President-elect and board of director candidates

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Hal Berman is a physician leader with experience in governance, advocacy, and public engagement within Ontario’s health-care system. He currently serves as chair of district 11, the largest OMA district in the province, representing a diverse physician membership across practice settings, and has been active within the OMA since 2018, including participation in the Provincial Leadership Group.  

As district chair, Dr. Berman has focused on strengthening member engagement and advancing district priorities aligned with OMA objectives. His leadership has included supporting the return to in-person member forums following the pandemic and stewarding district initiatives that connect physician advocacy to broader system issues, including partnerships highlighting food insecurity as a social determinant of health and supporting women and families leaving domestic violence. Dr. Berman also brings experience in public advocacy and communication. He has participated in media interviews and phone-ins on health-care policy, home care capacity, and access to services, and has engaged with elected officials and public servants on physician and system priorities. His experience running for public office has further informed his understanding of government processes, public accountability, and policy development within non-partisan advocacy settings. 

In addition to his governance and advocacy work, Dr. Berman practises home-based palliative care through the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care at Mount Sinai Hospital and holds an academic appointment as assistant professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto. He is also the clinical lead for his team’s home-based point-of-care ultrasound programme.  

Dr. Berman is seeking the president-elect role out of a desire to listen to physicians across the province, synthesize diverse perspectives, and support the OMA’s role as a credible advocate for the profession and the patients that physicians serve.

OMA competencies

1. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA) 

Dr. Berman has supported equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility through district level leadership, education, and advocacy within the OMA. As district chair, he initiated and supported member-facing education addressing racism, discrimination, and inclusion. He has completed education related to Indigenous health and social determinants of health and has incorporated equity considerations into district discussions on access to care, home care resources, and physician advocacy, aligning with the OMA’s commitment to inclusive governance and representation. 

2. Health-care system and professional insight

Dr. Berman brings system level insight informed by clinical practice, academic involvement, and OMA leadership. His experience spans hospital-based and home-based care, medical education, and clinical innovation within academic health environments. Through his district leadership, he has developed an understanding of physician working conditions, home care pressures, and system challenges affecting multiple practice settings across Ontario’s health-care system.

3. Member engagement, influence and advocacy

Dr. Berman has focused on member engagement through elected leadership within the OMA. As chair of district 11, he represents a large and diverse physician membership and works with district executives, OMA staff, and the Provincial Leadership Group to bring forward members’ priorities and concerns. His role has included supporting physician engagement forums, leadership development activities, and advocacy discussions with system partners, contributing to the OMA’s role as a representative voice for physicians. 

Candidate's statement of interest

I have been active with the OMA since 2018. During this time, I have gained an appreciation for the role our organization plays in shaping Ontario’s health-care agenda. I have always had an interest in providing leadership in health-care policy. I have the skills and experience that will allow me to represent all of our members effectively, and help drive the changes that we need to be able to provide the best care to our patients. 

Leadership is about both listening and acting. As president my main goal will be to represent the members of the OMA. This means listening to what doctors tell me they need, bringing it to the board, and then advocating for change that will help our members.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

As a member of a marginalized community in Canada, my experiences have taught me about the challenges faced by equity-seeking groups. Because of this I have actively pursued education in EDI, including taking courses in Indigenous health and learning about unique issues faced by the BIPOC community in accessing health care. As chair of district 11 I initiated a series of anti-racism webinars that is currently ongoing. 

The membership of the OMA is diverse. I believe that the leadership of the OMA should reflect this. Not only should every member be included and heard, but they must feel that they are included and heard. As president of the OMA, hearing all of our members and acting on their behalf will be my priority. 

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth is a community-based family physician in Ottawa with over a decade of experience delivering comprehensive primary care across the lifespan, including mental health care and services for patients facing barriers to access. She practises within a Family Health Organization and brings experience across both fee-for-service and team-based care models, informing her understanding of primary care sustainability and system design. 

Trained as both a family physician and a social scientist (PhD in anthropology), Dr. Kaplan-Myrth brings a systems-oriented perspective to health policy, equity, and governance. She has held leadership and governance roles across professional, community, and public-sector institutions, including governance experience through service with a nonprofit social services organization and as an elected school board trustee.  

Within the OMA, she has served on the Issues and Policy Panel, the Priority and Leadership Group, and as a District 8 Urban Delegate, contributing to policy discussions on physician working conditions, access to care, and system reform. She has also been active within the OMA Section on General and Family Practice and previously served on the Outreach to Women Physicians’ Committee, bringing frontline primary care perspectives to member engagement and advocacy work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kaplan-Myrth emerged as a prominent physician voice, engaging with governments, media, and community partners to address gaps in access to care and public health communication. She is also the author of multiple books on health policy, advocacy, and equity.  

Dr. Kaplan-Myrth is seeking the president-elect role to contribute a primary-care-informed, systems-level perspective to the OMA’s strategic leadership. 

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Kaplan-Myrth has been involved in initiatives addressing system-level challenges in primary care, public health, and community access to services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped organize and support community-based vaccination clinics in Ottawa that partnered physicians, public health teams, and community volunteers to reach essential workers and underserved populations. She also convened and moderated a national roundtable on COVID-19 vaccination strategy with physicians, allied health professionals, and federal decision-makers, contributing frontline perspectives to national policy discussions. Her work reflects an ability to connect clinical experience with broader system considerations and emerging health policy priorities.

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

EDIA considerations are embedded in Dr. Kaplan-Myrth’s clinical practice, governance work, and advocacy activities. She has served on the Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity and Gender at the University of Ottawa and the OMA’s Outreach to Women Physicians’ Committee. Her clinical practice has focused on providing accessible care for transgender and 2SLGBTQ+ patients, people with disabilities, and individuals experiencing social and economic marginalization. In governance and public advocacy settings, she has contributed to discussions on equitable access to care, health system barriers, and the importance of including equity perspectives in policy and organizational decision-making.

3. Member engagement, influence and advocacy

Dr. Kaplan-Myrth has represented physicians through formal roles within the OMA, including service on the Issues and Policy Panel, the Priority and Leadership Group, and as District 8 Urban Delegate. She has also served as a district delegate for the OMA Section on General and Family Practice and previously participated in the OMA Outreach to Women Physicians’ Committee. Her advocacy work has included engagement with elected officials, participation in professional town halls, and public commentary on physician working conditions, access to care, and patient safety. Her approach emphasizes engagement with both physician colleagues and broader system partners.

Candidate's statement of interest

I am stepping up as a candidate for OMA president as a family physician who has extensive leadership experience and an understanding of the complex issues facing health care in Ontario. 

As a family physician and a social scientist (PhD anthropology), I have spent my career studying health policy and politics. My career has been about the power of bringing together people across disciplines, geographic and political boundaries, ensuring that marginalized voices are at the table. Where problems arise in our health-care system, my passion is to ask questions, debate, collaborate, and ultimately to try to find collaborative solutions.

I stepped up as a leader locally, provincially, and for all Canadians between 2020 and 2024. Although the urgency of responding to the pandemic has passed, the Covid-19 pandemic helped us to identify many gaps in health care, barriers to accessing primary care and specialist services, fundamental inequalities, professional challenges. We continue to need physicians in Ontario to be strong leaders, not just to respond to crises, but to address systemic issues. 

It would be an honour to serve as president of the OMA, to represent all physicians across our province, to engage with colleagues, to advocate for populations, and to lobby politicians and policy makers. 

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

I am a family physician who has spent her life advocating for equitable access to health care, for Indigenous self-determination, for people with disabilities, for LGBQ and transgender rights, for mental health care, for all marginalized and vulnerable populations.

Before I was a physician, I was an anthropologist. I was a commonwealth scholar (Canada-UK) at University College London, where my MSc focused on disability rights, and then a fulbright scholar at Yale University, where my PhD focused on Indigenous health policy and politics. 

In 2003, I put into practice what I critiqued as a social scientist by diving into medical training followed by family medicine training. Since 2011, I’ve worked as a community-based family physician, providing comprehensive care to patients in central Ottawa. 

I have always reached out to work with others when I identify issues in health care. At the end of medical school, I published a book, Women Who Care: Women’s Stories of Health Care and Caring, with physicians, nurses, social workers, caregivers, and patients across Canada. My next book, Much Madness, Divinest Sense: Women’s Stories of Mental Health Care, was published during residency. 
I stepped into a public leadership role during the Covid-19 pandemic, advocating for equitable access to health care. I reached out to Prime Minister Trudeau in early 2021, and hosted a national Covid-19 vaccination strategy roundtable. In 2024, I published an award-winning book, Breaking Canadians: Health Care, Advocacy, and the Toll of Covid-19. 

I strongly believe that if we advocate politicians will respond. 

CPSO member information

Reference and social media check complete

LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Jane Purvis is a community-based rheumatologist and physician leader with over thirty-five years of clinical experience and more than a decade of involvement in provincial governance, policy, and advocacy. She is the current vice chair of OMA District 6 and president of the Peterborough County Medical Society and recently completed her term as co-chair of the OMA Physician Services Committee (PSC), where she played a key role in the development and implementation of the 2021 Physician Services Agreement. 

A founding member and two-time president of the Ontario Rheumatology Association (ORA), Dr. Purvis has led major initiatives on biosimilars, lab policy, interdisciplinary care models, and pandemic-era physician support. She is currently the Government Affairs Committee Lead for the ORA and has held executive roles on the section of rheumatology. She is also a past recipient of the ORA rheumatologist of the year award, Canadian Rheumatology Association Master Award, and OMA Section Service Award, recognizing her leadership and sustained contributions to the profession. 

Dr. Purvis’ contributions reflect a long-standing commitment to collaboration, system improvement, and practical advocacy. She has worked directly with the Ministry of Health, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA), and other system partners, often serving as a lead voice in provincial-level negotiations. She has completed the ICD Not-for-Profit Governance certification to further support her board service.  

Dr. Purvis is seeking the president-elect role to help advance practical, system-focused solutions on behalf of Ontario’s physicians, grounded in evidence, collaboration, and sustained advocacy. 

