e-Health26 Program Committee Vote 1: Plenary Options

Topics: Policy development, Equity impacts of AI in clinical decision-making regarding race correction, Environmental impacts of AI, How AI is being used in public health and acute-care, AI revolutionizing healthcare, Education regarding AI competency/literacy, AI assistants and outcomes of their inclusion in healthcare, Critical thinkers who can challenge our thinking around the quick adoption of AI

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Avi Goldfarb, Professor at University of Toronto | Author of “Prediction Machines” and “Power and Prediction” | Toronto, ON
• Carole Piovesan, Managing Partner at INQ Law and global leader in AI | Toronto, ON
• Dr. Frank Rudzicz, Professor of Computer Science at Dalhousie University, Killam Memorial Chair | Newsletter | Research Publications | Vector Institute Bio | Halifax, NS
• Dr. Jeremy Petch, Director, CREATE, Hamilton Health Sciences | Hamilton, ON
• John Nosta, Innovation Theorist in Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Medicine | New York, New York, USA
• Lee Burry, ADM Government of New Brunswick, AI in NB, interoperability | Fredericton, NB
• Melanie Fraser, CEO, Health PEI: Digital Health and AI in PEI, share real-world examples of success | Charlottetown, PEI
• Noor Alsaadour, Director of AI and innovation | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Dr. Ruha Benjamin, Founding Director of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab at Princeton University, Author of Race After Technology and Viral Justice | Princeton, New Jersey, USA
• Timnit Gebru, Founder & Executive Director at The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and previous co-lead of the Ethical AI research team at Google | Stanford, California, USA
• Vivian S Lee, Executive Fellow at Harvard, Health Tech CEO, and former CEO of the University of Utah Health Care, specializes in AI | Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Topic: Tech stacks with real use cases of how healthcare providers are layering different solutions to cover all angles of their needs and how they get these to work well together.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• None proposed

Topic: Practical cybersecurity tips, emerging trends in cyber protection.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Avi Mehra, Associate Partner & CSO, IBM Health: speaks to career pathways from clinical to digital health, AI, and Cybersecurity | London, England, United Kingdom

Topic: Government-focused sessions to understand what is happening from a Government mandate perspective, i.e.new legislation and mandates coming, which will directly affect healthcare for Canada.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• None proposed

Topic: Medical Coding/Billing.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• None proposed

Topic: Health data literacy for various audiences – clinical, vendor, government, digital, etc., Data modernization in digital health from a public health lens.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Amy Freier, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Lead, HDRN Canada (Researcher) | Winnipeg, MB
• Brenda McPhail, Director, Executive Education, Public Policy in Digital Society Program, McMaster University | Toronto, ON
• Dr. Carolyn Steele-Gray, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Implementing Digital Health Innovation. Senior Investigator at the Science of Care Institute and in the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, and an Associate Professor in the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto in Canada | Toronto, ON
• Dr. Kim McGrail, HDRN Canada’s Scientific Director | Vancouver, BC
• Jodeme Goldhar, Vice-Chair, International Foundation for Integrated Care & co-founder IFIC Canada | Hamilton, ON
• Mary-Jane Dykeman, Managing Partner at INQ Law. Focused on data governance | Toronto, ON

Topic: From Data to Decisions: Real-Time Analytics in the Patient Journey

Key Takeaways:

• How analytics and dashboarding applied to real-time patient data (in hospital, home, mobile devices) are enabling quicker, more informed decisions.
• Case studies: reduced length of stay, early warning systems, transitions of care.
• Key enablers: interoperability, clean data, clinician engagement and governance.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Erin Cook, Director of Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Value, Ethics & Virtual Care, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal | Montreal, QC
• Prof. Muhammad Mamdani, Vice-President, Data Science & Advanced Analytics, Unity Health Toronto; Professor at University of Toronto | Toronto, ON

