INTRODUCING
I am confident that open communication
with both the public and the profession about
this approach will address some misperceptions
about the role of the College.
Over your career, you've had a number of
different roles. Is there a particular role
that you have most enjoyed?
A: I believe that I am a mosaic of all the roles.
As a clinician, I became grounded in the reali-
ties of the patient experience and the challeng-
es of the health-care system that we, as physi-
cians, deal with each day. As an educator, I am
encouraged by the new genera-
tions of doctors that are joining
us as colleagues, but am cogni-
zant of the issues they will face in
As a clinician, I
keeping current and maintaining
altruism. As a hospital adminis-
became grounded in
trator, I became familiar with the
the realities of the
struggles of trying to coordinate
patient experience and various parts of the system with
constrained resources. In my
the challenges of the
new role as President, I hope to
health-care system
reflect these perspectives to my
colleagues on Council so that we
can make decisions that keep the
public trust by ensuring they are being cared
for by the highest quality of physicians.
You will be leading the development of
the new strategic plan. What will be key
in developing the best plan?
A: Our strategic plan must strive to find the
balance between inspired aspirations and
reality-based implementation. It will be cru-
cial to have broad stakeholder consultation,
including physicians and the public. The chal-
lenge, of course, will be ensuring that the full
spectrum of the College’s responsibilities are
well understood. Because I don’t think they
currently are.
14
DIALOGUE ISSUE 4, 2018
Why is it so important that we be
proactive in recommending and
implementing governance change?
A: I think the writing is on the wall. There is
a move to modernize governance models, in-
cluding health regulatory bodies. Certainly, we
have seen it happen in the United Kingdom.
And I think a real danger exists if we stand
on the sidelines and simply watch changes
unfold without our input or participation.
And while we may have some uncomfortable
conversations now, it is much better that we
are involved earlier, when we can proactively
influence the process of change.
Ultimately, it will be up to the government
to establish a framework, through legisla-
tion, for governance of the health regulatory
bodies. But we have extensive experience
that can help inform those decisions.
What are your life’s other passions?
A: I have two daughters who are beginning
their professional careers, one as a project
manager in health informatics, the other as a
primary school French teacher. I hope to pro-
vide support and guidance to them.
I am very engaged as a volunteer community
events photographer, both for the Estonian
community and for events happening in the
Mississauga area. Capturing unique images
is a gratifying activity, especially when those
photos can be shared with the subjects and the
community.
Do you have a favourite photo?
A: Twenty-five years ago, I captured the mo-
ment my then 3-year-old saw her newborn
sister for the first time. That instant was a spe-
cial one for our family and our older daughter’s
smile of wonderment still amuses us to this
day.
MD