Long Term Care Research Education Day 2009

Ms. Christina Bisanz
CEO
Ontario Long Term Care Assocaition

Recently appointed as the CEO of the Ontario Long Term Care Association, Cristina Bisanz leads members of 430 not-for-profit, charitable, private and municipal homes that represents nearly 50,000 residents.  Christina has over 25 years of experience and leadership within the association and consultancy fields working with both private sector and non-profit organizations.  Prior to this, Christina served as President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores, President and CEO of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management, and Vice President, Customer Policy of the Food and Consumer Products Manufacturers of Canada.  Her goal is to continue to enhance the vital role that the long term care sector plays in meeting the care and accommodation needs of aging Ontarians and contributing to an effective and sustainable health care system.

Ms. Christine Dalglish
Director of Operations
Responsive Health Management

Chris Dalglish has worked in a variety of nursing settings, including Acute Care, Palliative Care and Long Term Care.  Over the past 19 years, she has worked in Long Term Care and is currently the Director of Operations for Responsive Health Management.  Chris obtained her Nursing degree from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, then her Masters of Health Studies (MHS) from Athabasca University.  Currently she is a member of the Toronto Central LHIN Health Professional Advisory Committee, the OLTCA Resident Care & Services Committee and Chairs OLTCA’s Applied Research Committee at the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA).  Since being the first to provide Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) beds in a Long Term Care setting in Ontario, she has continued to be active with the Provincial Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) committee to develop a standard provincial PD model for Long Term Care homes.

Brent Chambers, Director of Healthcare Partnerships
Revera Inc.

Brent Chambers has been with Revera for the past ten years as Director of Health Care Partnerships. During his career in health care he has held senior positions with hospitals, District Health Councils and a provincial health ministry. His community volunteer work has seen him involved with a variety of organizations, including the Canadian Cancer Society.

Ms. Josie d'Avernas
Vice President, Program Development and Innovation
RBJ Schlegel Holdings
Associate Executive Director, Research Institute for Aging

Josie is the Associate Director of the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging.  She is also Vice-President, Program Development and Innovation for Schlegel Seniors Villages.  In this dual role, Josie works with university, college and industry partners to promote research generation, research transfer to practice, and improved gerontology content in college and university courses.  Josie has a Master’s degree in Health Studies from the University of Waterloo.

Ms. Joanne Dykeman
Vice President
Clinical Services and Program Development
Revera Inc.

Joanne holds the position of Vice President, Clinical Services and Program Development for Revera Inc. where she has worked over the past 17 years in a variety of roles.  She is a member of the CNO, CSTD and NICE.   Dykeman graduated from Ryerson University as a Registered Nurse and has an MA in Leadership/Training and Development from Royal Roads University in British Columbia.  Her current role is to provide strategic direction for the nursing, nutritional and recreational programs to enhance the lives of Residents living in Revera residences and homes.

Dr. James Edney
Medical Director
Long Term Care Homes and Services

Dr. Edney has been involved with Long Term Care for more than 30 years and has been Medical Director at a number of homes. He has been a consultant with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and was an Accreditation surveyor for a number of years. Currently he is the Medial Director of Castleview-Wychwood Towers and holds the position of Medical Co-ordinator for the City of Toronto Long–Term Care Home and Services. He is the Vice president of the Ontario Long Term Care Physicians.

Dr. Corinne E. Fischer
MD, University of Toronto
Keenan Research CentreScientist
St. Michael's Hospital

Dr. Fischer is presently a staff psychiatrist with the Mental Health Service and director of Geriatric Psychiatry at St. Michael’s Hospital.  She has an academic appointment as assistant professor and is the clinical care coordinator at the University of Toronto in the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry.  Dr. Fischer’s major research interests include dementia in special populations and health systems issues.  She has several publications in peer-reviewed journals and has received both peer and non-peer-reviewed funding for her research.

Dr. Norman Flett
Medical Director
St. Joseph's Villa, Dundas

Dr. Norman Flett is an M.D. Graduate of University of Toronto specializing in Family Medicine at McMaster University.

