About the event:
At this forum, a panel of IEHPs and leaders in the hospital, long-term care, and home care sectors will share their vision for system-level strategies to integrate internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) as Ontario rebuilds its health workforce.
The forum will also include an interactive moderated discussion in which participants can share their perspectives on solving the problem of underutilization of the skills that immigrant health professionals bring to Ontario.
Invitations to this forum have been extended to stakeholders engaged on this issue.
Key questions we will explore:
- What is the role of IEHPs in rebuilding Ontario’s health care workforce?
- What is our collective vision for a comprehensive provincial strategy that systematically addresses the integration of IEHPs from immigration to licensure to workplace inclusion?
This recently published CERC Policy Brief outlines a vision for change that can help inform the discussion.
Agenda:
- 1:00 Welcome and setting the context
- 1:15 Panel Discussion
- 2:15 Moderated Open Forum
Presenters
Donna Duncan
CEO, Ontario Long Term Care Association
Donna Duncan is Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Long Term Care Association, the largest association representing long-term care providers in Canada. She also served as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO), leading its initial operations. Duncan has a deep understanding of Ontario’s hospital and community mental health services as well as extensive experience in government, having worked with federal and provincial ministers.
Dr. Joanna Walters
Internationally Trained Physicians of Ontario (ITPO)
Dr. Joanna Walters leads the Policy, Advocacy and Research Committee of the Internationally Trained Physicians of Ontario (ITPO) and is an ITPO co-founder. A general practitioner from Jamaica with experience in family medicine, internal medicine, and radiation oncology, Dr. Walters graduated from medical school in 2014 and holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Waterloo.
Kelley Myers
Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, VHA Home Healthcare
Kelley Myers oversees over 2,700 staff and service providers at VHA and is recognized for her strategic leadership focused on advancing healthy workplace initiatives. Myers has more than 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector in organizations such as Family Service Toronto providing counselling and support services to clients in need. She holds a master’s certificate in healthcare management from Schulich School of Business and a certificate in labour relations from Queen’s University.
Paolo Varias
Internationally Educated Nurse, Long-Term Care Administrator
Paolo Varias is a Registered Nurse whose work entailed primary care, long-term care, public health and health policy. Paolo completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Philippines and his Master of Science in Aging and Health at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Varias is an accreditation surveyor at the Canadian Center for Accreditation (CCA). Paolo was a former Fellow of USAID’s Health Policy Development Program, Administrator of Primary Care Program at Kingston Community Health Centres (2015-2018), Director of Care at Trillium Retirement and Care Community (2018-2021), and currently serves as LTC Administrator at Extendicare Kingston.
Ru Taggar
Executive Vice President, Chief Nursing and Health Professions Executive at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
In her role, Ru Taggar supports nurses and other regulated health specialists through professional practice leadership. She joined the Board of Directors of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2011 and is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in nursing. Taggar also holds an adjunct clinical appointment at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto.
Debbie Douglas (Moderator)
Executive Director, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
Debbie Douglas is well-known and often called upon by governments to share her expertise in the NGO sector. She is an active member and participates in several committees including the City of Toronto’s Newcomer Leadership Table and the federal government’s National Settlement & Integration Council. Ms. Douglas is the recipient of several awards including YWCA Toronto’s Women of Distinction Awards.
