Most Influential Canadian Women Leaders in Healthcare 2022.pdf

FEBRUARY | ISSUE : 05 | 2023
Leading Mental Health Care, Healthifying the Globe
MOST INFLUENTIAL CANADIAN WOMEN LEADERS IN HEALTHCARE
Barbieri
KEYS TO
SUCCESS
Strategies to
Eﬀec ve
Leadership
in Healthcare
PRESENT
AND FUTURE
Signiﬁcance of
Women in
Healthcare
Leadership

Better
Hlthand
a bett
way of life.

hen you start managing things, you lead
Wpeople.” A Leader is an inspiration to many,
irrespective of their gender. To be the right
leader you should be able to guide appropriately, manage
things and be organized. The role of a leader is
multifaceted, it is diﬀerent for everyone, but has one motto
– to lead in the right direction. A Leader distinguishes
themselves by their abilities to motivate, strategize,
envision and support their team toward success, regardless
of their position or recognition in the industry.
In modern times, women are constantly evolving and
reaching new milestones in a wide range of human
activities. Women taking more Leadership is a growth
strategy that changes the trajectory of every industry to
better performance. With a strong determination of breaking
through the traditional glass ceiling, they are entering
leadership positions with the right skills and talent.
In the healthcare industry, women leaders are considered to
be more compassionate, democratic, and great time
managers. Their adopted leadership style is often people-
oriented that attempts to promote collective decision-
Women of Inﬂuence:
Leadership with
Compassion
“

making, accepting responsibility, teamwork and motivating
colleagues along their growth path. In addition to the
skillset, women also bring diversity and new perspectives
to the workplace, helping to bridge the gender gap.
Women's participation in the healthcare system results in
inclusive and equitable healthcare delivery that prioritizes
everyone in society, including the marginalized.
Insights Care’s special edition of “Most Influential
Canadian Women Leaders in Healthcare,” focuses on
those women who have constantly invented progress as
their gift to have a meaningful and healthy future – leading
with great example and leaving the floor better than they
found it. Their journey has not been easy in society, but
their determination made them stronger and fearless. Likely
said, they are more empathetic as they have a patient-
centered approach prioritizing more on mental health and
the overall well-being of their team and society, thereby
encouraging a healthy and happy life for all. They have
built their empire and now are transforming the healthcare
industry with positive influence.
Have a great read!
-Pooja Shah

C O N T E
COVER
Story
08
Barbieri

N T S
Articles
18
Leading ality Control and
ality Assurance in the
emerging Psychedelic Industry
26
Propelling a Change for
Canadians of Black Descents
Approaching Care Provision and
Decision-making with Kindness
38
Enhancing Patient Care with
Technology Leadership
44
Mental Health Made Accessible,
Affordable and Patient-centric
22
34
30
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Strategies to Effec ve
Leadership in Healthcare
PRESENT AND FUTURE
Significance of Women in
Healthcare Leadership

Co-designer Paul Belin
Art & Picture Editor
Sonia Raizada
Art & Design Head
Editor-in-Chief Merry D'souza
Managing Editor Pooja Shah
Senior Editor Anish Miller
Visualiser David King
Research Analyst Eric Smith
Sarah Wilson, John Smith, Alex Vincent
Business Development Executives
Amy Jones
Business Development Manager
Sales Executives Kelli, Bill, Anna
SME-SMO Executives Gemson
Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege
Technical Consultants David, Robert
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Marketing Manager John Smith
Assistant Technical Head Amar Sawant
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Renuka Kulkarni
Assisting Editors Saloni, Shreyasi
Mrunalinee Deshmukh
Circulation Manager Tanaji Fartade
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February, 2023
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BRIEF
COMPANY
FEATURING
Arunima Nath
Director of Quality
and Compliance
Psygen
Psygen.ca
Arunima Nath devise prac cal approaches to ensure
quality assurance and quality control are supervised
effec vely and lead to a safer health ecosystem.
Cara Vaccarino
COO
EHN Canada
Edgewoodhealthnetwork.com
Cara works for mental health services in Canada. She
stresses the importance of standardiza on, to avoid
wasteful spendings in the mental health cae industry.
Ontario Shores Centre for
Mental Health Sciences
Ontarioshores.ca
Dawne Barbieri
Vice President, Clinical
Services and Research
Dawne Barbieri, is a standout leader who is driving this
quality care. She is passionate about serving pa ents
and scaling up the current healthcare sector.
Debra Olaniyi
Associate Manager -
Programs and Services
Federa on of
Black Canadians
Debra Olaniyi is passionate about equity, diversity and
inclusion (EDI) within vulnerable communi es, more
specifically using an intersec onal lens to solve pressing
issues around equity in Black communi es.
Joanne Simons
CEO
Casey House
caseyhouse.ca
Joanne is the ideal empathe c leader that the world
of HIV care delivery deserves. She leads the
organiza on’s mission of judgment-free care delivery.
Kate Culter
President & CEO
Medinet Health Systems
Inc medinet.ca
Kate Culter provides support with a pa ent-centric
approach, she encourages healthcare end-users to
accelerate the adop on of new systems and implement
them successfully.
Lisa Klco
CEO
Nōmina Wellness
Nominawellness.ca
Lisa Klco aligns opera ons in a collabora ve and
integrated approach, thus making mental health care
not only flexible to pa ent needs while facilita ng
accessible and affordable care.
Marion Cooper
CEO
CMHA Manitoba
and Winnipeg
Mbwpg.cmha.ca
Marion Cooper helps people with mental health
illnesses and challenges such as schizophrenia and
other mental health issues.

Cover
Dawne Barbieri
Vice President
Clinical Services and Research
Ontario Shores Centre
for Mental Health Sciences

Barbieri
I CAN HONESTLY SAY IT IS THE BEST ORGANIZATION
I’VE EVER WORKED FOR. EVERY DAY, IT’S A PLEASURE
TO COME TO WORK AND MEET OUR PATIENTS, STAFF,
PHYSICIANS AND VOLUNTEERS.

ince the historical timeline of
socioeconomic discoveries,
human life has been constantly
inventing and progressing in order to
gift itself a meaningful and healthy
future. However, on that lifeboat,
people are navigating several storms,
one of which is mental health.
As per various research studies of
contemporary times, one in three
people face mental health issues.
In such times, the world must look
beyond physical health and consider
mental health as well. To meet this
demand, many organizations around
the world are developing cutting-edge
methods for improving people's mental
health.
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental
Health Sciences (Ontario Shores) is
one such organization. It offers
compassionate, research-based,
technology-enabled and patient-centric
therapeutic solutions to help people
achieve improved mental health and
live a more fulfilled life.
Dawne Barbieri, one of the
organization's Vice Presidents
(Clinical Services and Research), is a
standout leader who is driving this
quality care. She began as a clinical
educator and mentor in the mental
healthcare field and is passionate about
serving patients and scaling up the
current healthcare sector.
Let's take a closer look at how Dawne
is making her mark in this niche!
Her Journey
Dawne has been a registered nurse for
almost 40 years, and she considers this
a privilege. Nursing has allowed her to
gain experience in a variety of roles
within the healthcare system.
Her professional journey has been
accompanied by many outstanding
staff and physicians, who have made
her realize the importance of
recognizing excellent work and the
contributions made by the various
teams she worked with. She has also
spent the last 20 years as an
Accreditation Canada Surveyor, which
has given her many examples of
excellent healthcare provided by teams
in various sectors across Canada and
many other international healthcare
organizations.
Her passion for working with patients
and families and improving healthcare
pulls her back from retirement every
time she plans to. She says, sharing
about her professional journey, "I
began my career in mental health
before moving on to medicine,
emergency care and intensive care
nursing. I became a Clinical Educator,
mentoring and coaching many
wonderful and caring nurses, which
satisfied my desire to teach while also
providing patient care. I rose through
the ranks of several healthcare
organizations in the Greater Toronto
Area, eventually becoming a senior
leader and site executive. Planning and
opening a hospital was one of the
highlights of my career."
Having held various positions
(currently Vice President, Clinical
Services and Research) at Ontario
Shores Centre for Mental Health
Sciences, she remarks, "I can honestly
say it is the best organization I've ever
worked for. Every day, it's a pleasure to
come to work and meet our patients,
staff, physicians and volunteers."
The nursing journey in the mental
healthcare system has come full circle
for her, as she says, "I feel like I've
returned home."
These professional victories haven't
been smooth, but she is setting an
example as a female leader who
created avenues in the most difficult
times to reach her current career
position.
Blooming through Challenges
There were a bundle of obstacles in her
way, like she was subjected to
stereotypes that were prevalent in the
1980s and 1990s, such as choosing
nursing over medicine, for not being
smart enough, or that if a woman was
attractive, promotions might not be
earned for the right reasons.
She says, "There were also times when
I had to make difficult decisions and
several negative adjectives were used
to describe my approach, whereas
male colleagues who made similar
decisions were described as being
courageous and simply tough."
Rather than being dismayed and
personalizing those comments, she was
THERE WERE ALSO TIMES
WHEN I HAD TO MAKE
DIFFICULT DECISIONS, AND
SEVERAL NEGATIVE
ADJECTIVES WERE USED
TO DESCRIBE MY
APPROACH, WHEREAS
MALE COLLEAGUES WHO
MADE SIMILAR DECISIONS
WERE DESCRIBED AS
BEING COURAGEOUS AND
SIMPLY TOUGH."
S
Most Influen al Canadian Women Leaders in Healthcare

