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- Category: Health Systems Management
Our Master of Health Administration (MHA) students are shaping a healthier debate with their final assignment as part of the Health Care in Canada course (MHA6360). This course, led by Assistant Professor Agnes Grudniewicz, consists of an interesting project as the final class assignment which involves an online publication opportunity. The students were to prepare an opinion article on a chosen topic of interest with the ultimate objective of being published in Healthy Debate, a Canadian online publication that aims to provide easy-to-understand information about the health care system.
An opportunity to make an impact beyond the classroom
Professor Grudniewicz first came across the Healthy Debate online platform during her PhD studies since their editorial office was based at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital where she was conducting her research.
“The idea to include Healthy Debate as an applied learning opportunity came to me this summer, while planning the first online delivery of the course due to the pandemic. I simply decided to reach out to them,” she added. “They were very enthused about the idea as it aligned with their new goal of using their platform as an educational opportunity.”
The experience of writing for Healthy Debate
For the assignment, students were expected to follow all guidelines to write an opinion article as outlined on Healthy Debate’s website. Students had the chance to read previous opinion pieces to understand the tone and style of these short-type articles.
Ranging from 650 to 900 words, the opinion articles are far more challenging to write than usual longer research papers since ideas, fact-based content and argumentative information needs to be concise. “It was a challenging exercise because they had to adapt to the style of Healthy Debate, which is very different from more academic writing. It’s punchy and short. Students had to think about ways to write about a niche topic to a broader audience, using lay terms and explaining concepts,” stated Professor Grudniewicz.
Students had the opportunity to consult with the editors at Healthy Debate regarding their topic and work with them to submit the article for publication. This consultation and submission to Health Debate was an optional component of the assignment, but students were strongly encouraged to make use of this fantastic opportunity to strengthen their assignments, as their article is expected to be of high enough quality to be submitted to Healthy Debate for publication after they are graded.
“The Healthy Debate assignment was a great learning experience as we got the chance to pick a health subject of our choice. We felt proud to share our opinion with a broad range audience and bring awareness about mental health in these COVID-19 times,” shared MSc in Health Systems students Mohcene Abdessemed and Sandra Blais-Amyot, co-authors of the now published opinion piece Pandemic, winter taking toll on Canadians’ mental health. “We had the opportunity to interview a mental health professional to gather his insight on the current situation. We found the course professor and the Healthy Debate editors to be very helpful in providing constructive feedback that guided and strengthened our article.”
The assignment was also followed by a requirement to create a 10-minute podcast where one student interviews another on the topic of their Healthy Debate article. “Students did tremendously well on this component, surprising me with their creativity and enthusiasm,” exclaimed Professor Grudniewicz.
Lesson learned
"Publishing in Healthy Debate was a great opportunity to collaborate with a colleague and add our expertise to a topic that we're both passionate about. It allowed us to not only apply the course content to a real-life policy issue, but to also use our respective professional backgrounds to bring our different perspectives to the issue." shared MHA student Joey Taylor, one of the co-authors of It’s time to get moving, Canada.
“I think it was a great experience for these students because they got to pick a topic that was important to them – either because of personal experience or because a topic we covered in class sparked a new interest” reports Professor Grudniewicz. She concluded: “the MHA trains our future health care leaders. In this assignment, I wanted to give our MHA students the opportunity to join the conversation and have their voice heard on topics that mean the most to them. I hope having their work published inspires them to continue to actively engage in health policy discussions for the betterment of our health care systems.”
Read each of our MHA students’ articles published by the Healthy Debate:
‘Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always’: The importance of support networks, by Brent Leonard
Addressing racism in Indigenous health – Moving beyond systemic reassurance, by Amanda Larocque and Maddie Venables
Fighting fire with fire: Managed Alcohol Programs need to be widely implemented, by Steven Parker and Erin Tighe
It’s time to get moving, Canada, by Joey Taylor and Talia Ignacy
CANZUK: A cure for our healthcare challenges?, by Anna Wu and Priyank Tyagi
Pandemic, winter taking toll on Canadians’ mental health, by Mohcene Abdessemed and Sandra Blais-Amyot
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- Category: Webinars
On June 3rd, the Telfer School of Management hosted a webinar titled MHA CEO in Residence with Matthew Anderson, President and CEO of Ontario Health. The webinar discussed the reconstruction of the Ontario Government’s healthcare system in terms of management and delivery.
