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Most Canadian provinces and territories use a blend of public and private providers for health care services and funding. But longer wait times, an aging population, and the health care labour shortage are prompting governments, physicians, care providers and patients to wonder if there’s a greater role to play for the private sector.
Join The Globe and Mail for a series of national events focused on approaches to improve patient access, experience, equity and outcomes across public and private systems in Canada.
IF YOU HAVE REGISTERED FOR TODAY'S EVENT, CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW. YOU CAN THE WEBCAST JOIN AS EARLY AS 12:15 P.M. AT
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Event registraion is now closed. If you require assistance, please contact marketing@globeandmail.com.
Tara Sampalli
Senior Director, Implementation Science and Evaluation, and Global Health Systems Planning, Research, Innovation & Discovery,
NS Health
Pam Kennedy
Pharmacist and Pharmacy Owner, Bridgewater Guardian
Dr. Brent Young
Academic Director of Indigenous Health, Dalhousie University, Faculty of Medicine
Pauline Dakin
Assistant Professor, School of Journalism, Writing and Publishing, University of King's College
The CMA unites physicians who believe in a better future of health.
Our vision is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners; communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy; and a new culture of medicine that elevates physician well-being and embraces equity and diversity.
Realizing that vision is the work of the CMA as well as the CMA Group of Companies (CMA Foundation and CMA Impact).
Together, we are leading change through:
• Advocacy, knowledge generation and engagement
• Support for physician wellness and safety
• Charitable giving and responsible investment
Dr. Blackmer currently serves as the Vice President, International Health at the Canadian Medical Association. Prior to this, he served as the CMA’s Vice President of Medical Professionalism and as the Executive Director of the CMA’s Office of Ethics.
At the CMA, Dr. Blackmer has led the work of the association on issues such as end of life care and assisted dying, opioid prescribing, legalization of marijuana and global health. He regularly serves as a spokesperson on these and other issues and appears frequently in national and international media.
He contributes to international health by serving as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, numerous national medical associations as well as other international organizations. He chairs various international working groups, and is a frequent invited speaker at national and international meetings and conferences.
He has published and lectured extensively both nationally and internationally, and has authored numerous national and global health policies. He has been an invited lecturer and visiting professor at institutions such as Harvard University, the University of Notre Dame, the United States National Naval Medical Centre and the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He has received several honors and awards, including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to the fields of medical ethics and international medicine, the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics 20th Anniversary Distinguished Alumnus Award and Western University’s Alumni of Distinction Professional Achievement in Medicine Award.
Dr. Blackmer also continues to teach at the University of Ottawa, giving numerous lectures every year at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
André Picard is a health reporter and columnist for The Globe and Mail, where he has been a staff writer since 1987. He is also the author of five bestselling books.
André is an eight-time nominee for the National Newspaper Awards, Canada’s top journalism prize, and past winner of the prestigious Michener Award for Meritorious Public Service Journalism.
He was named Canada’s first “Public Health Hero” by the Canadian Public Health Association, as a “Champion of Mental Health” by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his dedication to improving healthcare.
André is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, and has received honorary doctorates from six universities, including UBC and the University of Toronto.
Dr. Ross is a family physician in Coquitlam and New Westminster, British Columbia; she does clinical work in community primary care and obstetrics and surgical assist work in cardiovascular surgery at Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH). She is a wife and mother of two. She holds a MSc in pathology and a MD from the University of British Columbia and teaches in the UBC Department of Medicine undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Numerous leadership roles have provided Dr. Ross the opportunity to establish health care policy and lead grassroots improvement in both community and acute care services, including: past president of Doctors of BC; founding member and chair of the Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice (FNDFP), RCH’s Collaborative Services Council and FNWDFP’s Shared Care Committee; and president of the RCH medical staff.
Dr. Ross is recognized for her interest in advancing technology in front-line clinical care. She has served as a physician lead and chair of the Pathways Patient Referral Association from inception to its current state as an indispensable online clinical and referral tool for physicians in BC and the Yukon.
As a founding member of Doctors of BC’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group in 2018 and physician lead for RCH’s Antiracism and Unconscious Bias Working Group in 2021, Dr. Ross remains committed to fostering learning, awareness, education and ongoing implementation of inclusive, diverse and antiracist practices in health care.
Dr. Ross is a member of the Physician Quality Improvement faculty with the Fraser Health Authority and the Physician Quality Improvement and Spreading Quality Improvement Steering Committee with the Specialist Services Committee and Fraser Health.
She also currently chairs the CMA’s Administrative Burden Working Group and is participating in the McMaster National Health Fellows Program.
