Shift: Conversations on Innovation and Improvement in Canadian Health Care

KDA Consulting
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  • HEALTH & FITNESS

Welcome to Shift! A podcast dedicated to exploring ideas, projects, practices, and policies that are reshaping the future of health care in Canada. Each episode delves into the dynamic world of health care innovation, featuring insightful discussions with leaders, thinkers, policymakers, researchers, and direct care practitioners who are driving change and finding solutions to enhance health and health care. My mission is to illuminate the challenges and celebrate the breakthroughs that are redefining Canadian health care. From ground-breaking technologies and policy reform to grassroots initiatives and patient-centric approaches, we aim to uncover the stories behind the progress. Join me as we navigate the complexities of health care transformation, inspire meaningful conversations, and foster a community committed to improving health outcomes for all Canadians.  Whether you're a health care professional, policymaker, or simply curious about the future of health care, Shift provides the insights and inspiration change makers need to stay informed and engaged.

Episodes

  1. 22H AGO

    If It Ain’t Broke, Break It: The Courage to Disrupt the Status Quo with Dan Florizone and Marlene Smadu

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with two of Saskatchewan’s most experienced health care leaders, Dan Florizone and Marlene Smadu, to explore a fundamental crisis in leadership: why we continue to treat an infinite system like a “finite game."  Drawing on their decades of experience—from pioneering "Magnet" hospital environments in the late 90s to their current work teaching excellence in health leadership—Dan and Marlene discuss the urgent need to shift away from "command and control" culture brought in by the militaristic and religious structures of the 20th century. They reflect on how the modern health care system is often trapped by finite thinking, where leaders are pressured by four-year election cycles to "win" short-term battles like surgical wait-time targets, often at the expense of the long-term sustainability of the workforce and the system itself. We also discuss the power of the public and the direct care workforce as the greatest untapped resources for change. Marlene emphasizes that we have a well-educated public and 44,000 staff members who are "bursting to participate" if only they are given an invitation and a "North Star" to follow. While the administrative and logistical challenges are significant, both guests leave us with a message of deep hope, noting that the clinical breakthroughs and the "Patient First" shift in the last decade have been significant.  This episode is a call to action for leaders at every level to embrace humility, curiosity, and transparency to build a health care system that is not just fit for the next election, but fit for the next century.   Resources: The Infinite Game – Simon Sinek Excellence in Healthcare Leadership Program Kouzes & Posner Leadership Model Berkana Two Loops Model Raise Her Community Industrial Disease

    58 min

  2. MAR 27 ·  BONUS

    Quarter One Learnings

    Send us Fan Mail In this special episode, Kyla pauses her interviews to reflect on the key themes and insights from the first three months of the podcast.  Kyla shares what she's gleaned from conversations with Dennis, Andy, Teri, Kath and Steven - distilling the learnings from each of them into practical ideas to shift the system.

    9 min

  3. MAR 20

    Why $8.5 Billion Won't Fix Saskatchewan's Healthcare System but a Little Imagination Might with Steven Lewis.

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Steven Lewis, a veteran health policy consultant and former CEO of Saskatchewan’s Health Services Utilization and Research Commission (HSURC). With decades of experience at the intersection of policy, research, and system reform, Steven offers a "voice of truth" that cuts through the bureaucratic clutter.   We dive deep into a critique of the broader Canadian "sick care" strategy. Steven explains why doubling down on hospital beds and a "scarcity narrative" is a failure of imagination, and he points us toward international models—like Scotland and Denmark—that prioritize health creation over sick care delivery.  It's a timely conversation as Saskatchewan announced an $8.5 Billion investment in healthcare just following our discussion.  Will that finally solve our problems?  Steven doesn't think so.   Resource Links:  Saskatchewan 2026-27 Health Budget UHN Dunn's House The Regina Hospital Physician Culture Report Scotland’s Population Health Framework Choosing Wisely

    1h 19m

  4. MAR 15

    Closing the Cracks: A Sister's Quest for a Safer Health Care with Teri Price

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kyla sits down with Teri Price, the Executive Director of Greg’s Wings Projects, to discuss her journey from disaster management to becoming a leading change agent in the Canadian healthcare system. Teri shares the powerful and heartbreaking story of her brother, Greg Price, whose death in 2012 exposed massive gaps in continuity of care and information sharing—failures that led the family to create the impactful film Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story. Teri discusses the vital work of Networked Health and the Renew 72 initiative, pushing for the Connected Care for Canadians Act to ensure health information follows the patient through the system. Together, they delve into the importance of "grit" commitment to long-term change, and why building a connected national health database should be considered a vital nation-building project. Additional Resources:  CIHI Podcast about the Potential of Health Data in Canada Greg’s Wings Viewing Events

    56 min

  5. MAR 11 ·  BONUS

    The Patient First Paradox: Why Saskatchewan’s 2026 Health Plan Is a Total Let Down