Topic: Home and community care technologies and models like hospital-at-home. The Empowered Patient: How Digital Tools are Shifting Care From Clinic to Home.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Erin Cook, Director of Quality, Transformation, Evaluation, Value, Ethics & Virtual Care, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal | Montreal, QC

Topic: The human aspect in Healthcare in meaningful ways to bring people together to address the challenges and implementations.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Andrew Boozary, Executive Director of Social Medicine and Population Health at UHN. Focuses on population health and the social determinants of health, such as food and housing | Toronto, ON
• Dr. Timothy Caulfield, Professor of Health Law and Science Policy at the University of Alberta, Bestselling Author. He can speak about health misinformation | Faulty of Law bio | Edmonton, AB

Topic: Services and supports within remote communities.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Alika Lafontaine, past president, Canadian Medical Association and clinical leader who advocates for data modernization, digital health, Interoperability, inclusion, equity, and reconciliation. He recently gave a keynote at the Family Medicine Forum entitled “How to Change a Social Contract: Lessons from Reconciliation in an Age of Health System Upheaval.” | Calgary, AB
• 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 at the University of Saskatchewan. He is known for his innovative work in using remote presence devices and robotics to deliver health care to underserved populations in urban remote areas | Saskatoon, SK
• Dr. Marcia Anderson, Vice-Dean, Indigenous Health, Social Justice and Anti-Racism, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba. An Indigenous leader and a clinician with a breadth of knowledge on health and digital data issues | Winnipeg, MB
• Ross Pambrun, Indigenous Knowledge keeper with focus on AI, cyber security, ethical AI, AI & Diversity | Website | Calgary, AB

Topic: From Pilots to Scale: Moving Digital Health Innovations into Mainstream Care + Digital Health innovations coming from NB, experience with PPP

Key Takeaways:

• Many digital health initiatives remain pilots. How do we move from innovation pockets to an embedded standard of care?
• Key enablers: business case, change management, clinician buy-in, governance, measurement, and sustainability.
• Reflections from vendor, health system and policy perspectives: what must change to accelerate adoption and impact.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Jennifer Sheils, Vice President Strategy, Transformation & Chief Innovation Officer, Horizon Health Network, Executive Lead CAN Health Network, Atlantic Edge | Saint John, NB
• Robert Fox, CEO, OntarioMD | Toronto, ON

Topic: International speakers sharing what’s going on outside of Canada in healthcare.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Eric Sutherland, Senior Health Economist, OECD, Leader in integrated digital health ecosystems, formerly a lead on the pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy, Data Governance expert with CIHI (International expert). He will soon be publishing some excellent work on Digital Health policies internationally and is working to elevate international leading practices | Paris, France
• Ida Tin, Femtech leader, co-founder and former CEO and chairwoman, of Clue the most trusted female health app: speaks to Women’s Health, Healthcare equity, and Start-Ups | Berlin, Germany
• Mark Britnell, Professor and Global Healthcare expert | London, England, United Kingdom
• Monica Shagen, The Netherlands Consulate | News article | Washington, District of Columbia, USA
• Dr. Tamara Sunbul, Group CIO and formerly at John Hopkins: speaks to digital transformation and was the CMIO at one of the only hospitals in the world with full Epic gold-star implementation | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Topic: Data interoperability within and across jurisdictions/across Canada, and invite some folks who may have more sway with or in the government to push this agenda forward.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Ashley Miller, Chief Medical Information Officer, Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health + Associate Professor, Dalhousie University. Speak to being the first in the province to roll out the new “One Patient, One Record” program (OPOR) in December 2025 | Halifax, NS
• Kate Ebrill, Business Development Manager, CSIRO: International experiences with interoperability; importance of community e.g. Australia’s Sparked program | Sydney, Australia
• Lee Burry, ADM Government of New Brunswick, AI in NB, interoperability | Fredericton, NB