Abbey is a passionate member of the Health System Partnerships team at Maple. As a registered nurse with front-line experience, she cares deeply about supporting the transformation of Canada's healthcare system to benefit all. Through her work at Maple, Abbey has become an expert in designing and implementing innovative models of care that address some of our stickiest primary care issues backed by virtual care. Abbey has completed a Master’s of Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship through Queen’s University and worked with health-tech startups at MaRS in Toronto.
Virginia McIntyre is the President and Exe. Director of the People In Pain Network(Society).
Virginia has been living with multiple chronic pain conditions for 13 years, which has required her to use both private and public health care.
She has a background in Radiological Imaging, holds a BA in Community Studies, and is a 2023 recipient of The Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship.
Virginia works extensively as a lived experience partner on research projects, and pain initiatives, and is a proud member of several committees which include; Pain Canada National Advisory Committee, and the Chair of the Canadian Pain Society (CPS) PWLE committee. Virginia is a public presenter focusing on pain-related topics with committed diligence to increase awareness of chronic pain and peer support.
Dr. Sampalli has held multiple important roles at Nova Scotia Health Authority and has made significant contributions in each of these roles. She has been a manager, the Director of Research, Assistant Director of Research in Primary Health Care and more recently has held the position of Senior Scientific Director in the Research, Innovation & Discovery portfolio. In this role, she leads the Implementation Science Team, and the Network of Scholars and is working with many key partners in the province to support the Learning Health System strategy. Tara also holds an Assistant Professor position at the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University.
Through her many roles in the organization, Tara has been instrumental in supporting multiple priority initiatives that have gone on to win provincial, national, and international quality awards. She has also secured numerous research grants and published several key articles related to health system improvements and transformations. She has a deep passion for working with patients and community partners.
Tara is currently leading and co-leading several priority implementations and innovations to enhance access and facilitate optimization of roles and practice for interprofessional teams and bringing care closer to home / in your community initiatives. She is also the lead for the Nova Scotia’s International Community of Health Care Workers Engagement (NICHE) Program for internationally educated and trained professionals in the province.
A valued member of our Research, Innovation and Discovery team, Dr. Sampalli has been instrumental in our efforts to build a better health care system.
Pam Kennedy is a graduate of the College of Pharmacy at Dalhousie University. With 19 years of experience, Pam continues to have a passion for positive change in her profession. As the Pharmacist and Owner of Guardian Pharmacy in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Pam has transformed her pharmacy into a community cornerstone since its establishment in 2011. Her leadership has fostered a reputation at her pharmacy for that of comprehensive health approaches and patient-focused services. Pam's commitment to professional growth extends beyond her pharmacy walls. She actively supports the advancement of pharmacy services in Nova Scotia, emphasizing accessibility and quality in patient care.
In February 2023, her Bridgewater Guardian Pharmacy became one of the original 12 sites for the newly launched Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinics, showcasing her dedication to pushing boundaries and enhancing healthcare accessibility at the community level. Nationally, Pam represents Nova Scotia on the McKesson Retail Banner Group National Advisory Council, contributng to discussions and strategies that impact the broader pharmaceutical landscape.
Locally, she is a member of the Pharmacy Practice Committee with the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, contributing to shaping the future of pharmacy practice in the province. Beyond her professional commitments, Pam serves as a Board Member and Governance Chair of the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore. In this role, she guides the governance of an organization dedicated to advancing health services in the region.
Dr. Brent Young is Anishinaabe and a member of Sandy Bay First Nation. His mother is a Sixties Scoop Survivor, and his grandmother was a survivor of Sandy Bay Indian Residential School. He is a family physician at Sipekne’katik Health Centre, academic director for Indigenous health at Dalhousie Medical School, and founding clinical lead of Wije’winen Health Centre. He played a key role in supporting the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in establishing this service for the urban Indigenous community of Halifax in 2022. Through his leadership, Dalhousie Medical School has seen a substantial increase in the number of Indigenous medical students being admitted through a new Indigenous Admissions Pathway. This pathway is poised to be a national driver of the Indigenous physician workforce in Canada. His primary area of interest is dismantling anti-Indigenous racism in healthcare systems using rights-based frameworks.
Dr. Audain received his medical training in Halifax at Dalhousie Medical School (1998–2002). He completed his specialty training at Memorial University of Newfoundland (2002–07). Since 2007, Dr. Audain has been a staff anesthesiologist at the Victoria General and the Halifax Infirmary. In recent years, he has also worked occasionally at Dartmouth General Hospital, due to ongoing redevelopment of the QEII Health Sciences Centre.
