Digital Health Canada SK24 Conference

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  Shannon Bott

  Executive Director, Digital Health Canada

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  Shannon is the Executive Director of Digital Health Canada, the national association dedicated to connecting, inspiring, and empowering digital health professionals who are shaping the future of healthcare in Canada. With over 25 years of association experience in driving transformation and change management initiatives, Shannon plays a crucial role in implementing strategy, delivering programs and events, and supporting over 8,000 members across the country. Additionally, she serves as the Chair of the Board for the CSAE, the leading organization for association and not-for-profit professionals in Canada. Shannon's extensive experience and leadership have been instrumental in advancing the missions of both Digital Health Canada and CSAE.

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  Brenda Dubois

  Grandmother (kokum) from Muscowpetung First Nation

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  Brenda Dubois is a mother and grandmother (kokum), from Muscowpetung First Nation. She has worked extensively in the areas of child welfare, human justice and environmental issues. She is an advocate for education and vulnerable peoples. Brenda believes that practicing culture and traditions is important for people to continually learn and evolve. She has contributed to many community building initiatives including Northern Survival Gathering, Peyakowak, Family Support Centre, and the Randall Kinship Centre.

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  Dr. Ivar Mendez

  Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery, Director of the Saskatchewan Virtual Health Hub and Director of the Virtual Care and Remote Presence Robotics Program, University of Saskatchewan

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  Dr. Mendez is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American College of Surgeons. As a Clinician/Scientist, Dr. Mendez’ research focus is on functional neurosurgery, brain repair, virtual care, and remote presence robotics. His laboratory research has been supported by peer-reviewed funding from several sources including the Canada National Centers of Excellence, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Foundation for Innovation and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation of USA. He is recognized internationally as an expert in his field, having over 400 international and national presentations as well as over 200 scientific publications. For the past decade he has worked in the use of remote-presence robots for medical care in neurosurgery and primary care. In 2002, Dr. Mendez and his team performed the first long distance telementoring neurosurgery in the world and in 2013, he reported the first experience in remote programming for neuromodulation devices. Dr. Mendez is the Director of the Virtual Health Hub, a specialized facility designed to house virtual healthcare services currently being built at the Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan.

  Dr. Mendez has focused on, and significantly advanced, the use of remote-presence robots for primary health care in remote populations. In 2010, his team established the first remote presence robotic program in the Canadian North to provide access to primary and specialized medical care to underserviced First Nations communities. Since 2013, he has been working with First Nation communities in Saskatchewan using advanced robotic technology for healthcare delivery. In 2019, Dr. Mendez’ team deployed a novel telerobotic ultrasonography system to three northern Saskatchewan communities. This technology was crucial in providing prenatal sonography to indigenous communities during the COVID pandemic.

  For his innovative work in the use of remote presence devices to deliver health care to underserviced populations, Dr. Mendez received the 2011 Health Canada Award for Contribution to the Improvement of the Health of Canadians. In 2022, he was appointed an Officer of Canada for his pioneering work in the use of remote telemedicine and robotics to revolutionize the delivery of health and patient care in Canada and worldwide.

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  Kaitlyn Hebert

  Director, INQ Consulting

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  Kaitlyn is a Director at INQ Consulting with a focus on personal information management. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional who also holds Virtual Care and CORE-HI certifications from Digital Heath Canada, giving her an informed perspective on how digital data—particularly personal health information—flows and how privacy and security work together to achieve mutual ends. She previously served as the Privacy Officer for a Canadian tech startup, where she built their privacy management program from the ground up. After nearly 20 years of experience in various health related fields, Kaitlyn brings diverse perspectives to her work. She is passionate about helping clients become more confident in their understanding and implementation of a successful privacy program.

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  Dr. Joby McKenzie

  Managing Director, Teladoc Health

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  Joby McKenzie is the Managing Director of Teladoc Health in Canada responsible for all strategy and operations, growing whole person virtual care to empower Canadians to live healthier lives. Dr. McKenzie also volunteers as a Board Director at Mackenzie Health overseeing their strategic, quality and financial plans and decisions.

