Why did you join St. Michael’s Foundation?
St. Michael’s Foundation is the perfect combination of all my areas of interest and work experience—in education, healthcare and social services. What makes St. Michael’s stand out from all other hospitals in this country is its deep-seated commitment to health equity. Taken all together, this is exactly where I want to be, and I’m honoured to join the St. Michael’s and Providence Healthcare families. Also, St. Michael’s will always be special to me because my eldest daughter was born here.
What do you find so special about St. Michael’s and Providence?
Both institutions were founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Although the Sisters no longer run the hospitals, what remains is a deep commitment to help those individuals who have no one else to help them. In the 19th century, that meant typhoid patients. Today, that means the underhoused and refugees. When you combine this commitment with areas of excellence in care, from critical care to multiple sclerosis, you have a leading healthcare provider that also shapes the fabric of our society.
You’re now four months into your role—what has surprised you?
St. Michael’s is Ontario’s best kept healthcare secret. We will change that. What amazes, not surprises, is the depth of high-end medicine within the walls of the hospital. With each passing week, I see objective evidence that St. Michael’s is a leader on the global stage for care, research and AI.
A decade ago, support from the Li Ka-Shing Canada Foundation set us on the course to lead the application of data analytics to healthcare. The remarkable results are a testament to the invaluable contributions of our donors, and these achievements have already translated into saving countless lives—with so much more to come.
For me, what matters is not our ranking but whether other exceptional institutions actively seek to collaborate with us. The answer is a resounding yes; there is a clear and enthusiastic desire for St. Michael’s to be a global partner.
How do you see the two hospitals St. Michael’s Foundation supports fitting together?
Providence Healthcare is a perfect complement to St. Michael’s Hospital. During the pandemic, we proved that applying hospital-quality infection control standards to long-term care saves lives—our record is second to none. Providence’s rehabilitation track record is exceptional, as we take in the GTA’s least functioning patients who later leave Providence with the highest functionality scores—that's an irrefutable impact.
The opportunity ahead is extraordinary. We are already forging pathways to accelerate specialized rehabilitation for stroke and trauma patients, and people with MS. We will change the future for homeless older adults, and we will apply our leadership in analytics to better support older adults in care and, ultimately, at home.
For St. Michael’s, all of this means that patients are able to leave acute care more quickly, freeing up capacity for others, and have a faster road to recovery.
What makes St. Michael’s and Providence extraordinary?
The hospitals truly combine the “what” and the “how”: world-leading research and care with unmatched compassion. “Dedicated” and “committed” describe hospital staff from both sites, as well as the Foundation team who support our hospitals each day.
What’s coming next from the Foundation?
St. Michael’s has a history of strong and dedicated philanthropic support from the community. We are making some changes to our current fundraising campaign to focus on supporting our greatest strengths in care and research—more from us in early 2024!
Any final thoughts?
Thank you. Our donors allow us to do all that I’ve described. Together, we’re saving and mending lives, and building better futures to create a stronger society. The generosity of our donors fills me with hope for our shared journey ahead. So again, thank you from St. Michael’s Foundation.
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