Dr. Sudeep Gill
MD, MSc (Clin Epi), FRCPC
Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine
Queen's University

Dr. Sudeep Gill completed medical school and internal medicine training at the University of Western Ontario, and geriatric medicine training at the University of Toronto. He completed a master's degree in clinical epidemiology at the University of Toronto, and is involved in research examining the safety of medications for frail older adults including those with dementia. He teaches and practices geriatric medicine at Queen's University in Kingston.

Dr. Jamie Gruman
Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour
University of Guelph

Jamie Gruman earned his Ph.D. in the Applied Social Psychology Program at the University of Windsor where he specialized in organizational psychology. He has taught a variety of undergraduate, MBA, MA, and Ph.D. courses and currently teaches the popular leadership of organizational change course in Guelph’s MA Leadership program.  Dr. Gruman has been nominated for numerous teaching awards including two nominations as Ontario’s best lecturer, and in 2009 was the recipient of a University of Guelph Distinguished Professor Award.  Dr. Gruman is also an award-winning researcher and has published papers in top academic journals and has recently written a chapter for the soon-to-be-released Handbook of Employee Engagement.  he specialized in organizational psychology.

Ms. Laurie Harrison
Vice President, Corporate Services & CFO
Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care

Laurie Harrison has been in health care in Ontario for 20 years, the past 13 at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, most recently as Vice President, Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer.  She is currently spearheading initiatives to implement a Balanced Scorecard approach to execute the Strategic Plan as well as an initiative to build an interdisciplinary Decision Support Team that will support care, research and education.  In addition to a professional accounting designation, Laurie has a degree in Finance and an MBA.

Dr. John P. Hirdes
Professor
Department of Health Studies and Gerontology,
University of Waterloo

Dr. Hirdes is the senior Canadian Fellow and a Board Member of interRAI, an international consortium of researchers from 29 countries. He chairs the interRAI Area Network of Canada, a collaborative network of researchers and graduate students from across Canada. Dr. Hirdes led interRAI efforts to create the Mental Health and Community Mental Health assessment systems, the System for Classification of In-Patient Psychiatry, the Method for Assigning Priority Levels in home care, and Home Care Quality Indicators (as co-PI).

Dr. Zahinoor Ismail
BMSc MD FRCPC
Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Calgary
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Dr. Ismail attended medical school and residency in Alberta and worked in Edmonton and Calgary focusing on ER psychiatry and the inpatient teaching unit dealing extensively with psychotic patients including those in late life.  Dr. Ismail was also the medical director of the Calgary Health Region Outpatient Schizophrenia Service.  He is affiliated with the CAMH Geriatric Mental Health program and is Head of the CAMH memory clinic.  He currently coordinates resident education at the Geriatric Mental Health Program at CAMH and is head of CME for the division of Geriatric Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, having recently chaired the successful Geriatric Psychopharmacology Day and Toronto Geriatric Mental Health Conferences.

Ms. Maureen Kelly
Manager, HCC Operations
CIHI

Maureen Kelly is Manager, Home and Continuing Care Operations at the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), where she manages the teams responsible for supporting jurisdictions implementing and submitting data to the Continuing Care and Home Care Reporting Systems (CCRS and HCRS) and for the key HCRS and CCRS reporting and analytical activities. Since joining CIHI, she has also been involved in several HCRS and CCRS system development projects, including the development of the HCRS system and CCRS eReports, and implementation of the new CCRS Quality Indicators.

Dr. Anthony Kerigan
Associate Professor
Division of Respirology
McMaster Clinic
Hamilton General Hospital

Currently Geriatrician on the Geriatric consultation team, Hamilton General Hospital.  Ongoing interest in the delivery of Palliative Care in severe chronic illnesses and in the frail elderly.

Donna Kingelin, Chief Operating Officer
Revera Inc.

