Welcome Reception

Sponsored by

Borden Ladner Gervais
World Exchange Plaza, 100 Queen St., Suite 1300
Borden Ladner and Gervais Rooms

Registration and Breakfast

Opening Remarks

Conference Co-Chairs:
Valerie Wise, Wise Health Law (Oakville, ON)
Catherine Gaulton, Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (Toronto, ON)
Julie LeBlanc Hultberg, Partner/Associée, Stewart McKelvey (Moncton, NB)

Human Resources: The Greatest Challenge in Canadian Health Care Today

Sponsor

The scarcity of healthcare workers across the country is one of the biggest challenges the Canadian healthcare system is currently facing. Hear from a panel of health leaders and experts for insight into the crises and a forward-thinking discussion of the paths forward, considering issues arising out of access to care, variations in scopes of practices, and the mobility of health professionals.

Moderator:
Lisa Corrente, Torkin Manes LLP (Toronto, ON)

Speaker(s):
Heather L. Totton, Senior Director, Governance and General Counsel, Nova Scotia College of Nursing (Halifax, NS)
Cynthia (Cindy) Clarke, National Group Head, Clients, Sectors & New Services, BLG (Toronto, ON)
Dr. Jack Kitts, Retired hospital CEO and Health System Leader (Ottawa, ON)
Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, PhD, Professor, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, University of Ottawa, and the University Research Chair in Gender, Diversity and the Professions (Ottawa, ON)

Networking Break

Sponsor

Regulating Wellness: When Fitness to Practice is Questioned 

Regulatory bodies are not only mandated to protect the public and act in the public interest. They also address concerns regarding a health care professional’s fitness to practice. Concerns may be related to a health professional’s mental health or to addiction issues. How well do health professional regulatory bodies respond to and address such issues? Given regulators’ duties to provide procedural fairness and their obligations to aim for just results, do current legislative frameworks and their application provide the right framework for regulators to meet those obligations? What is the relationship between a disciplinary stream and a more supportive pathway in different provinces?

Whether fitness to practice concerns arise as the result of a patient complaint or a mandatory report, the handling of such matters is taking on a growing prominence. If you are a lawyer who advises regulatory bodies or health care professionals, or you are involved in advising on policy or legislative changes, you need to understand the key aspects of fitness to practice cases involving health professionals with substance use and other mental health disorders.

Moderators:
Tracey M. Bailey, K.C., Miller Thomson LLP (Edmonton, AB)
Martina Munden, Nova Scotia Health Authority (Halifax, NS)

Speakers:
Robert Sheahan, Partner, Gowling WLG (Ottawa, ON)
Alexandra Wilbee, Partner, Weir Foulds LLP (Toronto, ON)
Laura Inglis, Partner, Bennett Jones LLP (Edmonton, AB)
Dr. Máire Durnin, Precision Medical Monitoring (Vancouver, BC)

Networking Break

Lunch and Keynote Address: Mental Health in the Legal Profession

Fairmont Château Laurier

Keynote Speaker: The Honourable George R. Strathy, retired Chief Justice of Ontario (Toronto, ON)

Networking Break

Canada’s Expanding MAID Framework: Disability, Mental Illness, and Support Shortages

Sponsor

This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available

With Canada’s medical assistance in dying (“MAID”) framework poised to expand eligibility to include individuals with a mental illness as their only underlying medical conditions, it is worth taking a step back to consider how Canada’s expanding MAID framework is impacting Canadian health law, health policy, and healthcare. How does MAID impact the lives of Canadians with disabilities, taking into consideration the reality of systemic ableism, unconscious bias, and support shortages? How will an expanded MAID framework affect those with mental illness considering the ongoing need for and lack of mental health supports? Is Canada’s MAID legislation appropriately structured to guard against inequality, particularly from a gender equality and disability rights perspective? Understand the impact of the expanding MAID legislation on these and other questions.

Moderators:
Garifalia Milousis, The Acacia Group (Ottawa, ON)
Martina Munden, Nova Scotia Health Authority (Halifax, NS)

Speakers:
Professor Trudo Lemmens, Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy, University of Toronto (Toronto, ON)
Dr. Karandeep Sonu Gaind, Sunnybrook Hospital, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (Toronto, ON)

Networking Break

Sponsor

Health Student Essay Contest Award Presentation

Top Ten Health Law Cases: The Latest Developments in Canadian Health Litigation

Sponsor

This rapid-fire session will highlight recent need-to-know cases from across Canada, covering medical malpractice, professional regulation, privacy, class actions, patented medicines and more!

Moderator: John McIntyre, McIntyre Health Law (Toronto, ON)

Speakers:
Jennifer O’Dell, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, ON)
Melissa Rico, Carbert Waite LLP (Calgary, AB)

Young Lawyers Reception

Reception and Dinner

Registration and Breakfast

Damage Awards in Health Litigation: Trends and Predictions

Sponsor

This session will be presented in English and French with simultaneous translation available

Take an in-depth look at damage awards in health negligence matters across the country and learn how an evolving legal and economic landscape is impacting the nature of claims. Hear diverse perspectives and gain insight into the quantification of damages in complex claims.

Moderator:
Julie LeBlanc Hultberg, Partner/Associée, Stewart McKelvey (Moncton, NB)

Speaker(s):
Kelley McKeating, McKeating Actuarial Services, Inc. (London, ON)
Alexandre Brosseau-Wery, Associé / Partner, Kugler Kandestin, L.L.P. (Montreal, QC)
Daniel Boivin, Partner, Gowling WLG (Ottawa, ON)

Networking Break

Virtual Health Care: Practical Implications

Sponsor

The Pandemic forced an exponential increase in the use of virtual health care in Canada and beyond. While this was essential to the delivery of healthcare in Canada, and an important innovation as a continuing solution, many are identifying the need to more fully consider its implications including regulatory, privacy, health policy, and civil liability concerns. Experts in health regulation, privacy, health policy and medical malpractice implications will provide you with a deep, reflective, and practical exploration of these important issues.

Moderators:
Tracey M. Bailey, K.C., Miller Thomson LLP (Edmonton, AB)
Chantalle Briggs, Bereskin & Parr LLP (Toronto, ON)

Speakers:
Dr. Ewan Affleck, Senior Medical Advisor – Health Informatics, College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (Edmonton, AB)
Karen Bennett-Clayton, Stewart McKelvey (Halifax, NS)
Ira Parghi, INQ Law (Toronto, ON)

Closing Remarks

Conference Co-Chairs:
Valerie Wise, Wise Health Law (Oakville, ON) | Catherine Gaulton, Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (Toronto, ON)

Tours of the Supreme Court of Canada

Requires pre-registration as numbers are limited.