Central Line: Leadership in Healthcare

Bonus Episode: Stress in Medicine

In this bonus episode host Leah Wuitschik shares her thoughts on the book Stress in Medicine, written by past podcast guest Dr. Nina Ahuja. Stress in Medicine shares real-life stories of what it's like to work in medicine, the ups and the downs. With humour and frankness Dr. Ahuja talks about the need to have tough conversations about stress in healthcare, while also giving a practical approach to dealing with the inevitable challenges that come with practicing medicine. 

The Evolution of Nursing Leadership with Dr. Jeanne Besner

Today I sit down with the admirable Dr. Jeanne Besner. Dr. Besner retired from full-time work with Alberta Health Services in 2011 after a 50 year career that spanned practice as a public health nurse and nurse practitioner in several communities in Canada’s north, as provincial nurse epidemiologist in Alberta, as well as director of public health nursing, director of primary care development, and founding director of the Health Systems and Workforce Research Unit with Alberta Health Services. She was invested to the Order of Canada in 2011 and was presented with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and has received numerous other accolades throughout her career. Dr. Besner shares her remarkable story as well as her passion and advocacy for the role that Registered Nurses play in leadership. She also talks about how nursing leadership has evolved and where it needs to go to continue to shape and influence our healthcare system.

Shifting to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion with Julia Hanigsberg

Today we talk with Julia Hanigsberg, the President and CEO of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Canada’s largest paediatric rehabilitation hospital and an academic health science centre fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. Julia has spent her career in government, post-secondary education and healthcare as a champion for cultural transformation, innovation, excellence and social justice.

During our conversation we talk about Julia's unique path into healthcare and how COVID has forced us to quickly and efficiently overcome challenges that previously seemed immense. We also talk about the Black Lives Matter movement and why equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice needs to be the focus of every healthcare leader.

Championing Patient / Family / Caregiver Partnership with Julie Drury

Julie Drury is the Strategic Lead - Patient Partnership for the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. Julie is passionate about the potential of patient / family / caregiver engagement, partnership and leadership in health and healthcare. As the mother of a child who was diagnosed with SIFD, a rare form of mitochondrial disease, Julie has particular experience in system navigation, complex care, care coordination, palliative care, and patient safety.

Julie bravely shares the story of her daughter, Kate, and her own experiences as a mom with the healthcare system. Julie recounts how Kate received great care as well as devastating harm. This journey has contributed to Julie's path in becoming a passionate advocate for patient / family / caregiver partnership.

With a focus on the opportunity for positive change Julie shares how healthcare professionals and clinicians need to shift their thinking in order to move from a perspective of "doing for or doing to" to one of "doing with". As a true champion for patient / family / caregiver partnership and engagement Julie also highlights how COVID-19 has impacted the lived experiences of patient / family/ caregivers and why we must not lose sight of the important goal of a partnership approach. Julie talks about being "gently fierce" in her approach and how healthcare professionals can lead from a new place.

Leadership Lessons for Empowering Others with Andrea Robertson

Today we sit down with Andrea Robertson. Andrea is the President and Chief Executive Officer of STARS. STARS is a not for profit organization that has provided helicopter emergency medical care to help save the lives of more than 45,000 critically ill and injured patients across Western Canada for over 35 years.

 

Prior to joining STARS, she served in a variety of leadership roles in health care. Andrea held the positions of Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Alberta Health Services; operational experience spanned roles such as the Vice President for the Foothills Medical Centre and Alberta Children's Hospital; and planning roles including the Vice President of the South Health Campus.

 

In a very candid conversation Andrea shares her experiences with Imposter Syndrome in the early days of her career and the strategy she employed to manage it. She tells us the amazing origin story of STARS, the impact they have on caring for the most critical ill and injured, and the current challenges they deal with as a result of COVID-19. She also shares with us her leadership approach for empowering a team of highly trained and committed professionals. Finally, she talks about how mental wellness is perceived, particular in a field that deals with tragic and traumatic events on a daily basis, and the steps we can take to support each other on our mental wellness journey.

Authentic Leadership and Why It Matters with Nick Thain

Today we talk with influential leader Nick Thain. Nick is the Senior Operating Officer for the Community, Rural and Continuing Care Portfolio within the Calgary Zone, at Alberta Health Services. In his 26 year health care career, he has had the opportunity to practice in a variety of settings and system governance models.  Nick started his career as a paramedic and has transitioned from a frontline practitioner into a number of leadership roles.