OMA competencies

1. Governance and fiduciary oversight  

Dr. Purvis has held governance roles across the OMA and ORA, including co-chair of the PSC, vice chair of District 6, and executive leadership within the section of rheumatology. She has led negotiations, contributed to health policy development, and participated in board-facing roles on quality and advocacy. She has completed the ICD Not-for-Profit Governance certification, reflecting a commitment to strong fiduciary practice and nonprofit governance. 

2. Health-care system and professional insight

With over three decades in community-based rheumatology and long-standing service within the OMA, Dr. Purvis brings insight into frontline realities and system-level challenges. Dr. Purvis brings a broad view of the health system informed by experience in both specialty and interdisciplinary care. Her work has focused on reducing administrative burden, improving access to care, and advancing integrated models that reflect the needs of both primary and specialty care providers. She has been involved in system design related to lab and genetics policy, forms modernization, and biosimilar implementation. Her work through the PSC, section of rheumatology, and ORA has given her direct insight into how provincial structures impact clinical practice. Her dual clinical and leadership roles offer a grounded understanding of the needs of physicians across settings. 

3. Member engagement, influence and advocacy

Dr. Purvis has consistently represented physician interests through provincial advocacy and regional leadership. Within the OMA, she has served as vice chair of District 6, co-chair of the PSC, Priority and Leadership group delegate, vice chair of Issues and Policy Panel, member of the Health Policy Committee and an executive member of the section of rheumatology. She has also held long-standing positions with the ORA, supporting policy development, member engagement, and collaborative efforts with government and system partners. Her advocacy spans grassroots mobilization and high-level negotiation, including direct engagement with the Ministry of Health and the CLHIA. 

Candidate's statement of interest

With over three decades of clinical experience and more than 10 years in senior OMA leadership, I bring a proven record of collaboration, negotiation, and system-level impact. As co-chair of the Physician Services Committee during the 2021 PSA, I helped guide one of the OMA’s most important agreements, working closely with ministry leaders, the OMA board, and grassroots members. My work on the OMA Forms Committee, Priority & Leadership Group, Health Policy Panel, and District 6 has strengthened my understanding of frontline pressures across the province. 

I have consistently championed practical, evidence-informed solutions to reduce administrative burden, streamline clinical processes, and support both primary and specialty care. My leadership in the Ontario Rheumatology Association and extensive government and industry relations experience — including direct engagement with ministers, ADMs, and CLHIA — reflect my ability to build trust and advance physician priorities in complex environments. 

If elected OMA president, my focus will be clear: to ensure fair renumeration for all work done, including non-patient facing activities, amplify the physician voice, support family medicine specialists, modernize practice environments, create policy on AI so that it becomes a useful tool for medical practice, not a replacement, decrease administrative burden, strengthen collaboration across the profession,  and advocate for a sustainable, equitable health system. My style is to be empathetic, quick-thinking, adaptable and to seek fresh perspectives to forward the OMA’s priorities. I lead with preparation, respect, and integrity.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility have been central to my work as a physician, leader, and advocate. Throughout my career, I have seen how systemic barriers affect patients, colleagues, and communities, and I am committed to fostering an Ontario Medical Association where every member feels respected, represented, and able to participate fully in shaping our profession. 

My clinical and leadership experience has reinforced the importance of listening to under-represented voices, seeking diverse perspectives, and grounding decisions in fairness and transparency. I have consistently advocated for equitable access to care, supported marginalized patients, and promoted inclusive practices within clinical and professional teams. In committee and governance roles, I work to ensure decisions are informed by data, consultation, and a clear understanding of how policy affects physicians across specialties, practice models, and regions. Equity and inclusion, regardless of gender, geography, age, religion, ethnicity, or other factors, are fundamental to how I approach leadership. 

The OMA’s goals of strengthening the profession, improving the health-care system, and advancing physician well-being can only be achieved when equity and inclusion are embedded at every level of the organization. By promoting diverse leadership pathways, reducing structural barriers, and improving accessibility in OMA processes and communications, we can build a stronger and more representative association. 

If elected, I will continue to champion EDIA principles across advocacy, governance, and member engagement. My commitment is to lead with integrity, openness, and respect for the diversity of physicians and patients in Ontario, ensuring our collective voice is inclusive, credible, and effective.

CPSO member information

Reference and social media check complete

LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Rossana Tassone is a family medicine specialty trained physician with experience across primary care, GP focused practice dermatology, musculoskeletal medicine, and sports medicine. Her clinical career has included work in rural and urban environments, urgent care settings, and focused practice models. She currently maintains a focused practice in dermatology, obesity medicine, musculoskeletal medicine and ringside medicine for combat sports across Ontario. 

Dr. Tassone has engaged with the OMA through advocacy training, district meetings, and participation in Queen’s Park Days since 2022. Through these activities, she has met with provincial and federal representatives to discuss physician workforce shortages, remuneration, administrative burden, and challenges affecting multiple specialties. She has also completed OMA advocacy skills training and participated in roundtable discussions facilitated by the OMA. 

In her local community, Dr. Tassone organizes and moderates recurring continuing medical education sessions, bringing together physicians from a range of specialties for accredited and non-accredited learning events. She serves as an examiner for the College of Family Physicians of Canada certification examinations, a role that requires adherence to national standards, objectivity, and awareness of bias in high stakes assessment environments.  

Dr. Tassone is seeking the president elect role to contribute to physician advocacy efforts at a provincial level, with a stated focus on physician well-being and dignified compensation, representing a broad range of practice contexts within Ontario’s health system.

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Within Dr. Tassone’s clinical practice environment, she has implemented workflow and communication processes to improve efficiency and reduce administrative repetition for patients and staff. She has also provided feedback on emerging digital tools intended to streamline Electronic Medical Record (EMR) workflows and patient communications.

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

Dr. Tassone’s EDIA experience is grounded in clinical practice and patient care. She has adapted clinic environments and equipment to improve accessibility for patients living with obesity, including appropriate furnishings and diagnostic tools. She reports using people-first language, translation services, and flexible scheduling to reduce access barriers related to school, work, and caregiving responsibilities. Her exposure to diverse patient populations across rural, suburban, and urban settings has informed her approach to inclusive care delivery. 

3. Member engagement, influence and advocacy 

Dr. Tassone has participated in OMA-led advocacy activities, including Queen’s Park Days and district advocacy training sessions in multiple regions. She has met with provincial and federal representatives to discuss health system pressures, access challenges, and workforce issues affecting physicians and patients. In addition, she has encouraged colleagues to participate in advocacy efforts and to share feedback through OMA surveys and consultations.

Candidate's statement of interest

I believe I would be a strong candidate member of the board of directors president-elect, based on an eager desire to see a high-quality health-care framework, for the best interest of all members. 

I am an Ontario born and raised resident. I stand proud of Ontario and care tremendously to ensure that patients are properly taken care of. To accomplish this, physicians must be genuinely valued, fully supported, and their recommendations implemented.  

The well-being of physicians should be solid, first and foremost. This is the foundation to a thriving system, as I have already expressed at table discussions with members of provincial and federal government.
  
I am committed to this position out of profound empathy for doctors and unwavering compassion for patients. Unique insights I would share to support OMA’s mission derive from my engagements with public policy stakeholders, in addition to hands-on experience practising across multiple fields and care settings.

Furthermore, from being the organizer of meetings with large groups of physicians at routine events, I hear and understand very well the pressures on physicians across specialties. 

I am convinced I can improve the daily professional lives of Ontario physicians by my courageous words and presence, in combination with strategic thinking and solutions-focused planning, together with other passionate members of the board. United, we can achieve the results we strive for - significant improvements. I can't deny that I will inspire and encourage us to accomplish them now, not in years from now.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

I am convinced that health-care leadership is most successful by incorporating accessibility, inclusion, diversity and equity in decision-making.

In terms of equity, working with patients living with obesity has given me a profound understanding of how stigma, the manifestation of bias through harmful social stereotypes, can and often does lead to treating people unfairly and how access barriers negatively affect health outcomes. I incorporate Canadian national level guidelines and I completed a self-assessment tool called the ‘Implicit Association Test’ in attempt to be willing to reflect on if or how weight bias could affect my own attitudes towards patients living with this specific chronic disease.
 
Diversity has revealed itself in my past experience in high-volume medicine settings, rural, suburban and urban regions, with patients from every socioeconomic background, age group, ability level, ethnicity, and personal lived experience. 

Inclusion commitments have been demonstrated by me by voicing to trainees to settle for nothing less than an environment feeling safe and comfortable to speak. Another example is that I utilize stigma-free language such as using people-first language.

For accessibility, I adopted quick access by phone APPs and desktop shortcuts to translation services to allow communication when English proficiency is a barrier. Over years, I have been a routine evening and weekend provider of service, to accommodate those who face work, school, caregiver or childcare obstacles.

To align with OMA’s goals and strategic vision, I fully support these principles being applied to members, staff and Indigenous People. 

CPSO member information

Reference and social media check complete

LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Haroon Yousuf is a general internist and physician leader who serves as head of hospital medicine at Hamilton Health Sciences and associate chair for equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenous reconciliation in the department of medicine at McMaster University. His work spans hospital operations, academic medicine, medical education, and equity-focused system leadership, with an emphasis on building physician-led structures that support high-quality patient care and workforce sustainability.  

In his hospital leadership role, Dr. Yousuf led the large-scale redesign of inpatient medicine services at the Juravinski Hospital, replacing a resident-based model with a physician-staffed hospitalist program. This transformation involved extensive physician co-design, large-scale physician recruitment, and the development of new staffing models, workflows, and digital tools to improve communication, care coordination, and physician experience. This work required sustained engagement with physicians, hospital leadership, and academic partners within a complex and resource-constrained system.  

Dr. Yousuf holds additional senior academic roles at McMaster University, including hospitalist fellowship director and co-chair of the professional competencies program. He was also instrumental in developing the McMaster–PEI Collaborative Hospitalist Fellowship, an interprovincial partnership with Health PEI designed to address specialist workforce shortages by creating a structured training and licensure pathway for internationally trained internal medicine physicians, while expanding access to care in underserved regions. Through these roles, he has contributed to academic governance, curriculum design, and postgraduate training oversight across clinical and educational settings.  

Dr. Yousuf is seeking the president-elect role out of a commitment to strengthening the OMA’s advocacy, governance, and impact for physicians across Ontario.

