This IS Long Term Care 2015
 
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0Elaine Anderson
Director of Compliance and Performance
Chartwell Retirement Residences
Elaine Anderson is the Director of Compliance and Performance for Chartwell Retirement Residences. She is a nurse whose career has focused on the care of the geriatric population. Over the past 20 years while working in the long term care sector she has held a variety of positions including a Director of Care, Administrator and Nursing Consultant.
 
0Susan Applewhaite
Actor
Susan is an actor, musician and theatre creator, having trained and worked in the UK in theater and film and studied acting at Toronto’s Sears & Switzer and Bouffon Clowing with Adam Lazarus. She has recorded several albums with acclaimed Canadian producer, Jack Lenz and has been happily working in film and on stage for the past 15 years. Susan recently wrote Mae’s Story, a two act play that includes original music which has been performed in Oakville and Toronto. Susan first worked with Julia Gray in Downtown a movement based show about life in Toronto’s office towers (SummerWorks Festival). Susan is thrilled to be working with Julia and this talented group on this new piece about dementia which is so challenging and so important.
 
0Bob Bass
Principal
Bass Associates Ltd.
 
0Lindsay Anne Black
Set and Costume Designer
Lindsay Anne has designed sets and costumes for theatre and dance of all sizes, from independent to commercial, both scripted and devised. She has regularly led workshops in high schools as well as at Canadian Stage, Tarragon Theatre, and the Sears Drama Festival. Two of her costumes have been on display at the Design Exchange, and she was the recipient of the 2007 Pauline McGibbon Award, as well as five Dora Award nominations, though never a bride.
 
Chris Brockington
Partner
In Initiative Inc.
Chris Brockington is a partner at In Initiative Inc., and a senior living consultant specializing in process development, culture change, community integration, strategic planning and project management. In Initiative Inc. represents a broad range of clients in Canada and the USA including senior living operators, pharmaceuticals and sector pharmacy, technology developers and clinical service/product suppliers.
 
Candace Chartier
Chair
Canadian Alliance for Long Term Care (CALTC)
Candace Chartier is the Chair of the Canadian Alliance for Long Term Care (CALTC), the only national organization that speaks on behalf of, and represents the interests of long term care providers that deliver publicly-funded health care services to seniors across Canada. As Canada’s population ages and the number of people with multiple, chronic conditions needing long term care increases, a central role for Candace and her colleagues is to work together across jurisdictions to share information, best practices and evidence in order to improve the care provided to long term care residents and to advocate for federal leadership to ensure that Canadian seniors, regardless of where they live have equal access to safe, high quality long term care.
 
Candace Chartier.
CEO
Ontario Long Term Care Association
Candace Chartier is the Chief Executive Officer at the Ontario Long Term Care Association, Canada’s largest long term care association representing a full spectrum of charitable, not-for-profit, private and municipal long term care operators. She is a strong leader, effective communicator and practiced health care professional who leads and delivers results on wide ranging and complex projects. 
Candace is a strong advocate for long term care and actively involved in leading health care transformation. As a Registered Nurse with nearly 20 years of experience in front line and management roles in Ontario long term care homes, Candace speaks with passion about the important roles long term care homes are playing to care for an increasingly medically complex and growing seniors population, and about her personal commitment to high quality care and dignity for Ontario’s seniors. 
Her current involvement includes participation on the Ministry of Health Health System Funding Reform Steering Committee; Ministry of Health Long Term Care Stakeholder Liaison Committee; Change Committee; Health Quality Ontario Partnership Table; System Strategy Council; Ontario Health Providers Alliance; Multi Sector Rural Health Hub Advisory Panel; Nurse Practitioner Advisory Expert Panel; and Cancer Care Ontario Advisory Panel.
 
Lak Dhillon
Energy Consultant
Enbridge Gas
Lak Dhillon is an Energy Consultant with Enbridge Gas. He specializes in the commercial division and  delivers demand side (DSM) programs to property managers and mechanical contracting firms.  His training includes completion of a three year advance technology diploma with Honours in Sustainable Energy & Building Technology.  His experience includes teaching building automation course at Humber College as well as holding a role in energy management for an engineering and general contracting firm.  He is an active chair member of the Toronto ASHRAE society, along with being a public speaker at various colleges.
 
