Appointments

Shamian New President at CNA

Judith Shamian, RN, PhD, was installed as 44th president of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) in June. As president, she will represent more than 139,000 registered nurse members across Canada. Shamian is currently president and chief executive officer of VON Canada (the Victorian Order of Nurses), where she has been a steady champion of the Canadian home and community care agenda. Her expertise in this area will serve her in good stead as CNA advocates for changes to the health system that will ensure its long-term sustainability. A staunch defender of medicare, Shamian believes that nurses hold the key to a fundamental shift in how governments at all levels ensure the health of Canadians.

New Chair of Canada Health Infoway's Board of Directors

Graham W.S. Scott has been appointed chair of Canada Health Infoway's board of directors, announced Richard Alvarez, Infoway's president and chief executive officer. Mr. Scott has extensive experience in matters of governance and accountability in the healthcare sector. He has been involved in the amalgamation, restructuring and governance processes of more than 40 hospitals, has served as interim CEO of Cancer Care Ontario, and was appointed supervisor of the Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital and Quinte Health Care by the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. He has also served as deputy minister of health for Ontario, assessor of the Muskoka–Parry Sound Board of Health and investigator of Kingston General Hospital. Mr. Scott succeeds H. Arnold Steinberg.

New Board Chair at CCO

Neil Stuart was named chair of the board at Cancer Care Ontario. Dr. Stuart is an expert in health services restructuring and strategic change in healthcare organizations, and has served for many years as a leader in the healthcare consulting practices of PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM. Dr. Stuart currently holds an adjunct appointment in the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine, is co-author of Healthcare 2015: Win–Win or Lose–Lose?, a study on the future of healthcare and how it must transform to respond to the challenges of the coming decade.

Dr. Stuart holds a PhD from Massachusetts' Brandeis University and serves on the Canadian Institute for Health Information's Expert Analytic Advisory Group and on the boards of the Toronto East General Hospital, VON Canada, the Ontario Hospital Association and the Change Foundation.

Toronto Rehab appoints new Vice President, Patient Care and Chief Nursing Executive

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (Toronto Rehab) has announced the appointment of Susan Jewell as its new vice president, patient care and chief nursing executive, starting October 12, 2010.

Susan comes to Toronto Rehab from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) where she has held a variety of clinical roles since 1990, including senior leadership positions. She is currently vice president, clinical services at SickKids. She has also served on several boards, and currently serves on the board of Toronto's Ronald MacDonald House.

Susan earned her RN designation at Sheridan College, her BA in Health Administration from York University, and her master's degree in health science from the University of Toronto.

Asperger's Society of Ontario Appoints New Executive Director

The Asperger's Society of Ontario announced that it has appointed Marilyn Somers as its new executive director. Leveraging her extensive fundraising and operational experience in the not-for-profit sector and excellent organizational and communication skills, Ms. Somers will focus on galvanizing and building a positive presence for the organization in the community as an advocacy and education resource on Asperger's syndrome (AS). Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Ms. Somers has had a successful career as an executive director and development director for numerous organizations in the Toronto area.

Dr. Paul Lasko Appointed Scientific Director Of CIHR's Institute of Genetics

Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), along with CIHR's Governing Council, announced the appointment of Dr. Paul Lasko as scientific director of CIHR's Institute of Genetics.

Dr. Lasko was chair of the Department of Biology at McGill University. He holds the James McGill professorship and was Molson Chair of Genetics from 2001 to 2007. He has been highly active in research grant adjudication and has served on CIHR and Canadian Cancer Society grant panels continuously since 1995. He is a member of the Institute of Genetics Priority and Planning Committee for Developmental Genetics and Birth Defects. In addition to this academic work, Dr. Lasko is president of the Genetics Society of Canada and has also worked extensively with the Human Frontiers of Science Program Organization (HFSP) over the past 10 years, serving on its program grant panel from 2001 to 2005, and since then as one of two Canadian representatives on the Council of Scientists. He has chaired the HFSP Council of Scientists since 2007.

Scherer to Lead $50M Genomic Medicine Program at Toronto's McLaughlin Centre

The University of Toronto has announced renowned geneticist Dr. Steve Scherer as the new director of the McLaughlin Centre. Dr. Scherer holds the GlaxoSmithKline–CIHR Endowed Chair in Genetics and Genomics at The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto. The McLaughlin Centre will invest in research, education, training and knowledge transfer in the burgeoning area of genomic medicine. Over the years, Scherer's group has made numerous contributions to medical genetics including mapping, sequencing and disease gene studies of human chromosome 7. His team also contributed to discoveries of global gene copy number variation (CNV), revealing CNV to be the most abundant type of nucleotide variation of human DNA. His group has found CNV to contribute to the etiology of autism.

HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association Elects New Leadership

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Electronic Health Record Association (EHR Association) announced its new chair and vice chair. Carl Dvorak, executive vice president of Epic Systems, has been elected to the position of chair, and Charles (Charlie) Jarvis, vice president of healthcare services and government relations for NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, has been elected to the vice chair position. Mr. Dvorak was a founding member of the association, now in its fifth year. He also served on the Executive Committee from 2004 to 2006, and was re-elected in 2009. Mr. Jarvis was first elected to the Executive Committee in 2007 and has also served as chair of the Communications Workgroup, the Government Initiatives Workgroup and the Ambulatory Special Interest Group.

Re-elected to the Executive Committee for two-year terms are Rick Reeves, senior manager of product development services at the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, who has served as Certification Workgroup chair and on the Executive Committee since 2006; Jacob Reider, MD, chief medical informatics officer, AllScripts, who has served as chair of the Quality and Clinical Decision Support Special Interest Group and vice-chair of the Acceleration Workgroup, and who joined the Executive Committee earlier this year to complete the term of a former Allscripts representative; and Mickey McGlynn, director, government and industry affairs for Siemens, who is current chair of the Government Affairs Workgroup, where she has served since 2008. Pamela Chapman, director of clinical product management for eMDs, also joins the Executive Committee as a new member with a one-year term.

New Board Chair at the Canadian Institute for Health Information

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is pleased to announce that Dr. Brian Postl has become the new chair of its board of directors.

Dr. Postl was the Dean of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He has served on CIHI's Board as vice-chair since 2007, and as a representative for the Prairies, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Dr. Postl has also been president and chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority; vice-president, clinical services, of the Winnipeg Hospital Authority; as well as department head of pediatrics and child health, and of community health sciences for the University of Manitoba.

He continues to practise medicine, and to serve as board chair of the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) and the chair of the Manitoba Health Research Council.

RNAO Practice Guidelines Translated into Spanish

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is partnering with Spain's Unidad de Coordinacion y Desarrollo de la Investigacion en Enfermeria (Investern-iscii) to translate RNAO's best practice guidelines into Spanish.

Forty-two guidelines have been developed to date, including those focused on health promotion, such as breastfeeding, prevention of child obesity and reducing falls in older persons. Guidelines have also been developed in the area of chronic disease management, such as diabetes. And there are guidelines to support nurses working with patients who are ill with various conditions, such as hypertension and asthma.

RNAO says numerous other countries are already benefiting from the knowledge that these nursing best practice guidelines provide. Spain is the first country to translate all of RNAO's guidelines for the benefit of nurses, other healthcare professionals and patients in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.

Awards

Gail Donner Recipient of Jeanne Mance Award, Canada's Highest Nursing Honour

Gail Donner received Canada's most prestigious nursing prize, the Jeanne Mance Award, for her positive impact on the practice of nursing in Canada.

Professor emerita at the University of Toronto's Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, Dr. Donner holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing and a PhD in adult education from the University of Toronto, as well as an honourary doctorate from Ryerson University. She retired in 2001 as professor and dean from the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto. She has worked in leadership roles at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute (now Ryerson University), the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario and The Hospital for Sick Children.

Dr. Donner has held a number of government and community appointments, including member, Metropolitan Toronto District Health Council Hospital restructuring committee; chair, Air Ambulance Review, Ministry of Health, Ontario; and vice-chair of the Director's Advisory Committee on the Long-Term Future of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).

Dr. Donner was recognized at a gala banquet dinner on June 8, 2010, during CNA's biennial convention in Halifax.

CNA also presented five Orders of Merit representing the five domains of nursing. The recipients of these awards were:

• Clinical nursing practice: Gaylene Molnar, for her inspired work in evolving geriatric nursing care in Canada.
• Nursing administration: Alice Reid, for her administrative expertise as a nurse leader, teacher, practitioner and voice for Aboriginal health.
• Nursing education: Deborah McLeod, for her exceptional work in the field of nursing and psycho-social oncology education.
• Nursing research: Greta Cummings, for her substantial contributions to nursing research programs in Canada.
• Nursing policy: Elizabeth (Betty) Gourlay, for her tireless contributions to advancing a professional and educated voice for nursing.

Saint Elizabeth Health Care CEO Recognized by CCHSE for Innovative Leadership

Saint Elizabeth Health Care ("Saint Elizabeth") and the Canadian College of Health Service Executives (CCHSE) are pleased to announce that Shirlee Sharkey, president and CEO of Saint Elizabeth, has received the 2010 Innovation Award for Health Care Leadership.