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Yousuf has led complex, system-level transformation in hospital medicine, most notably the redesign of inpatient services at the Juravinski Hospital into a physician-staffed hospitalist model. This work required strategic planning, large-scale physician recruitment, complex negotiations, change management, and continuous quality improvement within a constrained health system environment. He emphasizes physician co-design, data-informed decision-making, and iterative improvement to ensure sustainability and engagement. His leadership experience includes aligning clinical operations with institutional priorities while maintaining a focus on patient outcomes and physician wellness, skills directly relevant to advancing the OMA’s strategic objectives in a rapidly evolving health-care system.

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

As associate chair for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Reconciliation at McMaster University, Dr. Yousuf supports the integration of EDIA principles into governance, education, and clinical practice. His work includes advancing Indigenous health initiatives in partnership with Indigenous leaders, supporting mentorship and engagement for equity-deserving faculty, and strengthening policies that promote inclusive and psychologically safe professional environments. He approaches equity work as a structural and process-oriented responsibility, focused on building durable systems rather than one-time initiatives.

3. Innovation and digital leadership

Dr. Yousuf has applied digital and data-enabled approaches to improve hospital-based and post-discharge care. His leadership has included implementing secure digital communication tools, standardized handover processes, and hybrid care models that integrate in-person and virtual services. These initiatives have contributed to improved care coordination, reduced unnecessary paging, and more efficient use of physician time. He emphasizes the use of data, continuous quality improvement, and thoughtful workflow design to support both patient outcomes and physician sustainability, demonstrating how digital tools can be embedded into clinical systems in practical and scalable ways. 

Candidate's statement of interest

I am honoured to declare my candidacy for president-elect of the Ontario Medical Association. I am deeply motivated by the OMA’s mission to advocate for physicians and strengthen our leadership role in shaping high-quality, equitable care for Ontarians. The OMA’s vision to be the trusted voice of the profession aligns closely with both my professional journey and core values. 

As an internist and physician leader, I founded and led the hospital medicine department at Juravinski Hospital, transforming care for thousands of inpatients annually. This was not simply a structural redesign, it required complex negotiations with hospital leadership, alignment of funding models, workforce planning, and sustained physician engagement. Through co-design, advocacy, and change management, we built a system where over 90 rotating physicians now deliver consistent, high-quality care. The model has improved patient flow, physician retention and become so successful that we continue to receive new physician interest despite a full physician roster. 

This experience reinforced a central truth: physicians and patients thrive when doctors are empowered with strong representation, strategic negotiation, and meaningful involvement in system-level decisions. It is this approach I bring to the OMA. 

If elected, I will prioritize physician wellness, reducing administrative burden, and advocating for fair compensation and modern working conditions. I will apply a system-focused, evidence-informed leadership style that bridges frontline realities with policy and governance. Together, we can strengthen the profession’s voice, influence meaningful reform, and ensure that the OMA remains responsive to the evolving needs of its members and the patients we serve. 

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

My commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) is rooted in both lived experience and sustained leadership. I currently serve as associate chair for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Reconciliation (EDI-IR) in the department of medicine at McMaster University, where I work closely with departmental leadership to embed EDIA principles into governance, policy, and everyday practice.

In this role, I have led and supported several initiatives aimed at moving EDIA from aspiration to action. These include the development of an Indigenous health retreat in partnership with Indigenous knowledge keepers, the creation of communities of practice focused on culturally safe care and anti-oppressive leadership, and the establishment of mentorship pathways for new and diverse faculty, with particular attention to early-career physicians navigating academic and clinical systems. I have also contributed to strengthening EDIA-related departmental policies, ensuring they are clear, accountable, and operationalized rather than symbolic. 

I describe my approach as process-oriented. Sustainable equity work requires clear structures, shared accountability, and continuous feedback, not one-time interventions. I focus on building systems that support inclusive leadership, transparent decision-making, and psychological safety for physicians and learners. 

This perspective aligns closely with the OMA’s goals of advancing physician wellness, advocacy, and a more equitable health-care system. As president-elect, I would bring a practical, systems-based EDIA lens that supports physicians across specialties and practice settings, while ultimately improving access, trust, and outcomes for the patients we serve.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Sharon Bal is a family physician and experienced medical leader with clinical, governance, and academic roles at the local, regional, and provincial levels. She currently serves as vice chair of the OMA board, chair of the OMA’s Governance and Nominating Committee (GNC), and is a two-term elected member of the OMA board of directors. Her experience includes previous service on the OMA’s Finance & Audit Committee (FAC) and Human Resources and Compensation Committee (HRCC), as well as on the boards of the Ontario Medical Foundation and the Federation of Medical Women of Canada. 

Dr. Bal has held multiple leadership roles within the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and Ontario Health (OH), including as regional clinical lead (primary care), and as part of the Waterloo Wellington regional triad overseeing pandemic response in eighty-eight congregate care settings. She contributed to the development of a cross-sector incident management system that improved alignment across three Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) which was provincially recognized by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority for the outcomes achieved. She is a Family Health Organization (FHO) lead and serves on the joint board of the Cambridge North Dumfries OHT. In addition to her system roles, Dr. Bal is electives chair at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, where she supports national accreditation priorities and oversees equity-focused clinical education across three campuses. 

Her governance experience includes board succession planning, modernization of elections processes, and policy reform with a focus on equity, transparency, and strategic foresight. She has key bilateral experience on OMA’s Physician Services Committee (PSC), which provides oversight of negotiations. She has a demonstrated interest in supporting emerging leaders, including through extensive mentorship and advocacy to advance gender equity in medicine. 

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Bal has supported long term planning and transformation efforts at OH and McMaster University. She led the development of an incident management system adopted across multiple OHTs and helped shape vaccine distribution strategy in the Waterloo region. In her academic leadership role, she oversees equity-focused clinical education across three campuses, aligning curriculum with national accreditation standards.

2. Governance and fiduciary oversight

A two-term OMA board director, Dr. Bal currently serves as board vice chair, chairs the GNC Committee and previously served on the FAC and HRCC (vice chair). She has contributed to modernization of board policies, oversight of director nominations, and governance reform. She also holds board roles with the Ontario Medical Foundation and the Federation of Medical Women of Canada. 

3. Health-care system and professional insight

Dr. Bal has worked across hospital, primary care, congregate, and community settings at local, regional, and provincial levels. She contributed to pandemic response leadership within OH West and continues to support system integration through her roles with Cambridge North Dumfries OHT, the Ontario Primary Care Council, and the OMA PSC. Her experience spans system planning, outbreak response, cross-sector collaboration, and bilateral committees. 

Candidate's statement of interest

I am seeking a final term on the OMA board because I profoundly believe in the power of collective physician leadership to drive meaningful change. Over the past several years, I have heard firsthand from you how system disruption, administrative burden, and workforce pressures have affected physicians across Ontario. I am guided by this as my North Star: my commitment has been, and remains, to ensure that our board acts decisively on the issues that matter most to members: sustainable and competitive compensation, strong health system advocacy, and policy solutions that support physician wellbeing and sustainability. 

My experience as a family physician, regional and provincial clinical leader, and academic chair enables me to bring a broad and balanced perspective to board deliberations. I work to ensure that the diverse realities of physicians across specialties, geographies, and stages of practice inform our strategic decisions. I am especially focused on ensuring that the lived experience of doctors is reflected in advocacy, negotiations, and organizational priorities. 

Since joining the board, I have served as board vice chair and chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee, roles that have strengthened my commitment to disciplined governance, accountability, equity, and transparent decision-making. I remain focused on ensuring the board is well positioned to guide the OMA through the next phase of system transformation and member advocacy. 

Our members deserve a board that listens, responds, and leads with integrity. I hope to continue contributing to that work through a final term of principled, collaborative, and forward-looking service. 

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are foundational to a strong and representative OMA. Our members must see themselves reflected in leadership and know that their experiences, identities, and needs inform our decisions. I believe EDIA is not simply a cultural aspiration but a governance responsibility that requires intentional structures, fair processes, and accountability for outcomes. 

My commitment to EDIA began before joining the board, through my work as co-chair of OMA Women, where I collaborated with members to address the gender pay gap, improve pregnancy and parental benefits, and create platforms for women physicians’ leadership and mentorship. These efforts reinforced for me the importance of data-driven advocacy to address systemic inequities across the profession. 

As board vice chair and chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee, I apply an EDIA lens to succession planning, board and committee recruitment, and governance modernization. This includes ensuring leadership pathways reflect the diversity of our 47,000+ members across specialty, geography, practice model, and career stage. I am proud of advancements such as strengthened pregnancy and parental leave benefits, intentional work on intra-sectional gender pay gaps, and the establishment of the new OMA Women’s Forum. 

Outside the OMA, my previous work as an Ontario Health clinical lead and now as electives chair at McMaster University focuses on culturally safe care, inclusive curriculum design, and collaboration with Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities. 

There is significant work ahead for us: I remain deeply committed to advancing equity as a core principle of OMA governance and member advocacy. 

CPSO member information

Reference and social media check complete

LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Venkat Bhat is a psychiatrist, clinician scientist, and academic leader whose work spans digital health, mental health, and artificial intelligence (AI). He holds cross-appointments at Unity Health and University Health Network, where he integrates clinical care, research, and technology innovation. At the University of Toronto, he is an associate professor of psychiatry and leads the interdisciplinary AI for Mental Health (AI-M) Program at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Dr. Bhat directs interdisciplinary initiatives at the intersection of medicine, engineering, and AI, including the Digital Interventions and Intelligence Group (DiiG), and previously led the AI/analytics pillar at iBEST. He leads the national AI for Mental Health Community of Practice within the Temerty Centre for AI in Medicine and contributes to workforce development efforts in AI, including a Future Skills Canada–funded initiative focused on reskilling health professionals. He has served as principal or co-investigator on over forty peer-reviewed grants and clinical trials, secured more than ten million in funding as principal investigator, and published over one hundred and seventy peer-reviewed articles. He currently leads nationally funded research programs focused on the responsible development and deployment of generative AI across diverse clinical and operational contexts. He has supervised more than fifty trainees across psychiatry, computer science, and biomedical engineering, and his leadership has been recognized with numerous awards and elected memberships. 