Topic: “Health Literacy as a Partner to Digital Literacy” – patient panel with clinicians, patient advisors, and researchers discussing the importance of developing literacy and trust with patients for digital health data literacy and its significance and relevance to a modern health data system. The session will address barriers to health data literacy and practical solutions to overcome them. Include patients or patient partners sharing their real-world experiences and tips.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Alice McGee, Sr Medical Advisor at Flo Health Inc: speaks to women’s health, the startup experience, and digital literacy | London, England, United Kingdom
• Dr. Catharine Whiteside, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Diabetes Action Canada (Clinician) | Toronto, ON
• Laura Williams, MSW, RSW, CHE, Senior Director, Patient Experience, University Health Network | Toronto, ON

Topic: Tech solutions across the lifespan for youth and aging populations

Potential speakers/panellists:

• None proposed

Topic: A start-up panel

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Justin Hartlen, CEO, Virtual Hallways: changing how healthcare providers collaborate. They’ve brought the spirit of hallway conversations into the digital age, linking physicians, nurse practitioners, specialists, and pharmacists in real time, no matter their location | Halifax, NS
• Norm Silver, QDoc from MB: QDOC is a web-based platform which connects patients and physicians using a unique work distribution model. The system differs from other virtual software offerings in several ways; however, the primary differentiator is the ability to locate a physician within a short time frame | Winnipeg, MB

Revised Topic: When Humans and AI Thrive Together: Redefining Care with Empathy and Innovation

Revised Keynote Description and Objectives: As AI continues to reshape healthcare, transformation is accelerating, yet our systems often remain fragmented, creating barriers to connection, compassion, and innovation. Amid an ongoing health human resource crisis, there is an urgent need for holistic, integrated approaches that put patients first while supporting those who care for them. This session explores how humans and AI can thrive together, with AI serving as an enabler, augmenting human capacity, improving coordination across the continuum of care, and fostering better outcomes for both patients and providers. By combining technological intelligence with human empathy, we can reimagine service delivery, optimize capacity, and cultivate a more resilient and fulfilled healthcare workforce. Drawing on national and global expertise, the panel will share insights and lessons learned to help shape a more connected, innovative, and compassionate future of care.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Tej Shah, Chief Medical Officer & Managing Director, Accenture | New York, New York, USA
• Biography: Dr. Tejash Shah, M.D., M.A., is a Managing Director at Accenture and serves as the Global Lead for Care Reinvention within Accenture’s Global Healthcare practice. A physician by training and a seasoned healthcare strategist, Dr. Shah brings over two decades of experience spanning emergency medicine, management consulting, corporate strategy, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. He is recognized for his leadership in harmonizing human expertise with emerging technologies—particularly generative AI—to address critical challenges such as clinician shortages, workforce burnout, and care delivery inefficiencies. His work focuses on rebuilding the patient-provider relationship and scaling healthcare capacity through responsible AI, data governance, and digital innovation. Dr. Shah began his career as an emergency medicine physician at Cornell and Columbia before transitioning into roles at leading global firms and founding a care management startup. He holds an M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an M.A. in Economics from Boston University.

• Karli Farrow, President and CEO, Trillium Health | Toronto, ON
• Biography: Karli Farrow is the President and CEO at Trillium Health Partners. Previously, she served as the Executive Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Operating Officer, where she was responsible for capital planning and redevelopment, clinical operations, and delivering exceptional patient experiences. She joined in 2009, where she provided leadership to support the merger of Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre in 2011. Before joining Trillium Health Partners, Karli worked in health care consulting, where she led projects focused on reducing wait times and improving chronic disease management. She has also served in senior advisory roles for the Government of Ontario. In a volunteer capacity, Karli is Chair of Shared Services West, a health care shared services organization and serves as the Ontario Hospital Association’s Pension Observer on the HOOPP Board of Trustees. Karli Farrow attended the University of Guelph and holds a certificate in advanced management from the University of Toronto.

