Good Monday morning,

Last week, I had the privilege of sharing some thoughts at UHN's Annual Meeting. For those who attended or watched, I hope you'll agree that Michael Baker and I have an opportunity to take our show on the road. Michael, I invite you to join me on stage any time!

  • UHN's Board Chair Brian Porter: I'd like to thank Brian for leading the proceedings and to congratulate him for receiving an Honorary Doctorate last week from Ryerson University. Brian addressed the class of 2018 with some touching remarks about generosity and the late Peter Munk, one of our greatest supporters. His speech is inspiring so I encourage you to read it if you have a chance.
  • Your feedback: This was my first UHN Annual Meeting so I am especially interested in hearing your thoughts. Please fill out this quick survey if you have a moment.
  • Video: Available here for those who haven't had the chance to watch.
  • Annual Report: We covered some top highlights during the Annual Meeting but couldn't cover them all given the time constraints. To learn more about the terrific work that was done across UHN last year, please look through the Annual Report.

Saturday was a particularly good day in my books. I attended Michener's Convocation Ceremony – there's nothing quite as energizing as a room full of excited, hopeful about-to-be graduates. Congratulations to the class of 2018! I was invited to share a few words with the graduates that I'd like to paraphrase for the rest of you.

  • Some advice: Compassion, respect and civility are essential to a successful career. Sometimes it may seem challenging to take the high road but I have some frank advice: Embrace being the bigger person. We can't drive change unless we start with ourselves. Listen to your patients and colleagues with compassion and engage with different perspectives. And know that making UHN the healthcare employer of choice now and into the future is our collective ongoing priority. Everyone has been warm and welcoming during my first month – for which I thank you – so I know we are well positioned to make this an ongoing reality.
  • Congratulations to Sam Gennidakis, the 2018 valedictorian. His story is one worth reading if you haven't already.
  • And thank you to all the graduates for making us all so optimistic for the future of healthcare.

On a similar energizing note, I attended the Emerging Leaders [Editor's Note: Link is no longer available] graduation ceremony. For those who don't know, it's one of the programs we offer to help develop aspiring people managers at UHN. This particular cohort was our largest ever! For those who might be interested in taking part, I encourage you to speak with your manager and apply before June 29. Professional development is part of UHN's core beliefs.

emerging leaders

I also had the chance to meet with teams from Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation (TGWHF) and Toronto Rehab Foundation (TRF) to learn more about the remarkable work they do. I'm looking forward to meeting The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation next month.

  • My initial thoughts: The fundraising talent we have at UHN is unparalleled. And it's clear that our staff appreciate what the Foundations do for UHN given the amount of employee engagement I've noticed so far at Foundation events. Thank you to those who volunteer and give back to UHN.
  • Congratulations to TGWHF on surpassing their goal of raising $1 billion. It's hard to even imagine this! What astounds me is that they accomplished this entirely through philanthropic dollars. Thank you to the donors, volunteers and fundraisers who made this possible – these funds are advancing our ability to transform lives and communities.
  • Hats off to TRF for securing the largest donation ever made to a rehabilitation hospital in Canada – $20 million. I am told the TRF team is also close to attaining $100 million for their "Where Incredible Happens" campaign and look forward to celebrating alongside the team.
  • What's important: The support we receive from UHN's donor community is extraordinary. But the needs of our patients are ongoing and growing. Thank you to our Foundations for successfully engaging our donor community year after year and communicating the need for continued support for research and improved care.

Another highlight was attending the Collaborative Academic Practice Research Day. Great to have Dr. Ross Baker discussing the role of teamwork in safe, effective care as the opening keynote. Ross is an internationally recognized expert in quality and safety so we are extremely fortunate to have him as Vice-Chair of UHN's Board of Trustees.

Finally, some of you may have noticed that the CN Tower was lit red and yellow on Thursday night. This was in honour of the 16 th Global Hepatitis Summit, held for the first time in Canada. Congratulations to co-chairs Drs. Harry Janssen, Jordan Feld and Adam Gehring. The 3D Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square was also lit in red and yellow!

Have a good week ahead,

Kevin


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