determined to be a role model for
women and nurses by demonstrating
professionalism and collaboration.
Over time, she discovered that self-
reflection and effective emotional
intelligence enabled her to
appropriately evaluate situations and
be the best leader she could be. She
never let gender stand in the way of her
success. She comments, "You will
succeed if you use a situational
leadership model and excellent
communication skills to focus on both
goal achievement and relationship
development. For me, it's not about
me; I'm a servant leader. It is about
other people."
This positive attitude has made her
capable of leading and guiding
operations at Ontario Shores. Through
her guidance and the organization's
distinctive offerings, the Canada-based
healthcare provider is creating a great
impact in the healthcare industry.
Influencing with its USPs
Ontario Shores was one of the first
organizations to sign the Declaration of
Commitment to Recovery of the
Mental Health Commission of Canada.
The declaration's goal is to spark
discussion, build support and
accelerate the adoption of the recovery
philosophy in mental health
organizations.
Throughout the organization, Ontario
Shores employs a recovery model of
care. The principles of empowerment,
hope, recovery, collaboration, identity,
responsibility and meaning in life
underpin the Interprofessional
Collaborative Recovery Model.
This patient-centred approach to the
treatment of mental illness combines
medical, rehabilitation and
psychological perspectives. It promotes
patient inclusion and empowerment
while also providing treatment options
tailored to the individual needs of
patients to support their well-being.
She shares, "We will continue to seek
opportunities to advance recovery-
oriented practices, participate in
discussions about recovery-focused
programs and services, and share our
knowledge and tools with others."
Infusing Technology for Optimal
Care
Ontario Shores' mission is to provide
exemplary mental health care through
specialized treatment, research,
education and advocacy. With a bold
and transformative vision, Ontario
Shores is widely recognized for its
approach to mental health care and
unique services centered on recovery,
hope and inspiration through
discovery.
In terms of technology, one of their
vision statements is Revolutionizing
Care, which means having a global
impact on the way mental health care
is delivered; leading system innovation
with partners to transform care; and
using real-time data, research,
analytics, and measurement to drive
the highest standard of care. She
shares, "Over the years, we've
launched new programs, services, and
innovative technology platforms and
applications to better connect patients
with their care."
Its research team employs technology
and innovation and seeks to improve
recovery and mental health outcomes
through an applied approach and
provides a strategic vision for how
Ontario Shores will innovate to reduce
stigma, improve recovery outcomes
and support, promote population-level
health, and design and evaluate
services. Specifically, people affected
by complex mental health conditions
across the lifespan, as well as their
caregivers.
Its researchers work with service users,
their families, and the broader
community to improve clinical
practices and assess the impact of
services on quality of care, user
outcomes and experiences.
To integrate technological solutions,
over the years, the organization has
fostered important collaborations to
advance innovation and technology
with Waypoint Centre for Mental
Health Care (Waypoint), The Royal
Ottawa Health Care Group (The
Royal) and the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health (CAMH). The team
also has established partnerships with
several academic institutions, including
Ontario Tech University, Trent
University, the University of Toronto
and Durham College.
Research Impact Canada is expanding
its national approach to include a focus
on clinical practice transformation
based on Ontario Shores' leadership in
utilizing knowledge mobilization
methodologies and impact measures to
dramatically shorten the delay in
translating research into improvements
in quality of care and the patient
experience. Sharing about their
membership with Research Impact
Canada, she says, "I am also proud to
share that we are the first non-
postsecondary education member of
Research Impact Canada (RIC),
intending to develop institutional
capacities for developing and sharing
knowledge mobilization best practices,
services and tools."
At Ontario Shores, the teams are
exploring innovative mental health
technology and solutions that will give
Canadians barrier-free and fair access
to necessary services for their long-

term health and allow them to age with
dignity in their homes and
communities. Ontario Shores will
harness its in-house knowledge, data
and services to create a Mental Health
Innovation Accelerator, the first of its
kind worldwide.
Additionally, Ontario Shores is the
world's first mental health hospital to
be certified by the Healthcare
Information and Management Systems
Society's (HIMSS) Electronic Medical
Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) at
Stage 7, which improves patient safety,
decreases time and errors, and
improves care delivery while using
secure data.
Portal establishing the Patient-
Doctor Bond
The technological leverage is utilized
by the organization to customize its
services. One such tailored service is
through its portal – My Health My
Way. Dawne believes that access to
their health information promotes
autonomy and collaboration in their
care.
Talking about Ontario Shores USP –
My Health My Way, Dawne says, "I
believe the My Health My Way portal
contributes to Ontario Shores' priority
of patient-centred care by enhancing
two-way communication with our
patients. Because mental health and
addiction healthcare issues are
chronic, the patient and family must
commit to an ongoing engagement with
the care team and their recovery plan
of care."
Dawne elaborates on other advantages
the portal offers, and says,
"Outpatients, in particular, can use the
portal to gain timely access to their
healthcare information, such as
assessment and progress notes written
by members of their care team.
Patients can review medication
information to ensure they are fully
informed about this aspect of their care
plan."
Tailoring the Patient Care Delivery
In contemporary times where people
like being in touch with medical
attendants or facilities as quickly as
possible, it is important for healthcare
organizations to expand their reach and
provide services while enabling access
and affordability.
As a public specialty hospital, Ontario
Shores has built a solid foundation of
care and is an organization that is
fundamentally changing the way
mental health care is delivered.
They have, in recent years, increased
their efforts in public awareness,
education and research, but they also
recognize that additional work is
needed to ensure that mental health
care is more accessible and inclusive.
To support this goal, they have recently
launched a bold new Strategic Plan to
serve as their guide.
Talking about its current expansions in
ensuring quality with convenience and
cost-effectiveness, Dawne says, "We
have launched new programs and
services, as well as innovative
technology applications, with the goal
of better connecting patients with their
care, including the option of virtual