Dr. Bhat is currently completing an executive MBA in health care and life sciences at Rotman. He has also completed the OMA Physician Leadership Program and the New and Evolving Academic Leaders (NEAL) program at the University of Toronto. His leadership reflects interdisciplinarity and an interest in responsible innovation, inclusive design, and the role of physicians in shaping digital transformation and AI. 

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Bhat has designed new models of care at the intersection of psychiatry and technology, building interdisciplinary teams that bring together clinicians, engineers, and data scientists to translate innovation into practice. He has led the development of scalable digital and AI-enabled programs that move beyond pilot work toward sustainable system integration. His leadership demonstrates the ability to align research, clinical operations, and workforce development with long term provincial and national priorities. Through his EMBA training, he has strengthened his capacity in governance, financial stewardship, and strategic planning, enabling him to connect innovation with accountable implementation.

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

Dr. Bhat embeds EDIA principles across clinical care, research design, and system innovation. His work explicitly addresses digital inequities by developing tools and service models for underserved, remote, and publicly insured populations, ensuring that emerging technologies do not widen existing gaps in access. He integrates inclusive design principles into AI development and advocates for responsible deployment that safeguards vulnerable communities. As a mentor and academic leader, he fosters diverse trainee pipelines across disciplines and supports structural approaches to equity within medical education and digital health ecosystems.

3. Innovation and digital leadership

Dr. Bhat leads digital health and AI-enabled programs across hospital and academic settings. His work focuses on integrating AI into clinical workflows through algorithm development, digital therapeutics, and real-time analytics. He has secured national funding for initiatives that support the responsible use of AI in mental health care and is actively involved in national and international AI communities of practice.

Candidate's statement of interest

I am seeking election to the OMA board because Ontario’s health-care system is at an inflection point where digital transformation, data governance, and physician leadership must move in lockstep. As a clinician scientist and health system leader, my work has focused on translating emerging digital and AI-enabled tools into safe, scalable, and equitable care models while ensuring strong governance, clinical accountability, and physician trust. 

I currently lead large, interdisciplinary digital health and AI initiatives across academic hospitals, universities, and provincial partners, including programs integrating AI-enabled decision support, digital therapeutics, remote monitoring, and advanced analytics into clinical workflows. A central theme of my interdisciplinary program development and system change has been using data not only to evaluate performance, but to anticipate future system pressures including workforce strain, access inequities, and the growing mental health burden so that strategy can be proactive rather than reactive. 

I completed the OMA Physician Leadership Program in 2024 and am currently completing the global executive MBA in health care and life sciences at the Rotman School of Management. These experiences have strengthened my understanding of governance, system transformation, financial stewardship, and the role of physicians in shaping long-term strategy. 

As an OMA board member, I would contribute forward-looking insight on how digital health, AI, and analytics can strengthen physician advocacy, improve care delivery, and enhance the OMA’s long-term strategic capacity while ensuring these tools serve physicians and patients, not the other way around.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

My commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility is grounded in both lived experience and sustained leadership across clinical care, research, education, and governance. I have worked extensively with equity deserving communities, including newcomers, internationally trained physicians, racialized populations, and patients facing structural barriers to care, particularly in mental health and complex chronic illness. 

In my leadership roles, I have focused on embedding EDIA principles into systems and decision-making, not treating them as parallel initiatives. This includes designing digital health and AI programs that explicitly address access gaps, ensuring representative data and inclusive design, and prioritizing community-engaged approaches to research and service delivery. I have also mentored diverse trainees and early career physicians, with a strong emphasis on sponsorship, leadership development, and removing invisible barriers to advancement. 

Through the OMA Physician Leadership Program and my current executive MBA training, I have further developed a governance lens on equity that emphasizes structural change, accountability, and inclusive decision-making rather than symbolic action. 

At the OMA, I would support EDIA as a core governance and strategy lens, helping ensure that physician advocacy, digital transformation, and health system reform meaningfully reflect Ontario’s diversity and advance equitable outcomes for both physicians and patients.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Kenneth Fung is a psychiatrist, educator, and researcher with over two decades of clinical, academic, and governance experience. His work focuses on mental health equity, cultural psychiatry, and system-level engagement. Until recently, he served as clinical director of the Asian Initiative in Mental Health at Toronto Western Hospital and is currently director of global mental health in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Fung has served on a range of professional boards and associations, including the Ontario Psychiatric Association, Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture, and the World Association of Cultural Psychiatry, among others. His governance contributions span policy development, education, and strategy related to equity, cultural safety, and physician well-being. He is active in implementation science research and digital innovation, including CIHR-funded digital tools supporting resilience, and is engaged in collaborative work involving artificial intelligence in mental health. He is a core member of the committee steering the next revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), with a focus on integrating cultural and social context into diagnostic frameworks. 

Dr. Fung’s leadership bridges academic research, clinical service, and community partnerships, with a focus on inclusive care design, workforce resilience, and structural approaches to equity. He brings broad experience across local and international systems, and a commitment to aligning system transformation with the needs of Ontario’s diverse physician and patient populations.

OMA competencies

1. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

Dr. Fung’s work in cultural psychiatry spans clinical, academic, and policy domains. He has led national EDIA-focused training initiatives, developed culturally adapted care models, and supported community-based research with equity-seeking groups. He integrates EDIA principles across clinical education, digital innovation, and governance. His approach emphasizes translating equity principles into practical frameworks that inform education, service design, and governance, with attention to structural barriers affecting both physicians and patients. 

2. Innovation and digital leadership

Dr. Fung has led several digital projects aimed at improving physician resilience and equitable access to care. His work includes co-developing a resilience training platform for health-care providers, developing a mobile app for mental health, and contributing to international AI collaborations. His approach emphasizes ethical design, end-user engagement, and alignment with EDIA principles. 

3. Governance and fiduciary oversight

Dr. Fung has served in governance roles across local, national, and international psychiatric and medical organizations. His experience includes strategic policy work, board engagement during periods of structural transition, and the development of equity and education initiatives across professional networks. Through these roles, he has contributed to setting organizational priorities, supporting accountable decision-making, and balancing professional advocacy with fiduciary responsibility in complex, member-driven organizations.

Candidate's statement of interest

I am seeking election to the OMA board of directors because I want to help strengthen the physician voice to guide health system transformation, serve Ontario’s diverse communities, and promote physician well-being, resilience, and thriving practice. This includes championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility for patients and physicians, promoting the valuing of physicians as healers and leaders, and helping prevent burnout. I also recognize the importance of strategically harnessing rapidly evolving technology so that, rather than adding burden, it supports clinical practice, eases documentation, and improves data capture to better anticipate needs. I bring more than two decades of experience bridging frontline clinical care, academic leadership, and community partnerships. I founded and led the Asian Initiative in Mental Health at UHN for 23 years, and I serve as director of global mental health in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. My governance and leadership experience includes service as a board member of the Ontario Psychiatric Association, past president of the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture, and leadership roles in other national and international organizations. I bring practical insights into hospital and community physician realities, deep experience in mental health, addictions, and health equity, and experience supporting frontline health care provider resilience through digital interventions. I will foster a collaborative, values-informed approach to complex decisions, grounded in authenticity, integrity, and compassion, and a strong commitment to fiduciary stewardship and acting in the interests of all members.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

Equity, diversity, inclusion, indigeneity, and accessibility are core principles for an effective health system that responds to the diverse needs of all Ontarians and reflects our professional values and ethical responsibilities as physicians. As a cultural psychiatrist, educator, and global mental health leader, I have focused my career on advancing mental health equity and reducing structural barriers, including health-related stigma, racism, and other forms of oppression. Over two decades, I have led EDIIA-related initiatives at local, national, and international levels. This has included co-leading a University of Toronto departmental strategic pillar on social responsibility, strengthening engagement with people with lived experience, and supporting initiatives that improved inclusion and dialogue across diverse communities. I have contributed to Canadian Psychiatric Association position papers and training initiatives in cultural psychiatry, anti-racism, and international medical graduates training. I have created culturally adapted interventions that build resilience and promote empowerment for underserved or vulnerable groups, including frontline health-care providers during COVID, communities facing health-related stigma (including HIV and mental health), migrant workers, Indigenous communities in Ontario, caregivers of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, university students, trauma-affected populations, and Asian communities. I will bring an EDIIA approach grounded in cultural humility, empathy, and collaboration, with an implementation mindset that translates values into practical policies and measurable impact. I aim to help ensure OMA’s strategies and advocacy are inclusive of Ontario’s diverse physician workforce and the patients we serve, strengthening belonging while maintaining constructive, respectful engagement across differences, so that diversity is truly our strength. 

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Karim Jessa is a physician leader with more than two decades of experience in clinical practice, digital health, and system leadership. He is currently an associate professor at the University of Toronto, chief medical information officer at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and practises emergency medicine at both SickKids and North York General Hospital. His leadership spans enterprise electronic medical record (EMR) implementation, clinical informatics strategy, and participation in provincial and national health information initiatives. 

Dr. Jessa has held senior roles in large-scale EMR procurement, optimization, and adoption, including leading SickKids to HIMSS Stage 7, the most advanced level of digital maturity. His work focuses on improving clinician efficiency and wellness, interoperability, and data quality, while ensuring appropriate oversight of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and clinical decision-support tools. In addition to hospital leadership, he chairs a pan-Canadian Royal College working group establishing national standards and competencies for clinical informatics. 

Dr. Jessa has also served in advisory roles supporting health innovation, including as an advisor with the Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto and with HALO Health, a physician-led venture capital firm. In these roles, he has worked closely with early-stage companies and translational initiatives, complementing his system-level leadership in digital transformation. In addition, Dr. Jessa has held volunteer leadership roles focused on community development, including oversight of education and quality-of-life initiatives in Afghanistan. Through this work, he has supported leadership development, English-language education, and workforce skill-building. Collectively, these experiences reinforce a leadership approach grounded in service, equity, and accountability.

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Jessa has led health system transformation through multiple phases of EMR adoption and optimization across academic and community hospital settings. As CMIO, he has helped set strategic direction for enterprise digital platforms, guided long-term planning for analytics and genomics integration, and supported transitions to integrated clinical environments. He has aligned technology initiatives with executive priorities, clinical operations, and quality objectives, bringing a system-level perspective informed by operational delivery and policy considerations, and their impact on physician practice, patient access, and sustainability.