0Sherry L. Dupuis, PhD
Researcher
Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of Waterloo
Sherry Dupuis is the former Director of the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program (MAREP), and a Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo. Sherry’s research program has focused primarily on identifying ways to enhance the quality of the lives of persons living with dementia and their families and other care partners, and to ensuring that the voices of persons with dementia and their partners in care are represented in research, education, and practice. She explores the possibilities of creative and artistic approaches to research and research-based arts as a means of triggering personal and social change. Committed to transforming the culture of dementia care in Canada, she is currently a Co-Principal Investigator on a close to two million dollar research initiative focused on culture change in dementia care called the Partnerships in Dementia Care (PiDC) Allliance.
 
0Mary Jane Dykeman
Partner
DDO Health Law
Mary Jane Dykeman is a partner at DDO Health Law, a boutique health law firm in Toronto. She advises on a broad range of health law matters, such as consent, capacity and substitute decision-making including end of life and other tough family dynamics; risk and strategic advice; and health information and privacy (including privacy investigations and breach response); and corporate/commercial. Mary Jane teaches the Mental Health Law course in Osgoode's Health Law LL.M. program. She was previously in-house legal counsel to two Toronto teaching hospitals and currently sits on the Alzheimer Society Toronto board and the research ethics board of Canadian Blood Services. Mary Jane is a prolific writer, presenter and commentator on health law issues, most recently Health Care Consent and Advance Care Planning for the Law Commission of Ontario (with the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly).
 
Sholom Glouberman
Founder
Patients’ Canada
Sholom Glouberman is Philosopher in Residence at Baycrest, Founder of Patients’ Canada, and an adjunct at the Universities of Toronto and York. He gained experience in healthcare by first caring for his dying father, and then as a planner at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. Later he became a Fellow at the King’s Fund in London England, director of Health Policy for the Canadian Policy Research Networks and Director of the International Master Program at McGill University. He has been an active health systems adviser in Canada and the UK. His most recent projects include working with various organizations to identify patient friendly performance measures, and with other patients to develop key performance targets based on patients’ and families’ experiences. In 2015 Sholom underwent a major surgical procedure and is once more a patient. His direct experience as well as his attention to other patients and caregivers has allowed him to deeply understand the disparity between the patient experience and institutional concerns. He has written four books and many articles. Through his blog and social media he is connected to more than 10,000 patients across Canada.
 
0David M. Golden
Partner
Torkin Manes’ Litigation Group
A partner in Torkin Manes’ Litigation Group, chairs the firm’s Health Care Institutions Group and co-chairs its Health Law Group. David’s civil litigation practice focuses on commercial litigation, real estate litigation, health law and professional liability. He regularly appears before all levels of court, boards and tribunals that regulate the health care industry and the professions.

David is frequently invited to participate as a conference speaker. David is the Past Chair of the Health Law Sections of both the Canadian and Ontario Bar Associations
 
Roger Goldstein, MB, ChB, FRCP (UK)
Professor of Medicine and Physical Therapy
University of Toronto
Dr. Roger Goldstein is a Professor of Medicine and Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto. He is the head of respiratory medicine and a Senior Scientist at West Park Healthcare Centre. He holds the National Sanitarium Association Chair in Respiratory Rehabilitation Research. He trained at the University of Manchester (UK), the University of Toronto and the University of California San Francisco. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians as well as several others. Roger was the Founding Scientific Chair of the Canadian COPD Alliance and subsequently the Founding Scientific Chair of the first two Canadian Respiratory Conferences. His clinical research has focused on pulmonary rehabilitation and on long term ventilation. He works closely with a highly productive multidisciplinary clinical research team which has been very successful in attracting peer reviewed grant support as well as publishing more than 120 papers in peer reviewed journals. He has edited textbooks on “Pulmonary Rehabilitation” (2005) and on “Respiratory Failure” (2007). His unit has participated in training clinical fellows from several countries including; Brazil, India, the Netherlands, UK, Israel, Italy, Spain and Australia.
 