care, which matches patients to the
level and type of service that best
meets their needs."
To guide other aspiring entrants in the
field and deliver services based on the
idea of coordinating with patients'
needs, Dawne shares a few notes from
her years of experience.
The Leader's Guide
Many budding entrepreneurs might
resonate with the statement that to
challenge the status quo, it is necessary
to be curious and open-minded. Giving
depth to this piece of advice, Dawne
says, "If you cultivate a passion for
asking questions and taking on the
"why not" position of others, you will
be in a better position to make a
difference in the world of mental health
and addictions.”
She further adds on and says,
"However, simply asking questions and
being curious is insufficient. It is
necessary to take risks and be willing
to implement solutions that may not be
perfect but are preferable to being
incapacitated by the fear of making the
wrong decision. Take responsibility for
your decisions. And if they don't
produce the desired results, try again."
Notes of Customer's Trust
"As a patient at Ontario Shores during
the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I
was able to see firsthand how quickly
YOU WILL SUCCEED IF YOU
USE A SITUATIONAL
LEADERSHIP MODEL AND
EXCELLENT
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
TO FOCUS ON BOTH GOAL
ACHIEVEMENT AND
RELATIONSHIP
DEVELOPMENT. FOR ME,
IT’S NOT ABOUT ME; I’M A
SERVANT LEADER. IT IS
ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

the staff at Ontario Shores adapted to
challenges brought on by the
pandemic. Recovering from an eating
disorder during the COVID-19
pandemic hasn't been easy. The extra
stressors of the pandemic have made
battling mental illness more
challenging. Despite being amidst a
pandemic, recovery is still possible and
is still worth it. To all of those battling
mental illness, keep fighting for
recovery, and don't feel guilty for
reaching out to your support systems,
especially during these challenging
times. Thank you to all the staff at
Ontario Shores, from support staff to
medical professionals, who have
continued to support patients on their
path to recovery despite the challenges
of the COVID-19 pandemic. The work
that you do daily has a meaningful
impact.” -Sterling
"For many years, I have suffered from
anxiety and depression. Despite the
suffering and the negative impact, it
had been on me physically,
emotionally, and socially, I refused to
seek help and kept my mental illness to
myself. From a young age, starting
with my suicidal attempt at the age of
8, I knew there was something wrong
with me. However, I grew up with the
notion that being mentally unstable
meant being weak. When I reached
adulthood, I became an expert at
hiding my mental illness.
Unfortunately, mental illness is not
something that can disappear, no
matter how hard you try. During my
first pregnancy, I suffered from
prenatal and postpartum depression,
and the same during my second
pregnancy.However, during my second
pregnancy, I decided to seek help, but I
did not proceed with any treatment
over the fear of judgment from those
around me, but mostly the feeling of
shame I felt for myself. Then, during
my third pregnancy, I went through a
severe mental breakdown which led me
to admit myself to a mental health
inpatient unit. After the incident, I was
determined to seek help and better
myself not only for myself but for my
children. I was referred to Ontario
Shores LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug
Mart Women's Clinic by my
psychiatrist and the attending
psychiatrist. As each session went by, I
came to embrace myself and learn to
positively cope with my anxiety and
depression. I began to feel differently
about myself and I developed
confidence in who I am. There are
times when I do feel overwhelmed and
I revert to my depressive state. But, my
therapy has allowed me to know that
it's okay. I've learned to know it's okay
Awards
Ontario Shores has been awarded Accredita on with
Exemplary Standing status following a recent review by
Accredita on Canada. It has maintained Accredita on
with Exemplary Standing since first achieving that status
in 2013.
Ontario Shores has been named a Greater Toronto Area
Top Employer for the sixth straight year. Ontario Shores
was among select organiza ons named one of Greater
Toronto's Top Employers for 2022 following a
compe on that evaluated employers on several
criteria, including work atmosphere, vaca on benefits,
training and development, financial and health
benefits, the physical environment, and community
involvement.
Ontario Shores achieved the Order of Excellence Award
from Excellence Canada for its implementa on of
Excellence Canada's Mental Health at Work®
Framework. It is especially proud of this dis nc on for
our efforts to establish and maintain a psychologically
safe and healthy workplace.
Ontario Shores is the world's first mental health
hospital to be cer fied by the Healthcare Informa on
and Management Systems Society's (HIMSS) Electronic
Medical Record Adop on Model (EMRAM) at Stage 7,
which improves pa ent safety, decreases me and
errors, and improves care delivery while using secure
data.
Ontario Shores became the first non-academic member
to join Research Impact Canada (RIC), a pan-Canadian
network of 23 universi es and one non-academic
ins tu on commi ed to maximizing the economic,
social, and environmental impacts of academic
research.

to seek help and be helped. I will be
forever grateful to Bernadette, who
taught me that it takes strength to seek
help, and to the OntarioShores LOVE
YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart Women's
Clinic, for giving me a new outlook on
life." -Grace
"In seven years, I managed to
transform my life from someone
hopeless to someone with the tools to
create hope. I will always be grateful
to Ontario Shores for giving me my
hope back." -Chelsea
"Ontario Shores is a great place where
recovery happens, good work is being
done, and lives are being saved."
-Stephen
Ontario Shores celebrated 100 years of care in 2019. As expected, much
has changed in mental health care since 1919. "Whitby Hospital" started
modestly with 16 gender-segregated co ages. When WWI broke out in
1914, the hospital was temporarily turned over to the military for
personnel awai ng overseas service, and it was later used as a military
hospital to treat veterans. The hospital was temporarily renamed the
Ontario Military Hospital. Following WWI, in July 1919, the veterans le
Whitby to return to civilian life and on October 23, that same year,
Whitby reopened as a psychiatric facility, renamed the Ontario Hospital
to provide mental health care and care to the ones affected. The
province's first mental health clinic opened in 1930, along with
occupa onal, recrea onal and voca onal therapy. In the 1960s,
"Ontario Hospital, Whitby" became "Whitby Psychiatric Hospital."
In 1993, Ontario approved $133 million for a 325-bed mental
health facility. Whitby Psychiatric Hospital became Whitby
Mental Health Centre in 1994, adding outpa ent care and
reintegra on to the community.
In 2004, it was decided to divest and become a stand-alone
facility governed under the Public Hospitals Act. Excellence,
innova on, safety, respect, and community guided Ontario
Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences' 2006 founding.
Shortly therea er, Ontario Shores embarked on its first five-year
strategic plan.
Crea ng a vision, mission and brand for the hospital's expanded
mandate to provide leadership and excellent mental health care
via specialized treatment, research, educa on and advocacy.
Ontario Shores' beau ful landscape fosters a recovery-oriented,
compassionate, inspiring and hopeful environment. It's important
to express gra tude for being welcomed on these lands, which are
protected by the Williams Trea es and the historic territory of the
Mississaugas, a branch of the Anishinaabeg Na on.
The
and its

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Arunima Nath
Leading Quality Control and Quality Assurance in the
emerging Psychedelic Industry
Most Inﬂuential Canadian Women Leaders in Healthcare
Arunima Nath (Ann)
Director of Quality
and Compliance
Psygen
February | 2023 (18)

