Impact Live - Under the scope: Canada’s healthcare workforce crisis

Wael M R Haddara is Interim Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, and St. Joseph’s Health Centre. A Critical Care physician, he played a pivotal role in leading the Critical Care program during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to his clinical work, Wael is a committed medical educator whose research focuses on the enduring dimensions of professional identity in medicine. He is also cultivating a growing interest in leadership and character, informed by the Ivey Business School’s Leader Character framework. Wael holds an MMEd from Dundee University; Royal College certification in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology, and Intensive Care; and previously trained and worked as a pharmacist. He continues to hold registration (Register B) with the Ontario College of Pharmacists.

Maria Mathews is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Primary Health Care and Health Equity in the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. She has a PhD in Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation from the University of Toronto and an MHA from the University of Alberta. She leads a program of research on primary health care with interconnecting themes of the health workforce; the organization, integration, and delivery of care; and health care in rural communities.

As a healthcare leader and nurse for over 40 years, Carol Young-Ritchie has in-depth knowledge and expertise in navigating complexity and challenges within the health care sector, consistently delivering high quality results while skillfully supporting the people side of change. Two years ago, she opened her own consulting business and is currently the interim Vice President of Human Resources at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. She is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Western University’s Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing. Carol’s education background includes an MSc in Nursing and BSc in Nursing from Western University, as well as being a graduate of Fanshawe College Nursing Diploma program.

Lauren Cipriano is a Professor in Management Science at the Ivey Business School where she is the Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Analytics, Management, and Policy. She holds cross appointments in the Department of Medicine and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University. Her research applies statistics, economics, and operations research to health policy, focusing on clinical diagnostics, therapeutics, resource allocation, and infectious disease. A well-known expert in her field, Lauren has consulted for prominent organizations, including the World Health Organization, and served on Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table during the pandemic. She holds an MS in Statistics and a PhD in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford, and previously worked at the Institute for Technology Assessment at Massachusetts General Hospital.