0Marilynne Gordon , RN
Revera
Marilynne Gordon has been a Registered Nurse for over 35 years and holds her Undergraduate degree in Health Studies from Charles Sturt University in Australia. She has her Certificate in Adult Education. 

Her career has taken her through a vast array of health care venues, starting with Long Term Care, then Acute care in Med/Surg and Paediatrics. She specialized in Clinic based Nursing in Allergy & Immunology where her love of teaching began. Tenure at two community colleges teaching the Bridging program for HCAs to PSWs and Palliative care kept the theme of education going. Marilynne moved to Community based health care when managing the Homemaker program for the Canadian Red Cross in Scarborough and the Region of Durham for 10 years. Long Term Care pulled her back and Marilynne joined Revera Inc. in 2001 as a Director of Care, moving to Executive Director in various LTC homes and now holds the position of Regional Manager of Education & Resident Services.

 Most recently, Marilynne has facilitated a province wide collaboration between Revera and Health Quality Ontario for the Residents First Quality Improvement Program which saw 53 homes complete training for Improvement Facilitators and teams in QI methodology. She is also project lead from a national perspective for Revera in the CFHI Antipsychotic Medication Reduction Collaborative.
 
0Julia Gray
Playwright and Director
Julia is a Toronto-based theatre director, playwright and choreographer with a particular interest in creating new, collaboratively-developed theatre in applied settings. She has collaborated with health researchers on several plays based on health research, including After the Crash: a play about brain injury and Seeing the Forest about patient safety co-written with Dr. Gail Mitchell. She has also worked with Canadian Stage Company, Mirvish Productions, Tarragon Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, The Charlottetown Festival as well as many independent theatre companies. Julia is pursuing her PhD at University of Toronto and is a current CIHR‐STIHR Doctoral Fellow in Health Care, Technology, and Place.
 
0Joanne Iacono
Director, Quality and Process Improvement
Sienna Senior Living
Joanne has more than 20 years experience in long term care sector, working various positions.  Currently Joanne is the Director, Quality and Process Improvement for Sienna Senior Living.  She is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, who specializes in Long Term Care.  Her mandate is to make long term care processes as efficient as possible so that staff have more direct care time with their residents.  In addition to lean, she leads quality improvement activities throughout Sienna care communities.  Joanne also sits on various committees with Health Quality Ontario.
 
0Deborah Johnson, RN, BScN, MN
Director of Professional Development and Informatics
Chartwell Retirement Residences
Deborah received her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto and then went on to complete her Masters degree in Nursing at Athabasca University. Deboarh also has her Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma. Deborah has worked in long term care for over 15 years. She has worked as a floor nurse, Director of Care and currently is the Director of Professional Development and Informatics with Chartwell Retirement Residences. At Chartwell, Deborah is responsible for policy and procedure development, optimizing the use of Point Click Care, supporting MDS as well as leading Chartwell Long Term Care homes in the implementation of Quality Improvement Plans. She leads quality and quality improvement activities at Chartwell’s long term care homes.
 
0Christine Jonas-Simpson, PhD
Researcher
School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, York University
Christine Jonas-Simpson is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health at York University in Toronto. She has conducted critical arts-based research since 1997 through music, drama, paintings and documentary film. Her program of research focuses on how humans live and transform with loss and grief in their lives.
 
0Lori Nancy Kalamanski
Actor
Lori Nancy Kalamanski has had the good fortune to perform all over the world in theatre, TV & film. Recently, she portrayed ten different characters in Driftwood Theatre’s touring production of The Odyssey; played Irene in the Mirvish musical production of My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (Panasonic Theatre) and appeared in the hit television series Warehouse 13 (SiFi). Favourite credits include: the title role in the martial arts opera: The Forbidden Phoenix (YPT/Citadel) and co-starring in the Mirvish/Theatre Gargantua production of e-DENTITY (Royal Alexandra Theatre). Upcoming: webseries August in The Underworld - a fantasy/adventure/romance with an all-puppet cast!
 