• Dame Jackie Daniel, Former Chief Executive at NHS Trust UK, CEO, Dame Jackie Daniel Consulting | Ilkley, England, UK
• Biography: Jackie began her professional career as a nurse before moving into NHS management. She spent a decade at the board level before becoming a CEO. A CEO for 22 years, she led an acute, community, mental health & specialist orthopaedic centre – most recently a CEO at Newcastle Hospitals, one of the largest tertiary centres in the UK. Ranked among the top 10 NHS CEOs every year over a decade, according to the UK’s No. 1 health journal (HSJ). In 2024, she was ranked 5th among the 25 most influential CEOs in the last decade. In 2017, Jackie was recognized in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list & awarded a DBE for her services to the NHS. Since retiring from her full-time CEO role, Jackie has fulfilled a few strategic advisory roles. A global health luminary with Accenture – advising on the transformation of healthcare business & pioneering new market technologies. She holds several trustee roles. Jackie is passionate about health as an asset for the individual & society – promoting the deep connections between health, wealth ( the economy) & wellbeing. She is an executive in residence at the University of Lancaster Business School & is a regular public speaker at a range of forums & events across the broad spectrum of media.

• Dr. Lucie Opatrny, President and Executive Director, McGill University Health Center | Montreal, QC
• Biography: A specialist in internal medicine who earned her MDCM as well as a Master’s degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University, Dr. Lucie Opatrny also holds a Master’s degree in Health Care Management and a Diploma in Advanced Negotiation from Harvard University. Appointed President and Executive Director of the McGill University Health Centre on December 14, 2022, she assumed her functions on January 30, 2023. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Opatrny served as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Québec Ministry of Health and Social Services, where she managed the Academic, Medical, Nursing and Pharmaceutical AYairs Directorate since 2018. Previously, she was the Director of Professional Services at St. Mary’s Hospital Center and the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Laval. Her fields of interest are, in particular, access to health services and the quality of care.

• Moderator: Karen Oldfield, Interim President and CEO, Nova Scotia Health | Halifax, NS
• Biography: Karen Oldfield, KC, ICD.D, was named President and CEO of Nova Scotia Health (NSH) on September 1, 2021. This appointment was made by Premier Tim Houston with a mandate to take immediate action to improve health care in Nova Scotia. While seconded to NS Health, Karen has also been appointed Deputy Minister of Priorities and Planning for the Government of Nova Scotia, a role fundamental to the long-term strategic priorities of the Province.Previously, Karen served 18 successful years as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Halifax Port Authority. During her tenure at the Port Authority, revenues more than tripled, enabling the organization to make significant financial investments in strategic port and transportation infrastructure to improve port competitiveness and the livability of the City of Halifax. Karen has global experience, particularly in trade development and the establishment of new markets, combined with deep expertise in supply chain management and logistics. Karen operates and achieves results in complex, multidisciplinary / stakeholder environments, particularly at the nexus of government and private sector.

Topic: TBD

Keynote Description and Objectives: TBD

Potential speakers/panellists: TBD

Topic: When Data Doesn’t Speak – A Widow’s Story and a Call for Human-Centred Healthcare Transformation

Keynote Description and Objectives: What happens when digital tools are introduced into healthcare, but the systems behind them can’t, or won’t, talk to one another? One year ago, Rachel lost her husband to cancer. Their experience with the healthcare system in New Brunswick was largely positive. They were met with compassionate teams, innovative tools, and a sincere desire to help. But behind the scenes, Rachel witnessed a system struggling to coordinate care across regions, unable to use the very data it was collecting, and far too often disconnected from itself and from the patient experience. Rachel will share her personal story and how it has reshaped her professional commitment to digital health transformation. As a consultant with Mariner working at the intersection of technology, change, and public service, Rachel now approaches her work with a deeper urgency and clarity about what matters most.

