SPARK: Conversations by Children's Healthcare Canada

Description:

Health systems serving children and youth face numerous challenges and complexities. At the intersection of these challenges, health leaders recognize that the answers are not simple and they must be effective in seeing beyond these complexities and leveraging connections that will help them to intentionally drive their system. As health care becomes more integrated, the capacity to create connectivity and working with shared interests among stakeholders is key to building influence and creating active change. This is particularly important in health care due to the inter-twined responsibilities, interconnected decisions, and critical outcomes that are involved.

On this episode of SPARK: Conversations, we sit down with Dr. Michael Gardam to discuss how health system leaders can effectively mobilize stakeholders and resources to transform complex health systems and how to motivate and sustain large scale change. From the SARS outbreak to the current COVID-19 pandemic, infectious diseases physician Dr. Michael Gardam has been on the front lines of Canada's health emergencies.As the Chief Executive Officer at Health PEI, Dr. Gardam brings with him a distinguished track record of health system leadership and insight, both in Canada and internationally.

Speaker Names: Dr. Michael Gardam

Speaker Bio:

Michael is the Chief Executive Officer at Health PEI, the health authority that delivers publicly funded healthcare in Prince Edward Island. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors of HealthCareCAN, the national voice for healthcare organizations and hospitals across Canada. Michael is a pioneer of using complexity science-based approaches to improve patient safety, system transformation, staff engagement and other complex challenges. He has advised organizations in Canada and internationally, including the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hand Hygiene New Zealand, the Irish Health Services Executive and the Maryland Patient Safety Center, the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, as well as numerous hospitals across Canada.

His interest in physician leadership and organizational culture led him to become Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee at UHN (2015-2017) and Chief of Staff and Humber River Hospital in Toronto (2018-2020). He is also currently the Program Director of the York University Schulich School of Business Healthcare Leadership Development Program, and an instructor for the Physician Leadership Institute of Joule (Canadian Medical Association).

If you ever needed healthcare (or if you work in healthcare) for kids you probably know how fragmented the system is, how long some waitlists are, and how the quality of care often depends on where you live and even who you are. In this episode we discuss how creating a Learning System in Child Health can help begin to address some of these issues at a regional, provincial, and national level.

In this episode of the SPARK: Conversations podcast, host Dr. Katharine Smart engages with Dr. Leigh Chapman and Rebecca Earle in a compelling discussion on nursing retention and the role of the nursing workforce in right-sizing healthcare systems for children. They explore challenges faced by new nurses in children’s healthcare, including post-pandemic burnout, and emphasizes the importance of retention strategies, as described in the newly released Nursing Retention Toolkit.

The conversation highlights the need for accessible, equitable, and connected healthcare systems designed specifically for children, youth, and families. Rebecca and Leigh share practical insights on the implementation and impact of the Nursing Retention Toolkit, focusing on how it can ensure a competent and adequate nursing workforce for children’s healthcare. They also discuss the opportunities to spread and scale the toolkit for other healthcare professions and across the continuum of children’s healthcare systems, underscoring its potential role in right-sizing healthcare systems serving children.

Join us as we uncover actionable steps that healthcare organizations can take to meaningfully support nursing staff, reduce turnover, and ensure the highest quality of care for our youngest patients. Whether you're a healthcare professional, policymaker, or simply interested in the future of children's health and healthcare, this episode offers valuable perspectives and practical solutions. Tune in to hear our guests share their passionate and optimistic views on addressing these complex healthcare challenges and right-sizing children’s healthcare systems to meet the unique and growing needs of children, youth, and their families.
Special Guests:
Rebecca J. Earle, RN, MSc(A), CpedN(C), CCMP (Prosci)
Lead, Health Human Resources Initiative - Health Transformation; Nova Scotia Health