0Pia Kontos, PhD
Researcher
Pia Kontos is a Research Scientist at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network and Associate Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Central to her program of research is the transformation of the culture of dementia care so it is more humanistic and quality enhancing for both those living with dementia, family care partners, and health care practitioners. She draws significantly on the arts for their emotive and expressive nature, specifically music, dance, and improvisational drama to enrich the lives of those living with dementia. Research-based drama and film are also drawn upon as novel approaches to educational initiatives for family care partners and health care practitioners to effect change at both a personal and organizational level.
 
0Sudha Kutty
Director, Quality Improvement Strategies and Adoption
Health Quality Ontario
Sudha Kutty is the Director of Quality Improvement Strategies and Adoption at Health Quality Ontario. In this role, Sudha will be leading HQO’s Quality Improvement Plan strategy including the analysis on the 2015/2016 QIPs as well as the roll out of the 2016/2017 QIPs. Sudha is also accountable for HQO’s activities related to the adoption of evidence into practice including the adoption of Quality Based Procedures and HQO’s work with the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) in the ARTIC project.

Prior to joining HQO, Sudha held roles as the Director of Knowledge Management at the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario as well as the Director of Patient Safety, Physician and Professional Issues at the Ontario Hospital Association where she led OHA’s work with the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care on the implementation of the Excellent Care for All Strategy. 

Sudha has a background in health law and health policy with experience in patient safety and quality improvement. She has worked as a policy analyst at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. She has practised health law at a law firm in Toronto and in this capacity provided legal advice to hospital clients. Sudha was also a consultant in the health care practice of IBM Business Consulting Services.

Sudha was formerly on the Board of Canadian MedicAlert Foundation.  She was most recently a member of the Board of Sherbourne Health Centre where she co-chaired the Board Quality Committee and was a member of the CEO Search Committee. Sudha holds a degree in law as well as an MBA.
 
Mimi Lowi-Young, M.H.A., FACHE, FCCHL
CEO
Alzheimer Society of Canada
Mimi has more than 30 years’ experience as an Executive Health Care Leader, with expertise spanning the acute care sector, continuing care sector, and community health and health charities. Mimi joined the Alzheimer Society of Canada in December 2012 as Chief Executive Officer. She was the Inaugural CEO of the Central West Local Health Integration Network in Ontario. Mimi has extensive knowledge and experience as a Board Member on many health care Boards including the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation as the current chair. Mimi is a recipient of the ‘Tony Graham Award’ for Excellence in Board Service at the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Dean’s Philos Award, presented by the University of Ottawa. She is a recipient of the Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Services from the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the Regent-At-Large Award and the Regent’s Award from the American College of Health Executives. Mimi holds a B.Sc. in Physical Therapy from McGill University, a Masters in Health Administration and a Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. Mimi is a Fellow of both the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She has published many articles on quality and health systems.
 
Denyse Lynch
Patient Advisor
Patients Canada
Denyse cared for her Dad from 1999, until his death, in 2014. She was his advocate throughout his experiences across our health care continuum. Denyse left her career as an organization/management consultant to manage her dad’s care, finding the health system operated “in silos”.

Denyse joined Patients Canada 5 years ago and participates in discussions, research with health care organizations. She realized their approach – a collaboration of health providers, policy makers, patients and caregivers key to quality improvements. Denyse also chaired a Living Well Committee in her community. Their Mission was to inform/educate residents to enable making the best informed decisions for themselves and loved ones. Patient Canada’s Founder, Dr. Glouberman addressed our community on our health care system history, its evolution and how the current health care system is challenged to meet the needs of our growing senior demographic. Denyse found people’s interest in learning how to better care for themselves increased, as did their desire to partner with their health providers. She believes a shared understanding of all stakeholders’ perspectives must be considered to make sustainable improvements. 

Additionally, Denyse volunteers in a Schlegel Villages’ Long Term Care residence, where she enjoys visiting residents and facilitating programs designed to alleviate seniors’ loneliness and enhance their quality of life.
 