Donna Kingelin is Chief Operating Officer at Revera Inc., formerly Retirement Residences Real Estate Investment Trust (Retirement REIT), a Canadian-based company which provides accommodation and care for seniors. Revera Inc. also provides nursing placement and in-home health care through its Revera Health Services unit.  Ms. Kingelin is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction to all aspects of Revera’s Canadian and USA operations in her position on Revera’s senior executive team.

Dr. Anthony P. Lombardo
Network Manager
National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)

Anthony P. Lombardo, PhD, is the Network Manager of the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE), an international knowledge transfer network of researchers, practitioners, students and seniors dedicated to improving the care of older adults on a global scale.  Dr. Lombardo has been involved with NICE from the outset, working with Scientific Director Dr. Lynn McDonald on the original conceptualization and direction for the network, and helping to write and coordinate the initial funding application.  He has worked with Dr. McDonald and the Institute for Life Course and Aging at University of Toronto, the host institution for NICE, for the past four years on numerous projects in the field of aging. 

Dr. Judith A. Miller
MD, FRCPC, MSc, MHSc
Provincial Clinical Director, Ontario Renal Network
Toronto General Hospital

A nephrologist since 1991, Dr. Miller is a professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto and Deputy Division Director at the University Health Network.  She has been an active Clinician Scientist and researcher, and has published widely in renal physiology and pathophysiology.  She assumed the position of Provincial Clinical Director for the newly established Ontario Renal Network in June 2009.  In that position, Dr. Miller is using her administrative and nephrology expertise to spearhead the development of a provincial renal care delivery system, in which the long term care sector will play a major role.

Ms. Daile Moffat
RN/MBA
Director of Professional Services
Specialty Care Inc

Daile Moffat has more than 18 years of experience as a nurse leader in Long Term Care.  She has had a key role in leading the implementation and use of RAI - MDS, HOBIC, the utilization of the MDS clinical indicators to improve resident quality of life and systems improvements for quality and safety in long term care and maximizing the use of PCC in all Specialty Care homes.

Ms. Patricia Morden
Chief Executive Coach
Shalom Village

Pat Morden graduated from McMaster with a Bachelor of Science of Nursing and from U of T with a Master of Education. Pat is an Associate Clinical Professor, McMaster Faculty of Health Sciences and the 2009 recipient of the Faculty John Sibley Award.  She co-chairs the LTC Network Council in her LHIN and is on the Board of Directors for the Carpenter Hospice in Burlington and the Ontario Long Term Care Association.  Pat is the CEO of Shalom Village, a Kosher not for profit long term care organization in Hamilton, affiliated with McMaster University and home to over 200 elderly persons who’s mission is to provide the opportunities for individuals needing support to continue their life interests, values, and relationships. Pat is also a Certified Executive Coach providing leaders the support to make fulfilling choices. Captain of the 2009 World Champion Canadian National Grand Dragon Boat team, Pat trains to bring home the gold – both on the water and off!

Dr. Alexandra Papaioannou
Professor, Department of Medicine
McMaster University

Dr. Alexandra Papaioannou is a Professor in the Department of Medicine, and past Director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at McMaster University with joint appointment in the Division of Rheumatology. Dr. Papaioannou is Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council of Osteoporosis Canada (OC) and past Chair of the Board, and has served on a number of Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOH LTC) Committees including serving as the Co-Chair of the MOHLTC Osteoporosis Strategy for Ontario.  She is lead investigator for the Long-term Care Ontario Osteoporosis Strategy, an Associate Member of the Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, and a Geriatrician at Hamilton Health Sciences.

Ms. Eileen Patterson
MCE PMP
Director, Quality Improvement
Ontario Health Quality Council

Eileen Patterson is Director of Quality Improvement for the Ontario Health Quality Council and has been leading healthcare renewal initiatives for over 15 years. She brings experience and expertise in the areas of Health Service Integration, Self-Management, Access, Efficiency and Clinical Care improvements within primary care, specialty care, Long Term Care and health progra She led the Taber Integrated Primary Care Project, the implementation of the Chronic Care Model across a regional healthcare system, served as project leader of Alberta's AIM Collaboratives and AIM Leadership Development, and has consulted on numerous health system improvement strategies in rural and urban settings.