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kyla offers a critique of Saskatchewan's newly released "Patient's First Healthcare Plan" and questions why health care systems insist on repeating the same failed approached decade after decade.  Drawing on comparisons to Denmark and Nova Scotia, she challenges the incremental approach to health care reform and calls for genuine system transformation.  Kyla challenges listeners to demand more from health care leaders - not just incremental improvements but bold system redesigns that measures outcomes, prioritizes prevention and ensures everyone has access to a Medical Home. For Patient's Sake (2009) Patient's First Health Care Plan (2026)

    13 min

  6. MAR 1

    Reflections on 25 Years of Quality Improvement in Saskatchewan with Dr Katherine Stevenson

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode Dr. Katherine Stevenson reflects on 25 years of quality improvement in Saskatchewan — tracing the shift from measurement and reporting toward collaboratives, the Accelerating Excellence strategy, large-scale Lean adoption, and attempts to build a learning health system (or whatever we want to call it!). She advocates for reintegrating technical and relational approaches and shares practical advice for practitioners and leaders on becoming “yes, how” responders, creating feedback loops, and role-modelling change. Guest Bio:  Originally a physical therapist,  Dr. Katherine Stevenson has primarily worked in health system improvement since 2004.  She has worked with Saskatchewan’s Health Quality Council (HQC) in a variety of positions, including Senior Quality Improvement Consultant and Program Director, and the Saskatchewan Health Authority as Director of Learning and Program Development for Quality and Safety. In 2024, Kath received her doctorate in Quality Improvement and Leadership in Health and Social Care from the University of Jönköping, Sweden. She is currently a post-doctoral fellow working on Learning Health Systems and the development of graduate education in quality improvement and collaborative practice and an affiliated researcher with Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare. Kath lives in Saskatoon with her partner and their two children, one of whom has complex medical and developmental needs.   Related Resources:  Our Story (HQC)  Quality as a Business Strategy  Johari Window  Deming’s Theory of Profound Knowledge

    45 min

  7. FEB 15

    A Three Horizons Conversation with Andy Wilkins

    Send us Fan Mail Futurist Andy Wilkins discusses rethinking health as a complex, nested system — from cells to cities — and why current siloed, “repair-shop” healthcare models won’t scale for ageing, multi‑morbidity populations. He explains the Three Horizons framework for shifting from incremental fixes (Horizon 1) to system-wide transformation (Horizon 3), shares practical examples, and offers concrete steps innovation and improvement leaders can take now to start building a more integrated, person-centered future — especially as AI and digital tech become powerful enablers or risks. Guest Bio: Andy Wilkins is a UK futurist, speaker, podcaster and founder of Future of Health – a new think tank and systems convener exploring the long term vision for holistic health in a technology enabled 21st century. Through the lens of human-centred value creation Andy has undertaken many research, innovation and strategy projects across Health and Care. This includes authoring high profile reports for the UK’s NHS and policy makers on whole systems approaches to the future of Health. Most recently he has been working closely with Suffolk and NE Essex ICS to bring a new futures based approach to whole systems working. Andy has designed and pioneered Imperial College’s Executive Education flagship course on Leading Systemic Innovation in Healthcare and is a visiting lecturer on Public Health at University College London. Resources Mentioned: Beyond the Fog: 10-15 Year Vision for the Future of Public Healthcare in a technology enabled 21st CenturyThree Horizons FrameworkFuture Shift: Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System

    43 min

  8. JAN 31

    Relational Service Design with Dennis Vergne

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kyla sits down with Dennis Vergne, a systems improvement consultant based in London, to explore the concept of Relational Service Design and why it’s critical for transforming public services. Dennis shares his journey from a youth recreation worker in the Netherlands to consulting on complex service systems across health care, social care and the prison system.  Together, they discuss how factory-logic thinking has infiltrated human services, the problems with fragmentation and practical ways to shift towards more relational, human centered approaches.  Guest Bio Dennis Vergne is a systems improvement consultant and co-owner of a UK based Consultancy called Basis Ltd specializing in transforming public services.  Resources Mentioned Relational Service DesignBurrtzorg Model: Self Managing Nursing TeamsSchool of Moral Ambition Viarpi Cartoon Do you have a innovation or improvement story you would like to share? Contact Kyla at shiftpodcastcanada@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

    42 min

  9. JAN 20

    Episode 1: Welcome!

    Send us Fan Mail

    8 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Welcome to Shift! A podcast dedicated to exploring ideas, projects, practices, and policies that are reshaping the future of health care in Canada. Each episode delves into the dynamic world of health care innovation, featuring insightful discussions with leaders, thinkers, policymakers, researchers, and direct care practitioners who are driving change and finding solutions to enhance health and health care. My mission is to illuminate the challenges and celebrate the breakthroughs that are redefining Canadian health care. From ground-breaking technologies and policy reform to grassroots initiatives and patient-centric approaches, we aim to uncover the stories behind the progress. Join me as we navigate the complexities of health care transformation, inspire meaningful conversations, and foster a community committed to improving health outcomes for all Canadians.  Whether you're a health care professional, policymaker, or simply curious about the future of health care, Shift provides the insights and inspiration change makers need to stay informed and engaged.

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