Keynote speaker: Robert Reid

Hazel McCallion Research Chair in Learning Health Systems, Institute for Better Health

Senior Vice President, Science, Trillium Health Partners

Dr. Robert Reid is a global expert and thought leader in population health, learning health systems and primary care.

He is best known for his work in developing and evaluating a patient-centred medical home at Group Health Cooperative, now Kaiser Permanente. Robert is currently providing expertise in the redesign of Ontario’s health-care system through the Ontario Health Teams initiative.

With the Institute for Better Health, Robert focuses on generating new ways to engage, design, deliver and finance health care. He also creates partnerships with patients, caregivers and communities to improve population health.

Plenary speaker: Kerry Kuluski

Dr. Mathias Gysler Research Chair in Patient and Family Centered Care, Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners

Associate Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto

In her research, Dr. Kerry Kuluski focuses on care quality challenges in our health-care system, including care transitions using multiple methods. She is also exploring new strategies to better collect, make sense of, and act on patient experience data.

She works in partnership with patients, families and care providers to co-design strategies and improve health-care experiences.  She launched a new course at the University of Toronto on patient and caregiver engagement in research. Kerry also co-created a seven-part virtual learning series on engagement and co-design with and for patients, caregivers and communities.

Before her current roles, Kerry was a scientist at Sinai Health System, where she grew her program of research on the patient and caregiver experience. She completed her PhD in health services research at the University of Toronto and a master’s in social work at Lakehead University.

Opening prayer: Elder Ruth Alfred

Ruth is of Mamtagela ancestry through her Grandfather Price Bruce, Grandmother Julia Nelson-Bruce and mother Florence Bruce-Stadnyk, and Ukrainian through her father Andrew Stadnyk.

Ruth was born and raised in Alert Bay, marrying into the Namgis Nation. She left Alert Bay in 1986 to find work when the fishing industry collapsed. She raised two daughters as a single parent, eventually moving to North Vancouver in 1990 after both girls went on their own. Ruth has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She and her partner have lived in North Vancouver for 38 years.

Ruth worked various jobs in retail until becoming the Elder Program Coordinator at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre for two years. She worked at the Pacific Association of First Nations Women for 15 years until her retirement in 2017. In 2018, Ruth became a member of the Elder Knowledge Keepers at Indigenous Health and Wellness, which she was a part of until recently. She was the Elder in Residence at Heatley Community Health Centre and Ravensong Clinic, doing one-on-one sessions with patients.

Ruth also does patient visits at Lions Gate Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital. For over 23 years, she worked as an outreach worker for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the Downtown Eastside, assisting with housing, medical assistance and support at hearings for Residential School Survivors after helping them with their claim forms for restitution.

Ruth attended North Island Secondary School, the North Island College Early Childhood program and the Native Education College Office Administration Program.