he bounds of the medical sector are stretching
Tbeyond its traditional views and are exploring
innovative ways to cure humankind. To ensure that
the results from the trial and error process are safe, it is
quintessential to have a firm backbone of regulatory
processes.
While the government system of checks is the superior and
ultimate organ of this process, it is also necessary to
streamline the process at the intermediate levels. In order to
achieve this, leaders like Arunima Nath are devising
practical approaches to ensure quality assurance and quality
control are supervised effectively and lead to a safer health
ecosystem.
She is the Director of Quality and Compliance at Psygen
Industries which is the world’s first manufacturer
dedicated exclusively to the synthesis of GMP-compliant
psychedelics, headquartered in Calgary. Established in
2018, the company solved a severe bottleneck for
developing novel treatments using psychedelics and
ultimately for patient health and well-being.
As a professional with a history of working in the
Pharmaceuticals and Cannabis industry and holding a
master’s degree in Industrial Pharmacy, she leads the
company’s quality assurance department and helps it to get
quick regulatory approvals from the USFDA and Health
Canada.
Her role is enabling in replacing stigma with curiosity and
ignorance with evidence. As a leader and an expert in the
industry, she, along with her team, has played a pivotal role
in granting Psygen a letter of authorization from Health
Canada to supply patients with Psilocybin through the
Special Access Program.
As there is more to her story and Psygen’s innovative
approaches, let us uncover all of them by going through the
interview highlights below!
Arunima, could you kindly tell us about your
inspiration behind venturing into the healthcare sector?
Since high school, I have always wanted to contribute to
saving lives and impacting patients’ well-being. My zeal led
me to study pharmaceutical sciences in my undergraduate
degree. Later, I studied for a master’s program in Industrial
Pharmacy.
My career in the pharmaceutical world started in 2011 in
the Quality department for the formulation of oral dosage
forms. Eventually, the scope of my work expanded to
include tablets, soft gels, capsules, suspensions, and actives.
I worked on new product launches for the Canadian and
US, Europe, LATAM, and APAC regions taking care of the
entire life cycle of the pharmaceutical product – from
inception to launch.
My career took an interesting turn in 2018 when I started
working in the Cannabis Industry. Since 2021, I have led
the Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and regulatory
teams at Psygen. I feel lucky to be in such a supportive
workplace, with an incredible team of professionals who
are passionate about the industry, open to learning, and
contributing to a common goal.
Please tell us about your journey, highlighting your
contribution to Psygen’s success.
I started reading about Psygen in early 2021. The company
was aiming to be the world’s first manufacturer dedicated
Psygen will codevelop
technologies with strategic
partners as we provide
commercial opportunities for
certain production
technologies. Our IP strategy
is to identify valuable
innovations while improving
our trade-secret
manufacturing processes.

exclusively to the synthesis of GMP-compliant
psychedelics, headquartered in Calgary. A position in the
Quality department steered me to join Psygen. I met Danny
Motyka and Dr. Peter van der Heyden, Psygen’s co-
founders, and their goals resonated with me deeply.
My team is responsible for establishing the engineering,
controls, and qualification of our 17,000 sq. ft facility,
developing and implementing the entire Quality
management system, and qualification of all associated
instrumentation in the Quality Control and Production lab.
Psygen was able to manufacture two GMP batches of
Psilocybin in partnership with a third-party licensed dealer,
establishing our customer base in Canada and beyond.
Psygen is the first manufacturer to receive a letter of
authorization from Health Canada to supply patients with
Psilocybin through the Special Access Program. This is an
incredible accomplishment for us as a team and
demonstrates our strong relationship with Health Canada.
Along with my role at Psygen, I am pursuing an MBA
program as a full-time student with the Haskayne School of
Business, University of Calgary.
Could you please elaborate upon the core values on
which Psygen is built and what the mission of the
company is?
Psygen envisions a world where psychedelic drugs are
recognized as valuable tools to improve mental health and
wellness. Psygen will improve access to these medicines by
deploying novel technologies to produce psychedelics at an
unprecedented scale, ensuring a safe, non-exclusive, and
cost-effective source for innovators.
Our team offers unparalleled knowledge and manufacturing
capabilities from over 50 years of experience in
manufacturing psychedelic medicines.
The values of generosity, gratitude, curiosity and
connection drive and motivate our team to be the seeds of
change we hope to see. We believe it is time to replace
stigma with curiosity and ignorance with evidence.
Kindly shed some light on the services and the
immersive benefits that make Psygen stand out from the
competition.
Psygen is one of the few dedicated psychedelic
manufacturers globally. Our competitive advantage stems
from more than 50 years of combined experience
synthesizing psychedelics, as well as our state-of-the-art
GMP production lab. When Psygen was founded in 2018,
no dedicated manufacturer of GMP psychedelic APIs
existed – a serious bottleneck for the development of novel
treatments and, ultimately, for patient health and well-
being.
Psygen is a Health Canada licensed dealer capable of
producing and selling restricted drugs. Our scientific team
develops innovative production methods to both meet the
requirements of the industry, as well as generate IP around
these novel production methods for our customers.
The legal counsel at Psygen and the Regulatory team have
expert working knowledge of the Controlled Drugs and
Substances Act and the associated regulations that
strengthen the strategic partnerships with all our clients and
support their project requirements.
Since 2021, I have led the
Quality Assurance, Quality
Control, and regulatory
teams at Psygen. I feel lucky
to be in such a supportive
workplace, with an incredible
team of professionals who
are passionate about the
industry, open to learning,
and contributing to a
common goal.

Please elaborate on the technological developments and
the patented technologies that the company incorporates
when catering to the dynamic needs of the healthcare
sector.
Technological developments in CMC (chemistry,
manufacturing, and controls) are constantly evolving.
Although CMC is sometimes overlooked in favor of clinical
development, it is a key driver of significant advancements
in drug development, inventing cutting-edge
pharmaceutical technologies, reducing development costs,
and increasing access to GMP-grade psychedelics.
Psygen is focussing on In-house research and development
to modify current chemistry for scalability for different
molecules.
In the psychedelic space, there have been significant
challenges to patent reviewers. We are leveraging our deep
knowledge of the space, in collaboration with our in-house
IP counsel and have several patents pending. Psygen will
codevelop technologies with strategic partners as we
provide commercial opportunities for certain production
technologies. Our IP strategy is to identify valuable
innovations while improving our trade-secret
manufacturing processes.
Psygen has a novel process for the synthesis of Psilocybin,
that leverages new technologies in the field of synthetic
chemistry. We also have a patent pending psilocin recovery
protocol (increasing the overall reaction and recovery yield
of Psilocybin by 50%).
Being an experienced leader, what is your intuitive
advice for budding youngsters venturing into
healthcare?
You need to pick a profession that you enjoy both studying
and working in. Be driven, diligent, and hardworking.
There is no shortcut to success, and even if there were,
maintaining it would be much more difficult. Young people
who are interested in the healthcare and pharmaceutical
industries must define their areas of interest. It’s a vast
industry with several distinct divisions you can lead and
plenty of ongoing and unfinished research.
Focus on learning from scratch and maintaining a good
foundation of learning. Always strive to see the wider
picture of your assignment, maintain the accuracy and
integrity of the task you have been given, and consider how
that action or task is assisting your company in reaching a
certain milestone. Keep yourself apprised of the regulatory
updates by the agencies, i.e., Health Canada, FDA, ICH,
etc., to have an insight into regular updates in the industry.
Apart from your journey, how do you envision further
strengthening Psygen’s stronghold in 2022 and beyond?
The year 2022 has been a year of highs and lows for the
psychedelic pharmaceutical industry, beginning with much
excitement and investment and ending with consolidation
and attrition in demand. As the market for traditional
psychedelics (e.g., Psilocybin and DMT) waned and interest
in the more patentable Novel Chemical Entities (NCEs)
grew, Psygen recognized new opportunities to support drug
developers.
For my team, the focus is on validating the production of
various psychedelic compounds (e.g., LSD and MDMA) to
support our customers’ ongoing clinical trials around the
world and receiving a Drug Establishment Licence from
Health Canada. To maintain our position as an industry
leader Psygen will focus on our innovation project,
executing a partnership for the development and
deployment of novel technologies that will aid both drug
discovery and production, two critical components of our
customers’ drug development plans.

