SPARK: Conversations by Children's Healthcare Canada José Gauthier

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.

Tune in to our first-ever live SPARK: Conversations podcast; recorded live at Children’s Healthcare Canada’s 2023 Annual Conference.  

In this compelling episode, healthcare leaders, Drs. JC Cowden and Nel Weiman, join host Dr. Katharine Smart to unravel the intricate health equity landscape. Drawing from their extensive experiences, the trio explores tangible strategies, real-life stories, and crucial mindset shifts necessary to foster equitable healthcare practices. Listeners will be inspired to adopt a curiosity-driven approach, engage in collaborative efforts, and embrace humility in their pursuit of creating a more equitable and inclusive healthcare system. From practical tools to poignant narratives, this episode provides invaluable insights for healthcare professionals, policymakers and anyone passionate about dismantling healthcare disparities. 

In this podcast, Dr. Javeed Sukhera discusses child and youth mental health, emphasizing the challenges faced in accessing timely and appropriate mental health services in both Canada and the United States. He highlights the underfunding of mental health services, the need for a collaborative approach, and the importance of trauma-informed care. Dr. Sukhera also touches on the differences between the healthcare systems in the two countries and the potential for improving access to care through innovative models.

This podcast features an insightful conversation with Dr. Justine Cohen-Silver, a pediatrician who is making a significant impact in children’s health and healthcare through an innovative school-based program that addresses the social determinants of health. The Model Schools Pediatric Health Initiative (MSPHI) at Unity Health Toronto aims to improve health outcomes for children in under-served communities. 

In this podcast, Dr. Katie Birnie discusses pediatric pain management, focusing on the newly developed National Pediatric Pain Management Standard, the first of its kind in the world. A collaboration between Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) and the Health Standards Organization, the new standard establishes a set of guidelines for the delivery of pain management for children from birth to 19 years. It provides guidance to healthcare organizations on how to deliver equitable and quality pain management across hospital settings serving children and youth. This standard sets the stage for improving pain management in children and youth across the continuum of care.

Overall, this podcast highlights the ground-breaking work being done in Canada to improve the management of pain in children and youth, with a strong emphasis on equity, patient partnership, collaboration, and implementation.

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).