This transformation will occur based on the Peoples Health Care Act, and the new delivery system will be centered around Ontario Health Teams. The transformation will also include several provincial agencies who merged into Ontario Health, which will conduct their plans and operations similarly. Matthew Anderson, leader of this transformation, discusses this transition and the next key deliverables to be in the early evolution of the organization.
Watch the webinar now!
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- Category: Telfer Announcements
The Telfer MBA was a huge catalyst for change in the career of our graduate Mélanie Potvin, who is now project manager of the Orléans Health Hub at Montfort Hospital.
After graduating from the University of Ottawa with a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy, Mélanie began her career in the health care system. Following several years working in clinical services at the Montfort Hospital and in the Ottawa community, she landed a job in the field of occupational health and safety. This position exposed her to the administrative side of the health care system, sparking a desire to learn more about management. That’s when she decided that an MBA was what she needed to boost her career.
During the application process, the Telfer School of Management contacted Mélanie to determine whether she was interested in completing her MBA in French. The opportunity to benefit from scholarships for this program, but especially to use her mother tongue, really appealed to her and she jumped at the opportunity to do her graduate degree in French.
Thanks to her experience in the healthcare system, and Telfer’s MBA and MHA (master’s degree in health administration) courses, Mélanie has learned how to work on the system and its various challenges. Her educational and practical experiences have provided her with the skills needed to manage complex projects.
Beyond project management, Mélanie has also developed her skills in oral presentation, leadership, human resources, and other management disciplines that are important in her new role.
Mélanie can now proudly say she has what it takes to make an impact at work and in her daily life.
Learn more about the Telfer MBA.
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- Category: Student Announcements
It's time for a new school year, so we have created a checklist for our new and returning Telfer students to get you started.
- Set up your uOttawa Student Card: If you are a new student, be sure to collect your new student card in the University Centre building or online. If you are a returning student who has lost a student card, deactivate it and get a new card or check the University of Ottawa lost and found.
- Collect or renew your U-Pass: The U-Pass is a mandatory bus card for all full-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Ottawa. You can get or renew your U-Pass in the University Centre building (UCU) student lounge (located on level 0). To renew your pass, you must tap it at a recharging station in the UCU.
- Get your Gee-Gees Pass: The Gee-Gees Pass gives you access to 100+ varsity events and exclusive access at uOttawa sporting events. If you live in residence, it is already included in your residence fees.
- Attend a Mandatory Information Session on September 3: All first-year students need to go to a mandatory information session to learn important information about being a new student. You can also ask questions of our staff members at the session.
- Join a club(s) or activity at uOttawa: The University of Ottawa has a huge variety of clubs and extra-curricular activities for you to choose from. Watch out for Clubs Day during Welcome Week along University Private.
- Sign up for a Telfer student club(s): Telfer has 17 different student-run clubs and associations that you can join each year. During uOttawa Welcome Week, you can get to know these clubs on University Private, or in Morisset Library on the first floor at Clubs Day.
- Take part in intramural sports: A great way to keep up with a sport you enjoy while making new friends is to join or start your own intramural team at uOttawa.
- Try out for a Gee-Gees sports team: If you are more serious about a certain sport, you could try out for a Gee-Gees varsity sports teams.
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Stay safe with the SecurUO safety app: The university has worked to develop a new app for students to keep you safe and informed of key security information. You can download the app to your mobile device to use while on campus.
The University of Ottawa and the Telfer School offer a variety of student services, career help, activities, sports, and volunteer opportunities. The Telfer Student Services staff are happy to help you learn about these opportunities.
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- Category: Alumni in the Lead
Consistent contributions on many fronts
I started in Commerce, but in 1969 I discovered a new program existed – Masters in Health Administration – and I never looked back.
There’s no question that formal education gives you credentials and opens doors, but it’s only the base. You build on that foundation with your experience, your successes and, especially, your failures. If you make no mistakes at all, you’ve probably not done much.
I got a lot of satisfaction in my first 10 years at the old Ottawa General Hospital, and when I became CEO of what was then the Hull Hospital. However, my impact was limited to one city, one hospital, and I knew there was something bigger I could do, so I took a low level government job in Indigenous Health.