0Tim Machin
Actor
Tim Machin is an actor, song writer/musician and writer. He has worked in the UK, Europe and Canada. Most recently Tim was a part of The Red Kite Project for TheatreDirect. UK/Europe highlights include: The Complete Millennium Musical (Abridged) for the Reduced Shakespeare Company (with fellow cast member, Mark Prince), Weekly Rep in Frinton and Sheringham, and on tour with TNT in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and The Murder of Sherlock Holmes. Canadian highlights include: Catalyst Theatre’s Frankenstein, playing outside at the Caravan Farm Theatre, B.C., and playing in parks around Ontario with Driftwood Theatre (Twelfth Night, Macbeth, and The Odyssey). He has recorded two CDs of folk songs for kids and is about to record a third (with fellow cast member, Lori Nancy Kalamanski).
 
0Mary Ellen MacLean
Actor
Mary Ellen MacLean works across the country performing, directing and teaching theatre. She studied with master teacher Tony Montanaro at the renowned Celebration Barn Theatre in Maine USA. She was a founding member of the Halifax physical theatre ensemble, Jest in Time, with whom she toured worldwide with for twenty years, as well as starring in three national CBC television specials with the company. Her one-woman play Frankie toured across Canada and aired on Bravo TV. Some TV/film credits include: Hatching, Matching and Dispatching, Wilby Wonderful, Wound-Up, Made in Canada, Liocracy and Shattered City. Nova Scotia Merritt Theatre Awards: Twenty Years of Theatre Excellence (Jest in Time); Best Production (Trip-Jest); nominations for Best New Play (Frankie), Best Actress (Trip, Frankie). She is currently developing her newest play about dyslexia, Imagine a Lifetime, at Young People’s Theatre in Toronto.
 
Hazel McCallion
Special advisor to the president of the University’s Mississauga division, and former Mayor of Mississauga
University of Toronto
Hazel McCallion was first elected mayor of Mississauga in 1978 and is the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, and one of the longest-serving in Canadian history. Under McCallion’s leadership as mayor, Mississauga’s population more than doubled, making it the sixth-largest city in Canada. Her reputation over the past quarter century has hinged on her financial acumen and political pragmatism, with her no-nonsense style endearing her to constituents. McCallion has become a political and business leader and icon in the community.

Since retiring Hazel McCallion has taken a job at the University of Toronto as a special advisor to the president of the University’s Mississauga division on matters related to strategic development of the school. Hazel will also help to create new courses and will work with the Mississauga campus’ Institute for Management and Innovation to develop a master’s degree in urban innovation and development. Hazel will contribute to a non-credit training courses for those interested to enter public service and will guest lecturer on occasion.

Hazel continues to be on the board of the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association and continues to be a driving force behind women’s hockey – as Hazel says “the way hockey should be played – free of violence”. Hazel is a much sought after public speaker sharing with her audience an incredible journey, vast experience and humorous anecdotes from her illustrious career.
 
0Gail J. Mitchell, PhD
Researcher
York University
Gail J. Mitchell is a Professor of Nursing at York University and the Director/Chair of the York-UHN Nursing Academy in Toronto. Her research interests include arts-based methodologies for creating and translating knowledge. She has worked with persons and families living with memory loss for more than 30 years and believes society can help diminish the suffering of those living with dementia by changing the attitudes, images, and understandings of what it is like to live with dementia. She is academic lead for a new centre in Toronto for persons with memory loss called, the Dotsa Bitove Wellness Academy.
 
Daile Moffat, RN/MBA
VP of Quality and Consulting
Sienna Senior Living
Daile has more than 20 years of experience as a nurse leader in long-term care, having held various positions from a frontline staff nurse, nurse consultant, and director of care. As the VP of Quality and Consulting for Sienna Senior Living, she is responsible for clinical data analytics, informatics, RAI-MDS, quality management, performance improvement and management consulting. Her role in interpreting and utilizing data helps assist managers and frontline users understand key outcomes for clinical decision making—advancing practical system improvements in quality and safety for all of the long-term care communities owned and managed by Sienna.
 
