Dr. Kernaghan was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Joseph's Health Care, London in 2010. St. Joseph’s is a multi-sited academic health care organization serving London and region. Prior to assuming this role, she served for 17 years as the Vice President, Medical for various hospitals in London. In 1984, Gillian joined the medical staff of St. Joseph's, Parkwood Hospital and LHSC as a family physician. She completed her residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1984 upon graduation from University of Western Ontario and was awarded her Fellowship in 2000.

She is an Associate Professor at Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry and an adjunct professor in the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing at Western University. Gillian currently serves on the OHA Board and the CAHO Executive. Gillian is the Past President of the Canadian Society of Physician Executives (2010-2012) and a past Board Member of CaRMS. She serves on numerous provincial and national committees. She is also a faculty member of the Physician Manager Institute of Canadian Medical Association.

Dr. Ken Blanchette is the Chair for the School of Health Sciences at St. Clair College. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Windsor and completed his Doctor of Chiropractic from National Institute of Health Sciences in Chicago Illinois.

Dr. Blanchette practiced in the United States for 12 years, specializing in breach birth complications, epileptic case management and advancing spinal decompression within the region as well as creating an integrated health model between disciplines. In 2010, he joined St. Clair College and was involved in the building of a 32 million dollar state of the art simulation center. Following the completion of the capital project, he has created an opportunity for professional training within our region and internationally for Health Care Disciplines and organizations in gaining continuing education.

Dr. Blanchette is a current member of the board of directors for Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital and the Windsor Essex county Health Unit, as well as the Chair for the Heads of Health Sciences for Ontario Colleges.

Michael Barrett has more than 25 years of experience in municipal planning and health care administration. Michael started in health care with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, where he became the Manager of Planning and Support at the South West Regional office. He then worked with the Paediatric and Perinatal Partnerships of Southwestern Ontario and as the Business Manager for Women and Children’s Services at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Michael joined the South West LHIN as a Senior Director and was appointed the Chief Executive Officer by the South West LHIN Board of Directors in 2008. Michael is also currently the President of the Ronald McDonald House of Southwestern Ontario Board.

Spencer Dickson is the Vice-President Corporate Performance and Employee Relations at Lambton College in Sarnia, Ontario.

He has been with the College since 2009 and has held the positions of progressive responsibility including Dean, School of Health Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies as well as Executive Dean, Academic Affairs.

Prior to joining the College, Spencer, a Registered Nurse by background, gained a broad foundation of experience within the healthcare sector having served in the roles of Clinical Manager, Director, and Chief Nursing Officer.

David Edwards is the Hallman Director of the School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo. He received his undergraduate pharmacy degree from the University of Toronto, completed a hospital pharmacy residency at Sunnybrook Medical Centre and graduated from the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the State University of New York at Buffalo where he did postdoctoral research in pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism. He also completed a Master in Public Health (MPH) degree at Wayne State University in Detroit where he was a faculty member, Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and a pharmacist in the area of therapeutic drug monitoring at Detroit Receiving Hospital.

He is the author of more than 90 papers and book chapters related to therapeutic drug monitoring, drug interactions, pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism and is a co-author of the textbook “Evaluating Drug Literature: A Statistical Approach”. Dr. Edwards sits on the Council of the Ontario College of Pharmacists, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, serves as Vice-President of the Canadian Foundation for Pharmacy, and is Past-President of the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada (AFPC).

Jayne Garland, PT, PhD, began her term as Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western University on January 1, 2016. She arrived at Western from the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she served as head of the Department of Physical Therapy. Prior to joining UBC in 2009, Jayne was a member of Western’s Faculty of Health Sciences since 1989, including eight years as director of the School of Physical Therapy (2000-8). Prior to her faculty appointment at Western, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizona and practiced physiotherapy in Kitchener-Waterloo. Her research is in the fields of motor control and stroke rehabilitation.

Murray Glendining is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive teaching and research hospitals in Canada. Murray joined LHSC in June 2012 as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Services and Clinical Support. Prior to joining LHSC Murray spent ten years at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs. In addition, he took on the role of Regional Chief Information officer (eHealth lead) for the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network where he led the provincial strategy for an electronic health record.