  Previously, Dr. McKenzie served as the Managing Director at Babylon Health in Canada, where she led the exponential adoption of virtual primary care across Canada. Prior to that, she held executive roles at LifeLabs (medical diagnostic services) in business development, post-merger integration, government relations and strategy and was a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where she worked with clients in healthcare and financial services and helped them to increase shareholder value. Dr. McKenzie was also an international professional basketball player and Canadian national athlete including qualifying for the 2000 Olympics and receiving a silver medal at the 1999 PanAm Games.

  Dr. McKenzie has an MBA from the Ivey School of Business, a Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular and Medical Genetics from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Simon Fraser University.

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  Dr. Cassandra Opikokew Wajuntah

  Associate Professor, Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan

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  Dr. Cassandra J. Opikokew Wajuntah is a proud member of Canoe Lake Cree Nation and was raised in Meadow Lake, SK. Cassandra comes from an interdisciplinary background that is driven by practical solutions in problem-driven areas. She finished at the top of her class in 2009 with a BA in Journalism and a Certificate in Indigenous Communication Arts (INCA). During her studies, she worked for numerous media outlets, such as CBC Saskatchewan and Global TV in Alberta, before completing her Master of Public Administration (MPA) in 2012 and her PhD in Public Policy in 2022. In 2016, she was a Visiting Scholar at the U of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine – Department of Native Hawaiian Health while working on community-based research with the Native Hawaiian Healthcare Systems. Most recently, she was the Director of the Indigenous Peoples' Health Research Centre at the First Nations University of Canada. Dr. Opikokew Wajuntah has over 15 years of experience building relationships with Indigenous communities both locally and internationally and has helped IPHRC contribute over $20 million in Indigenous health research funding to Saskatchewan. She is also former Co-Chair of the U of Regina's Research Ethics Board and is an appointed member of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Ethics Consultative Group (PHECG), providing high-level ethics guidance to federal departments on emerging public health issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Her husband, Justin Wajuntah, is a member of Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation and together they share four wild children and numerous animals.

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  Erica Pederson

  Executive Director of Digital Health, Saskatchewan Health Authority

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  Erica Pederson, the Executive Director of Digital Health at the Saskatchewan Health Authority, possesses a rich background in nursing spanning nearly 20 years, complemented by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Saskatchewan. Her career has spanned acute and long-term care, infection prevention and control, and nursing regulation. Notably, Erica launched Saskatchewan's first Accountable Care Unit and was instrumental during the province's COVID-19 pandemic initiatives.

  Currently, she leads strategic and operational initiatives that fuse technology with health care, enhancing both patient and provider experiences within the SHA. Her leadership is rooted in partnership, collaboration and celebrating shared achievements. Erica also holds a Master in Nursing from Athabasca University.

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  David Hebb

  Client Development Executive, Altera Health

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  David Hebb is a Client Development Executive with Altera Digital Health – a global healthcare solution provider that has been serving Canadian clients for over 35 years. David maintains strong relationships with clients by engaging key stakeholders to drive value and coordinate high-quality services and support. David has been supporting healthcare clients in private, public and government sectors in varied roles for over 25 years.

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  Sonia Pagliaroli, RN, MSC, CPHIMS-CA

  Healthcare Informatics Executive, Oracle Health Canada

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  As Healthcare Informatics Executive for Oracle Health Canada, Ms. Pagliaroli strives to partner with clinical executives to ensure the value of improved safety and quality of care outcomes are realized through the utilization of health information technology solutions.

  Ms. Pagliaroli is a registered nurse and clinical informatics professional (CPHIMS-CA) with frontline clinical experience and over 20 years of senior leadership expertise.

  She holds board positions as Director of Membership for the Canadian Nursing Informatics Association and Director of Membership for the HIMSS Eastern Canada Chapter. Her passion is in data sharing, standards, outcomes and reducing clinician burden and as such, is an active participant of the National Nursing Data Standards group. She is a graduate of the Masters of Health Information Science from University of Victoria.

