Christine Grimm

I am a committed Digital Health leader and I have the capability and capacity to actively contribute to Digital Health Canada’s Governance, promoting membership and interests aligned with the vision, mission, strategic goals, and objectives. As a seasoned Board member, I have functional governance experience and extensive healthcare and digital health experience:

• Strong foundation in organizational governance principles and practice having served on serval Boards – local (Truro STAR Program – children’s recreation program for kids with special needs, and Colchester East Hants Hospital Foundation); regional (Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority); and national (Canadian Institute for Health Information, CIHI).
• Fiduciary responsibility – experience with finance and audit obligations and oversight of financial planning, audit process, required financial reporting, corporate controls, and risk management.
• A career, 100% focused on healthcare, improving quality of care and services, health system performance, population health, research, and innovation.
• Extensive background and senior leadership experience in digital health strategic planning, implementation and optimization, user experience, governance re/design, healthcare policy, data governance/management, performance measurement and analytics, operational excellence, and risk management.
• Clear understanding of the importance of strategic relationships, partnerships, alliances and networking and being an active contributor.
• Digital Health Canada is committed to connecting, inspiring and empowering a digitally connected and accessible healthcare system for all, built on cultural, generational, geographic, sectoral, and disciplinary diversity that is inclusive. Providing industry leadership across the industry and demonstrating value to members requires thinking beyond your personal or corporate interests and focusing on advancing the greater good of Digital Health Canada and what it represents.

Digital Health Canada envisions digitally connected, accessible healthcare for all. Grounded in innovation, collaboration, equity, and patient-centeredness, our shared goal is clear: to leverage digital health technologies for improved healthcare delivery and enhanced patient experiences from coast to coast to coast. Through advocacy, collaboration, and innovation, we strive to ensure equitable access to digital health solutions and drive positive change in healthcare outcomes for all Canadians.

My experience directly aligns with Digital Health Canada’s strategic plan and mandate in several keyways:

• Systems Thinking and Healthcare Landscape Understanding: My deep experience and understanding of the healthcare ecosystem, including emerging trends and innovations, aligns with the organization’s mission to leverage digital advancements for enhanced patient outcomes.
• Digital Health Leadership: As a leader enabling digital health transformation, my focus on data-driven insights and evidence-based decision-making resonates with Digital Health Canada’s goal of advancing digital health initiatives nationwide.
• Effective Communication and Collaboration: My ability to foster productive relationships and meaningful partnerships underscores the importance of collaboration, a core value of Digital Health Canada’s efforts to drive digital health initiatives forward.
• Results-Driven Performance: My commitment to achieving tangible outcomes aligns with Digital Health Canada’s objective of delivering value through digital health initiatives, translating efforts into measurable improvements in healthcare delivery.
• Strategic Planning Expertise: My leadership in strategic planning, particularly in enabling connected health systems and enhancing patient experiences, mirrors Digital Health Canada’s focus on strategic planning to advance digital health nationwide.
• Project and Program Leadership: My success in leading large, complex projects ensures impact and value for stakeholders, crucial for the successful implementation of digital health initiatives. Having served in the public and private sector during the pandemic and post pandemic recovery, I can share insights, lessons learned and support a national agenda that is inclusive of other perspectives and contributes to a digitally resilient Canadian healthcare ecosystem.

As a experienced leader in digital health and strategy development and execution, I bring relevant perspectives and expertise to the Digital Health Canada Board from a public, private and social sector perspective. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a deep understanding of the digital health landscape, spearheading transformative initiatives that drive value and innovation. From strategic planning to execution, I have led numerous projects aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes through data-driven insights and evidence-based decision-making. Moreover, my active participation on various Boards of Directors, including the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Colchester East Hants Health Centre Foundation, the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA), and the Truro STAR Program underscores my commitment to advancing healthcare excellence and community engagement. Leveraging my lived experience, I am positioned to make meaningful contributions to Digital Health Canada’s mission of fostering digitally connected and accessible healthcare for all Canadians.