Keys to Success

eadership is regarded as an essential role in
Lhealthcare. It is no longer acceptable for medical
practitioners to disregard the importance of effective
leadership in today's medical environment. In an era of
financial incentives and quality expectations, Western
medicine is witnessing a convergence of forces reshaping
the healthcare system.
Regulation, affordability, access, improved care, and
evidence-based decision-making is becoming more critical
in healthcare. Healthcare leaders have progressed from
being captains of small practices to captains of inter-
professional teams of subspecialists, care models and
essential staff charged with achieving optimal patient care
and outcomes.
With the health industry's rapid pace of change, leaders are
expected to manage organizational, policy and patient
mandates. Furthermore, the challenges that health
practitioners and leaders face in leadership diversity,
cultural competence, communication and health literacy
place a greater emphasis on these roles.
Leaders must demonstrate expertise in clinical decision-
making and patient focus to enact and implement change.
Let's have a look at the leadership strategies in healthcare
and learn more!
Transformational Leadership
Transformational leadership in healthcare management is a
leadership style that teaches employees how to take
ownership of their roles and exceed expectations.
Rather than assigning tasks, transformational leaders teach
people to think for themselves and find the best ways to
achieve their goals. Transformational leaders in healthcare,
for example, may encourage their team to find new ways to
provide the best possible care rather than dictating how this
care must be delivered.
Transformational leaders excel at changing systems, solving
problems, motivating their teams and setting good
examples.
Systems Leadership
Systems leadership is a relatively new type of leadership
that is well-suited to the complex challenges of healthcare
management.
A systems leader seeks to understand the systems and
processes that surround them and the community that those
systems are built around. They then engage stakeholders in
complex conversations to map strategies, build trust and
then act with accountability if any changes are to be
implemented.
A systems leader executes tasks or changes with shared
goals and principles in mind. Systems leaders consider their
surroundings, the processes surrounding them and the
people working within the system.
Authentic Leadership
Authentic leadership is a growing leadership style
embraced by leaders inside and outside healthcare.
Authentic leaders prioritize people and ethics over profit.
Strategies for
Leadership in

Authentic leaders are, first and foremost, self-aware. They
understand that their actions and decisions impact others
and strive to critically examine their strengths and
weaknesses to be the best leaders possible. They also lead
from the heart, prioritize long-term results and are
transparent and consistent in their interactions with others.
Authentic leaders are people-oriented leaders with a solid
moral compass who prioritize others over themselves.
Servant Leadership
Servant leadership is the final type of leadership required
for effective healthcare management. Servant leaders are
highly influential leaders who focus on motivating others,
building relationships and developing team members' skills
to inspire them to lead.
Servant leaders are profoundly caring individuals who
strive to provide every team member with the resources
they require to succeed. They are particularly adept at
leading multidisciplinary teams and are generally well-liked
and respected.
Leadership Management Tips
With a great deal expected of healthcare leaders, it is easy
for them to become overwhelmed. Leaders frequently seek
out best practices to ensure adequate healthcare
management.
Ÿ Recognize Talent and Know how to Sustain it
Influential healthcare leaders must be able to recognize
talent, which includes understanding both the technical
and soft skills that talented employees must possess.
They must also understand how to create effective
workplace environments, including providing
appropriate remuneration and development
opportunities to retain employees.
Ÿ Understand that change and complexity would be a
constant and manage it
Change is the only constant. As a result, influential
healthcare leaders must understand how to manage
change effectively.
Change management must include structured,
consistent, measurable processes, such as effective
communication and leading by example.
Ÿ Acknowledge the business side of healthcare
Many healthcare environments today are run as
businesses; even if they are not, they can benefit from a
business mindset in terms of creating efficiencies and
freeing up resources for future investments.
Influential healthcare leaders must understand their
organizations' finances, how to create efficiencies and
how to save and raise funds without sacrificing high-
quality patient care.
Ÿ Prioritize Patient Care
Healthcare is a balancing act, but nothing is more
important than providing exceptional patient care.
Influential leaders in health care must always put
patients first.
Prioritizing patient care can include constantly
reviewing processes to ensure that they meet patient
needs, conducting quality surveys, soliciting feedback
from patients and the community and regularly asking
how things can be done better.
To summarize,
With the complexity of healthcare management, healthcare
leaders are expected to do more and better than they did
yesterday. This is what makes the healthcare leadership
field both challenging and exciting.
As a result of constant upskilling and access to industry
updates, healthcare leaders can be confident in providing
optimal care and outcomes.
- Shreyasi Shelke

Intview
With
Insights
Ce
As a current law
student, I am passionate
about facilitating a platform
for young black women
interested in legal work,
amplifying the voices
of those who are
underrepresented in
the legal system, and
restoring a strong
relationship between the
legal system and BIPOC
communities.
Debra Olaniyi
Associate Manager,
Programs and Services
Federation of Black
Canadians

D Oliyi
Propelling a Change For Canadians of Black Descents
he diversity of black communities across Canada is
Trising. These communities are diverse, resilient,
creative, and multifaceted, such that for the first
time in Canadian history, there are over 1,000,000 Black
Canadians who call Canada their home. This number is
only expected to be doubled by 2036.
Such a rise in diversity surfaces challenges within the
nation, especially associated with race, economic security,
criminal justice, health, education, and the community as a
whole. These challenges may continue to exist until black
communities come together and collaborate in groups to
affect change within the country.
Debra Olaniyi, the Associate Manager of Programs and
Services, joined the Federation of Black Canadians
(FBC)—for the sole reason to discuss these challenges that
exist for Canadians of African descent nationally and
advancing their overall social, economic, political and
cultural interests there.
Her journey hasn't been easy. In an interview with Insights
Care, Debra shares her thoughts on her contribution to
fighting against racial injustice for Canadians of African
descent and ensuring their safety, security and overall
diversity there. She aligns her steps and gathers courage by
reminding herself of FBC's mantra — "Stronger Together-
Nothing About Us Without Us."
Following are excerpts from the interview:
Kindly tell us the source of inspiration. What led you to
serve the Federation of Black Canadians (FBC)?
As a current law student, I am passionate about facilitating
a platform for young black women interested in legal work,
amplifying the voices of those who are underrepresented in
the legal system, and restoring a strong relationship
between the legal system and BIPOC communities.
I started working at the Federation of Black Canadians as
an anti-racism project coordinator, where I was able to
contribute to the foundations needed to challenge and
restructure institutions that are anachronistic in their
representations of diversity and anti-racism from a national
standpoint. This was achieved through the development of
the Black Pulse, a digital anti-racism toolkit that addresses
and educates the issues facing Black Canadians, as well as
offers resources to support growth.
Brief us about yourself and shed some light on your role
when participating in the interests of FBC. What
services are you able to conduct daily?
I am currently a law student at the University of Leicester,
and I have an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University
of Toronto in Political science, sociology and women and
gender studies. Pursuing these courses has amplified my
work at The Federation by equipping me with the skills,
resources and knowledge to conduct research and
program/event development that serves our communities. I
have previously sat on the Nobellum Student and Alumni
Committee as the Co-Chair, where I was able to support the
development of an Innovation aimed at supporting Black
entrepreneurs. As an associate manager of programs and
services, I often lead the development and execution of
partnered events and programming such as Financial
literacy, coding workshops, and much more alongside my
amazing team.

