Pan-Canadian Health Organization (PCHO) Implementation Steering Group - Biographies, Summary of Expertise, Experiences, Affiliations and Interests

Leslee Thompson, Jean-Louis Denis, PhD and Stéphane Robichaud have been appointed by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, to guide the development of an implementation plan for reconfiguring and/or remandating the suite of pan-Canadian health organizations.

On this page:

• Biographies
• Summary of Expertise, Experiences, Affiliations and Interests

Biographies

Leslee J. Thompson

Chief Executive Officer, Health Standards Organization and Accreditation Canada

Leslee Thompson is Chief Executive Officer of Health Standards Organization and Accreditation Canada, two Canadian based not-for-profit organizations operating globally to improve quality health services for all. She also holds an appointment as Executive-in-Residence at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management.

Starting out as a critical care nurse, Ms. Thompson has over 25 years of senior executive and corporate director experience that spans multiple geographies and sectors including health care and medical technology. She has led numerous large-scale, complex changes within and across organizations facing mergers, amalgamations, and system level restructuring, as well as a high-profile hospital turnaround. Specifically, she was Chief Executive Officer of Kingston General Hospital, Vice President of Medtronic Canada, Vice President of Cancer Care Ontario, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Chief Operating Officer of Toronto Western Hospital at University Health Network, and Senior Operating Officer of the Royal Alexandra Hospital at Capital Health, Alberta.

Ms. Thompson has served on numerous influential health care related boards including: Board Chair of the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, Chair of the Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario, Board Member of the Ontario Hospital Association, and Board Member of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. She was also appointed as member of the Ontario Health Innovation Council and currently serves on the Board of the International Society for Quality in Health Care.

Ms. Thompson is passionate about partnering with patients to improve outcomes and her pioneering work in this area is internationally recognized and celebrated. Today, as Chief Executive Officer of Health Standards Organization and Accreditation Canada, she is leading teams around the world who are driving the adoption of people centered standards and assessment programs designed to help people in their local jurisdictions save and improve lives.

Ms. Thompson has an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, a Master's of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Toronto, and an undergraduate degree in Nursing from Queen's University. She also holds ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Jean-Louis Denis, PhD, FCAHS, MRSC

Professor and Canada Research Chair on Health System Design and Adaptation, School of Public Health - Université de Montréal

Jean-Louis Denis is professor of health policy and management at the School of Public Health-Université de Montréal, senior scientist on health system and innovation at the Research Center of the CHUM (CRCHUM) and holds the Canada research chair (tier I) on Health System Design and Adaptation. In recognition for his academic contribution to the field of health management and governance, he was nominated member of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada and fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. His current research looks at comparative analysis of health reform, evolution of medical professionalism, role of management tools in health organization transformation and innovation dynamics in knowledge-based organizations.

Mr. Denis is a visiting professor at the Department of Management - Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King's College of London, member of the Research and Strategy Council of ANAP-France and the President of the scientific council of INESSS. Recent papers have been published in Perspectives on Public Governance and Management, Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Organization Science, Academy of Management Annals, Milbank Quarterly, Administration and Society, Implementation Science and Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. Since 2016, he is co-editor of The Palgrave Organizational Behaviour in Healthcare monograph series.

Stéphane Robichaud

Chief Executive Officer, New Brunswick Health Council

Stéphane Robichaud is Chief Executive Officer of the New Brunswick Health Council. The Health Council has a dual mandate to engage citizens in the improvement of health services and to measure, monitor and report on health system performance. Prior to joining the Health Council, Mr. Robichaud was Vice President, Planning and Operations, with the Beauséjour Regional Health Authority.

In addition to having led the implementation of the New Brunswick Health Council since its creation in 2008, Mr. Robichaud has nearly 25 years of experience in the areas of organizational management and in public policy development including economic development, fiscal policies and labor force development.

Mr. Robichaud has contributed his time to several boards and has recently completed two terms with the Université de Moncton as President of the Alumni, Member of the Board of Governors and Chair of the Finance Committee. He is currently Chair of the New Brunswick Chapter of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. He also recently completed the ICD-Rotman, Directors Education Program (February 2018).

Summary of Expertise, Experiences, Affiliations and Interests

Purpose

External Advisory Bodies provide Health Canada and the Minister of Health with expert advice from individuals who have valuable knowledge, expertise or experience. The table below summarizes the expertise, experiences, affiliations and interests relevant to the implementation of the external review of the pan-Canadian health organizations (PCHOs) as declared by the Implementation Steering Group (ISG) members. Health Canada considers these declarations a part of the appointment process.

This summary is made available as part of Health Canada's commitment to transparency regarding the membership of its advisory bodies. The ISG members are expected to report promptly any changes in their circumstances as reported on their Affiliations and Interests Declaration Form.

Expertise/Experience

Criteria for selection for membership on the expert advisory body included the following areas of knowledge, expertise and experience:

• Recognized Canadian health system leader with expertise in Canadian health care policy;
• Sound understanding of public policy, governance, and intergovernmental relations; and,
• In-depth understanding and knowledge of the federal, provincial and territorial health landscape in Canada.

Declaration of affiliations and interests

The ISG members must declare the following:

1. Direct financial interests

Current employment, investments in companies, partnerships, equity, royalties, joint ventures, trusts, real property, stocks, shares, or bonds that relate to the mandate of the advisory body.

2. Indirect financial interests

• 2.1 Within the past five years, payment from the regulated industry for work done or being done, including past employment, contracts, or consulting; or financial support, including research support, personal education grants, contributions, fellowships, sponsorships, and honoraria (other than from current employer).
• 2.2 Within the past five years, materials, discounted products, gifts, or other benefits, or attendance at conferences and meetings where all or part of the travel and accommodation costs were provided by a party with an interest in the mandate of the advisory body (other than from current employer, over $1000).
• 2.3 Within the last five years, grants or other funding from a party with an interest in the mandate of the advisory body to any of the organizations where you are currently employed or participate in internal decision making (i.e. as a board member or executive or non-executive director).

3. Intellectual interests

• 3.1 Within the last five years, any formal advice or opinion to industry, a Canadian or foreign government organization, or a non-government organization.
• 3.2 Within the last five years, any published or publicly stated point of view, including scientific papers, articles, journals, or other publications or on websites.
• 3.3 Current professional or volunteer affiliations, such as membership of professional societies, lobbying, public interest, or advocacy groups that may have an interest in the mandate and work of the advisory board.

4. Other

Any other affiliations and interests or potential circumstances that might give a well-informed member of the public reasonable grounds for concern regarding the integrity and objectivity of your participation.

Summary of ISG member responses