 

Nick is known for being an authentic, collaborative and inclusive leader and has a passion for team and leadership development. Nick shares his stories about leadership, from how on his first night in a leadership capacity he was responsible for the Pine Lake Tornado site command to his current role as Senior Operating Officer and leading the COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre for Alberta Health Services.

 

Through everything it has been important to Nick to stay true to his personal leadership statement and to ensure that he is showing up authentically everyday. As he says, "what you see is what you get." He shares his ideas on how you can be authentic even when things are challenging and why this makes the difference for connection and getting things done.

Advancing Leadership Education in Medicine with Dr. Nina Ahuja

After completing her medical degree at McMaster University followed by residency training in ophthalmology at University of Ottawa, Dr. Ahuja began her surgical practice in Hamilton in 2003. Dr. Ahuja has held numerous executive leadership roles at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders. Dr. Ahuja founded Docs in Leadership to promote and deliver physician-developed leadership curriculum for all health professionals, with best practices relevant to the health system context.

 

Dr. Nina Ahuja share with us her passion for her work in ophthalmology and the impact she sees on a daily basis. She talks about her experiences with developing physician and healthcare leadership. Specifically, how to enhance health system literacy and emotionally intelligent leadership. She also shares with us how strong leadership influences the care and experience of the patient.

 

Finally, she tells us about her new book "Stress in Medicine: Lessons Learned Through My Years As A Surgeon, From Med School To Residency, And Beyond" which discusses the role of stress on physician wellbeing through personal stories and experiences. Finally, we close the conversation with Dr. Ahuja offering practical ideas on how to manage stress in healthcare.

Kindness and Leadership in the Time of COVID-19 with Bonnie Beach

Today we talk with Bonnie Beach, Director of Nursing Now Canada and COVID-19 Planning Executive Lead for the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of the Government of Canada. With an unconventional path into health service Bonnie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her extensive time working abroad. 

Bonnie is incredibly passionate about the work she does, and shares her lessons with embracing humility and making sure that all voices are heard. She also highlights how kindness is fundamental to leadership and in connecting people together, particularly in challenging times such as COVID-19. Her thoughts on this are so important for every healthcare leader and she encourages us to be mindful of kindness and to challenge ourselves to be a bit better, everyday. 

How Involvement in Governance Boosts Leadership Skills with Emily Gruenwoldt

Today I sit down with noteworthy healthcare leader Emily Gruenwoldt. Emily is the President & CEO of Children’s Healthcare Canada and Executive Director of the Pediatric Chairs of Canada. Previous to these roles, she spent over ten years with the Canadian Medical Association in various Director-level roles including Professional Affairs, Physician Leadership Development, and Strategy & Innovation. Emily has significant health care governance experience having served two terms as a board member for each of Carefor Home & Health Services and The Ottawa Hospital, and one term at Arnprior Regional Health. She is also co-founder of Emerging Health Leaders.

In 2017, Emily was recognized by the Ottawa Business Journal as a recipient of the Top Forty Under Forty Award. She is also the recipient of the Canadian College of Health Leaders Robert Zed Young Health Leader award (2011).

We talk about her career to date, including the story of the professor who dramatically changed the course of her career. She shares with us her passion for pediatric health, and the work she does to support children and their families navigating the healthcare system. We also talk about the gap Emily saw that led to the creation of Emerging Health Leaders (EHL) and her hopes for the continued success of all the local nodes of EHL. Finally, Emily talks about how she stepped out of her comfort zone early in her career to become involved in healthcare governance and how this experience was the best leadership training she could have ever hoped for.

 

How to Find the Courage to Lead with Carol Gray

In today's episode host Leah Wuitschik interviews her mother! Carol Gray is an incredibly experienced healthcare leader who has had a career working and leading in a number of unique areas. Hear about her time working as a nurse in a very rural Northern Alberta community, working as a public health nurse, and her leadership in both public/ population health and acute care. She also shares her experiences leading the H1N1 response and the parallels she sees now with COVID19.

Throughout all of this she talks honestly about the incredibly challenging situations which required her to find her courage to go forward. Faced with very vocal opposition over controversial decisions she has had to choose how to move forward and face that opposition. Finally, she shares suggestions as to how healthcare leaders can find their courage and draw on it to do the right thing.