2. Innovation and digital leadership

Dr. Jessa brings extensive experience overseeing digital health innovation within highly regulated clinical environments. He has led initiatives involving AI-enabled documentation, clinical decision-support tools, interoperability platforms, and advanced analytics, with a focus on validation, safety, and governance. He works closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure new tools are implemented responsibly and deliver measurable benefit. His leadership emphasizes disciplined evaluation, bias mitigation, and integration into clinical workflow, reflecting a balanced approach to innovation that considers physician usability and wellness, organizational risk, and patient outcomes.

3. Governance and fiduciary oversight

Dr. Jessa brings governance experience across hospital, provincial, national, and community-based organizations. He has served on boards and senior committees overseeing complex, multi-stakeholder digital health initiatives, including the Hospital Diagnostic Imaging Repository Service (HDIRS), and participates in executive-level governance councils at SickKids responsible for informatics policy, risk, and performance oversight. In the community sector, he has served as chair and vice-chair of the Aga Khan Health Board for Ontario, with responsibility for strategic direction, program delivery, and health education delivery.

Candidate's statement of interest

I’m drawn to the OMA board because it is where technology, policy, and physician wellbeing intersect and where system level decisions can meaningfully reduce administrative burden and improve care. Technology including AI is firmly embedded in how we deliver care. My experience leading EMR optimization at SickKids (achieving HIMSS Stage 7) and bridging IT with clinical operations as CMIO equips me to bring practical, outcome focused insights on digital transformation, workflow redesign, and change management. At the board level we need to ensure alignment across our members which will allow us to improve interoperability, wellness, and population health. 

OMA’s Burnout Task Force identified streamlining documentation and integrating digital tools as top solutions. I have led initiatives aligned with these priorities, including a multidisciplinary “Thrive” program aimed at reducing clicks, elevating personalization, and decreasing “pebbles in the shoes” with our EMR. This explicitly echoes the OMA’s call to reduce administrative work.

Beyond systems, I bring a member centred lens: advocacy for physician usability, fair data governance, and accessible innovation that improves daily work. On the board, I would help the OMA activate member expertise to accelerate practical digital solutions, strengthen governance around AI and analytics, and measure impact on care quality and physician wellness—directly supporting the OMA’s mission and focus areas across members, system, and organization. 

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

As a CMIO and emergency physician, my EDIIA commitments are embedded in daily practice and system design. Clinically, I strive to provide culturally sensitive, bias aware care for diverse families, advocating for equitable access during their most vulnerable moments. In digital health, I have partnered with hospital EDI leaders to hard wire inclusion into the EHR implementing preferred names/pronouns and rolling out a health equity questionnaire to capture socio demographic data that surfaces disparities and informs action. These initiatives, reflect a consistent approach: design for dignity, measure inequity, and close gaps through workflow and policy.

This approach aligns directly with the OMA’s mission and values: respectful, innovative, bold, responsive, and transparent and its vision to be the trusted voice in Ontario’s health system. It also tracks with OMA’s current strategic plan, which centres members, the system, and the organization while reinforcing EDIIA and decolonization principles.

As director, I would champion technology including AI that reduces barriers (language, literacy, mobility), embed EDIIA in procurement and design reviews, and operationalize accessibility standards across AI and digital tools, ensuring that innovations measurably advance equity for physicians and patients, consistent with the OMA’s strategic vision.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Peter Liu is a physician leader with extensive experience spanning frontline clinical care, health research leadership, system transformation, and governance at provincial, national, and international levels. He currently practises cardiology and imaging at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI). He is also chair and co-scientific director of the Brain-Heart Interconnectome, a Canada First Research Excellence Fund initiative supported by more than $100 million in direct federal funding. His work focuses on translating evidence, data, and innovation into integrated models of care that address health-care fragmentation, while supporting physician sustainability. 

Dr. Liu has held senior leadership roles within major academic health institutions, including serving as scientific director at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and as chief scientific officer at the UOHI. In these roles, he led consensus-based strategies that strengthened collaboration across institutions and aligned research, clinical care, and policy priorities. His contributions to medicine and health research have been recognized nationally, including appointment to the Order of Ontario and honours from the Royal Society of Canada, and Academy of Health Sciences. 

In parallel, Dr. Liu brings robust governance experience, including service on the boards of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, Cardiac Care Ontario (now CorHealth), and the Ottawa Heart Institute. He holds certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D), reflecting familiarity with fiduciary oversight, strategic accountability, and governance in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. 

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Liu has led multiple large-scale transformation initiatives that align research, clinical care, and system priorities. As scientific director at the CIHR, he advanced national strategies that strengthened cross-Canada collaboration and supported coordinated research networks. At the UOHI, he led the ORACLE strategy, developed through broad stakeholder engagement, to integrate research excellence with regional clinical impact. More recently, as chair and co-scientific director of the Brain-Heart Interconnectome, he has mobilized multi-institutional teams to address interconnected challenges across brain, heart, and mental health. His experience reflects the ability to set long-term direction, engage diverse stakeholders, and translate strategy into sustained system-level change.

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are embedded in Dr. Liu’s leadership and governance work. Through the Brain-Heart Interconnectome, he led the development of a pan-Canadian IDEAS strategy integrated into governance structures, program prioritization, recruitment, training, and evaluation. This work was co-designed through engagement with Indigenous elders, racialized and immigrant communities, and patient partners, supporting culturally responsive and accessible models of care. Dr. Liu has also contributed to system-level EDIA governance through service on the Ontario Hospital Association’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and advisory roles across national health and research initiatives. His approach emphasizes structural integration of EDIA principles rather than parallel or standalone initiatives.

3. Innovation and digital leadership

Dr. Liu brings deep experience in health innovation, with a focus on data-driven decision-making and digital infrastructure that supports integrated care. Through the Brain-Heart Interconnectome, he is leading the development of ARCHIMEDES, a national health data platform designed to connect fragmented clinical and research data using robust governance, privacy, and security frameworks. His work emphasizes interoperability, usability, and evidence-based application of digital tools, including artificial intelligence (AI). As a clinician and imaging specialist, he applies digital technologies cautiously and rigorously, balancing efficiency gains with validation, safety, and professional judgment.

Candidate's statement of interest

Health care in Ontario is at a crossroads, and OMA plays a critical role not only in physician advocacy and support, but a leading role in shaping health policy, system alignment, digital health innovation and an effective sustainable health system for the wellbeing of all Ontarians. 

As a frontline physician, researcher, innovator and leader, I would like to bring strategic thinking and system-level experience to OMA’s board of directors. To future-proof OMA, we need forwarding-looking strategy, digital innovation, partnership, excellent reputation, trust, and sound governance. 

As a former scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, our institute’s strategic plan fostered cross-Canada collaboration, bringing Canadian leadership onto the world stage. As the chief scientific officer of the Ottawa Heart Institute, I led the ORACLE plan built through consensus that transformed research excellence in the National Capital region. Currently as the chair/co-director of the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI) Canada First Research Excellence Fund program ($107M direct federal funding with additional $115M from partners), we are innovating combined brain, heart and mental health care, working closely with Ontario Health to transform care with evidence, digital innovation while minimizing physician burnout. 

As a strong believer of data driven decision making, BHI is also building a major national health data platform – ARCHIMEDES, a collaboration amongst McGill, uOttawa, UofT, and others. ARCHIMEDES aims to connect fragmented data siloes to ensure intraoperability, safe linkages of clinical and research data, with robust governance, security and privacy, while maximizing usability, patient engagement, and improved health.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

As a leader and board member, I have been a long time champion of inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and social justice (IDEAS). IDEAS have been central to my leadership philosophy, and a core driver for excellence and innovation, and promoting equity for better care and prevention. 

As part of our Brain-Heart Interconnectome program, we have developed a cutting-edge pan-Canadian IDEAS strategy and implementation plan, co-designed through a Canada wide community engagement process. The IDEAS principles are built into governance, program prioritization, training, recruitment and evaluation. This has now served as a template for EDI programs throughout our university, hospitals and partner institutions. 

I have worked closely with ethnic communities including South Asian, East Asian, Black and immigrant populations in terms of health access (especially during COVID pandemic), brain-heart health literacy, access to resources through establishment of community navigators. I also work with circles of Indigenous elders to design programs incorporating two-eyed seeing, and recruitment and training of future Indigenous health leaders. To improve accessibility, we have worked on enhanced models of BP cuffs and glucose monitoring devices. 

I have served on the EDI committee of the board of the Ontario Hospital Association, and advisory boards on EDI at various hospital and research institutions. I am also the EDI champion of the long COVID research network across Canada. These principles align closely with OMA’s strategic vision to advance health equity through a diverse workforce, leadership development, mentorship and system reform.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Greg Manning is a cardiac anesthesiologist and critical care physician with executive-level experience in clinical operations, health system transformation, and physician leadership across multiple jurisdictions. He currently serves as vice president, medical affairs and chief of staff at Brockville General Hospital, where he chairs the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) and leads credentialing, quality oversight, and engagement across a community-based hospital. 

Prior to this, Dr. Manning held the role of senior medical director for the eastern rural and Labrador zones of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, where he led physician leadership transformation following the province-wide integration of five legacy health authorities. In this capacity, he developed and implemented new medical leadership structures, supported rural physician recruitment and retention, and advanced standardized models of care across a large and complex geography. 

He brings experience from diverse care environments ranging from tertiary academic centres to remote communities and has held equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) leadership roles nationally and internationally. His governance experience includes ex-officio board participation, chairing MAC and ethics committees, and contributing to policy modernization initiatives. Dr. Manning holds a global executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) in health care and life sciences from the Rotman School of Management, with international exposure to system design in multiple health jurisdictions. He is a certified health executive by the Canadian College of Health Leaders and has an interest in leveraging digital tools and data analytics to improve care access and service delivery.

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Manning has led physician leadership and system integration initiatives in both provincial and regional contexts. In Newfoundland and Labrador, he guided structural change following a health authority merger, including physician engagement and resource alignment across rural zones. At Brockville General Hospital, he has focused on advancing physician engagement, compensation equity, and organizational responsiveness. He brings a cross-jurisdictional perspective, informed by international training through his Rotman MBA, and a track record of designing new models of care delivery. 