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  Erin O'Halloran

  Vice-President and General Manager, Oracle Health Canada

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  Erin O’Halloran is the General Manager and Vice President for Oracle Health Canada, leading the mission to create a human-centric healthcare experience powered by unified data. Erin oversees the strategic development and delivery of the Oracle Health business in the Canadian market, focusing on innovative strategies to modernize healthcare information and technology for our clients across the country.

  Erin leads a diversified and dynamic team that work alongside Canadian public sector organizations who have or will be implementing Oracle Health solutions in their organizations and health systems to improve care decisions, support whole-person care, and promote better experiences for patients, clinicians, and staff with intuitive, intelligent healthcare technology solutions.

  Erin is a dedicated and passionate healthcare executive with a focus on healthcare technology and digital transformation strategy. Her passion for innovation and mission-driven approach fuels her work, where she leads as a strategic thinker and connector. With a strong background in business development and more than 20 years of experience spanning medical devices, biotech and life sciences, consulting and healthcare technology, Erin is committed to leading change and fostering growth and innovation within the healthcare industry.

  In addition, Erin has worked as a college instructor and has a strong background and experience in adult education, training, and facilitation. Erin has an MBA from Royal Roads University and an undergraduate degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

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  Brenda Andreas

  Patient Advisor

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  Brenda Andreas is a dedicated patient advisor residing in a rural community. She is deeply committed to advancing health system transformation with a focus on relational equity and fostering a sense of belonging within communities. Currently, she serves as the co-chair of the Canadian Primary Care Research Network Patient Council and is a board member of the North American Primary Research Network. Additionally, she is a community member of the CIHR IAB of ISPHR. Beyond her professional roles, Brenda's most significant responsibilities are as a mother, grandmother, and caregiver to her extensive family.

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  Dr. Marsha Fearing, M.D., M.P.H., MMSc.

  Physician Consultant, Meditech

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  Dr. Fearing is a trained Biochemical Geneticist and Clinical Medical Geneticist, completing fellowships at the combined Harvard Medical School Genetics Training Program, as well as a practicing pediatrician. She is a Harvard Medical School graduate, and completed the Harvard/NIH Scholar in Clinical Science program for translational research. She has served as a CLIA laboratory director, a Clinical Trial Investigator, and Institutional Review Board Member. She currently serves as the physician consultant for Canada at MEDITECH. Dr. Fearing has a strong interest in serving at-risk populations, having worked with the US Indian Health Service for the Lakota population and the Navajo Nation, and participated in the CHC Covid Response care team in Massachusetts. She is a US Army Veteran and served in the 101st Airborne Division. Dr. Fearing will provide an overview on how genomic data is used to care for patients both in current state as well as with genomic MDM when incorporated into an EHR and the impact with genomic data on vulnerable populations.

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  Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D, C.Psych.

  Vice President Research, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

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  Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Ph.D., C.Psych., is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University and the Human Sciences Division of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. He is also the Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Lakehead University. He holds additional appointments as Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Chief Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. Dr. Mushquash is a clinical psychologist at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, providing assessment, intervention, and consultation services for First Nations children, adolescents, and adults. He is Anishinawbe and a member of Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation).

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  Basim Al-Ali

  Healthcare Lead, Zebra Technologies

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  Bas Ali serves as the Healthcare Lead at Zebra Technologies, where he spearheads initiatives to guide Canadian hospitals through their digital transformation journeys. Leveraging Zebra Healthcare Solutions, Bas facilitates seamless connections among medical providers, patient records, caregivers, colleagues, and practitioners, ultimately enhancing care and outcomes. Bas and his team have collaborated with numerous hospitals implementing Epic, Oracle Health, or Meditech as their new EMR systems. He expertly assists hospitals in navigating the complexities of selecting optimal solutions tailored to specific workflows, ensuring clinicians are equipped with the right tools.

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