Can you elaborate upon the core values, vision, and
mission to which FBC aligns its operations daily?
The Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) is a national,
non-profit organization driven by Black organizations
across the country. The Federation of Black Canadians
advances the social, economic, political, and cultural
interests of Canadians of African descent. The overarching
mantra is that we are "Stronger Together – Nothing
About Us Without Us."
I can wholeheartedly say that working with FBC has made
me realize how important it is to understand and learn your
community's wants and needs before delivering any
events/programs. This is evident in our survey collection,
community hubs, national partner meetings and much more.
We do believe in our mantra, "Nothing About Us Without
Us."
What priority areas in your opinion, do the black
community in Canada struggle with at present? How
can FBC work towards addressing the matter?
I believe career development, education and financial
literacy are important areas in which the Black community
can continue to grow. Over the past couple of years, I have
seen growth in all these areas for the Black community and
our allies. However, change doesn't happen overnight, and I
am optimistic about the promises that many corporations
have made in light of the brutal murder of George Floyd in
2020.
I hope to see more of these changes or opportunities in the
new year. There are many opportunities FBC is launching
in the new year that will speak to these areas, and I urge
everyone to stay connected or get involved to learn more.
What are some of the challenges you face when
conducting projects and how do you turn them into
opportunities for growth?
There is a lot of emotional management that comes with
working for the Black community. Individuals share stories
that are just heart-breaking. However, it pushes you harder
to want to create programs and services that will alleviate
the stress and burdens of being Black in Canada.
Additionally, it's important to understand that you will
never please everybody, and you alone cannot solve all the
issues. This is why having a dedicated team is extremely
important and leaning on them has helped me grow in so
many ways.
What advice would you like to give to budding
enthusiasts who desire to participate in and serve the
FBC?
My mantra is "Be the change you want to see." There've
been so many opportunities and rooms I have been blessed
to walk into because I woke up and decided to be the
change I wanted to see. Start small, volunteer, attend
networking events, and set up a meeting. Take whatever
first steps you need to take and build up from there. Another
piece of advice I would like to give is to be optimistic
enough to try new things and think outside of the box;
change isn't made by being "realistic." FBC is always open
to welcoming new volunteers, speakers etc.
Whether you want to learn
more about volunteering or
speaking positions at the FBC
or simply know more about her,
Debra can be reached at
Debra@fbcfcn.ca

Joanne
Joanne
Joanne
Simons
magine being diagnosed with a disease rife with stigma
Iand social repercussions. What would be your
emotional state? How would you sustain through the
prejudices across the community?
For those living with the impacts of stigma, it is important
to find inspiring hope. A hope that includes empathy,
compassion, and kindness in the community. This fall, we
met , who made it her mission to create
Joanne Simons
places of safety and belonging for those who face
difficulties in feeling connected with their surroundings.
With her enriched volunteering experience in not-for-profit
organizations, she has helped transform the lives of many
with her kind and compassionate approach.
Almost 20 years of experience in multiple leadership roles
helped her understand patients’ medical and emotional
issues and the social ailments involved with prejudiced
diseases such as HIV. Currently, she is the CEO of Casey
House, a specialty hospital in Toronto providing ground-
breaking care to people living with and at risk of HIV.
Joanne is the ideal empathetic leader that the world of HIV
care delivery deserves.
At Casey House, she leads the organization’s mission of
judgment-free care delivery while enabling people living
with and at risk of HIV by focusing on possibilities rather
than constraints.
In the following interview with Joanne, we were amazed to
hear her insights on her leadership experience and the
success she brought to Casey House.
Below are the interview highlights.
Joanne, kindly brief us about yourself and your
professional journey so far.
I learned the importance of volunteer work at a young age.
It has always been an important part of my family’s life.
Entering the not-for-profit sector, initially as a fundraiser,
helped me connect to the community and offered a way to
contribute to others. On that journey, I got interested in the
mission work of the agencies I worked for. Since then, I
have started to enhance my skills in program development,
public policy and organizational leadership.
What has been the biggest motivation and inspiration
for you throughout your life that has helped you become
a successful leader?
I have benefited from tremendous leaders who took the time
to mentor and coach me throughout my career, providing
both encouragement and critical feedback. But my biggest
inspiration is my father. While he died five years ago, I
continued to hold his voice in my head. Back then, he had a
bright, kind, generous mind and a fierce determination that I
aspire to develop too.
Approaching Care Provision
and Decision-making
with Kindness
You can choose
the type of life you want, and
the way people experience you.
Make it good because
‘life is good’.
-Learning from Joanne Simons’ father

Joanne Simons
CEO
Casey House

Please tell us about Casey House and the developments
and ideas that led to its inception.
Casey House has evolved and grown from our early days as
a hospice to a hospital providing care for people living with
and at risk of HIV. Anchored on a foundation of activism,
advocacy, and trailblazing, our roots stretch back to the
AIDS pandemic, when pervasive stigmas and
discrimination left people to die without access to patient-
centered care.
Our founders created Casey House in 1988 as the first
stand-alone facility for people living with HIV and AIDS.
They believed that everyone deserves to be cared for with
dignity, compassion, and respect. Identifying gaps in the
system, they developed innovative new approaches to
deliver socially-just care and played a leading role in
advancing HIV health care.
How are you guiding Casey House to achieve its mission
and vision statement and be committed to its core
values?
As a hospital providing care for people living with and at
risk of HIV, it is paramount that we listen to and hear the
voices of our clients; they guide us and ensure we stay true
to our purpose and values.
We want to ensure that, in partnership with them, we have
the opportunity to offer compassion while also having a
lasting impact on healthcare delivery. We also want to
ensure that everyone is treated equitably. At present, we
have a great deal of focus on diversity and inclusivity.
What are the key offerings of your organization?
Casey House’s key offering is access to compassionate,
judgment-free health care that considers the social
determinants of health. Our approach to judgment-free care,
meeting people where they are, and focusing on
possibilities rather than constraints is revolutionizing health
care.
In your opinion, what challenges do you face while
delivering inpatient and outpatient services for patients
with HIV/ AIDS? How are you infusing your leadership
to turn them into opportunities and provide the best
patient care?
The overdose crisis across Canada has killed many, and the
poisoned drug supply continues to place people at great risk
of harm and death. Having responded to many overdoses
inside and outside our hospital, we opened supervised
consumption services on-site so that people who use
substances can do so in a safer environment with a reduced
risk of death. On our inpatient unit, if a person is receiving
safe supply in the community, we continue to support them
to access this treatment during their admission. Safe supply
is a prescribed pharmaceutical opioid that helps to reduce
harm associated with the current street supply, including
overdose.
What has been a turning moment in your life that has
shaped your professional journey profoundly?
Having lost my mother to domestic violence at a young age,
I am driven to create places of safety and belonging for
those who have found themselves isolated or disconnected
from their community. Everyone deserves the opportunity
to live, thrive and be free of violence and fear.
As an experienced leader, what advice would you like to
give to budding entrepreneurs wishing to enter this
industry?
Despite having years of experience, I’m still learning and
seeking new knowledge every day. Hence, one should never
stop learning.
One piece of advice I don’t think I’ve heard often enough is
that kindness matters. That doesn’t mean you are a
pushover. Approaching issues or decisions with kindness,
even if they are hard, helps to ensure that you are making
the right decision rather than the ones that come from a
place of anger or achieving a personal agenda.
The second is the one I continue to learn from Stephen
Covey – listen with the intent to understand, not to reply.
Lastly, the one thing I learned from my dad is that you can
choose the type of life you want and how people experience
you. Make it good because ‘life is good’.
What are the future goals of your company? How do
you envision upscaling its operations and reach in 2022
and beyond?
Casey House welcomes new clients for both inpatient and
outpatient services. Over the past year, we have seen an
increase in visits and have expanded our outpatient
programming to meet our client’s needs. In addition to a
lack of access to health care, some of their most pressing
challenges include lack of access to housing, mental health
concerns and substance use that interferes with daily living.
These, combined with an increasingly toxic drug supply,
make it difficult to achieve health and wellness. These are
systemic issues that will need multiple players to solve.