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

Dr. Manning has held formal EDIA leadership roles, including chair of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and membership on the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. He has worked with Indigenous leaders and communities in Labrador and brings both personal and professional experience to inclusive leadership. His approach emphasizes psychological safety, structural equity, and culturally safe care.

3. Health-care system and professional insight

Dr. Manning has clinical and operational experience across multiple provinces, health systems, and care settings. His work spans academic centres, community hospitals, and remote sites. He has overseen integrated service delivery in primary, secondary, and tertiary care and has been actively involved in efforts to improve access and address geographic disparities. His leadership is informed by front-line realities, system complexity, and a focus on regional coordination.

Candidate's statement of interest

Like most physicians, I am acutely aware of the challenges in Canadian health care after several years in practice. While I work clinically in a highly specialized area of medicine, I am also passionate in health-care reform from primary to tertiary care. The OMA, being one of the largest physician organizations in the country, is uniquely positioned to affect health-care system change needed for Ontarians and Canadians alike. Being a director on the OMA board will involve influencing direction and strategy that has far reaching impact and is something I would love to engage in. 

I have diverse experience and exposure to various health-care practices in two Canadian provinces. As a cardiac anesthesiologist and critical care physician, I have worked in a large Ontario academic teaching hospital, but also have experience at medium sized facilities and even remote northern communities. I am formerly a senior medical director with NL Health Services who was responsible for physician services in Labrador and eastern Newfoundland. I currently work as vice president of medical affairs and chief of staff at Brockville General, an interesting intersection of community medicine with close relations to two larger academic sites in Ontario. My education at the Rotman School of Management (University of Toronto) in the global executive MBA for health care and life sciences has also given me a worldwide view of success and challenges in health care everywhere. I aim to bring these perspectives and apply them to challenges faced by OMA members.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

During my physician leadership career, I have engaged in many different equity, diversity and inclusion groups. I am the current chair of the EDI committee with the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society (CAS) and have formerly sat as a member of the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists’ DEI Committee. While working as a senior medical director with NL Health Services, I engaged with Indigenous leadership and communities to work toward culturally-safe care and enable development of Indigenous community-based training programs for health-care professionals. I have also presented to physicians at a national CAS meeting, local university faculty and hospital leadership on developing good EDI practices within their organizations. As a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, I can leverage lived experience as a member of an equity-seeking group, but am a more passionate advocate for combatting racism and meeting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s seven Calls to Action focused on health care for Indigenous peoples. The Ontario Medical Association is poised to be a leader in health-care system reform to push for shared decision-making and leadership in health care for Indigenous peoples. In addition, as other jurisdictions are under active threat of rolling back health-care rights of transgender persons and reproductive health, the OMA must protect Ontarians and support other provincial medical organizations repelling these attacks.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Trudy McFarlane is a family physician, psychotherapist, and health equity leader with clinical, academic, and governance experience across multiple provinces. She currently serves as the associate dean of Black Flourishing in Medicine and Healthcare at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) School of Medicine, where she plays a leadership role in advancing equity-focused medical education, supporting learner pathways, and guiding institutional strategy. Her clinical work spans community and virtual practice in both Nova Scotia and Ontario. 

Dr. McFarlane has contributed to health system improvement through regional and provincial partnerships, including with Peel Public Health, the Scarborough Health Network, Taibu CHC, the Black Health and Wellness Collaborative, and the Black Health and Social Services Hub Peel (BHSS Hub). Her work has supported culturally safe, community-based health responses, including during public health emergencies, alongside ongoing initiatives in preventative care, primary care transformation, and curriculum innovation. 

She has served on boards and advisory committees across health, education, and heritage organizations, including the Black Physicians of Canada, BHSS Hub, Black Loyalist Heritage Centre, and the Osprey Arts Centre. Dr. McFarlane’s academic and consulting contributions span policy development, curriculum design, and medical admissions pathways, with a focus on equity-informed system change. Her professional development includes training in health system transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, and leadership through Harvard Medical School, Queen’s University, and the Rotman School of Management. 

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. McFarlane has contributed to the development of new governance structures, curriculum frameworks, and institutional strategy as part of a new medical school. Her leadership includes work on admissions reform, community engagement, and the integration of equity into digital and AI-focused innovation, with a view to long term system transformation. She has played a central role in helping build TMU’s School of Medicine from the ground up, balancing long-term vision with operational responsibility and collaborative trust-building. 

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility

Dr. McFarlane’s work in EDIA spans medical education, community health, and organizational leadership. At TMU, she leads initiatives related to learner pathways, faculty development, and inclusive curriculum. She has been recognized for her work in advancing Black health and reducing systemic barriers, and continues to contribute to national and local projects addressing racial disparities in health care. Her leadership has included building the first Office of Black Flourishing in a Canadian medical school, designing accountability structures for anti-racism, and shaping policy that supports diverse learner and physician pathways.

3. Health-care system and professional insight

With clinical experience across jurisdictions and settings, including rural Nova Scotia and urban Ontario, Dr. McFarlane brings practical insight into primary care delivery and public health collaboration. She has worked with public health agencies, community organizations, and academic institutions to support integrated models of care and culturally responsive service delivery. She brings additional insight from multi-sector collaborations with public health, community health centres, and primary care networks informing her understanding of system navigation, preventative care strategies, and access equity for marginalized populations.

Candidate's statement of interest

I am grateful to have been nominated for service on the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) board at a time when the organization is strengthening its commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. My interest comes from a desire to contribute to system-level change while ensuring that equity is embedded into governance and physician advocacy in sustainable ways. 

I bring a decade of clinical experiences (rural, suburban and urban), shaping an appreciation for the diverse realities physicians and patients navigate across Ontario. I have also held senior leadership roles in medical education, including interim associate dean at Ontario’s newest School of Medicine (SoM). Being part of building a SoM from the ground up required adaptive leadership, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to balance vision with responsibility, trust and long-term sustainability. 

My leadership is guided by the principle of Ubuntu, where our wellbeing is interconnected. I have worked at the intersection of community and academia, adapting to feedback and addressing concerns with transparency and care. My lived experience, clinical and governance roles, have sharpened my awareness of blind spots and the risks of defaulting to the status quo. 

I am deeply inspired by my learners and colleagues, and strive to model the professional responsibility of giving back to our profession. Serving on the OMA board is a natural extension of that commitment. 

As a board member, I would bring a balanced lens that integrates EDIA, physician wellness and system sustainability, guided by responsibility to the organization as a whole. 

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

My commitment to reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism (EDIAA) is grounded in both lived experiences and leadership practice. EDIAA is a core governance responsibility that shapes physician wellbeing, workplace sustainability and patient outcomes. 

As interim associate dean of Black Flourishing, I led the development of a first of its kind office within a Canadian school of medicine. This work required innovative courage to translate values into structures such as pathways, policies and supports, while remaining attentive to institutional context, accountability and long-term impact. It also required navigating complexity with humility, collaboration and a willingness to adjust course based on feedback and to do so frequently and nimbly. 

Clinically, my experience across diverse practice settings has reinforced that inequities in health care are often predictable and rooted in systems rather than individuals. This understanding has shaped my belief that equity must be addressed at the governance level to drive sustained change. My approach is intentionally solution-focused, prioritizing strategies that are practical, measurable and responsive to both physician and community needs, while remaining mindful of unintended consequences. 

I also bring a forward-looking perspective informed by experience in innovation and digital health, recognizing the role that systems design and emerging tools can play in advancing EDIAA. On the OMA board, I would contribute an EDIAA lens that is principled yet pragmatic, supporting inclusive governance, strengthening trust and ensuring the association remains responsive to evolving needs of physicians and the communities they serve.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Ken Milne is a rural physician, educator, researcher, and former hospital leader with more than three decades of experience in clinical work, medical research, and teaching. His career spans rural and academic settings, with leadership roles including chief of staff, chair of the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), and chief of emergency medicine. He brings extensive governance experience, paired with a strong academic background in evidence-based medicine and health systems. 

Dr. Milne is the founder of The Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine (SGEM), an internationally recognized knowledge translation initiative promoting free, evidence-based medical education. The platform reaches a global audience and reflects his commitment to transparency, access, and clinical rigor. Dr. Milne has served in governance roles across local, provincial, national, and international organizations, including the OMA and academic boards in the United States. His work is grounded in the realities of rural physicians and focused on system improvement, innovation, and equitable access to care. 

His academic roles include appointments at Western University as an associate professor of medicine and contributions to peer-reviewed journals and medical education organizations. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Ivey School of Business and is currently pursuing a DPhil (PhD) at the University of Oxford, where his research explores the ethical and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, particularly in peer review and clinical knowledge dissemination.

OMA competencies

1. Innovation and digital leadership

Dr. Milne is leading doctoral research at Oxford on applying AI to enhance the peer-review process in academic publishing. This involves a prospective, collaborative effort involving major international journals. His work emphasizes ethical, evidence-based integration of digital tools to improve transparency, reduce bias, and support high-quality care.

2. Governance and fiduciary oversight

Dr. Milne served three terms as chief of staff and ten years as chair of the MAC at South Huron Hospital. In these roles, he oversaw physician credentialing, quality, and performance, and participated in board-level decision-making as an ex-officio member. He has held governance roles with the OMA (as vice chair of the rural section), and with academic organizations nationally and internationally.

3. Health-care system and professional insight

Dr. Milne brings deep insight into rural and community care. Over his career, he has practiced in emergency medicine, family medicine, and hospitalist care, and has developed a rural after-hours clinic that improved access for unattached patients and reduced emergency department volumes. He has provided two decades of locum assistance via HealthForceOntario in approximately thirty communities in all corners of Ontario. His experience informs a practical understanding of system design and the day-to-day pressures facing physicians in under-resourced settings.

Candidate's statement of interest

I am applying for an OMA board director position because I want to contribute to a governance body that shapes physicians’ working conditions and the system’s capacity to deliver care. I understand that the board’s role is fiduciary and strategic, and that directors govern in the best interests of all members. Ontario needs physician leadership that understands both frontline realities and board-level decision-making. 

My perspective is grounded in decades of rural and community hospital practice and leadership, including service as chief of staff and chief of emergency medicine. Those roles required balancing quality and safety, clinician realities, and organizational constraints. These are skills directly relevant to board oversight and risk-aware decision-making. 

