I have experience as a dental hygiene clinician using digital health software and products in my daily practice. This experience has shown me the value of software to support patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation. From there, I have used my learning in health studies (social determinants of health, health economics, policy, etc.) and board/council roles to see outcomes from the 4,000 ft view. More recently, I helped shape digital clinical workflows, using patient safety as the main guide to the workflow. Within my current role as VP of Privacy and Safety with Lumeca Health, a health tech company located in Saskatchewan, I have come to know privacy & security frameworks and analyze the value, cost and scope of implementing controls in digital health technologies. I bring a unique perspective on digital design by using both regulatory standard and practical applications in mind. I also have 30 years experience within the Saskatchewan community and believe I have a great touchpoint with a variety of professionals in a variety of industries, which will allow me to promote Digital Health Canada here in Saskatchewan.
How long have you been a member of Digital Health Canada?
3 years
Why do you want to join the Digital Health Canada Board of Directors at this point in your career?
As a health professional and Canadian, I value the impact that individuals can have on shaping the future state we live in. I have had an immersive experience within a health tech startup for the past 3.5 years, along with almost a decade of experience with health regulation and practice standards. I value building a future with integrity and keeping our systems accountable to the greater population who rely and trust us to make the right choices for all of our futures.
How does your experience align with the Digital Health Canada strategic plan and mandate?
Through the course of my career in digital health, I have been mentoring young professionals who are engaged and empowered to make a difference. I believe that I understand what passions draw individuals to these careers. Many are health professionals of varying backgrounds who see that they can bring purpose and value to our health ecosystem through more than simply hands on medicine. I am also naturally an economic and big picture analyst. My ability to scan environments and understand what drives industries will become an asset to where Digital Health Canada (DHC) hopes to go. I also value diversity and making sure everyone is heard and more importantly, understood. I believe by bringing together a range of viewpoints, that DHC’s vision will shape and carry our population of professionals into a dynamic future.
What unique skills, perspectives and contributions would you bring to the Digital Health Canada Board?
While maintaining a learning journey to understand the board’s functions, I plan to study the organization’s policy and understanding how governance supports the industry as a whole. I have practiced in a private health industry (dentistry/dental hygiene) for almost a decade. Along with that, I have been a part of a health tech company from the ground up, which comes with its own observations and lessons. Experiences include market analysis, studying pan-canadian practice standards and regulations on virtual care, along with privacy laws and commitments to stewardship of patient health data. I also appreciate what policy should and should not do, and that a board’s work is to keep the CEO accountable, while being careful not to micromanage the operations of an organization, but also being a valued resource when needed. Nonetheless, my bachelor of Health Studies has also helped shape my understanding of the national health system with a focused study on the province of Saskatchewan. This education has helped shape my analysis on empowerment and how it impacts many facets of our health care outcomes. Finally, I am a female citizen, raising four children with my spouse and have lived experience on a wide variety of touch-points within our health care systems. I believe that digital healthcare can serve populations in ways that we haven’t even yet considered. Health is about more than primary care, it impacts us every moment of every day through our experiences and interactions (i.e. social determinants of health). I take the responsibility of shaping a future for our next generations seriously, and enjoy building relationships with colleagues along the way.
Do you or have or have you ever had any direct patient care experience (clinical)?
Yes, I have been a dental hygienist for 12 years, practicing for 8. For 3 of those years, I practiced as a temp hygienist. I chose this path because of the gaps I identified in the market for skilled workers to provide a service to my colleagues. That experience gave me a unique look at the wide variety of ways that clinics can practice, where I observed how what the clinical owner valued shaped how the clinic was ran. I also witnessed the variety in practice standards and made sure to practice to the highest standard in all environments, despite the variances across practices. Before joining Lumeca, I was also acting as a casual instructor at the dental hygiene program here in the province. That experience allowed me to observe and assess students of dental hygiene providing direct patient care. This was a fulfilling experience to be a part of an institute that I have great respect for (having attended the program myself). Prior to that, I practiced for ten years as an athletic therapist, where I travelled with collegiate and provincial sports teams and provided preventive care alongside team doctors and physiotherapists. In short, I have had almost 20 years of observing and assessing patients and athletes, and that experience has helped shape how I observe and assess many various systems in my career today.
What segments within the Digital Health Canada community do you feel you will best represent? Select all that apply.
- Executives/CIOs
- Emerging Professionals
- Telehealth
- Vendors
- Leaders
- Digital Health Entrepreneurs
With which Digital Health Canada committees, task groups or activities have you volunteered in past five years? Describe your most significant contributions to Digital Health Canada’s mission.
I have presented in Digital Health Canada’s Webinar Wednesdays. While not yet an active member of the CHIEF program, I intend to complete my CPHIMS-CA designation before the end of 2022. After that, I aim to achieve my CIPM or CIPP/C through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Once completed, I intend to remain engaged with DHC in a variety of ways, as needed, if there is a fit for both parties.
What other board appointments or relevant leadership experiences have you had in the past five years?
Since 2010, I have been engaged in the professional dental hygiene community in a variety of ways, including participating in committees and serving on the provincial board/council fro 2016-2019. We successfully advocated for changes to dental professional legislation. In that time, I also served on the National Dental Hygiene Exam Board, where I met professionals from across the country. In that experience I studied Policy Governance and have come to value the accountability that a board provides to its membership. I have also been on advisory committees about the attracting and maintaining talent in the tech eco-space in Saskatchewan through my membership with SaskTech.
Please tell us why you feel Digital Health Canada members should vote for you.
As a Digital Health Canada board member, I aim to bring a unique experience and voice to the organization, maintaining accountability along with innovative visioning. As a bilingual Saskatchewan digital health privacy professional, I bring a varied value system from the multitude of personal and professional experiences I have had to date. Working with Lumeca Health, I have witnessed how digital health care existed before the pandemic and have a sense of where it can go into our future as health conscious and connected citizens. I have studied underserved populations and bring an understanding of gaps and needs in a variety of populations, including older adults, Indigenous groups, new Canadians, LGBTQ+ and victims of gendered violence. As a board member, I would be accountable to the membership along with the greater population of Canadians as a whole. I would represent newer Saskatchewan members while working to foster growth in our industry, learning from members who have practiced in this space for some time now.
Do you currently hold the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems – Canada (CPHIMS-CA) credential?
Committed to achieving my CPHIMS-CA
What is your educational background? Please list all degrees and designations.
Diploma in Dental Hygiene (2010) Sask Polytechnic Bachelor in Health Studies (2016) University of Regina IST/ART Therapy Certificate (2017) University of Alberta Virtual Care Certificate (2021) Digital Health Canada Member of IAPP, Digital Health Canada, SDHA/CDHA