0Aynsley Moorhouse
Dramaturge / Assistant Director
Aynsley Moorhouse (MFA, MA) is a Toronto-based artist and Master of Social Work candidate at University of Toronto in a collaborative program in Aging and Supportive Care Across the Life Course. Aynsley has presented her work and lectured in university classrooms, hospitals, academic conferences, arts festivals, and on CBC Radio challenging assumptions about aging, specifically regarding memory loss and dementia. Over the last number of years she has focused on applying her artistic practices to working with older adults and people with dementia, and her particular interest lies in how arts practices can lead to personal growth and social change. aynsleymoorhouse.com
 
0Claire Frances Muir
Actor
Selected credits: Asylum by the Lake (Manic Prod.), A Christmas Carol (Humber River Shakespeare), Kissing Swinburne (LTC), Bungsu and the Big Snake (Odyssey Theatre), Survive the Great Outdoors (Theatre Beyond Words), Peter Pan (The Grand Theatre), Cinderella (Port Hope Festival Theatre), Sylvia (Tribal Productions and Festival Antigonish), The Miracle Worker, Sylvia (Theatre North West), A Guide to Mourning (Great Canadian Theatre Company), Serious, Reefer Madness The Musical (B.A. Productions), Oliver Twist, The Stone Angel (Alberta Theatre Projects), Cruel Tears, Romeo & Juliet, Nicholas Nickleby, Mirror Game (The Globe Theatre), A Christmas Carol, Cyrano de Bergerac (Theatre Calgary).
 
0Connie Paris
Manager, Data Management, Home & Continuing Care
Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
Connie has been with the Canadian Institute for Health Information since 2004, most recently as the Manager responsible for reporting and analysis for the Home and Continuing Care Reporting Systems. In a previous life, Connie trained and practiced as a physiotherapist in a number of health sectors in both Canada and the US. She also holds a Master in Business Administration.
 
0Dana Paul
Stage Manager
Dana is a graduate from the Theatre Arts- Technical Production program at Sheridan College. Select theatre credits include Falstaff, Pearl Fishers (Opera Hamilton), Run For Your Wife, Oliver!, Annie (Drayton Entertainment), Tristian Und Isolde, Die Fledermaus (Canadian Opera Company), A Life Beyond Doubt (Tomorrow’s Eve Theatre), Dear Santa (Upper Canada Playhouse), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Silvermist), Tuesday’s with Morrie, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Half Life (Theatre Aquarius). Dana would like to thank the cast and crew for all their hard work.
 
0Kaye Phillips , PhD
Senior Director
Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI)
Kaye Phillips, PhD, is Senior Director at the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI). Kaye leads CFHI’s Reducing Antipsychotic Medication Use in Long Term Care collaborative. She also leads the design and integration of strategic evaluation and performance measurement across CFHI's collaboratives and programs. Kaye brings 10 years of experience as a decision support and change management specialist in quality improvement and collaborative patient-centred care. Kaye has directed CFHI’s flagship EXTRA program, produced and delivered a series of improvement curriculum, and led program, corporate and cross-regional outcome evaluations.
 
André Picard (Moderator)
Columnist and author
The Globe and Mail
Picard is a health reporter and columnist at The Globe and Mail and the author of three bestselling books. He has received much acclaim for his writing, notably as a seven-time finalist for the National Newspaper Awards – Canada’s version of the Pulitzer Prize. 

He is also a recipient of  the prestigious Michener Award for Meritorious Public Service Journalism. André’s advocacy work has been honoured by a number of consumer health groups, such as the Canadian Public Health Association, which named him Canada’s first Public Health Hero. 

 He has participated in a number of academic endeavours, serving as the scholar-in-residence at the Conference Board of Canada, as a research fellow for the Atkinson Foundation and as a participant in the Governor-General's Canadian Leadership Conference. 

He is a popular speaker at health conferences and has been a guest lecturer at a number of universities. On the personal health front, André practices what he preaches. He has run more than 70 marathons and half-marathons, and loves to cook.  He lives in Montréal.
 