I like to champion new ways of thinking, tackle difficult problems, and advocate for strong engagement of citizens and clinicians to advance the collective good of community and society. Projects that have special meaning for me and required leadership, innovative thinking, and a ‘village’ of like minded people to make it a reality include: 1) Establishing a weekly recreation program for special needs children in my community, ensuring an inclusive and fun filled break in a complicated world ; 2) Developing a strategy and plan for standardized race-based data collection to better understand health inequities and the differences in health and health care across population subgroups. NS now collects data, with consent, as part of the health card renewal process; 3) Design, development, and implementation of the Provincial Immunization Decision Support Tool to support real time monitoring for pandemic response and recovery; 4) embracing the disruption from COVID to create integrated care experiences for client organizations, patients and providers.

No.

• Executives/CIOs
• Emerging Professionals
• Telehealth
• Clinicians
• Vendors
• IM/IT Practitioners
• Leaders
• Academic & Research
• Healthcare Institutions
• National eHealth Organizations
• Digital Health Entrepreneurs
• Retail Health
• Insurance

I am pleased to be back at the CHIEF forum in 2024 and I look forward to contributing as and where needed. I was engaged with this forum, from 2013 – 2021, during my time as the NS Senior Executive Director, Digital Health, Analytics and Privacy, prior to my transition to Healthtech Consulting.

I have contributed to Digital Health Canada’s mission of connecting, empowering, and inspiring those enabling digital healthcare in Canada by being active in the Pan Canadian Digital Health Community since 2013.

I have served on the Infoway CIO Forum from 2014 to 2021 working towards a more connected and collaborative health system focused on better health outcomes for Canadians.

During the Pandemic I represented Nova Scotia on several Pan Canadian Executive Leadership Committees – COVID 19 Testing, Tracing and Data Management, Canadian Health Information Forum (CHIF), Virtual Care, and the Infoway National COVID-19 Digital Health Committee.

I have co-presented at many conferences and supported others in preparation and sharing of insights and lessons learned. Examples;

• 2022 eHealth symposium: Don’t let hackers steal your Health Information – Tips on how to improve digital resilience with cybersecurity
• Identity North – Jurisdictional Panel on Access Health
• Lessons from the Field: Nova Scotia’s EMR Migration Journey
• Finding Common Ground: How Government and Doctors Nova Scotia work together to propel Digital Health
• Strategies used in Canada to Implement EMR standards to Support Quality Improvement

I served on the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) Board of Directors as the Region 5 (Atlantic) government representative, nominated by the four Atlantic Canada Deputy Ministers of Health and elected by the Board in August 2019. I also served on the Finance and Audit Board Committee (FAC).

I was the Senior Executive Director, Digital Health, Analytics and Privacy for the NS Department of Health and Wellness from 2016 to June 2021 where I was accountable for ensuring rapid value delivery and actionable insights for improved health system planning, policy, and performance using data and analytics, and by embracing Privacy by Design. The portfolio included Data/Analytics Strategy, Information Services (Advanced Analytics, Business Intelligence, Performance Measurement, Information Management), Digital Health Services, and Health Privacy Office.

In July 2021, I joined Healthtech Consultants as the Associate Vice President and National Practice Lead for Digital Health. In January 2022 I became the Vice President for Strategic Advisory Services and Digital Health focused on serving our clients with expansion of services tailored to their needs. In June of 2023 I became the Senior Vice President, Strategy, Performance and Digital Health in addition to the Nordic Global Lead (our parent company) for Strategy and Performance.

In May 2023, I graduated with an MBA in Community Economic Development from the Shannon School of Business.

I am an experienced leader with a holistic understanding of healthcare systems and a proven track record of driving positive change. My expertise spans strategy development, innovation, partnership building, and client engagement, all aimed at improving health system planning, policy, and performance. I excel in leveraging data, advanced analytics, and digital services while prioritizing privacy and risk management. With strong communication and negotiation skills, I foster collaboration and forge impactful business partnerships. Committed to results in a diverse, high-performance culture, I am dedicated to advancing the digital health agenda for the betterment of all and aligned with Digital Health Canada mission. I love to champion new ways of thinking, tackle difficult problems, and advocate for strong engagement of citizens and clinicians to advance the collective good of community. I am asking for your vote today to serve you and the broader Canadian Digital Health community as a member of your Board.

I am committed to achieving my CPHIMS-CA.

• St. Francis Xavier University, BSc. Nutrition, Major Food and Nutrition (1987)
• Cape Breton University, Canadian Institute of Management Diploma in Management and Administration, designation C.I.M. (1998)
• In May 2023, I graduated with my MBA in Community Economic Development from the Shannon School of Business.