Mr. Blair Philippi
Program Lead, Health System Transformation
Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network

Blair is the Program Lead, Health System Transformation with the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN). Since joining the LHIN he has supported the development and implementation of Aging at Home Projects and the ER/ALC Strategy. He also co-led the transition bed program which provided an innovative solution to support seniors who no longer require acute care services.  Blair’s current portfolio includes leading the processes for Long Term Care Accountability Planning Submissions (LAPS) and Long Term Care Accountability Agreements (LSAA); and recommending Phase 1 B & C Redevelopment Projects. He is the LHIN representative reviewing the current and future funding model for Ontario LTC Homes.

Dr. Jeff Poss
Assistant Research Professor
Department of Health Studies and Gerontology
University of Waterloo

Originally educated as an engineer (BASc, Waterloo), Dr. Poss also has an MBA from McMaster University in Health Services Administration, and a doctoral degree in Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo. He is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo and has worked with MDS/RAI data since 2000 in research projects in the group led by Dr. John Hirdes.

Ms. Marlene Raasok
Executive Dean
School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services
Conestoga College

Marlene has a BSc. in Pharmacy and a Masters in Health Administration from the University of Alberta.  She’s had 19 years of experience in long-term care operation administration in Western Canada.  Marlene is currently the Executive Dean for the School of Health & Life Sciences and Community Services at Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Kitchener.  Marlene has a keen interest in continuous quality improvement and the organizational development that is required to sustain new ways of providing service.

Ms. Krista Robinson-Holt
RN, BScN, MN
Director, Quality and Performance Improvement Strategy
Extendicare Inc.

Krista Robinson-Holt began her career as a staff nurse in geriatrics, and later geriatric emergency medicine, at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, eventually coordinating the hospital’s Geriatric Internal Consultation Team.  Krista then worked at the Canadian Institute for Health Information as Database Coordinator of the MDS (Minimum Data Set) 2.0 database across Canada, honing her skills in indicator development and data management.  From there, Krista worked at both the Ontario Hospital Association as Senior Hospital Consultant and the Ontario Long Term Care Association as Director of Health Planning and Research, establishing a solid career in healthcare policy, advocacy and government and media relations. 

Mr. James Schlegel
President
RBJ Schlegel Holdings
Associate Executive Director, Research Institute for Aging

James is President of Schlegel Seniors Villages and the third generation of his family involved in seniors living and care.  The Schlegels design, build and own/operate continuum of care campuses in Ontario including independent apartments, retirement suites, assisted care units, supportive care (for early dementia) and long term care.  James is also a Board member of the Research Institute for Aging, set up by the Schlegel family in 2004 to formalize a long standing relationship with the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College. The mandate of the RIA is to enhance quality of life for seniors both in congregate care settings as well as in the broader community across Canada.  Schlegel Seniors Villages are R and D sites for researchers, the results of which are immediately applied within the village as well as disseminated to the broader sector.  James currently spends much of his time on business development, strategic partnerships, facility design, innovative program development, construction oversight and operational issues.

Dr. Vasanthi Srinivasan
Director - Health System Planning and Research Branch
Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

Vasanthi Srinivasan was appointed Director of Health System Planning and Research Branch at the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in April 2007. She joined the Provincial Government on an executive interchange from Health Canada as Director of Population Health Policy and Planning and Women's Health Branch.  Vasanthi holds a Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa and has considerable experience in policy and research. She has served at the federal and international levels in key social policy areas such as health, immigration, aboriginal and women's issues.

Sharen Wilson-Carr, Vice President Quality Management
Revera Inc.

Sharen Wilson Carr is the VP of Quality Management for Revera. Prior to coming to Revera Sharen had been a health care consultant at KPMG. She also spent 13 years working in hospitals across the GTA in various nursing roles. Sharen has a MBA from York University, a BScN from Ryerson University and graduated as a nurse from the Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing.