Daring to transform care

Six months ago, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime: to lead Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.

Since then, I have spent much of my time listening and learning from expert staff, passionate learners, dedicated volunteers and the incredible patients and families we serve, who consistently refer to Holland Bloorview as their ‘home away from home’. 

I have toured first-of-their-kind clinical programs that support more than 9,700 patients each year and seen research innovations that are enabling children and youth to express their ideas, have more agency over their lives and importantly play and dream big! 

The path ahead

While there is so much to celebrate, Canada’s health-care system is navigating increasingly complex challenges. Pediatric care remains under-resourced, fragmented, and difficult to navigate.  

For the more than one million children and youth living with disabilities and developmental differences, building a more inclusive system will require bold leadership, strong partnerships and collective advocacy.

As Canada’s hospital for children with disabilities and developmental differences, Holland Bloorview has a responsibility to help lead that charge by transforming care, extending our impact beyond our walls and collaborating with partners to build a future where every child belongs and can thrive in their community.

Bold leadership

Bold leadership means doing more than responding to today’s pressures. It means reimagining care around the needs, strengths and aspirations of children, youth and families — and using research, data and lived experience to make care more personalized, proactive and effective.

At Holland Bloorview, we are advancing precision health to better support children with increasingly complex conditions. Using genomics, AI and large health datasets, we are moving beyond traditional diagnostic labels and tailoring care to each child’s unique biology, environment and lived experience. Our leadership in initiatives such as the  Canadian Precision Health Initiative, Aligning Research to Impact Autism, and the Motion Analysis Centre reflect our commitment to delivering proactive, personalized care.

To support this critical work, we are building a leading learning-health system grounded in clinical data and continuous improvement, translating evidence into practice to enhance quality, safety and access. Above all, we are centering the experiences of children, families and staff in all everything we do because their voices guide better care.

Partnerships in action

Creating a system where every child can access high-quality, inclusive care – no matter where they live –  requires collaboration across hospitals, community organizations, government, researchers and families.

We see this in our collaboration with The Hospital for Sick Children to develop new clinical pathways and through our work with Safehaven to provide personalized, integrated care for children with complex needs. We see this in our provincially funded collaborations such as our Extensive Needs Service, delivered jointly with CHEO and McMaster Children’s Hospital, which is improving care for children with complex needs and their families. We see this through partnerships with March of Dimes, EKO and other members of the National Disability Initiative to expand access to our programs beyond our walls. Of course, all of this wouldn’t be possible without the tremendous investment from The Slaight Family Foundation – one of so many generous partners who share our vision for transformation. This is just the beginning – and demonstrates the power of possibility when organizations come together with one shared goal.

Collective advocacy

Partnerships improve care today. Collective advocacy helps build a better system for tomorrow — one that is more inclusive, coordinated and accountable to children, youth and families.

Adoption by the federal government of  the proposed National Strategy for Children and Youth Act (Bill S-212) can be an important step forward in  bringing Canada closer to a national strategy focused on improving outcomes for children with disabilities and developmental differences, strengthening investments in pediatric rehabilitation and research, supporting seamless transitions to adulthood and fostering inclusion in schools, workplaces and in the community. 

Together, we can improve outcomes for children, youth and families across the country.

The future is bright

As I travel through Holland Bloorview’s hallways, I am inspired by the more than 500 students who train alongside our talented staff each year. They are our future of pediatric health care. We have a responsibility to prepare the next generation of leaders not only to deliver excellent care, but build a more connected, inclusive and responsive system.

 Programs like our specialized developmental pediatrics residency and fellowship with the University of Toronto, our pre-doctoral psychology residency, and the Ward Family Summer Student Research Program are more than training opportunities—they are investments in a future where every child and family can access the care, expertise and inclusion they deserve.

If we are bold enough to lead together, we can create a future where every child has access to the care, opportunities and sense of belonging they deserve.

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