I also bring a long-standing commitment to evidence-based improvement and physician education at scale. In 2012, I founded The Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine to reduce the gap between research and real-world practice by building a global, free, open-access platform. This unique knowledge translation project has >625 SGEM podcasts and >85,000 subscribers. 

This work has required consistent communication, stakeholder engagement, transparency about uncertainty, and the discipline to change course when the evidence changes. These represent habits that translate well into effective board governance. 

Finally, I am inspired by the OMA’s focus on future preparedness. My ongoing education (MBA from the Ivey School of Business and PhD studies in artificial intelligence and EBM at the University of Oxford) enhances my capacity to assess strategy, financial impacts, and technology-driven change with rigour, rather than following trends.  

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

My commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility stems from a simple premise: good medicine is not “one-size-fits-all,” and systems that exclude clinicians’ judgment or patients’ values deliver worse care. 

I’ve worked in ~30 rural and northern communities, filling >1,100 ED shifts and caring for patients facing geographic, financial, and cultural barriers. This has taught me that equitable access is not just an ethical aspiration; it’s an imperative for a just society. Access to care should be based on need, not your postal code. 

Professionally, I have tried to operationalize EDI through education and knowledge translation. Since 2012, the SGEM has provided free open-access critical appraisal and clinical education, reducing financial and geographic barriers to learning. We’ve mentored learners globally, and content has been translated into multiple languages. Within the SGEM platform, we have intentionally highlighted women’s health and gender equity, addressed LGBTQ+ health, and explored better care for people with disabilities, including patients who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

As a researcher and Oxford DPhil candidate focused on ethical AI in medicine, I’m attentive to how datasets, algorithms, and implementation choices can amplify bias. I bring a cautious, evidence-based lens: measure disparities, test interventions, and report results transparently. 

This aligns with the OMA’s strategic commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, and to advocating for equitable, patient-centred solutions. On the board, I would support concrete goals, accountability metrics, and listening processes that improve the experience of diverse physicians and the patients they serve.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Hemant Shah is a physician leader whose career spans complex clinical practice, academic medicine, health system leadership, and physician advocacy across public and private health-care environments. He currently serves as vice president, academics at William Osler Health System (Osler) and practises hepatology, contributing to the development of an expanding academic mandate within a large community teaching hospital serving one of Ontario’s fastest growing and most diverse regions.

Dr. Shah’s experience includes senior leadership roles within an academic health science centre and a large community teaching hospital, as well as senior executive roles in a private-sector health-care organization with accountability for physician partnerships, clinical operations, and organizational performance. At Osler, he has led the establishment of new medical education infrastructure in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), requiring alignment across physicians, academic institutions, and health system stakeholders. In this context, Dr. Shah has played a central role in building academic and research capacity within a large, rapidly growing community health system, balancing expanding educational mandates with service delivery demands in one of Ontario’s most diverse regions. 

Dr. Shah has also served as an elected director on the OMA board and as vice chair of the Negotiations Task Force (NTF). Across these roles, he brings a system-level perspective focused on physician sustainability, member engagement, and translating frontline realities into effective organizational and policy decisions.

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Shah has led large-scale transformation initiatives focused on workforce development, medical education, and system sustainability. In his role as vice president, academics at Osler, he has built a new academic function from the ground up, supporting the organization’s transition toward an academic community teaching model. This work includes developing education strategy, establishing leadership and governance structures, and implementing phased roadmaps to expand training capacity in partnership with TMU. His experience also includes senior leadership roles within a private-sector health-care organization during periods of rapid growth, strengthening his ability to translate long term vision into executable plans across complex environments.

2. Health-care system and professional insight

Dr. Shah brings professional insight shaped by experience across key segments of Ontario’s health-care system. He has practised and held leadership roles within an academic health science centre and within a large community teaching hospital serving diverse and rapidly growing populations. His private-sector health-care experience has provided exposure to data-driven performance management, operational decision-making, and alternative care delivery models. Together, these experiences have given him a nuanced understanding of how policies, funding models, digital tools, and education strategies affect physician practice across settings, and how alignment between system components can improve both care delivery and physician experience.

3. Member engagement, influence and advocacy

Dr. Shah has extensive experience engaging physicians across primary care, specialty practice, academic medicine, and community-based settings. His leadership in medical education has required close collaboration with front-line physicians to design training models that reflect real-world practice conditions and support sustainable careers. Through prior roles within the OMA, including participation in negotiations and physician advocacy, he has worked directly on issues related to compensation, workload, and professional sustainability. His experience spanning public and private health-care environments has further informed his understanding of physician motivations, workflow realities, and the importance of meaningful engagement in achieving durable system change. 

Candidate's statement of interest

Effective physician advocacy and system stability are inseparable, and a strong OMA is essential to advancing both. As a clinician caring for complex patients, and as a parent navigating the health-care system from the other side, I have seen how important it is that physician voices meaningfully inform policy, governance, and system design. And also that the OMA listens to those physician voices itself. 

My professional experience spans frontline clinical practice, academic medicine, leadership across public and private organizations, and physician advocacy. I have seen firsthand how policy choices, compensation models, digital transformation, and education strategy shape physicians’ ability to deliver care and sustain their careers. As a former OMA board director elected to bring change to the organization, and vice-chair of the Negotiations Task Force, I have experience with governance, negotiations, and the discipline required to balance advocacy with stewardship. 

In my current role as vice president, academics at William Osler Health System, and as a practising community hepatologist, I am helping to build a rapidly expanding community-academic enterprise serving diverse and growing populations. This work has reinforced that durable systems recognize variation across practice settings and career stages, and that workforce, education, and digital supports must reflect clinical realities. 

I bring a systems perspective grounded in evidence, negotiation experience informed by respect for the profession, and a collaborative leadership style. I am motivated to support an OMA that remains a trusted, effective voice for physicians across Ontario.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

My approach to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility is grounded in fairness, practicality, and respect for the diversity of physicians and patients across Ontario.

As a clinician, I have cared for patients whose outcomes were shaped by access, language, geography, and social circumstance. As a leader, I have worked alongside physicians practising in varied settings, including large academic centres, community hospitals, and resource-constrained environments. These experiences have reinforced that equity is not about privileging some groups over others, but about ensuring systems function predictably and fairly for all. In order to thrive while being different, we have to understand each other’s’ experiences and differences.

There are circumstances where specific groups face structural barriers that require focused attention—not to elevate one group, but to remove obstacles so that all physicians can participate and succeed on equal footing. In leadership roles, I have emphasized policies and supports that recognize differences in practice conditions while maintaining common standards and expectations. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

As an OMA board member, I would support balanced, inclusive decision-making that strengthens the profession and keeps the focus on practical solutions that benefit both physicians and patients.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Tania Tajirian is a family physician and physician leader with dual appointments as chief of hospital medicine and chief health information officer (CHIO) at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She brings a combination of clinical, operational, and digital health leadership experience, with a particular focus on the intersection of physical and mental health care, physician well-being, and digital transformation. 

Dr. Tajirian has led national and organizational initiatives aimed at reducing documentation burden, advancing digital equity, and improving integrated care. She co-developed Canada’s largest environmental scan of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice and currently leads a pan-Canadian working group focused on scaling responsible clinical AI adoption. Her academic work includes national and international speaking engagements, peer-reviewed publications, and thought leadership on clinician experience and health system modernization. 

She is an associate professor at the University of Toronto and holds a master of health informatics (MHI) from the University of Waterloo. Her work has been recognized with national awards from Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL), Digital Health Canada (DHC) and international award through Healthcare Information Management systems Society (HIMSS). A strong advocate for inclusive leadership, she is a fellow of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA) and also serves as the co-chair of the Women in AMIA Career Advancement Committee.

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

As both a family physician and hospitalist, Dr. Tajirian has worked in complex care environments supporting patients with severe mental illness and physical health needs. She has led integrated care models within inpatient and Emergency Department settings and brings an understanding of physician realities across disciplines. Her dual leadership roles at CAMH involve oversight of both clinical teams and digital transformation, offering a system-wide perspective informed by practice and policy.

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

EDIA principles are embedded throughout Dr. Tajirian’s work in digital strategy, clinical innovation, and academic leadership. Her initiatives include culturally safe care pathways, accessible digital tools, and national mentorship for women and racialized physicians in informatics and leadership. She prioritizes inclusive engagement and data-informed equity in both system design and advocacy.

3. Innovation and digital leadership

Dr. Tajirian brings significant experience in digital health implementation, governance, clinician engagement, and health system leadership in informatics. She designed and led CAMH’s documentation burden reduction strategy and has developed digital platforms to support AI readiness, health equity, and physician well-being. She has also worked across hospital and community settings to integrate technology into clinical practice with a focus on reducing burnout and improving care quality.

Candidate's statement of interest

Ontario’s physicians deserve a health system that restores hope, cuts the red tape, and brings the physician voice into every decision that affects patient care. I am seeking election to the OMA board because most of my career has been devoted to solving the very challenges the OMA is again prioritizing: reducing the documentation burden, creating equitable access to care, and ensuring that technology serves clinicians and patients, not the other way around. 

As a frontline family physician and as the face of the OMA’s We Won’t Give Up campaign, I have seen how burnout, misaligned policies, and system fragmentation are draining physicians’ capacity, compromising innovation, and leaving many feeling unsupported. I have spent years leading solutions: reducing EHR burden through a physician engagement strategy; implementing Ontario’s first integration model to bring preventive physical care into mental health environments; and co-leading Canada’s most extensive review of AI in clinical care to bring evidence—not hype—into decision making. 

I bring a blend of clinical leadership, digital strategy, system-level transformation, and frontline experience. I understand physicians’ day-to-day realities and the structures that shape them. My approach is grounded in integrity, transparency, and collaboration, with a track record of delivering measurable change in complex environments. 

On the board, I will champion responsible digital innovation and evidence-based policies that always are centred on physician well-being and better care for Ontarians. I am ready to help lead an OMA that is bold, unafraid of digital transformation, and relentlessly committed to the profession it serves. 

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

My commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility is grounded in years of leading change in one of Ontario’s complex care environments. At CAMH, I’ve seen how patients with severe and persistent mental illness too often fall through gaps, not because clinicians don’t care, but because data silos and fragmented pathways were never designed to protect their physical health needs. 

