Health System Leadership: Leading Beyond Complexities to Effectively Transform Health Systems

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).