Good Monday morning,

I'm getting ready to speak at UHN's Annual Meeting which is happening tomorrow. Together, we'll be recognizing the people of UHN, reflecting on the past year and discussing the one ahead.

  • What's different: This year, our Board of Trustees is taking care of the administrative business and motions in advance, meaning there will be more time for us to celebrate as a community. I'm highly supportive of this decision!
  • The needs of patients (and their caregivers) come first: Heather Lannon, our Patient Partner, will be sharing her story and how UHN staff became her family when she moved with her husband from Newfoundland so he could receive treatment here.
  • Event details: MaRS auditorium (101 College Street – 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.) – I encourage everyone to join if they can.
  • Livestreaming: Available here for those who can't make it in person (Chrome and Firefox browsers only). Video recording to follow.

Another big item for UHN is the impact of the recent election. Ontario is preparing for the arrival of Premier-Designate Doug Ford's new government.

  • Transition: Dr. Rueben Devlin, former CEO of Humber River Hospital, was announced as a member of Premier Ford's transition team – which means that healthcare will have a voice at the table during this onboarding period.
  • UHN's leaders – myself included – have already begun meeting with relevant officials and will advocate on the best interests of our patients and staff. Together, UHN will stand ready to help Premier Ford's team make healthcare better and data driven.

This past weekend, we had the 11th annual Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer: $18.3 million raised thanks to 4,600 riders who rode more than 200 km in support of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation (PMCF).

  • Congratulations: My thanks to the many UHN staff who volunteered and participated; including Team Surge On, The Heme Team, RMP Accelerators and Team JDMI. Special thanks to Dr. Neil Fleshner who raised $92,000 as the Ride's top UHN fundraiser this year (and second top fundraiser overall).
  • The Ride (along with many other fundraising events held by our three Foundations) raises undesignated funds for UHN, meaning we are able to allocate this money to the areas of UHN that need it most.
  • Thank you to Steve Merker (Vice President, Business Development of The PMCF) and his team for building such an engaged community of Riders, donors and volunteers.

I also sent an update about our expanded Executive Management Team which is now known as the Executive Leadership Forum.

  • In short: Providing exemplary care through scholarship and innovation requires diverse voices engaged in respectful dialogue and decision-making. I've consulted with several colleagues and believe this change will help facilitate this. (Read my previous note here.)

Another highlight was attending Peter Munk's Celebration of Life. While his presence is still very much missed, it was a truly inspiring celebration of a life both well and fully lived.

  • I was especially struck by Peter's unbridled passion for anything he took on, his unwavering love of his chosen homeland, Canada. And despite the demands on his time due to his business commitments, the deep love and respect he so obviously had for his wife Melanie and their children.
  • Peter Munk Cardiac Centre Scientific Advisory Board: Later in the week, we met to discuss the great progress in scholarship and innovation fueling Peter's legacy. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Victor Dzau (Chair, U.S. National Academy of Medicine). My thanks to Barry Rubin for his leadership. Following the meeting, Victor met with a small group to share some important work on clinician wellness – which must be a priority for UHN.

In closing, I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize a missed acknowledgement in last week's message. My sincere thanks to Alyssa Macedo for her dedicated contribution to the success of the BRITE (Building Resilience within Institutions Together with Employees) program at Princess Margaret. All members of our team are important to our work at UHN, and as such it is important to pause and thank all staff for their efforts towards improving quality of life for both staff and patients.

Thanks for reading,

Kevin

Quicklinks
Back to Top