VHA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- VP, Digital Health & Chief Information Officer
Alistair Forsyth joined VHA in the role of Chief Information Officer in Spring 2020 and was appointed Vice President, Digital Health and Chief Information Officer in January 2023. In this role Alistair is focused on critical priorities including delivering more client-facing digital services, improving the work experience and capacity of our care teams and building digital bridges to enable seamless information-sharing with our partners. Specific initiatives outlined in VHA's digital transformation strategy include implementing a remote care monitoring platform, building out our digital client experience hub myVHA, new enterprise-level applications, and enhancements to our Electronic Health Record to provide a modern digital experience including smart automation, advanced analytics and seamless integration to support high quality integrated care with our partners.
Alistair is also involved in advancing digital priorities for many Ontario Health Teams in regions where VHA provides service and participates in regional and provincial digital health tables including the Toronto Security Operations Table and the Digital Health Advisory Council.
Before joining VHA, Alistair worked at North York General Hospital (NYGH) where his role included management of the digital innovation portfolio and IT service desk, establishing and co-chairing NYGH's data governance program and leading clinical transformation projects. He has also held management roles at eHealth Ontario where he worked on privacy policy and governance frameworks with sector partners. Alistair holds a Master of Health Administration degree, a Graduate Diploma in Law and Certificates in Information Privacy and IT Contract Drafting and Negotiation.
Alistair is recognized across our sector for his strategic vision, insightful perspectives and generative leadership, always keeping our providers and clients top of mind.
Job Titles:
- Board Member Client Partner / Strategic Development Consultant
Amr Elimam has over 25 years of operational and business experience. Amr started his career in Consumer-Packaged Goods manufacturing working for Procter & Gamble and M&M Mars where he led the launch of manufacturing operations for several new products.
As a consultant since 1997, he worked for KPMG Consulting and had his own firm, providing consulting services in Canada and internationally. His list of clients included The Royal Canadian Mint and Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. He provided these organizations with successful support in major business transformation, technology, and operational changes.
Amr went on to work in Investment Banking, as Senior Vice-President for Strategic Planning at Seera Investment Bank, where he also acted as Chief-of-Staff to the CEO. In this role he led Strategic Planning, the implementation of major projects, and acted as liaison and Corporate Governance strategist for Board issues and meetings.
Recently, he left his corporate career to care for his family, and he has become the principal caregiver for his sister who suffers from a major disability. Born in Egypt and schooled in the USA, Amr graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from the American University in Cairo. Amr is also humbled by his volunteer work, and proud of the small restaurant business he owns that provides him with constant interaction with the public.
Amr joined the VHA Board in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Senior Financial Consultant
Anne Brace has served on a variety of boards for over 30 years. She currently sits on the board of Evergreen, where she serves as Treasurer and Vice-Chair. She also serves as Treasurer to the Huntington Society of Canada and on the Audit Committee of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. Recently she also served as a director and chair of the audit committee for Strongco, a public company reporting on the TSX, and as director and Treasurer for Ontario Telemedicine Network.
Prior to retiring, Anne was the Chief Financial Officer at Softchoice Corporation, a public company providing technological products and solutions to corporate North America. She achieved her CA designation while at Ernst and Young and served as CFO to Applanix Corporation, prior to her employment at Softchoice. Anne obtained her MBA at York University and her BA from Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Anne joined the VHA Board in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Chief Commercial Officer, Switch Health
- Healthcare Executive
Bryan Dinh is a healthcare executive with deep experience leading B2C and B2B growth, digital strategy, communications, and product innovation. Bryan has a proven track record of building high-performing go-to-market strategies, results-oriented teams, and meaningful high-growth brands across various industries such as healthcare, banking, and retail. Throughout his time at Maple, he helped grow the company into one of Canada's leading telemedicine providers and the largest on-demand virtual care provider in Canada.
Currently at Switch Health, Bryan leads the commercialization team delivering on some of Canada's most notable remote screening and diagnostics programs across the public and private sector. Bryan is a strong advocate for equitable access to quality care and improving patient outcomes through innovation and clinical excellence.
Bryan currently resides in Toronto with his beautiful wife and two children.
Bryan joined the VHA Board in 2023.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President, Integrated Client & Community Care
David Fry is VHA's Vice President, Integrated Client & Community Care. David joined VHA in the role of Vice President, Client Services in July 2021. In January 2022, David's title changed to Vice President, Integrated Client & Community Care due to an internal adjustment with our teams.
