Candidate name: Ryan Gerard
Title: Lead Executive Western Canada
Organization: Oracle Health
- I have 12 years of experience (4.5+ in the Canadian market) that includes the following roles within the span of informatics/digital health
- Lead Executive (Western Canada) being responsible for business development, delivery and overall client relationships
- CTO (Chief Transformation Officer) for the largest/most active program in Canada (CST)
- Director role for Cerner corporation where I was responsible for the Western Canada consulting team
- Project manager – 6+ years experience in managing large-scale and complex-scope projects
How long have you been a member of Digital Health Canada?
5 years
Why do you want to join the Digital Health Canada Board of Directors at this point in your career?
I want to join the Digital Health Canada Board of Directors because my experience in delivering the largest digital health program in BC’s history (arguably the country) provides a great platform to elevate awareness of how our EHRs are evolving. My previous experience as the CTO of CST has allowed me to acknowledge how much work needs to get done not just in BC but across the country. As we know there has been a public declaration to improve the accessibility, quality and equity of healthcare for Canadian citizens, a declaration that was backed by a funding promise. As I transitioned to my new role with Oracle Health I believe it is very important to have a top (all-in-one) EHR and HCM vendor present on the board of directors. I truly believe we can leverage all of the experience and skills at the Digital Health Canada Board of Directors to be the needed voice of impatience for our citizens so we can collectively get to our future vision quicker.
How does your experience align with the Digital Health Canada strategic plan and mandate?
Being able to deliver a comprehensive digital health EHR for 40,000 professional end users allows me to be able to knowledge share a lot of lessons learned that will enable our teams to take more control over their digital health journey. In totality, I have 12 years of experience in the healthcare IT space spanning both private and public sectors. Given the opportunity I will also be able to provide the board of directors additional insight of how Oracle Health is tackling future issues along with exciting new technologies that come from their vast R&D budget.
What unique skills, perspectives and contributions would you bring to the Digital Health Canada Board?
Skills — Deep knowledge of how a true and trusted provincial digital health system is rolled out that is backed by real data and raw opinions of both the public and end users. Being able to know what is possible and how to redirect emotional responses to what is unrealistic.
Perspectives — What is working well for our citizens and what is not. How can we challenge ourselves to be better stewards of the public’s large financial/people investment in a connected healthcare system? I have been working in a hybrid role of both vendor and client reporting to Wynne Powell our board chair which has provided a very significant and wide range of perspectives…….being able to align multiple CEO visions in a single setting. I work in lock step with Shannon Malovec who is a very well-known market leader incorporating and supporting her digital health strategy. Bouncing ideas and working very closely with her for the past 2 years has equated to very relevant experience that I can bring to the Digital Health Canada Board.
Contributions — As a special advisor to boards in BC I can bring meaningful updates on how the local health authorities are doing and translate their messages to meaningful ideas the Digital Health Canada Board can influence.
Do you or have or have you ever had any direct patient care experience (clinical)?
I have never been clinical or directly related to patient care
What segments within the Digital Health Canada community do you feel you will best represent?
- Executives/CIOs
- Emerging Professionals
- Vendors
- Leaders
- Healthcare Institutions
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.
There is no specific committee outside of also being a member of TECHNATION. My most significant contribution is that I am tied to the design and build that impacts over 3 million patients per annum in the BC province.
What other board appointments or relevant leadership experiences have you had in the past five years?
I am on the CST Board as a special advisor and was previously the CTO who drafted and executed the full agenda for 4.5 years. The CST board reports to Wynne Powell who is the special advisor to the Deputy Health Minister. For the first 3 years, the board also appointed a MOH representative to be a voting member that changed once the pandemic hit.
Please tell us why you feel Digital Health Canada members should vote for you.
Digital Health Canada members should understand that I am future-focused while not forgetting about the past pains the current Canadian healthcare landscape has experienced. My job will be to listen first but provide insight and direction when asked. I have been able to lead over 650 FTE in the BC province to the largest Acute facility EHR go live in BC’s history. One cannot experience success without having the proper leadership skills and more importantly, the sure passion to deliver what the public so desperately needs. Based on the above comments I feel that current members would find value in my appointment and would deserve their votes.
Do you currently hold the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems – Canada (CPHIMS-CA) credential?
Yes
What is your educational background? Please list all degrees and designations.
University graduate of Bachelor Arts and Sciences