Present and Future

omen are essential in healthcare leadership
Wbecause they bring various perspectives, skills
and experiences. Their leadership contributes
to developing more inclusive and equitable healthcare
systems capable of meeting the needs of all patients,
particularly women and marginalized communities.
According to studies, organizations with gender diversity
at the top perform better financially and have higher levels
of patient satisfaction.
Women are underrepresented in executive positions despite
their active participation in the labor force. Women are
estimated to hold only about 25% of health leadership roles
globally. Women make up nearly 70% of all health and
social care workers massive globally and almost 90% of
nursing and midwifery workers.
Women leaders also contribute to the promotion of work-
life balance and the advancement of other women in the
field. Overall, having more women in healthcare leadership
positions improves outcomes for both patients and the
healthcare system.
Let's look at the present and future scenarios to learn more
about how to support women leaders better!
Significance of
W
Healthcare LEADERSHIP
in
Present Scenario
The importance of women in healthcare leadership remains
critical today as they continue to shape the direction and
delivery of healthcare services. With the ongoing COVID-
19 pandemic highlighting systemic inequalities and the
need for inclusive and compassionate leadership, women's
contributions to healthcare leadership are becoming
increasingly important.
Women leaders bring unique perspectives and experiences
to the table and are frequently on the cutting edge of
innovative solutions to complex healthcare challenges.
Women leaders are also crucial in advocating for the needs
of underserved populations and promoting diversity, equity
and inclusion in the healthcare industry. Women in
leadership positions in healthcare strengthen the industry,
benefit patients and help drive meaningful change in
healthcare.
Future Scenario
The future importance of women in healthcare leadership is
critical as the healthcare industry evolves and faces new
challenges. Women leaders will bring various perspectives

and approaches to complex healthcare issues, resulting in
more innovative and effective solutions.
Their leadership will also contribute to the healthcare
industry's improved ability to meet the changing needs of
patients, particularly those from marginalized communities.
Women leaders will also be essential in promoting diversity,
equity and inclusion in the industry, creating a more
inclusive and compassionate healthcare system for all.
Ways to support Prominence of Women Leadership
Women leaders will also serve as role models and mentors
for future generations of women in the healthcare industry,
assisting in creating a more equitable and balanced future
for all.
In short, women in healthcare leadership will be influential
in the future because of their capacity to drive positive
change and influence the direction of healthcare for the
better.
Ÿ Creating networks of learning and support
Creating shared spaces, such as women's networks, where
women can come together to share experiences, support one
another and make changes is one way to support women in
leadership roles.
These networks have provided members with various
valuable opportunities, including coaching and mentoring
and access to resources that would otherwise be difficult to
obtain. From inspirational speakers about their career
journeys and challenges; lobbying for change on specific
topics, such as the gender pay gap; and providing shared
experiences to help people connect and unite.
Women's networks can impact gender equity in the
healthcare workplace by combining activities that promote
confidence, connections, and professional or personal
development.
Ÿ Creating an equity strategy
It is critical to carry out organizational process-related
actions to promote gender equality and the role of women
in healthcare leadership. Organizations with an equality
plan are one of the strategies that have shown evidence of
success. The first step in developing such a plan is to
analyze the organization to evaluate its current state and
develop the plan's indicators.
- Shreyasi Shelke
The plan aims to achieve equal treatment and opportunities
for men and women and eliminate gender discrimination.
The program is overseen by a committee (the Equality
Commission), which monitors the plan's progress and
outcomes.
Ÿ Work-life integration policies are family-friendly
According to the research, women shoulder a more
significant proportion of childcare and domestic care
responsibilities, which may influence their career
advancement opportunities and desire for them.
Flexible policies will likely enable more women to advance
to senior leadership positions. Flexible work arrangements
promote work-life balance by balancing the needs of the
employee and the organization's needs.
To be successful, the organization must have a flexible
workplace policy in place, including the option to work
flexible hours and the technology to accommodate the
request if a remote work option is requested.
Family-friendly policies are critical to achieving a work-life
balance and supporting both men and women in taking an
active role in their families. It can assist employees in
reducing stress and improving job focus.
Parental leave, childcare compensation, elder care
compensation, remote work, family medical leave, and
health care coverage are family-friendly policies.
To summarize,
Women are a pertinent part of the healthcare workforce and
should be equally represented in senior leadership positions
worldwide. This article outlined some ways that
organizations and governments can assist women in
advancing to leadership positions in healthcare.
Despite significant advances made by women in the
workplace, everyone has a role to play in ensuring that
organizations achieve gender equity in the leadership ranks.

Kate Culter
Enhancing Patient Care with Technology Leadership
Kate Culter
President & CEO
Medinet

n the pursuit of developing comprehensive, equitable,
Iand integrated health care, the integration of
technology has facilitated multiple functions to
improve the patient journey. From monitoring the quality of
care to capturing information about patients’ medications –
technology has enhanced communication among care
providers.
For this reason, “92% of health systems are considering
digital capabilities as a pathway to improve their
relationships with customers, establishing their trust and
loyalty,” as per a Deloitte survey. Yet 60% of them were
still midway through their journeys from an ideal digital
state.
Kate Culter, the President, and CEO of Medinet,
understands that change could be conflicting, especially in
its initial stages with a lack of implementation management.
Providing her support with a patient-centric approach, she
encourages healthcare end-users to accelerate the adoption
of new systems and implement them successfully.
Committed to her goal of making patient care faster, easier,
and more convenient for clinicians, she leads Medinet, a
secure e-Health solution provider that offers software and
services for private physicians and health authorities,
including secure email, access to the British Columbia (BC)
PharmaNet database, and medical billing systems.
Let’s dive into Kate’s strategies for enhancing patient care.
Below are the interview highlights.
What was your inspiration behind venturing into the
healthcare sector?
I didn’t exactly venture into healthcare. Initially, I thought I
would end up in the film business. When I started out, film
was a burgeoning industry in BC, and I was seeking a
creative pursuit.
As it turns out, healthcare is plenty creative. Government
restrictions bind us. Our health authority and practitioner
clients are constrained by extraordinary budget and
resource challenges. It makes for an exciting environment.
End-user support is key. I am very proud of the work we do
to enable front-line healthcare workers access to vital
patient medical information.
Please tell us about your journey, highlighting your
contribution to Medinet’s success.
When I joined Medinet in 1990, we were pioneering Digital
Lab Report Distribution in doctor’s offices and hospitals
from BC Bio-Medical & Metro-McNair (now LifeLabs),
and Vancouver Hospital. We brought on one medical office
and hospital at a time until our network grew to include
75% of private practice physicians and 95% of hospitals
receiving digital lab reports in the province from both
private and public laboratories.
While many lab reports were still going to a printer in the
90s, we were able to improve the accuracy and speed of
reporting patient results. Despite being early days for
EMRs, we were also converting lab data to HL7 for a
couple of big clinics, so they could see patient lab reports
and trends in their digital charts.
Our Team understands that
front-line healthcare workers
are the most important
stakeholders in the medical
system next to patients.
Information technology and
project management people exist
only to enable the front-line
with technology and support.
There’s that word again!

By the 2000s, we pioneered Medinet Access to
PharmaNet. The BC government did a very clever thing at
that time. They created a specification for the use of
provincial PharmaNet data in physician offices and
hospitals and ran a Request for Proposal Qualification for
vendors to build software applications for access to patient
medication history information. I say it was clever because
I am a big fan of government IT projects that leverage
private technology firms to be responsible for systems,
while the government maintains overall accountability
through conformance activities and auditing.
We also operate the largest medical billing business in BC
with Medinet Integrated Physician Billing Solutions. We
understand our job is to reconcile accounts and earn
maximum revenue for our hospitals and practitioners. That
said, in this time of big data, we also focus on aggregating
billing data for our clients and supplying it in a useful
format for analytics purposes. Our clients use Medinet
billing data to satisfy key performance indicators in the
areas of physician compensation, patient safety, corporate
finance, and more.
Can you elaborate upon the core values on which
Medinet is built and the company’s mission?
Our team understands that front-line healthcare workers are
the most important stakeholders in the medical system next
to patients. Information technology and project
management professionals exist only to enable the front line
with technology and support. There’s that word again!
Tell us more about the services and immersive benefits
that make Medinet stand out from the competition.
As you may have gleaned, our commitment to supporting
clients is as profound as our commitment to technology. In
our view, you can’t have one without the other. Doctors and
nurses are simply too busy to spend time managing
complex software applications or glitches. We train our
clients to contact us immediately if they are having trouble.
We endeavor to always respond in real-time. This sets us
widely apart from our competitors. We end up supporting
systems we don’t even provide because we answer our
phones live and that’s just fine with us! We love hearing
–
from our clients. It is how we learn.
Please elaborate on the technological developments and
the patent technologies that the company incorporates
when catering to the dynamic needs of the healthcare
sector.
We develop software that follows our client workflow. We
don’t tell physicians, nurses, and their care teams what their
process should be. We work hard to understand their
situational challenges and create solutions that fit their
unique circumstances. One size does not fit all because
that’s not real world.
What are some of the change-management challenges
you face and the most important lessons you have
learned in your professional journey so far?
The biggest change management challenge is making sure
our clients have budgeted for change management.
Providing training and education opportunities for end-
users who are expected to adopt new systems is key to a
successful implementation.
Being an experienced leader, what is your intuitive
advice for budding youngsters venturing into
healthcare?
Remember who you are serving. Patients, nurses, and
doctors are at the center of every IMIT healthcare project.
Or they should be.
Apart from your journey, how do you envision further
strengthening Medinet stronghold in 2022 and beyond?
Medinet’s future continues to center around data integration
with other healthcare systems, aggregation and analytics.
We want to enable our health authority and physician
clients to leverage the power of their medical data to
improve patient safety, influence physician education,
maximize revenue and keep costs down.