Rebecca Earle is a highly experienced Registered Nurse specializing in pediatrics, notably serving at IWK Health in Halifax with leadership roles in advanced practice nursing, research, and operations management. She spearheaded the development of a Nursing Strategy and established a Nursing Council focused on shared governance and decision-making within nursing. As the former President of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Nurses (CAPN), Rebecca advocated for child health nationwide and collaborated on advocacy campaigns with Children’s Healthcare Canada. She co-founded "Maritime Children’s Hospice" to establish Atlantic Canada's first children’s hospice, aiming to provide equitable access to pediatric palliative care and medical respite services.
Currently, Rebecca is contributing strategic leadership to Nova Scotia Health's Health Workforce Initiative. Rebecca holds a master’s degree in nursing from McGill University, certification in Paediatric Nursing, and is a PROSCI certified Change Management Practitioner.
Dr. Leigh Chapman, RN PhD
Chief Nursing Officer, Health Canada
Dr. Leigh Chapman has nearly 20 years of experience in nursing, including roles in clinical leadership across various healthcare settings. Her expertise spans critical care, community care, education, and professional associations such as the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario. Recently, she served as the Director of Clinical Services at Inner City Health Associates in Toronto, overseeing nursing programs for people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19. Dr. Chapman holds a Master of Science in Clinical Health Sciences from McMaster University and completed her doctoral work at the University of Toronto, focusing on competency assessment practices in academic hospital settings and the intersection of health professional regulation with organizational priorities.

Description: The news media shapes our collective mindsets about key issues and what needs to be done to address them. The unprecedented viral surge in the demand of young patients seeking emergency medical care faced by hospitals and healthcare systems serving children and youth across Canada highlighted the immense amount of pressure placed on the pediatric health system. Additionally, long wait times are another issue which can have lifelong impacts on children and are promoting a larger national conversation about how we need to rethink and reprioritize investments in children’s health. Other concerns include erosion in trust of health officials which may be spilling over into lack of routine vaccine uptake.

Recognizing the media’s impact on addressing children’s issues is essential in shifting mindsets and building support for the actions necessary to ensure the wellbeing of children. This podcast will address the role of the news media in influencing public thinking about children’s issues and its effects on the pediatric health system.

Carly Weeks

Carly Weeks is an award-winning national reporter who has been covering health for The Globe and Mail for more than a decade. Carly helped lead the paper's coverage of COVID-19 and its effects on the health system. She also writes about the intersection of misinformation and health.

Season 4, Episode 5 | Episode released on February 26, 2024
Description: Right-sized children’s healthcare systems provide timely access to integrated healthcare services and require a stable supply of sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled health human resources (HHR). HHR shortages have been long-standing and were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They have produced long, frustrating, and potentially dangerous wait times, adverse events for children and families, and untenable working conditions for healthcare professionals. In this podcast, we learn of a model that tackles some of the HHR challenges (e.g., lack of pediatric focus in pre-licensure education/experience of some healthcare professional groups), which involves a Pediatric Student Led Clinic. This clinical model provides hands-on experience for physiotherapy students and encourages them to explore pediatric opportunities. Listen in as Dr. Smart chats with Kiersten McMaster, who leads this initiative in collaboration with the BC Centre for Ability and the University of British Columbia. Together, they will discuss this clinical model, its impact on children’s access to healthcare, health outcomes for children and families, and HHR; as well as the potential for its spread and scale to contribute to right-sizing health systems for children.
Speaker: Kiersten McMaster
From a young age, Kiersten had a strong desire to pursue a career in physiotherapy, driven by her interest in human movement and her own active lifestyle as a dancer. Recognizing the importance of physical literacy for overall health, she completed a double major in Kinesiology and Dance at York University before obtaining her Masters in Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland in Australia. She now lives, works and plays in Vancouver, BC. During her studies, Kiersten’s courses in human development sparked a passion for working with children, particularly those with disabilities. She brings her expertise to working with children of all ages, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, developmental delay, and sport-specific injuries. Working from a client-centred model, Kiersten collaborates with families and children to set individual goals, emphasizing the importance of equitable access to healthcare. Through her clinical work, she developed a passion for advocacy, particularly for children with disabilities, leading her to pursue a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Victoria to elevate national standards of pediatric patient care and promote empowerment and positive change. Kiersten is currently leading the first Pediatric Student Led Clinic in partnership with the BC Centre for Ability and the University of British Columbia. This innovative clinic aims to offer physiotherapy students hands-on experience with children and gives them the confidence to pursue future pediatric opportunities. Taking the lead in this initiative has allowed Kiersten to seamlessly integrate her interests in pediatric care, mentorship, and leadership.In her free time, Kiersten enjoys exploring the North Shore mountains, spending time with loved ones, and cuddling with her cats.