Murray is a highly respected health-care leader with extensive experience in the public and private sectors. He has a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a variety of partners and stakeholders including governments, communities and other health service providers to strengthen and advance patient care objectives. Murray has been instrumental in promoting the use of information technology in improving quality of patient care within the region and beyond. Murray is a Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in the public and private sectors.

His health care background includes Chief Financial Officer positions with a major academic health sciences centre and regional health authority in Western Canada. He has also consulted extensively across North America with internal consulting corporations. This consulting experience has included working with a number of government agencies including the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Murray is well respected in the areas of finance and research and has developed strong relationships at the provincial and federal government level. Murray currently sits on several local and provincial committees and boards.

Mrs. Janice Kaffer was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, Windsor, in September 2014. Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is a premium healthcare centre offering Rehabilitation Services; Specialized Mental Health & Addictions; Complex Medical and Palliative Care; and Children and Youth Mental health Services. Prior to assuming this role, she was the Vice President Clinical Programs and Chief Nursing Executive with Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital. She served as Vice President Health Services and Chief Nursing Official of the District in Pictou County Health Authority, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and as General Manager, Northern, and Eastern Ontario, for Saint Elizabeth Health Care in Markham.

Janice has extensive experience across the continuum of healthcare service delivery with knowledge of and expertise in both community and institutional (hospital) care delivery. Janice has years of experience in healthcare, from the front lines of home care to the board room of a large community hospital and is available and eager to support the emerging transformation of healthcare.

Janice received her undergraduate degree for Administrative Studies from Trent University and completed her Masters of Public Administration from Queen’s University in Kingston. She currently serves as a member of the OHA Rehabilitation Committee and has contributed to the Ontario Trauma Advisory Committee, Provincial Neurosurgery Ontario, Co-chair of the Provincial advisory council on trauma rehab, Co-chair of the Leadership and Accountability working group addressing Prevention of Violence in the Workplace.

Previous to her time in Windsor, Janice held various positions in Nova Scotia. She was Co-Chair of the Nova Scotia Surgical Care Council accountable to the Deputy Minister of Health and Council of CEO’s, a member of the Department of Health working group to the Expenditure Management Initiative of government, the Steering Committee for Research to Action Nova Scotia project: partnership with government, unions and employers under the federal charter of Health Canada and CFNU, Steering Committee for Implementation of a provincial Bed Utilization program across acute care in Nova Scotia and a member of the Provincial Nursing Network which is led by the provincial Nursing Policy Advisor to the Department of Health.

Mr. Mike Lapaine is a Certified Professional Accountant and holds a Masters of Business Administration and a degree in English literature. He has also completed the Rotman Advanced Health Leadership Program from the University of Toronto.

Mike joined Bluewater Health in 2008 as Vice-President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer and was appointed President and CEO in January 2016. He is acutely aware of the organization, its people and the challenges and opportunities ahead to move Bluewater Health forward in an ever-changing healthcare system.

Mike has a proven track record from his years of service at Bluewater Health in addition to healthcare leadership elsewhere in Ontario. He is committed, compassionate, known and trusted locally and beyond the Erie St. Clair region, and has strong communication and relationship building skills.

Mike serves on the Board of Governor's at Lambton College.

Pam McLaughlin received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Queen’s University and completed a Master’s Degree in Education at Brock University.

Pam has held the position of Dean of Health Sciences and Human Services at Fanshawe College since January 2002. She first joined Fanshawe College as a part time professor as teaching, learning and educating caring professions have always been cornerstones of her career. Pam has worked in acute and community-based organisations in both the private and public sectors. She has served on the Board of Governors of several organizations including Fanshawe College, Victorian Order of Nurses, and on the board committee of St. Joseph’s Health Care London. She is passionate about both health care and education and is particularly interested in issues regarding public policy, governance and social justice.

At Fanshawe College, Pam was instrumental in the development of the Clinical Learning Suites. She has also been engaged in the continued development of the Interprofessional Education and Practice Agenda in concert with partners from Western University, and most recently with the City of London through the Child and Youth Network.

Dr. Linda Patrick is a tenured Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Windsor (renewed-2020). Dr. Patrick has been a Registered Nurse for over 40 years with 26 in the field of nursing education and 8 years in senior administration in a university setting. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association Schools of Nursing, Co-Chair of the CASN Education Committee and she has an appointment to the Advisory Council for the de Souza Institute.

