People Leadership in the Digital Health Age

Healthcare leaders are called to evolve into the kind of visionaries who can unite purpose, people, and technology to propel Ontario’s healthcare system forward. This keynote is a rallying call to embrace courage, creativity, and collaboration as the true drivers of digital transformation.

• Redefining leadership mindsets for a digitally empowered healthcare future
• Moving from hierarchy to collaboration—leading across boundaries, not just within them
• Inspiring courage and creativity amid uncertainty and transformation
• Building a culture that embraces continuous learning, inclusivity, and innovation

Digital portals, secure messaging, and self-management tools are shifting the balance of power toward patients. This keynote explores how empowering patients improves outcomes, engagement, and continuity of care.

• Expanding patient access to health records, labs, and appointments.
• Secure messaging and remote engagement for stronger patient-provider relationships.
• Encouraging active participation in chronic condition management.
• How patient-centered design leads to better trust and adoption.

As Ontario’s healthcare system undergoes rapid digital transformation, leaders must balance technological change with the human side of innovation. This discussion explores how forward-thinking people strategies can build resilience, inclusion, and agility across healthcare organizations navigating digital disruption.

• How can healthcare leaders foster team resilience amidst digital change?
• What leadership approaches best promote diversity and inclusion in health IT teams?
• How can emotional intelligence guide leaders through complex digital transitions?
• What strategies help retain top clinical and technical talent in Ontario’s healthcare system?

Myfanwy Marshall

Vice President, People and Experience, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Christie Lockhart

Medical Director of Quality, Innovation, and Research, Michael Garron Hospital

Dhara Desai

Director, Digital Solutions, St. Joseph's Health System

Representative Moderator

TBC, Oracle Health

Join OnX in a fireside chat with Damian Jankowicz, EVP, Chief Information and Artificial Intelligence Officer at Unity Health.

Artificial intelligence and automation are rapidly reshaping healthcare operations across Canada. Yet for many organizations, the real challenge isn’t identifying potential use cases — it’s implementing them in a way that improves efficiency, earns clinician trust, and protects patient data.

In this 20-minute fireside keynote, OnX will explore with Damian how Ontario healthcare leaders can take practical, responsible steps toward AI adoption — reducing administrative burden, improving patient flow, and strengthening the data governance required to scale safely and sustainably.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Use AI insights to support clinical and operational decisions while establishing clear data ownership, standardized definitions, and governance guardrails.
• Automate administrative and data-entry processes with appropriate access controls, audit trails, and human oversight where accountability matters most.
• Apply predictive analytics to enhance patient flow, scheduling, and resource planning using reliable, timely, and well-governed data.
• Build trust and adoption across clinical teams through transparent, ethical AI practices, vendor safeguards, staff readiness programs, and continuous monitoring frameworks.

Dr. Jenya Doudareva,

Senior Manager AI & Machine Learning, AI Consultant, OnX Canada

Dr. Damian Jankowicz

Executive Vice President, Chief Information and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Unity Health Toronto

Jeff Lamb

Technology Executive AI & Data Governance, OnX Canada

Digital excellence in healthcare requires leaders who can align strategy, technology, and process to deliver measurable outcomes. This discussion explores how strategic leadership can simplify complexity, drive innovation, and create a foundation for efficient, patient-centered digital transformation across Ontario’s health system.

• How can leaders align digital health initiatives with provincial priorities and regulations?
• What strategies foster agility and innovation in hospital and health region operations?
• How can resources be effectively managed to maximize patient and system outcomes?
• What models of vendor collaboration can drive healthcare innovation forward?

Doug Murray

Executive Vice President of Enabling Services - Digital, Waterloo Regional Health Network

Sonali Kohli

Executive Vice-President, Digital Transformation; Chief Information Officer, Niagara Health

Skerdi Cerga

Chief Technology and Security Officer, Trillium Health Partners

Brendan Kwolek

Chief Information and Digital Officer, Halton Healthcare

Shrikant Kelkar

Senior Director - Client Flow and Clinical Operational Excellence, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Representative Moderator

TBC, Oracle Health

Split into specialized conversation areas and join engaging discussions to dive deeper into your innovation priorities.

ROUNDTABLE #1:

Solving Real-World Interoperability in Public Health IT - Issues confronting IT leaders and health care providers

Facilitated by AOT

ROUNDTABLE #2:

From AI Hype to Healthcare Impact with Data Governance at the Core

Facilitated by Dr. Jenya Doudareva, Ph.D Senior Manager, AI/Responsible AI, OnX

ROUNDTABLE #3:

Emotional Intelligence and Ethical Leadership in Patient Care

ROUNDTABLE #4:

Innovation and Creativity in Hospital and Community Health Settings

ROUNDTABLE #5:

Communication Mastery for Healthcare Leaders

ROUNDTABLE #6:

Building Effective Multidisciplinary Teams

ROUNDTABLE #7:

Future Trends: Preparing Ontario Healthcare for Digital Shifts

ROUNDTABLE #8:

Personal Development for Leaders: Skills for the Next Era

As healthcare organizations accelerate digital adoption, ensuring the security and integrity of patient data has never been more critical. This session examines how leaders can champion a culture of trust, resilience, and accountability while implementing secure, scalable digital health solutions.

• Embedding cybersecurity and privacy-by-design principles into every stage of digital health adoption
• Strengthening governance frameworks for responsible data sharing and interoperability
• Building workforce awareness and readiness to mitigate emerging security risks
• Partnering with technology providers to align innovation with patient safety and regulatory compliance

As emerging technologies redefine the future of care delivery, visionary leadership is essential to guide adoption, integration, and impact. This discussion explores how Ontario’s healthcare leaders can balance innovation with governance, ensuring technology serves both clinical excellence and patient trust.

• How can healthcare leaders integrate emerging technologies effectively into care delivery?
• What leadership qualities are essential for addressing evolving cybersecurity threats in healthcare?
• How can data and analytics be leveraged to improve patient outcomes and trust?
• What barriers exist in healthcare technology adoption, and how can leadership overcome them?

Dr. Carmine Simone

Executive Vice President, Medical Operations, Clinical Infrastructure and Partnerships, Michael Garron Hospital

Nicole Thomson

Vice President of Quality, Research & Patient Experience, Waterloo Regional Health Network

Michael Cole

Chief Information Security Officer, Lakeridge Hospital

Jennifer Lounsbury

Chief Nursing Information Officer, Hamilton Health Sciences

Emerson Rajaram

Chief Information Security Officer, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health

Representative Moderator

TBC, Oracle Health