This session will explore: The human impact of fragmented health data systems; Why user experience and system interoperability must go hand in hand; Opportunities for designing with, not just for, patients and families; How grief can fuel advocacy and systemic change; Whether you’re in government, health IT, or policy design, this session is a call to remember why the work matters and who it’s ultimately for.

Delegates will understand the real-world consequences of disconnected digital health systems; Identify opportunities to improve interoperability and patient engagement; Reflect on how lived experience can shape more responsive policy and design; Leave reconnected to purpose and people behind the data.

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Rachel Gillespie, Senior Consultant, Mariner Innovations | Fredericton, NB
• Biography: Rachel Gillespie is a Senior Consultant and trusted advisor with Mariner Innovations, where she leads large-scale transformations across healthcare, government, and the private sector. In 2024, she lost her husband to cancer, an experience that reshaped how she sees the world and deepened her understanding of the human side of change. Today, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her mission: helping organizations design change that connects people, strengthens systems, and restores humanity at the centre. Rachel, a speaker and writer on the power of human-centred transformation, lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where she is raising her daughter and building communities of change, connection, and belonging.

Topic: Strategy in a World of Disruption: Innovation and Generative AI

Keynote Description and Objectives: TBD

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Shawn Kanungo, Global Innovation Strategist and bestselling author | LinkedIn | Personal website | Edmonton, AB
• Biography: As a globally recognized innovation strategist and bestselling author, Shawn Kanungo has emerged as one of the world’s most sought-after voices on innovation and generative AI. He spent 12 years at Deloitte working closely with leaders to help them better plan for the opportunities associated with disruptive innovation. In his high-energy keynotes, Kanungo draws on his extensive experience to provide audiences with an optimistic roadmap for the future, one that embraces unexpected approaches to innovation to remain competitive and relevant.
  Kanungo was named the ‘Best Virtual Keynote Speaker I’ve Ever Seen’ by Forbes and recognized as one of Edify’s Top 40 Under 40. He brings over two decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, and behavioural economics, enabling him to guide organizations through complex transformations.
  He made history as the first innovation expert with a streaming special on Apple TV and Prime Video. His bestselling book, “The Bold Ones”, celebrated by McKinsey as essential reading for decision-makers, provides a thought-provoking blueprint for professionals and organizations to embrace bold innovation in an era of unprecedented change.
  With a magnetic presence across digital platforms, Kanungo has built a community of millions who follow his thought-provoking content on innovation on LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
  While others predict the future of work, Kanungo delivers electrifying keynotes packed with cutting-edge real-world examples and actionable insights. By fusing deep strategic expertise with practical innovation frameworks, he shows organizations how to turn disruption into opportunity – enabling them to thrive in an era of constant change.

Topic: Simulation-based and hands-on Medical Learning in Space and NASA Ames Research Center.