David has extensive home care leadership experience and a track record of building strong connections with partners, developing and enabling innovative programs and delivering meaningful outcomes for clients and providers. Prior to joining VHA, David held a senior leadership position at a large home care agency where his portfolio included patient care operations, professional practice and healthcare transformation, as well as pandemic prioritization and preparations for Ontario Health Team participation. David was also Vice President, Home and Community Care at the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network for many years and his varied experience also includes positions with Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres and Ontario Shores and he has practiced occupational therapy in both hospitals and community settings.
David holds a Master of Health Science, Health Administration, Health Policy Management & Evaluation and Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy degrees from the University of Toronto and has received multiple awards for leading teams in initiatives aimed at improving coordination of care. Since 2021, David has been a Board member of Sherbourne Health, an organization providing health care programs and services to the diverse communities of mid-east Toronto.
Dr. Kathryn Nichol is President and CEO of VHA Home HealthCare.
Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Health Science in Occupational and Environmental Health and a Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Science, all from the University of Toronto, and holds a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University.
Kathryn has held a wide variety of leadership, academic and operational roles in the acute health care, government and home care sectors. Kathryn holds an appointment as Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto where she conducts research, teaches, and supervises graduate students. She is Chair of the Research Advisory Council for The Institute for Education Research at the Michener Institute at University Health Network, Associate Director of the Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease, a collaborative program of the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital, and is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Community Support Association.
In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys spending time with her family, back country camping, playing ice hockey and walking her dog on the beach.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Research & Innovation
Dr. Sandra McKay is VHA's Vice President, Research & Innovation. Sandra provides scientific, strategic and operational leadership of this portfolio, championing the development of home care scientists and delivering research and innovations to inform sustainable change within the organization and across the home care sector.
Sandra has honed this expertise through more than twenty years of academic experience, and has dedicated the past fifteen years to health care as an embedded research scientist. During this time, Sandra has established dozens of partnerships with multiple universities and their researchers to meet the strategic and operational priorities of VHA and provide evidence to advance the home care sector ($8+ million, 37+ competitive grants awarded, 55+ peer reviewed manuscripts published).
Sandra holds a PhD in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. She is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Health Policy Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto; is cross appointed as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto; is an Associate Professor at Ted Rogers School of Business, Toronto Metropolitan University; an Affiliate Scientist at The Institute for Education Research (TIER) & The Michener Institute through University Health Network; and an Adjunct Researcher at Michael Garron Hospital.
Sandra was recognized as an AGE-WELL Canadian Network Centre of Excellence Honourary Fellow for her long-standing and substantial contribution to research and innovation in Canada's AgeTech sector. Sandra is also the Vice-Chair of the Canadian Standards Association's Technical Standards Committee for Home and Community Care.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Board Member / Partner, Esplanade Ventures
Ella Seitz has over 12 years of strategy and operational experience in health care, having worked with early stage and fortune 100 healthcare companies. She has a track record of fostering relationships across diverse stakeholders, influencing and motivating across organizational levels to achieve a common vision of improving the healthcare system.
Ella is a Partner with Esplanade Ventures, Canada's premier digital health venture capital fund. Through her work at Esplanade, Ella supports boards and partners with startups globally, advising them on growth, innovation and fundraising. Before joining Esplanade, she was a Vice-President with McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK), a global Fortune 10 leader in health care. At McKesson, Ella held a variety of leadership roles relating to strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business development, and innovation. Prior to her time at McKesson, Ella was a principal with Kearney, a global management consulting firm where she advised healthcare clients.
Ella holds an MBA with great distinction from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and a Bachelor of Commerce with great distinction from McGill University.
Ella joined the Board of VHA in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Board Chair / Principal, Igneum Consulting
Ian Brunskill brings over 30 years of consulting and leadership experience in the health and social services sectors. Ian's recent engagements have been focused upon helping clients across the globe successfully plan and implement significant change and service delivery redesign/integration initiatives. His leadership experience includes senior management and operating roles at Cancer Care Ontario and at a major Canadian academic health science centre as well as consulting to governments, health services organizations, their associations and regulators in Canada, the Caribbean, South and Central America and Africa.
Ian has an MBA in Health Services Management from McMaster University, is a Certified Health Executive (CHE) and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), and a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD). In addition, he is a Certified Professional in Health Informatics with both US and Canadian Certifications (CPHIMS and CPHIMS-CA). Currently the managing principal for Igneum, Ian was a Partner and National Health Practice Lead for MNP (2012-2018) and a Partner for PSTG/PSTG Caribbean Consulting (2004-2012).
Job Titles:
- Research & Treatment Centre
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member of the Board
Karen Waite has had a long-standing career in Ontario's health care system, having held roles at both community hospitals and academic health care systems, in home and community care as well as in leadership roles in public and privately held health care organizations. Most recently Karen held leadership positions at Ontario Health and with the Ontario Telemedicine Network where she has focused on advancing health care through the use of innovative models of care leveraging technology.
