Monday, February 11th, 2019 Understanding the Opioid Crisis

Description

We are excited that our 10th anniversary panel for the Ford+Munk conference features an impressive lineup of researchers, policy practitioners, academics and leaders from the medical community.

The panelists include:

Helen Angus, Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care

Helen Angus was appointed Deputy Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in June 2018.
Most recently, Helen served as the Deputy Minister of Treasury Board Secretariat and the Secretary of Treasury Board and Management Board of Cabinet. Previously, she was Deputy Minister of International Trade and Deputy Responsible for Women’s Issues, and Deputy Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade. Helen has also served as an associate deputy minister at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care with responsibility for Policy and Transformation.
Prior to her return to the Ontario Public Service in 2012, Helen served as the Vice President responsible for the Ontario Renal Network at Cancer Care Ontario. She was also Cancer Care Ontario’s Vice President of Planning and Strategic Implementation and Vice President of Research and Analysis at the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Helen was educated at the University of Toronto and holds a Master of Science degree in planning.

Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, Physician-in-Chief, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos is a Clinician Scientist and the Physician-in-Chief at CAMH. She is also a Professor and Vice-Chair, Clinical and Innovation in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Prior to joining CAMH, she served as the Psychiatrist-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital, leading the development of a number of innovative health solutions for people experiencing homelessness and mental health and substance use challenges. Dr. Stergiopoulos has a keen interest in mental health policy, community development and the redesign of our system of mental health care for the purpose of system improvement. She champions equitable access to high quality health care, and the inclusion of service users in both service delivery and research.
Dr. Stergiopoulos completed her medical training at Dalhousie University and training in psychiatry at the University of Toronto. She holds a MHSc in health administration from the University of Toronto’s Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. Her program of research focuses on the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of interventions aiming to improve housing stability, service coordination and recovery of adults experiencing mental health and addiction challenges and social disadvantage.

Gillian Kolla, PhD. Candidate, Dalla Lana School of Public Health: University of Toronto

Gillian Kolla is a PhD candidate in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She uses community-based research, ethnographic and qualitative methods to examine how to make health and social services more accessible to people impacted by marginalization. Her PhD research explores the delivery of health and social services within the spaces where people gather to use illicit drugs, with a focus on how the criminalization of drug use impedes the ability of public health programs to respond effectively to drug use. She is currently also conducting research on the impacts of the overdose epidemic on the physical and emotional health of communities of people who use drugs.
Gillian is a member of the coordinating committee of the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society, which set up unsanctioned Overdose Prevention Sites in Moss Park and Parkdale as a response to the devastating overdose crisis, and advocates for an evidence-based response to the overdose crisis. In recognition of this work, Gillian received the Emerging Public Health Leader award from the Public Health Alumni Association.

Matt Johnson, Coordinator: Overdose Prevention Site, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre

Matt Johnson is the Coordinator of the Overdose Prevention Site at Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre. He is a long time Harm Reduction worker, advocate and was involved in setting up the unsanctioned Overdose Prevention Sites in Moss Park and Parkdale as an activist response to inaction around the overdose epidemic and the ongoing drug war. He has been asked to speak as an expert on substance use, Harm Reduction and Overdose response to Social Service agencies, Universities, a Coroner’s inquest and media. He continues to push for greater and meaningful involvement of people who use drugs in the development and implementation of services as well as policies affecting drug users. He works for an end to the drug war, and a humane system based in respect, human rights and greater health and stability for all.

MODERATED BY:

Georgina Black, Partner & National Leader: Management Consulting, KPMG Canada & Vice-Chair, KPMG Global Healthcare

Georgina is a National Leader, Management Consulting. She has 20 years of experience advising organizations in the areas of executive governance and leadership, strategic planning, performance improvement and complex organizational change. Until recently, Georgina was the President of Blackstone Partners which was acquired by KPMG to deepen the firm’s commitment to the healthcare and broader public sectors in Canada. Georgina’s area of focus is working closely with boards, executive teams and diverse stakeholder groups to develop strategies to improve performance. She is an accomplished strategist and facilitator who has a reputation for getting results. Clients appreciate her attention to the realities of implementation, political acuity and the discipline she brings from 10 years focused on the private sector. Throughout her career, Georgina has led several transformational projects (mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, governance and program reviews, shared services and organizational design) in the public sector to improve effectiveness and efficiency within complex stakeholder environments. Through her work with provincial, local government, not for profits and healthcare organizations, Georgina brings a systems perspective to identifying and addressing cross function, organization and sector opportunities.