Lisa Klco
Mental Health Made Accessible,
Affordable and Patient-centric
Lisa Klco
CEO

Happy are those who find hope in the darkness,
Happiness in misery, and healing; when in pain!
But this transition may take a deep toll on one’s mental
well-being, if ailments are not treated in due time.
Understanding this significant factor of mental health, Lisa
Klco CEO Nōmina Integrated Health,
— of has embarked
on a journey to support the mental health needs of every
Canadian.
But why did Lisa pursue this path?
The following research analysis will be a guiding trail:
According to a study, mental illness has become a rising
concern in Canada in the past few years. The greatest
decline has been observed in children and young adults,
where one-third of Canadians aged 15 or older suffer from
having unmet mental health needs. But despite its
significance, 75% of those with mental disorders still lack
access to specialized treatment services, as per the
Canadian Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) report.
Bridging this gap, Lisa leads Nōmina Wellness—a mental
health treatment facility, and aligns its operations in a
collaborative and integrated approach, thus making mental
health care not only flexible to patient needs while
facilitating accessible and affordable care.
In the following interview, Lisa sheds light on her
leadership journey and the key services.
Below are the interview highlights!
Lisa, how did you start your professional journey? How
did you overcome the challenges you faced while
becoming Canada’s Most Influential Healthcare Leader
in 2022?
I actually started my professional career as a hairdresser,
connecting with others and hearing about their struggles. I
was also working in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
while going to school so that I could afford my studies. I
just knew that I wanted to do more to help people. Being
the first and only one in my family to graduate with a
degree, I knew that I wanted to do more. So, I spent the
next decades studying, learning, and doing all I could to
create a place that could offer more for those who need
complex support as my family did.
Years later, as I had finally started working as a clinician,
we set our focus on opening an inpatient operation. But we
were continuously shut down. I remember being advised by
a major lender that they wouldn’t fund health care because
it was too risky or that “We ladies had a good idea, hence
we should come back when it was an actual business.”
Thus, we found other creative ways to make it happen.
Sooner we were finally able to have things set up to open.
Thankfully, being well-versed in overcoming obstacles, we
were able to pause, re-group and open. We knew that there
would be a need for mental health support following the
isolation of the pandemic. We were willing to take the risk.
Thus, I took early leave from the military and set our course
on navigating health support for those who may need it.
What inspired you towards Nōmina Wellness? Kindly
brief us about its inception story.
Growing up in a family that was deeply afflicted by mental
health issues, I got to see their first-hand struggle to find
resources. In addition, while working as a mental health
leader, I saw different models of care, systems and
vacancies in the communities to support the care that
people needed.
My almost 25 years in the military allowed me to work with
trauma, transformational change and leadership in varying
capacities. This experience, as difficult as it was both
personally and professionally, allowed me to grow and
become the person I am today. I knew from there that I
wanted to help close this gap. Hence, we set out to become
a national resource for mental health services. We wanted to
help offer trusted care with skilled professionals and work
in a collaborative, more interdisciplinary approach.
What are its key services, and how is it impacting the
demographic concerned?
We offer a wide range of mental health services, from one-
on-one counseling, family programming, couples and sex
therapy and group therapy to our unique outpatient program
and forest and adventure therapy. We tried to understand the
market gaps and deliver evidence-based programs to
support the treatment needs. Advanced training in areas
such as ISTDP, EMDR and cognitive modalities such as
CBT, DBT, and ACT, DNF are all so important to us.
How does the organization provide holistic healing with
dual diagnosis? How is this novel approach
revolutionizing the healthcare industry?
A dual diagnosis refers to a person who suffers from both a
developmental concern and a mental health diagnosis. It is

often seen when a mental health disorder is co-occurring
with a substance use disorder. Treating just the substance
use disorder leaves a person incredibly susceptible to
relapse as they are not treated for the underlying or co-
morbid condition.
We have tried to develop more integrative programs and
approaches to care to help stabilize both substance use and
mental health concerns. Nōmina’s Intensive Outpatient
Program (IOP), for example, is an accessible and affordable
option for those who need more robust addiction and
mental health support. It is designed to allow flexibility for
those who are working or who may have other
commitments for part of the day and cannot attend in-
patient treatment.
Our IOP includes:
Ÿ Full initial assessment with various providers as
determined by your treatment plan.
Ÿ Weekly psychotherapy sessions with both a primary
clinician and a dedicated support counsellor.
Ÿ Direct Neuro Feedback
Ÿ Group classes such as aftercare groups,
psychoeducational support, 12-step recovery group
meetings, women’s and men’s group meetings, SMART
Recovery meetings
Ÿ Support for fitness and other lifestyle needs
Ÿ Integrated family education and support —including an
intensive online family program delivered over the
course of a weekend
What, according to you, are the current pitfalls in
bridging gaps while providing mental health care? How
are you managing to overcome them?
At Nōmina Integrated Health, we understand that not
everyone has the same access to quality mental health care.
To help bridge that gap, we are proud to offer several no-
charge mental health options facilitated by our experienced
team of clinicians, such as our no-charge mental health
clinics and group support programs.
Even programs such as our IOP or our advanced trained
clinicians are all trying to make health care more accessible.
We have a team approach because we are larger clinics with
integrative models. This helps us provide care in a more
comprehensive way.
How are you integrating leading therapeutic techniques
with emerging technological tools to enhance a patient’s
wellness journey?
As healthcare professionals continue to seek out more
advanced and effective therapies for our patients, we are
increasingly utilizing innovative evidence-based techniques
like Direct Neurofeedback and EMDR. These cutting-edge
tools leverage advances in technology to enhance our
patients’ wellness journeys.
What are the future goals of the organization? How do
you envision scaling its operations and reach in 2022
and beyond?
Truthfully, we don’t know what 2023 will bring. In 2022,
we have opened our Winnipeg and St. Catharines clinics.
We hope to reach a few new locations across Canada in
2023. While we are remaining open to possibilities, we are
slowing down to focus on the tremendous opportunities we
have already had. We have been so grateful to be invited
into the communities we are in and are honored to be a part
of their care.
Trea ng just the substance use
disorder leaves a person incredibly
suscep ble to relapse as they are
not treated for the underlying or
co-morbid condi on. Through
Nōmina Integrated Health, we
have tried to develop more
integra ve programs and
approaches to care to help
stabilize both substance use and
mental health concerns.

Most Influential Canadian Women Leaders in Healthcare 2022.pdf

Most Influential Canadian Women Leaders in Healthcare 2022.pdf

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