As chief of hospital medicine, I acted to reverse that structural barrier by building Ontario’s first integrated cancer screening model within a mental health hospital. We redesigned care around patients who are often left behind—using trauma-informed workflows, culturally safe processes, and strong partnerships with external health organizations. To ensure preventive care is accessible, timely, and dignified. 

Equity also means who gets to lead. I actively mentor women—particularly racialized women—to expand pathways into leadership, informatics, and academic medicine, because a workforce that reflects our communities makes better decisions and delivers better care. 

My approach to EDIA is not symbolic—it is practical, measurable, and aligned with the OMA’s mission. On the board, I will advocate for inclusive decision-making, equity-focused data and accountability, and policies that ensure every physician and every patient benefits from a fair, accessible, and trustworthy health-care system.

CPSO member information

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LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Van Iersel is a family physician with clinical and leadership experience across hospital, community, and mental health settings. Her clinical work spans psychotherapy and hospitalist medicine with a focus on trauma and concurrent disorders. She currently serves as medical director of integrated care and concurrent disorders at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health (Waypoint), where she supports coordination of services across physical health, mental health, and addictions care. Her work includes collaboration with primary care networks, Ontario Health Teams (OHTs), and hospital leaders to improve transitions in care and advance system alignment. She is recognized for her ability to bridge frontline realities with system-level strategy, and for leading change initiatives that are both inclusive and impact-driven. 

Previously, Dr. Van Iersel served as chief of family medicine at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and as vice president, clinical, and primary care physician lead at the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). In that role, she contributed to regional system planning, co-chaired sub-region planning tables, and supported the early development of OHTs.  

She holds additional certification in physician leadership development and has been recognized with an Award of Excellence from the Ontario College of Family Physicians for her contributions to medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and the opioid response. Dr. Van Iersel brings a system-oriented, collaborative approach to health reform, care integration, and physician advocacy.

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Dr. Van Iersel has led strategic planning initiatives at the regional and organizational levels. Her work with the LHIN and OHT development involved multi-stakeholder collaboration and long term system design. At Waypoint, she supports integrated models of care and works across sectors to address service gaps, reflecting both strategic thinking and on-the-ground implementation.

2. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA)

Dr. Van Iersel’s commitment to EDIA is informed by personal experience and longstanding clinical engagement with marginalized and underserved communities. She has worked with Indigenous populations, newcomers, and patients facing housing and substance use challenges, applying trauma-informed care and culturally safe approaches in both primary care and mental health settings. Her early experiences growing up in Nepal shaped her global perspective on equity, and her leadership roles have consistently emphasized inclusive planning, accessibility, and the design of services that reflect population needs.

3. Health-care system and professional insight

Dr. Van Iersel’s career spans clinical and administrative roles across multiple care environments, including hospital, shelter, and community mental health settings. Her experience in primary care, addictions, and system governance provides a practical understanding of frontline pressures and system navigation, particularly in under-resourced settings. She has held regional and provincial leadership roles through her work with the LHIN, hospital administration, and contributions to OHT planning, giving her insight into policy, operations, and intersectoral care delivery.

Candidate's statement of interest

I am seeking election to the board of directors of the Ontario Medical Association to contribute creative problem solving and system level leadership during a period of significant change in Ontario's health system. As a physician, I am deeply committed to advocating for a system capable of providing high-quality, accessible and dignified health care. I believe that physician leadership and the OMA have a vital role in the sustainability of universal medical care across the province.

Throughout my career, I have worked collaboratively to address complex clinical and system level challenges and identifying the ways in which system level issues have patient level impacts. I am particularly motivated to support policies that improve physician wellness, promote fairness in remuneration while also encouraging interprofessional collaboration, and that strengthen the trust between the profession, government and the public.

I bring an authentic voice, a collegial approach and years of clinical and leadership experience. I am endlessly curious which allows me to explore seemingly paradoxical positions until creative solutions are found. 

Dedicating my time, skills and experience to the OMA board at this time would allow me to meaningfully contribute to strategic decision-making. I would be honoured to serve the profession in this way. 

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

Equity, diversity and inclusion have shaped my values and leadership approach from an early age. Growing up in Nepal, I witnessed firsthand how disparities in access to health care profoundly affect individuals and communities. Geographic isolation, poverty and socio-economics often determine care, shaping my early understanding of health inequity and its long-term consequences. 

Working in concurrent disorders, has reinforced my perspectives. Many of the patients I serve have experienced significant trauma and face intersecting barriers related to stigma, poverty, housing insecurity and systemic marginalization. I have seen how these factors can limit access to care, erode trust in institutions and worsen health outcomes if not addressed with intention and compassion. I have seen how well-intentioned physicians, working within a broken system, have contributed to this marginalization. 
 
I am naturally a curious and humble individual. In my leadership and clinical work, I strive towards cultural humility. I centre the experience of people in joint decision making, which includes being trauma informed.

I believe that equitable systems require intentional policy, accountability and diverse perspectives. I approach EDI as an ongoing responsibility and would bring this commitment to equity-informed governance in any leadership role.

CPSO member information

Reference and social media check complete

LinkedIn profile

Summary by Promeus Inc.

Jennifer Quaglietta is an experienced CEO and board director, with experience creating long-term, sustainable change, and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Jennifer has served the private and public sectors throughout her career, with over twenty years of experience spanning health care, professional regulation, government, insurance, and professional services. She currently serves as CEO and registrar of Professional Engineers Ontario and as a board director of the OMA, where she chairs the Human Resources and Compensation Committee (HRCC) and sits on both the Pension Committee and the OMA Foundation Board. 

Ms. Quaglietta’s leadership career includes senior roles at North York General Hospital, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC). Across these organizations, she has led high-impact initiatives in digital modernization, governance reform, quality and safety, enterprise risk, and health system transformation. She has also worked closely with hospital boards and executives across Canada to strengthen the health-care system’s resilience and risk management capacity. 

Ms. Quaglietta holds a bachelor of applied science and engineering, a master of business administration, an institute of corporate directors designation from the University of Toronto, and a certificate in strategic partnerships in nonprofit management from Harvard Business School. She also serves on the board of the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and is appointed to several advisory committees including the Real Estate Council of Ontario and Engineers Canada. Her contributions have earned national recognition, including the 2023 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award, the 2022 Robert Zed Young Health Leader Award, and the 2021 Not-for-Profit CIO of the Year Award. She brings to the OMA board strong credentials in governance, organizational performance, and cross-sector transformation.  

OMA competencies

1. Strategic and transformational thinking

Ms. Quaglietta has led complex change initiatives across sectors. At Professional Engineers Ontario, she is overseeing regulatory modernization, digital transformation, and governance renewal. Her earlier roles included system-level strategy in integrated care and quality improvement, and enterprise-wide transformation within hospital and insurance settings. Her approach combines long-term planning with phased implementation, performance measurement, and stakeholder alignment. 

2. Governance and fiduciary oversight

Ms. Quaglietta brings robust governance experience as both a CEO reporting to boards and a board director. She currently chairs the OMA’s Human Resources and Compensation Committee, overseeing executive performance, compensation strategy, and succession planning. She has served a wide range of governance, finance, quality, and risk committees across health care, insurance, and regulatory organizations, and holds the ICD.D designation. 

3. Health-care system and professional insight

Ms. Quaglietta’s health system insight is informed by senior roles in hospitals, government, and national insurers. At North York General Hospital, she led portfolios in patient safety, quality, and risk. At the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, she contributed to the development of Health Quality Ontario and system-wide reforms such as the Excellent Care for All Act and Health System Funding Reform. At HIROC, she supported boards across Canada in strengthening risk management and system resilience.

Candidate's statement of interest

I am seeking to continue serving on the OMA board because I believe deeply in the association’s mission to advocate for physicians and to strengthen Ontario’s health-care system at a time of profound transition. Over the past two years as a director, and as chair of the HR & Compensation Committee, I have seen firsthand the complexity of the challenges facing physicians and the critical role the OMA plays in advancing member interests while stewarding the organization for long-term sustainability.

My interest is grounded in continuity and contribution. I bring a systems-level understanding of health care shaped by senior leadership roles across hospitals, government, insurance, regulation, and academia, combined with lived board experience at the OMA table. This allows me to connect strategic decisions to operational realities, physician experience, and system impact. I am particularly motivated by the opportunity to help the OMA navigate workforce pressures, fiscal realties, digital disruption, and evolving expectations around governance.

The unique insight I bring is the ability to operate at the intersection of governance, policy, and transformation. As CEO of a large public-interest regulator, I understand board-management boundaries, fiduciary responsibility, and the importance of trust and credibility with stakeholders. As a health-care leader, I understand physician burnout, system fragmentation, and the urgency of practical advocacy. I am committed to contributing thoughtful, independent judgment, constructive challenge, and collaborative leadership to support the OMA’s mission and strategic direction.

Candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion statement

My commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDI&A) is longstanding and deeply integrated into how I lead, govern, and make decisions. Across my executive and board roles, I have consistently applied an equity-informed lens to strategy, policy, and oversight, recognizing that fairness of process does not always result in fairness of outcome.

At the OMA, this commitment translates into ensuring that governance decisions reflect the diverse realities of Ontario physicians across geography, specialty, practice model, career stage, and lived experience. As HR & Compensation Committee chair, I apply EDI&A principles to executive oversight, performance evaluation, and succession considerations, ensuring decisions are transparent, defensible, and aligned with organizational values. More broadly, I support embedding EDI&A into governance culture as a core driver of credibility, trust, and effectiveness. 

Beyond the OMA, I have led and governed organizations through intentional EDI&A and environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration, including advancing inclusive nomination practices, modernizing governance frameworks, and embedding accessibility and equity into enterprise strategy. As a national advocate for women in leadership and STEM, I actively mentor and sponsor emerging leaders and regularly speak on inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and workforce sustainability. 

I see strong alignment between my experience and the OMA’s strategic vision. Advancing equity is essential to physician well-being, organizational excellence, and system performance. I am committed to supporting the OMA in continuing to evolve as an inclusive, responsive, and values-driven organization. 

Reference and social media check complete

LinkedIn profile