Karen's expertise in virtual care has led to her to provide consulting services across Canada and around the globe - on four continents - serving both publicly-funded and private entities at the provincial/state and national levels. Karen is a passionate advocate for excellence in health care delivery and in addition to serving on the Board of VHA, she fulfills a Board Committee role at a large, integrated health system focused on aged care. Karen is a past president of the Ontario Nursing Informatics Group and a former executive member of the Canadian Society for Telehealth.
Karen joined VHA's Board in 2017.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Human Resources
- Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development
Kelley Myers is Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development with over 25 years of progressive HR work experience in the non- profit sector. Prior to joining VHA Home HealthCare in 2007, Kelley was Interim Executive Director of Family Service Toronto, a non-profit, social service agency offering counselling and support services to clients in need.
In her current role, Kelley provides strategic Human Resources leadership and oversight to VHA workforce of over 2,700 staff and service providers. Her areas of focus include advancing VHA's healthy workplace initiatives including diversity, equity and inclusion, talent acquisition and retention, organizational development, labour relations, compensation and benefits. She holds a Certificate in Labour Relations from Queen's University and Masters Certificate in Healthcare Management from Schulich School of Business.
Kelley served on the Board of Directors for Queen West Community Health Center starting in 2012 and as President from - Oct 2014 to Mar 2017 where she helped to lead the successful merger of QueenWest and Parkdale Community Health Centres in 2017. She currently volunteers with CHEERS (Creating Hope Ensuring Excellent Roads to Success) - providing mentoring support to youth transitioning out of Children Aid Society care in pursuit of higher education and career success.
Kelley's extracurricular passions include golf, renovation projects and entertaining friends and family with her husband Tom at their home in the country.
Job Titles:
- General Counsel and Privacy Officer
Lauren Black is VHA's General Counsel and Privacy Officer. In this role, Lauren is responsible for overseeing VHA's legal and compliance functions including risk management, strategy, contracting, corporate governance, emergency management and ethics. She is also responsible for managing VHA's privacy program.
Before joining VHA in June 2019, Lauren spent six years working at a law firm in downtown Toronto and then ten years as Senior Legal Counsel/Litigation Counsel for a multinational organization. Lauren has extensive experience successfully resolving contentious legal matters, improving organizational efficiencies, decreasing workplace incidents and providing positive client experiences.
Lauren earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English Literature both from Queen's University. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor and a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School. Lauren is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (Canada) and has her Certificate in Risk Management from York University.
Lauren teaches as a contract lecturer at the Toronto Metropolitan University and is a Director of the Community Ethics Network. Lauren also acts as a mentor for students of HIROC's Risk Management Residency Program.
Lauren has been actively participating in the transformation of Ontario's health system and sits on two provincial advisory tables established to inform future decision making; the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Advisory Committee and the Ontario Health Team (OHT) Governance Advisory Committee. Lauren was instrumental in establishing and now chairs the OHT Privacy Community of Practice which enables resource sharing and privacy support for over a dozen Ontario Health Teams.
Job Titles:
- Management Consultant
- Member of the Board
- Management Consultant at ZS Associates
Michael Kenigsberg is a Management Consultant at ZS Associates where he helps to develop and deliver solutions across sales, marketing and technology for leading healthcare companies. Michael brings nearly a decade of experience within healthcare, having held roles in a global management consulting organization, as well as leadership positions within the world's largest independent healthcare technology and marketing agency.
Michael's experience includes optimizing existing product/company profitability, organizational structure design and technology/digital system development and implementation. Michael has led several cross-functional teams to manage global product launches for clients ranging from Fortune 100 pharmaceuticals to cutting edge biotechnology companies.
Michael holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, an M.Sc. from the University of Western Ontario and a B.Sc. from York University. In addition, Michael has been a Director on numerous charitable and not-for-profit Boards.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / VP, Digital Health & Chief Information Officer, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Rob Lee Vice President, Digital Health & Chief Information Officer at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, is an accomplished CIO whose career has spanned over 22 years in the field of Information Technology in healthcare. Rob has a strong track record of success and consistently inspires others to explore new frontiers in their roles. Prior to joining Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, most recently Rob was the Vice President, Information Technology and Management, Chief Information Officer and Chief Privacy Office at Grey Bruce Health Service and the Georgian Bay Information Network. In this role, Rob oversaw a multi-disciplinary team of leaders through transformational change including advancing both the hospital and the regional priorities. Prior to this role, Rob held IT leadership roles at Michael Garron Hospital and the Toronto Central LHIN.