In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Audain is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University, teaching medical students, residents and other learners. During his term at Doctors Nova Scotia, he hopes to see family medicine stabilized in Nova Scotia. Although it’s not the only problem in health care, he sees it as the most pressing issue in the province. He believes there are opportunities to work with health-system partners to improve health care in Nova Scotia – opportunities that have not existed for quite some time.
Throughout his career, Dr. Audain has sought opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the health-care system. His interests align with the association’s mission and vision.As a member of the Promoting Leadership in Health for African Nova Scotians advisory committee and the Black Physicians of Nova Scotia Society, Dr. Audain is acutely aware of the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion.
Dr. Leisha Hawker is a family physician with certified added competence in addiction medicine practising in Halifax. She is passionate about health equity and publicly funded health care. She cofounded the Newcomer Health Clinic, which serves refugees and refugee claimants, and works at the North End Community Health Centre, which serves a diverse and marginalized population. She was named one of the Medical Post's Top 20 Physicians to Watch in 2015. She is the immediate past president of Doctors Nova Scotia and serves on the board of the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians.
Dr. Hawker graduated from Dalhousie Medical School in 2011. As a medical student, she won a CMA leadership innovation grant to increase Indigenous representation in medicine. She completed her family medicine training in 2013 and later obtained a certificate of added competence in addiction medicine. She has extensive leadership training. In 2015 she was awarded the Dr. William Grigor Award from Doctors Nova Scotia, which is given to a physician under the age of 50, and a year later she was given the Award of Excellence from the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians for her advocacy for Indigenous and refugee health.
Pauline Dakin is a professor of journalism at the University of King’s College in Halifax. She spent more than 20 years with the CBC, most of that time as the national health and medical reporter, and the host of the regional documentary program Atlantic Voice. Her reporting and documentary work have been recognized with many regional, national and international awards. She is a fellow of the MIT/Knight Science Journalism program on medical evidence in Cambridge, Mass.
Pauline is also the bestselling author of Run, Hide, Repeat: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood which won the prestigious 2018 Edna Staebler Prize for Creative Non-fiction and was named one of the best 100 books of 2017 by The Globe and Mail.
Sharon Davis-Murdoch C.M., is a social justice champion. Retired from the Nova Scotia Public Service, Sharon’s political science background and public policy experience informs her work in community. Among her public policy accomplishments was the development of the first Provincial Guidelines for Culturally Competent Primary Health Care in Canada.
Sharon was made a Paul Harris Fellow by the Halifax and Dartmouth Rotary Foundations of Rotary International in April and December, 2022, recognizing her commitment to service over self.
In December, 2021 Sharon was named to the Order of Canada for her dedication to culturally competent care and improving the health equity and inclusion of racialized communities in Nova Scotia.
Sharon received Premier’s Awards of Excellence in 2007 and 2015.
Sharon works at the community level and is a founding member and the Co-President of the Health Association of African Canadians. Additional to that role, Sharon was appointed and served as Commissioner on the Independent Commission on Effective Electoral Representation of Acadian and African Nova Scotians in 2017.
In 2018, Sharon received the Inspiration Award from the Dalhousie School of Public Administration awarded to public servants who have demonstrated a superior dedication and commitment to mentoring, coaching and inspiring students and public servants over the course of their careers.
Robert Zed is a difference-maker. He is a builder, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community leader. He leads Triangle Strategies, a diversified collection of companies in the broad range of healthcare strategy and navigation, AI/technology, coaching and leadership development. He is a regular adviser of Fortune 500 companies on a mission to move the needle and a trusted and sought-after resource with clients from coast to coast. He is a serial entrepreneur and has built many successful companies.
Robert has been recognized by numerous organizations for the impact he has made in business and the community. Some of his accolades include The Top 50 CEO’s Atlantic Business Magazine and is a member of ABM Hall of Fame, Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award, the Nestman Award from Dalhousie MHA, The Queens Medal of Excellence, recently named Businessperson of the Year by the Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Dalhousie University’s 2020 Aurum Award winner. In addition, Robert is a strongly community-minded citizen and has volunteered extensively for hundreds of organizations and causes. Currently, his community time is spent at Dalhousie University, Canadian Red Cross and AMS Healthcare.
Robert is a connector and navigator in the Canadian business and healthcare system. As both a former hospital vice-president and a board member of numerous healthcare foundations and associations, coupled with his experience in operations, his broad pan-Canadian perspective in healthcare is invaluable and unparalleled. With a comprehensive network of affiliations and an impressive blue-chip client list, he has assisted many organizations in achieving notable results.
