, most recently, was appointed as chair of the International Federation of Health Plans.

Episode 17: Deborah Simon on the Health Human Resource Crisis

Moving beyond COVID-19 will require a multi-faceted solution that involves government, the health care sector and the will of the Canadian population.  Pre-existing issues that have been amplified throughout the pandemic, including the health human resource crisis. Advocates have called on all levels of government to address the shortage of staff across the continuum of care. With time running out to train, recruit and retain staff to support the ageing population in Canada, solutions need to be actioned immediately.

 

In this series, we discuss the impact of the pandemic on frontline health care workers, the programs that have attracted and/or caused staff to leave and solutions to this crisis as policy makers need to act immediately.

 

Our first episode focuses on home and community care in Ontario. The Ontario Community Support Association (OCSA) represents over 220 not-for-profit organizations that provide a variety of health and wellness services to Ontarians. OCSA’s home and community care members have struggled throughout the pandemic pivoting to offering their services virtually.