0Mark Prince
Actor
Mark is a graduate of the Teaching and Training Program at George Brown College, is TESL Canada certified, and holds an honours degree in Theatre from the University of Windsor in Ontario. He trained as a member of the Acting Company and Young Company at the Stratford Festival of Canada for two seasons where he studied with some of Canada’s top voice and text coaches. In Europe, Mark performed with Munich-based TNT Theatre Britain, a movement and music-integrated theatre company that produces English theatre in dozens of countries spanning four continents. Mark is also an educator, and, as such, is motivated by theatre's great potential as a provocative teaching tool. He is a founding member of Ruckus Ensemble, a theatre company dedicated to producing After the Crash: a play about brain injury, which helps to raise awareness about the traumatic brain injury experience.
 
Christine Quinn
Senior Improvement Lead
Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI)
Christine Quinn is a Senior Improvement Lead at the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) where she supports CFHI’s Reducing Antipsychotic Medication Use in Long Term Care collaborative. Christine has a background in nursing, a Master’s of Public Administration and over 25 years’ experience working in healthcare. She has a passion for patient-centred care and quality improvement and has championed public health policy development and implemented provincial and regional improvement initiatives such as the Ontario Driven to Quit Contest, Home First and Health Links.
 
Elaine Shantz
COO
peopleCare Inc.
Elaine Shantz is the Chief Operating Officer for peopleCare Inc. that owns and operates seven long term care homes. Elaine has a wealth of experience in senior care, including opening numerous long term care and retirement homes. Elaine supports quality improvement and best practice in her role as a surveyor for Accreditation Canada and member of the Ontario Long Term Care Quality Committee. She serves as chair of MAX Canada Insurance Board of Directors. Previous careers included leadership roles in banking and hospitality. Elaine completed her MA Leadership at the University of Guelph. During her studies at Guelph she was able to bring her wealth of experience and academia together; directly applying course content to the world of senior living. She is currently involved in developing graduate level studies in senior and retirement living at Guelph. Her passion for ongoing leadership development includes customer service training, employee incentive, succession and performance management programs.
 
0Michael G. Sherrard
Founding Member
Sherrard Kuzz LLP
Recognized as one of Canada’s leading employment and labour lawyers by Chambers Global®, Who’s Who Legal®, and Lexpert®, Michael is Past Chair of the National Labour and Employment Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association and the Labour Relations Section of the Ontario Bar Association. He is also the recipient of the Construction Institute of Canada’s Chancellor’s Award of Excellence, and the University of New Brunswick Alumni Award of Distinction.

Michael is widely published and speaks on a variety of employment and labour law topics. He is frequently asked to develop and lead workshops designed to improve managerial leadership skills.

Michael acts for a wide variety of employers – public and private - with experience in the full range of employment and labour issues, including: Acquisitions, Divestitures & Restructurings; Advising the Multinational & Multi-Jurisdictional Employer; Attendance Management; Canada Industrial Relations Board Proceedings; Collective Agreement Administration; Collective Bargaining; Construction Labour Relations; Employee Relations; Employee Screening and Hiring; Employment Contracts; Employment Standards; Executive Compensation; Grievance Arbitration; Human Rights; Injunctive Court Proceedings and Judicial Review; Interest Arbitration; Management Training; Mediation; Occupational Health and Safety; Ontario Labour Relations Board Proceedings; Pay Equity; Privacy; Responding to Union Organizing and Applications for Certification; Sale or Closure; Strike or Lock-Out; Workplace Audits; Workplace Investigations; Workplace Safety and Insurance; Wrongful Dismissal Litigation.
 
Dr. Chris Simpson
Professor of Medicine and Chief of Cardiology Queen’s University; Medical Director of the Cardiac Program, Kingston General Hospital/Hotel Dieu Hospital.
Dr. Simpson’s primary non-clinical professional interest is health policy — particularly access to care, wait times and medical fitness to drive. He serves as the chair of the Wait Time Alliance (WTA) — a federation of 17 medical specialty societies and the CMA — and is a past chair of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society’s (CCS) Standing Committee on Health Policy and Advocacy.

He was the lead for the Southeast (Ontario) Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Cardiovascular Roadmap Project, which developed a regional model of integrated cardiovascular care for southeastern Ontario. He serves on the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario board of directors, and is a past member of the CCS executive and a former governor of the American College of Cardiology.
 