Keynote Description and Objectives: TBD

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Dr. Julielynn Wong, Public Health, Occupational, Aerospace, & Preventive Medicine Physician-Scientist | 3D Printing Innovator & STEM Educator | LinkedIn | Personal website | Toronto, ON
• Biography: Dr. Julielynn Wong is a brilliant, captivating, and unforgettable speaker who infuses powerful storytelling with a playful personality.  She brings an unrivalled passion for ideas that inspire audiences to build diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams to embrace innovation and engage technology to solve big challenges.
  Following medical school at Queen’s University, Dr. Wong received a Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship to complete her Masters of Public Health degree studies at the Harvard School of Public Health. She is board-certified in public health and general preventive medicine, aerospace medicine, occupational medicine, and clinical informatics, has authored over 35 scientific and technical publications and has 14 patents issued for medical devices. She worked as an aerospace medicine physician contractor at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to support the Boeing and SpaceX crewed launches.
  She is a passionate educator who has taught courses and workshops for thousands of grade school, university, and postgraduate students. She founded Medical Makers, a program to inspire, educate, and empower a global community of innovators, patients, and healthcare providers to make sustainable solutions to save lives, time, and money. She is the Team Co-Lead for the Grand Prize Co-Winner for Intuitive Foundation’s Global Surgical Training Challenge. Her multi-racial, geographically diverse, and interdisciplinary teams are making open-access, low-cost simulation-based training to empower healthcare providers to acquire new procedural skills without the need for mentors anywhere in the world at any stage of their careers.
  Additionally, Dr. Wong is an avid pilot and drone racer, has flown as a microgravity researcher with NASA’s parabolic flight program, and served as an analog astronaut for NASA Johnson Space Center’s Human Exploration Research Analog IX and Mission Commander for Crews 183, and 207-8 at the Mars Desert Research Station. She serves as a drone instructor for the official auxiliary of the United States Air Force and deployed as an Unmanned Aerial Systems Mission Pilot in response to the 2020 catastrophic earthquake in Puerto Rico. Dr. Wong is a highly sought-out dynamic speaker and has spoken at the UN, Google Canada, Smithsonian, multiple TEDx’s and leading international conferences. She is a contributor for ABC World News, Forbes, and the Huffington Post, and has appeared on CNN, ABC News, CTV, CBC News, Global National TV, CP24, Discovery, and Space Channel.

Topic: Something related to lived experience – Cystic Fibrosis /vulnerability (see potential topics here)

Keynote Description and Objectives: TBD

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Jeremie Saunders, Actor, Producer, Host of Sickboy Podcast | Halifax, NS
• Biography: Jeremie Saunders is an award-winning actor, producer, and host of the popular podcast Sickboy. Born and raised on the East Coast of Canada, Jeremie has become a leading voice in reshaping how society views illness and disease. He lives with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic lung disease that shapes his personal and professional journey.Jeremie discovered his passion for performance through competitive improv and went on to study acting at Ryerson Theatre School. He began his professional career as a host on the Canadian Screen Award- and Gemini-winning CBC series ARTZOOKA! and the National Film Board’s Space School.In 2015, Jeremie Saunders co-created the Sickboy Podcast with his two best friends, Taylor MacGillivary and Brian Stever. The podcast quickly became a hit, named one of iTunes’ Best of 2015. Together, they explore life with chronic and terminal illnesses, sharing stories of hardship, humor, and resilience. Sickboy breaks down the stigma surrounding illness while bringing levity to difficult conversations. As a result, the podcast has had a profound impact on the disabled community. In 2020, Jeremie received the Meritorious Service Medal for his positive influence.Jeremie is also an acclaimed speaker, known for delivering thought-provoking and powerful keynotes. His TEDxToronto talk earned him a standing ovation, following the release of a highly praised CBC documentary about the Sickboy Podcast. Audiences describe his talks as “the most powerful and inspiring they’ve ever witnessed.”Jeremie Saunders lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with his charming partner Keara and their dog Donut. His journey exemplifies the power of humor, resilience, and challenging societal perceptions of illness

Topic: Collaboration, innovation

Keynote Description and Objectives: TBD

Potential speakers/panellists:

• Anthony Morgan, co-host of CBC’s The Nature of Things | Toronto, ON

• Rachel Gillespie, Senior Consultant, Mariner Innovations. A speaker and writer on the power of human-centred transformation | Fredericton, NB
• Other TBD

• Ross Pambrun, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper with focus on AI, cyber security, ethical AI, AI & Diversity | Website | Calgary, AB
• Sharon Rudderham, Director of Health Transformation, Tajikeimɨk-Mi’kmaw Health and Wellness: a new and developing health and wellness organization leading health transformation for Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia

• Karen Oldfield, Interim President and CEO, Nova Scotia Health | Halifax, NS
• Minister Michelle Thompson, Government of NS Minister of Health: Welcome and priorities for Healthcare in NS
• Susan Holt, Premier of NB: Strong connection to Digital Health and advocate for Digital Transformation | Website