Unstoppable Moments of Learning + Connection at the CCHL Conference
In addition to the amazing energy in Edmonton this week as the Oilers were in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Canadian College of Healthcare Leaders (CCHL) was also creating a stir in the city, hosting their annual conference.
HIROC is delighted to be a partner of the College and its work on bringing together healthcare professionals from every corner of the system.
Here are some of our favourite moments from the conference.
MOMENT #1
The two words on everyone’s lips: artificial intelligence.
The kickoff keynote by Shawn Kanungo had delegates rethinking their connection to AI.
He started off by saying, “I’m not here to provoke everyone in healthcare, but rather challenge you.” And from there Shawn introduced the theme of his talk – boldness.
"Ask bold questions, unlock bold answers,” he said.
He challenged the audience too, “…people who are scared of AI, haven’t really put in the work yet, you need to build a muscle around it.” And Shawn brought it back full circle at the end with a great call to action: “What will you start today that scares you?”
Reassuring us he added, “You’ll likely be unsure, but jump, take the leap.”
Takeaways we loved:
- Two things to build trailblazers: 1) deep commitment to people 2) willingness to embrace failure which will equate to ultimate empowerment and this is where you create factors for unstoppable momentum
- Three pillars of leadership: 1) people first 2) do good 3) be kind
- What you can do today: Disrupt yourself, disrupt your processes. HOW? Take one process at your organization, start from zero and ask yourself these three questions: 1) what should we do? 2) what would we eliminate 3) what would we automate?
- AI is not about upskilling; AI is about unlearning how we look at work
- The most superhuman quality is letting go of ego
MOMENT #2
Real-world advice courtesy of Jeff Lauzon.
HIROC partnered with the College on this exclusive talk to share valuable lessons with the healthcare leadership community.
Jeff offered up a masterclass that focused on a number of key elements for success.
Takeaways we loved:
- Underrated attention to energy and momentum which the CEO sets. Supports reinforcing a strong culture and it's important to remember that CEOs’ actions and behaviours are watched, they reflect and shape the culture and values of an organization
- Critical importance of strong board relationships: being adaptable, being open, being clear, being present
- Clear communication with boards, staff and community is super important
MOMENT #3
Driving change – unstoppable system redesign with an expert panel.
This interactive panel conversation saw delegates curating the session through their in-the-moment feedback that CCHL’s Brenda Lammi facilitated. Through a number of polls, delegates selected the topics of conversation as well as the questions posed to the panel.
Takeaways we loved:
- Dominic Giroulx (Hôpital Montfort) made a point about “leaning in” – it’s important to step up and work with partners to support community and make impact
- Another Dominic gem: “Integrated care is the future, and we shouldn’t wait on somebody else, we’re all a somebody who can take action”
- Janet Davidson on navigating big change: the issue at hand has to be presented in a way that people believe it and can make it happen. For example, with respect to integrated care, I always say let’s plan for what integrated care looks like if we stepped into it… forget the SWOT analyses, but rather, step into what you are envisioning and then figure out how did we get here? And then think about what concrete steps were taken to get here. And remember, don’t say no we can’t do it, as we’re already here – looking at an approach this way helps to make it more meaningful
MOMENT #4
A packed room to better understand the risk of AI in healthcare – hands on learning.
Partners coming together to share valuable information – HHS, BLG and HIROC joined forces to walk delegates through some key considerations of AI use in healthcare.
Takeaways we loved:
- Staying up to date is critical: consume diverse sources, be on top of regulatory updates, tap into professional associations, look up relevant journals, foster internal collaboration, participate in AI training forums, and where possible embed AI briefings into executive and board-level discussions
- Everyday AI = be aware, train staff, and keep eye on how to control and govern. For example, Zoom has AI functionality that is likely already on be on top of that and ask questions like, Where is our info going?
- All tools should undergo privacy and algorithmic impact assessment
- Carry on, embrace it, start to play with it, but do so in a way that you’re cognizant of risks and be sure to put in a framework that supports patient safety
- At the end of the day, be sure to research, understand what it does, pilot, evaluate, and document if you said no (it’s good to know). And if you say yes, the rationale should be listed out so the decision process is outlined
MOMENT #5
The last one is a three-way-tie for moments. The first between the Awards Gala where HIROC was honoured to recognize Colin Zieber, Iniskim (Buffalo Stone), with the Celebrating the Human Spirit Award for his work around indigenous allyship, a true example of the impact we can all make.
The second was the HIROC Halftime Show, although we couldn’t land Sia to perform, it was super fun getting to know Sue Owen better.
Being a leadership conference, her response on advice from a mentor was fitting. “Early in my career, I had a job where I was told, it’s always good to answer every phone call. That taught me the value in building connections and relationships.” This has stayed with Sue since then.
And finally, the CCHL + HIROC Knowledge Exchange Board was a big moment that really WOWed everyone in attendance. Thank you to those who popped by the Knowledge Exchange wall to share your thoughts on what you see for the College by 2030.
We appreciate all these special moments and many more!
Philip De Souza is HIROC's Assistant Vice President, Communications and Marketing