Dr. Patrick is on the Council of Ontario University Programs of Nursing (COUPN) Executive and Chair of the Curriculum Committee for the Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner (PHCNP) program in Ontario. In addition, she is on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues and Care Dr. Patrick is experienced in post-secondary program design, development and evaluation including 10 years in accreditation and program approval processes.

In 1998, she co-developed the Diabetes Wellness Program at the Sandwich Community Health Centre and was a founding board member of the Essex NP-Led Clinic. Research experience includes mixed-methods and case study methodologies, with a specific focus of Existential Phenomenology-seeking greater meaning of phenomenon as they are experienced and perceived. Her doctoral research investigated the meaning of type 2 diabetes for women with previous gestational diabetes. Current research interests have expanded to include improving health outcomes for women at risk for Type 2 diabetes through lifestyle changes and exploring the mentorship needs of tenure-track nursing faculty in a national study.

Jennifer Row is a Director of Home and Community Care with the South West Local Health Integration Network. She joined the LHIN team in May 2017, and had previously worked as a Regional manager- Patient Care at the South West Community Care Access Centre from 2007-2017. Early on in her SWCCAC career she was selected to receive Ministry of Health funded training as a Certified Improvement Advisor through the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and this training has shaped her career in quality improvement and patient care. Jennifer started her journey in healthcare by earning an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Ontario, and spent the first ten years working at St. Joseph’s Health Care, Parkwood Hospital with the Acquired Brain Injury programs as a Clinical Behavioral Consultant. She has been working in the healthcare field for over 20 years.

Jennifer has been involved in multiple provincial quality improvement initiatives related to patient flow and transitions. Most recently, her responsibilities have shifted to align with her passion and commitment to palliative and end-of-life care. Her current portfolio includes directing and overseeing the operations of the Complex and Palliative Care teams, Nurse Practitioners, Rapid Response Nurses, Geriatric Resource Nurse, and Hospice Palliative Care Outreach Teams.

Jennifer is the primary author of the book “Just Stay...A Couple’s Last Journey” (Words Indeed Press; Fazakerley, Bradish, Butlin-Battler, 2012), which is included as required reading in various health related university courses across Canada.

Dr. Strong graduated from Queens University in Kingston in 1982. This was followed by Neurology training at Western University (1982 – 1987) and post graduate training at the Laboratory of Central Nervous System Studies (director - D. Carleton Gadjusek, Nobel Laureate) at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland under the supervision of Ralph M. Garruto, PhD (1987 - 1990).

He served as Director, Motor Neuron Diseases Clinic, London Health Sciences Centre from 1990 to 2010 and Chief of Neurology and Co-chair, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences from 2000 – 2010. Dr. Strong has edited or co-edited 3 textbooks on ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), published more than 145 peer-reviewed articles and 28 chapters, and has given more than 120 invited lectures related to his research in ALS. Dr. Strong was awarded the Sheila Essay Award in 2005 and the Forbes Norris Award in 2008, and is the only Canadian to have received both international awards for ALS research. He was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology in 2008 and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2009.

In 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medal for his work in ALS research and teaching. His research has focussed on understanding how neurofilament aggregates are formed in degenerating motor neurons in ALS and how these contribute to the disease process of ALS. These studies have led to the current hypothesis that ALS is due, in the majority of cases, from fundamental alterations in RNA metabolism. In addition, both his clinical and laboratory research have focussed on understanding the nature of cognitive changes in ALS, ultimately leading to the demonstration that cognitive changes in ALS are associated with alterations in the tau protein metabolis.

Andrew is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA), a voluntary alliance of the hospitals in Clinton, St. Marys, Seaforth and Stratford, a position he has held since the organization’s formation in 2003. Throughout his 25+ year career in healthcare leadership, Andrew has had the opportunity to work in and with numerous healthcare organizations locally, and across Canada. His experience spans small, community, teaching and research hospitals, the community sector, regional systems, and private clinics.

He is a passionate advocate for patient and family centred care, and believes our healthcare system should be less about its structures and providers and more about ensuring the individual needs of the patients are met in the safest and most appropriate manner. Andrew holds and Honours Degree in Biology and Masters in Health Services Administration, both from Dalhousie University. He is an active Member of the Canadian College of Healthcare Leaders and the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a Surveyor with Accreditation Canada.