Naomi Snieckus
Comedian | Actress, Mr. D.
Often dubbed “The Queen of Comedy,” Naomi Snieckus is instantly recognizable as the hilarious phys. ed. teacher on CBC’s hit comedy, Mr. D. An alumnus of The Second City Toronto where she wrote and performed in numerous hit shows, her television and film credits also include appearances on The Trailer Park Boys, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Little Mosque on the Prairie, and Being Erica. Showcasing her trademark wit as an event emcee, stand-up comedian, improv-expert, or workshop leader, Snieckus pours enthusiasm and passion into every aspect of her work. 

A recipient of many accolades and honours, Naomi holds two Canadian Comedy Awards and was nominated for an Actra Award in 2013 for her work in Mr.D. She is also a founding member and co-artistic director (with Matt Baram) of the five-time Canadian Comedy Award-winning troupe, The National Theatre of the World.
 
Andrew Steele, MD, FRCPC
Chief and Medical Director Nephrology and Diabetes
Lakeridge Health Corporation Medical Lead Nephrology, Central East LHIN
Dr. Steele has been at Lakeridge Health for 15 years after coming from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto where he formerly held positions as Chief Medical Resident and Active Medical Staff in the Division of Nephrology. He is the current Medical Director and Section Chief of Nephrology and Diabetes at Lakeridge. Dr. Steele is the Lead Nephrologist for the Ontario Renal Network, Central East LHIN. He is past co-chair of the CE-LHIN Vascular Services and Diabetes Coalition. Dr. Steele received training at the University of Toronto in the fields of Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Clinical Epidemiology. He is a former member of the Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Guidelines Committee and has authored a chapter on Diabetic Nephropathy in Gerstein’s Evidence Based Diabetes. Dr. Steele is still active in guideline development and dissemination of knowledge through the Canadian Society of Nephrology’s CANN-NET process. Recently he helped co-author the CSN Home Dialysis Guidelines. He has a clinical interest in diabetes, cardiovascular disease in CKD patients and in clinical epidemiology. He is still active in clinical research and is part of a busy clinical nephrology group practice at the Oshawa Clinic and Lakeridge Health Corporation.
 
0David Talbot
Actor
I am honoured to contribute to the conversation about dementia in this unique forum. My exposure to dementia came first with the diagnosis of a beloved family member and then through professional work as a standardized patient at The Reitman Centre for Alzheimer’s Support and Training at Mt Sinai Hospital, helping care givers develop strategies for supporting a family member with dementia. As an actor, I have worked in theatres across the country and on numerous film and television projects. I’d like to dedicate my performance to my Dad. I carry him with me always.
 
Dr. Joshua Tepper, MD, MPH, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer
Health Quality Ontario
Dr. Tepper is a family physician and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Health Quality Ontario (HQO). An arm’s length agency of the provincial government, HQO works in partnership with Ontario’s health care system to support a better experience of care and better outcomes for Ontarians. Prior to HQO, Dr. Tepper was the inaugural Vice President of Education at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
As Vice President, he was responsible for Sunnybrook’s educational strategy and programming for learners, physicians and staff, patients and their families and the community. 

Prior to joining Sunnybrook, Dr. Tepper was Ontario’s first Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) in the Health Human Resources Strategy Division of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. As the ADM he led the HealthForceOntario health human resources strategy to ensure that Ontarians have access to the right number and mix of qualified health care providers, now and in the future. 

In addition to his involvement in health policy and research at the provincial level, Dr. Tepper has also been active on a national scale as the senior medical officer for Health Canada, an adjunct scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), and a research consultant for the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI). He has received several provincial and national awards for his leadership in these positions.

 Dr. Tepper has always remained in active practice serving marginalized populations and taking on clinical leadership roles. Previously, he served as the Medical Director for the Inner City Health Associates, President of the Inner City Family Health Team and as Vice-President of the Society of Rural Physicians. Currently, Dr. Tepper practices in the St. Michael’s Hospital Family Health Team and in the Emergency Department at North York General Hospital. 

Dr. Tepper holds a degree in Public Policy from Duke University, a medical degree from McMaster University, a Master of Public Health from Harvard, and his executive Master of Business Administration at the Richard Ivey School of Business. He completed residency at the University of Toronto.