Monday, June 15 | 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ADT | Halifax Convention Centre – Convention Hall Level

Smart Data, Strong Systems: The Future of Canadian Healthcare

Health data is increasingly recognized as a critical enabler of system performance, innovation, and economic growth — but how is it being used today to create real value across Canada’s health system? 

Elizabeth Toller (Director General, Health Care Strategies, Health Canada) will explore how priorities such as interoperability, trust, and responsible AI use are helping unlock the potential of secure, high-quality health data to support collaboration, innovation, and better patient outcomes. She will then set the stage for a panel discussion with Shelagh Maloney (CEO, Digital Health Canada) and Dr. Anderson Chuck (President & CEO, Canadian Institute for Health Information), who will share perspectives on how health data and digital infrastructure are shaping system transformation and where opportunities for progress are emerging.  

Together, the discussion will examine how effective use of health data, from collection to exchange to application, can strengthen care delivery, support a resilient health workforce, and contribute to a more connected and sustainable healthcare system.

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  Monday Afternoon Plenary Panel Presented by Canada Health Infoway, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, and Digital Health Canada. Moderated by Health Canada.

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  Conference Emcee

  Rachel Gillespie, Senior Consultant and Strategic Advisor, Mariner Innovations

  Rachel Gillespie is a Senior Consultant and Strategic Advisor with Mariner Innovations, working at the intersection of digital health and complex transformation. She has led major initiatives across provincial health systems, post-secondary modernization, and national corporate organizations, advancing accessibility and broader public sector reform. Her work centres on organizational readiness, human-centred design, and the creation of the conditions for sustainable change.

  Rachel holds a Master of Arts in Strategic Communications and Leadership, grounding her approach in clear communication, thoughtful engagement, and a strong commitment to the human experience within complex systems. She is also a public speaker and writer with a particular interest in how proximity, empathy, and design shape better outcomes.

  Based in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Rachel brings clarity, warmth, and strategic curiosity to her role as Emcee for e-Health26, guiding audiences through the conversations shaping the future of digital health and connecting each dialogue back to what matters most: people, purpose, and better care through better systems.

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  Conference Emcee

  Jordan Warford, Executive Director of Planning, Performance, and Data, Department of Health and Wellness, Province of Nova Scotia

  Dr. Jordan Warford is Executive Director of Planning, Performance, and Data at the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, where he leads province-wide strategy across health system performance, data governance, analytics, and strategic investment. 

  With a foundation in translational research, Jordan focuses on turning data and evidence into decisions that improve how care is delivered. He played a key role in establishing Atlantic Canada’s first clinical trials network, creating a coordinated entry point for global partnerships and expanding the use of integrated health data to support research and care. 

  His current work focuses on building the infrastructure and governance required to scale responsible health data use, including cloud-based analytics, modern public reporting, and real-world evidence generation to inform clinical and economic outcomes. 

  Jordan serves on the boards of N2 Canada and Research Nova Scotia. He holds a PhD in Pathology and an MSc in Pharmacology and Neuroscience from Dalhousie University, and is a Certified Health Executive and Project Management Professional. 

  Outside of work, he enjoys woodworking with his kids, building projects that are ambitious in design and occasionally forgiving in execution.

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  Speaker and Moderator 

  Elizabeth Toller, Director General, Health Care Strategies, Health Canada

  Elizabeth Toller is seasoned policy and public sector leader within the Government of Canada with a passion for health issues. As the Director General of Health Care Strategies at Health Canada, she facilitates pan-Canadian collaboration on shared health priorities, including the Government’s Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians Plan.

  Previously, as Executive Director of Digital Health and Primary Care within the Health Care Strategies Directorate, Elizabeth and her team worked with provinces and territories to improve access to family health services and modernize the health system with health data and digital tools. Her team was key in advancing collaboration on connected care through better health data interoperability

  Elizabeth has also led initiatives at Health Canada’s Health Product and Food Branch, driving regulatory changes for food and drugs to support innovation and safety. She has held policy roles in various federal departments, including Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, and the Privy Council Office. Outside of work, she is a mother of two and enjoys exercise and gardening.

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  Panelist

  Shelagh Maloney, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Health Canada

  Shelagh Maloney’s career has been defined by a passion for digital health and its transformative ability to improve the patient and provider experience. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Digital Health Canada, Shelagh held national executive leadership roles in both the public and private sectors where she earned widespread recognition for her business development, relationship management, consensus-building, and communication skills.

  Shelagh has shaped policy and practice through volunteer roles and is currently Vice Chair of Vision Loss Rehab Canada. Shelagh is a Certified Professional in Health Information & Management Systems (CPHIMS-CA).

  In recognition of her contributions to the industry, Shelagh was an inaugural recipient of the Women Leaders in Digital Health in 2017 and was named a Digital Health Canada Fellow in 2023. 

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  Panelist

  Dr. Anderson Chuck, President & CEO, Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)

  Dr. Chuck has over 20 years of experience leading large-scale initiatives that leverage data to develop actionable strategies and improve health systems. Most recently, he served as Chief Health Economist at Alberta Health Services (AHS) where he worked closely with the Ministry of Health, health delivery leaders, clinicians and other system stakeholders in shaping the strategy for health system transformation, sustainability, financial performance and value. He also led the introduction of value-based decision making to guide AHS’s resource allocation priorities – a big job in a health authority with a budget of about $18 billion.  

  Dr. Chuck has a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Philosophy from the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. He has published numerous articles in scientific journals and has expertise in areas of health economic evaluation, decision analytic modeling, clinical epidemiology, health technology assessment, knowledge translation, health financing, health funding, patient reported outcome measures, health system benchmarking and value-based decision frameworks.