Rob has extensive experience leading transformational initiatives from design to execution. He is a pragmatic leader with a strong understanding of Information Technology, Health Records, Clinical Informatics, and Business Intelligence. Rob earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Sciences from York University and has a postgraduate Advance Training Designation in Networking Technologies from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).
Rob joined the VHA Board in 2023.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Quality, Best Practice, Education and Chief Nursing Executive
Sandra Li-James joined VHA Home HealthCare in the role of Vice President, Quality, Best Practice, Education and Chief Nursing Executive in January 2022.
Sandra has over 25 years of diverse experience guiding and engaging interprofessional teams and promoting excellence in practice and education to provide safe, quality care for clients and families. She is known for her strong leadership skills, her expertise in fostering best practices while cultivating a strong safety and learning culture and her deep commitment to leading with compassion to optimize provider and client experience.
A Registered Nurse, Sandra joined VHA from University Hospital Network (UHN) where she held various roles, most recently as a Director of Professional Practice. Sandra began her career at the Hospital for Sick Children and The Toronto Hospital in the Cardiovascular units. She then transitioned to quality, education and best practice roles including many years at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at Toronto General Hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Education focused on adult education, both from the University of Toronto (U of T). Sandra has an appointment as Adjunct Lecturer at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at U of T.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / President and CEO, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health ( CAMH )
- Senior Healthcare Leader
Sarah Downey is a senior healthcare leader whose career spans 25+ years across a broad range of hospitals including community, academic, and complex multi-institutional organizations. In 2022, Sarah was appointed President and CEO of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. For seven years prior, Sarah served as President and CEO of Michael Garron Hospital, a large community teaching hospital in Toronto, where she was responsible for a $500M redevelopment project and played a key role in East Toronto Health Partners, one of the first Ontario Health Teams.
Sarah has held progressive leadership positions at CAMH, University Health Network, and The Ottawa Hospital. She has made numerous contributions to health care in Ontario through her leadership of cancer and mental health programs, capital and strategic planning, workplace safety and wellness, and community building.
Sarah has served on many provincial and national committees and Boards. She is currently serving on the Ontario Hospital Association Board of Directors as past Chair. Sarah is also the recipient of the Trudeau Medal, the highest honour awarded by the UOttawa Telfer School of Management to its alumni.
Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Brunswick and a Master of Health Administration from the University of Ottawa. She holds a Certified Health Executive designation with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and is fluently bilingual in French and English.
Sarah joined the VHA Board in 2023.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Director for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusive Engagement, Ontario Tech University
Sharifa Wright is a global inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism (IDEA) leader with over 20 years of experience in the education, government, and non-profit sectors in Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. Sharifa designs and implements organizational strategies that optimize the experiences of Black, Indigenous Latinx, Asian, multi-racial, disabled and LGBTQ2SIIA board members, executives, employees, learners, clients, customers, buyers, beneficiaries, donors, and community members. Currently, Sharifa is the inaugural Director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Engagement at Ontario Tech University; previously, she served as the Director for Alumni Diversity & Inclusion, at Williams College and Project Manager for UN Women Programs in the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica.
Sharifa's enthusiasm for serving her community through board governance was sparked in high school when she was appointed as the student trustee for her Catholic school's board and since then she has had the pleasure of serving on over a dozen education, non-profit and community service boards. She is currently a founding board member of the Institute for the Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (QSIDE). Sharifa is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) who completed graduate coursework in Social and Political Thought at York University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, Africana Studies, and Mathematics from Williams College. Sharifa lives in Whitby and enjoys exploring Ontario's great parks and trails with her 2 year old, Siya. As someone living with and caring for family members living with chronic and disabling health conditions, Sharifa is deeply invested in using her skills and experience to support VHA's vision of equitably delivering quality care with great heart.
Sharifa joined the VHA Board in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Board Member / Senior Business Lawyer
- Fellow of the Insolvency Institute of Canada
Susan Grundy is a senior business lawyer. She is a retired partner of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, where she was a partner for over 30 years. She served as the firm's General Counsel from 2012 to 2019 and prior to that time practiced corporate restructuring and insolvency law for many years. She has volunteered on the boards of a number of community and professional organizations including the Georgian Bay Association, Access Community Capital Fund, Toronto Botanical Garden, St. Michael's College School, the Insolvency Institute of Canada and the Canadian Association of Restructuring and Insolvency Professionals. She became interested in supporting VHA's work because of her family experience as a caregiver.
Susan is a Fellow of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and has been repeatedly recognized as one of Canada's leading lawyers. She holds an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors, is a graduate of University of Toronto Law School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University.
Susan joined the VHA Board in 2021.