Ms. Sharkey has transformed Saint Elizabeth from a regional home care agency to a recognized, innovative leader providing integrated health solutions to clients across Canada. Saint Elizabeth has fostered a culture of innovation by embedding creative structures and thinking in the organization. Extensive support for staff education and training, annual leadership events and a focus on continual improvement are in place to engage employees and aid in the development of best practices. Saint Elizabeth has also made significant investments in technology to drive more informed and efficient care while enabling a customized healthcare experience for each client.

Fundamental to Ms. Sharkey's commitment is a culture of innovation and its positioning as one of Saint Elizabeth's core values. Innovation is reflected in all that the organization does – its processes, strategies and results. It is innovation that enables Saint Elizabeth to combine people, knowledge and emerging technology to enhance the human experience.

Excellence in Medical Leadership Award to Dr. Kendel

Dr. Dennis Kendel, registrar and CEO of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, was awarded the Excellence in Medical Leadership Award by the Canadian Society of Physician Executives at the Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership.

This award is presented to a physician who has made an outstanding contribution to the development and mentorship of medical leaders in the field of health services leadership and management. The nominee must demonstrate outstanding abilities in one or more of the following categories: commitment to enhancing the role of physicians in the management of healthcare delivery organizations; leadership in a hospital or health region management role; or significant contribution to leadership development within CSPE, CMA and/or one of its divisions or affiliated societies.

Cliff Nordal Receives Canada's Highest Distinction in Catholic Healthcare

The 2010 Performance Citation Award – Canada's highest distinction in Catholic healthcare – was awarded to Cliff Nordal, president and CEO of St. Joseph's Health Care, London (St. Joseph's) and London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), in recognition of his outstanding commitment to the values of Catholic healthcare.

With 41 years in hospital leadership, Mr. Nordal is uniquely qualified for this award. He is Ontario's longest-serving CEO, having spent the last 28 years at the helm of four hospital organizations: Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Toronto, the Rehabilitation Institute of Toronto, St. Joseph's and LHSC. He is a recognized healthcare leader whose energy and wisdom have served healthcare policy initiatives at the local, provincial and national levels. He has worked in close partnership with others to advance the most integrated system of hospital care in Ontario.

The award is presented each year by the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada to an individual who exemplifies leadership in an activity, program or project judged worthy of national recognition for its strengthening of the Catholic health ministry in an extraordinary way.

Dr. Peter Coyte Wins Award for Advancing Research in Health Services

The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF) has awarded Dr. Peter C. Coyte the 11th annual Health Services Research Advancement Award. For more than two decades, Dr. Coyte has demonstrated his commitment to excellence in educating and mentoring future generations of health services researchers.

Dr. Coyte is a professor of health economics in the Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. He is also the inaugural president of the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) and is a champion of the Toronto Health Economics Network. Since being awarded the CHSRF/CIHR (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) Chair in Health Settings and Canadians in 2000, he has developed a remarkable cadre of highly trained professionals committed to improving health services delivery through research, practice and knowledge brokering. Dr. Coyte has an impressive history of innovation and academic excellence in his own right. His research on knee replacement and middle-ear surgeries, as well as his work in evaluating services for children with autism, has been influential in altering Ontario public policy. Dr. Coyte is also recognized for his focus on the economics of palliative care. These achievements, along with many others, have earned him an international reputation in the area of health economics.

OTN Wins Team Quality Award from 3M, CHIMA

Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) won the second annual 3M Health Information Management (HIM) Team Quality Award presented by the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA).

OTN's project focused on data consistency and quality. The program achieved a 90–98% alignment of customer site and system data across all core applications. CHIMA was impressed with the calibre of submissions for this prestigious award. Not only did OTN's Quality Customer Data Initiative demonstrate the importance of quality data and information to achieve its organizational vision of telemedicine (as a mainstream channel for healthcare delivery and education), but it stood out as being collaborative, progressive and innovative. As this year's winner, OTN presented an overview of its project to an audience of HIM professionals from across Canada at CHIMA's weekend conference. OTN and the finalists received glass awards and large, professionally designed posters of their projects to display within their facilities. The posters will soon be published on the 3M and CHIMA websites.

3M and CHIMA received several outstanding submissions this year, including these finalists:

• Markham Stouffville Hospital Corporation – Harnessing Safety Measures for Results
• Mount Sinai Hospital – Innovations in Real-Time Reporting of Quality Data for Quality Outcomes
• North York General Hospital – HSMR (Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio) as a Lens: Catching Sight of Gaps in Quality of Care and Documentation

The award recognizes HIM professionals' contribution to recognizable, sustainable and transferable quality improvements within their organizations. The winner receives $2,500 and additional funds to celebrate its achievement with staff members and supporters.

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