Today we’re announcing the new Chair and Vice-Chair of Healthcare Excellence Canada’s Board of Directors, as well as one new Director. Our volunteer Board of Directors includes a diverse group of leaders who are passionate about safe, high-quality healthcare.
The new Chair and Vice-Chair are:
- Blair O’Neill (Chair), MD, is a senior medical leader, a practising cardiologist with Alberta Health Services and a Professor of medicine with the University of Alberta.
- Sue Owen (Vice-Chair) is a senior healthcare leader with comprehensive expertise across all healthcare sectors. She is the President and CEO of Impreza Consulting, a boutique consultancy focused on strategy, patient experience and executive facilitation.
One new Director has also joined the Board:
- Kedar Mate, MD, is President and Chief Executive Officer at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), President of the IHI Lucian Leape Institute, and a member of the faculty at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The Board thanks the departing Chair for his service, particularly his contributions in leading governance during the inaugural years of HEC.
“As a healthcare provider, it’s an honour to serve as the new Chair of HEC’s Board as we continue to improve healthcare with – and for – everyone in Canada. Thank you to our departing Chair, Erik Sande, for his leadership and contributions during the inaugural years of HEC,” says Blair O’Neill, MD. “We are also delighted to welcome our newest Board Director, Kedar Mate, MD, who brings a wealth of international experience in healthcare improvement and safety.”
“It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to serve on the Board of Directors for Healthcare Excellence Canada. As our colleague, Blair O’Neill, MD, assumes the role of Chair, it will be critically important for me as vice chair to provide support as we both navigate our new roles,” says Sue Owen. “This is an exciting time for Healthcare Excellence Canada. As both the ‘forming’ and ‘storming’ phases are complete, the organization is well-positioned to take the successes achieved to date to truly become Canada’s go-to agency. This will require an emphasis on monitoring, measuring and reporting on results.”
“HEC’s commitment to innovating, building capability, and catalyzing change resonates with me on a personal level and is closely aligned with our work at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). We also share many strategic priorities, including health equity, safety, and older adult care. These issues are fundamental to providing high-quality care in Canada and around the world, and I am honored to join the HEC board in support of these efforts,” says Kedar Mate, MD.