I jumped into that and I saw how basic the services were for Indigenous peoples in some places. It stimulated me into thinking about the country as a whole. You can’t just think of your own narrow mandate or perspective — you have to see and understand other points of view, even if you don’t necessarily agree on everything. Respect and collaboration are key, especially for tackling today’s more complex public policy issues.
This eventually served me well as Associate Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister in my work with minority language communities across the country, resulting in organizations that continue to make a big difference today. I’m very proud of that. It was the main reason I was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2016.
I feel partly humbled and partly grateful for this recognition. I didn’t realize I’ve been contributing for over 40 years! It’s like compound interest — no matter how small the contribution, if you are consistent and faithful and stay the course, it can be appreciated to an extent you never thought possible.
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- Category: Telferimpact
On May 13 2019, the Telfer School welcomed Helen Angus, Deputy Minister of Health and Long-term care for our CEO-In-Residence Lecture Series.
Helen Angus was appointed Deputy Minister of Health and Long-Term Care in June 2018, after having most recently served as the Deputy Minister of Treasury Board Secretariat and the Secretary of Treasury Board and Management Board of Cabinet.
During the CEO-In-Residence lecture series, Ms. Angus spoke to a class of MHA students about her career path and the lessons learned along the way. She also gave a presentation on “Health Transformation in Ontario”. It was especially timely as the government of Ontario rolls out its plans for Health Care reform. In her presentation, she focused on the challenges facing the ministry, and explained her vision for Connected Care. The aim is to offer better caregiver experience, patient and health outcomes, value and efficiency, and provider experience.
Ms. Angus’s long career in leading innovation and change, as well as her exceptional leadership skills and long history of experience in health planning and policy are all elements that contributed to the success of this event.
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- Category: Alumni in the Lead
This year’s recipient for the Robert Wood Johnson Award for the University of Ottawa is Belinda Maciejewski. The criterion for this award is based on the student’s likelihood to make valuable contributions to health services management. The presentation of the Robert Wood Johnson Awards took place during the National Health Leadership Conference presented by HealthCareCAN and the Canadian College of Health Leaders held in St John’s, NL, from June 4-5, 2018.
Since its inception in 1956, the award has been presented to nearly 300 Canadian healthcare professionals. It is supported by Johnson & Johnson Medical Products in partnership with six leading Canadian universities, which offer a Masters’ program in healthcare administration, including: Dalhousie University, Université de Montréal, University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta and University of Toronto.
After completing her CPA, CA designation with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vancouver, Belinda Maciejewski decided to combine her business acumen with her lifelong passion for healthcare by moving to Edmonton to work for the then-newly formed Alberta Health Services. Through over half a decade as a Senior Financial Analyst in advisory services supporting high priority programs, Belinda learned that administrative leadership in Canadian healthcare organizations is dominated by clinicians with limited or no formal training in business concepts. She also observed a divide between administrators and clinicians which often became an obstacle which stalled or stopped progress.
Having enjoyed the role as the bridge between administration and clinicians as an analyst, Belinda desired to expand this bridging role beyond Finance by undertaking the Telfer School of Management Master of Health Administration program at the University of Ottawa. Belinda is a firm believer of the benefits of diverse perspectives and backgrounds which leads to more balanced and robust decision making. Her aspiration is to become an agent for change by marrying business practices and technology with clinical operations as well as breaking through silos which inhibit Canadian healthcare from truly innovating and transforming into a world-class 21st century system.
In December 2017, Belinda was also recognized as an award recipient of the Michael Garron award which recognizes a University of Ottawa MHA student who has demonstrated innovative health solutions to practical problems encountered during their residency placement. Belinda completed her residency at The Ottawa Hospital, and presented her project entitled “Mapping the Operational Process for the New TOH Home Dialysis Program”. Belinda is currently Operations Manager at the Ottawa Hospital.
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- Category: Appointments and Honours
We are pleased to inform you of the recipients of the MHA Alumni Association (MHAAA) Health Leadership Award, the Michel Lalonde Award, and the Michael Garron Award.
MHA Alumni Association (MHAAA) Health Leadership Award
On Friday, December 8th, the Fall 2017 MHA residents completed their Field Project final presentations.
As part of this activity, a selection committee composed of Craig Kuziemsky, George Langill, Pat McCaron, Greg Fougère, and Sarah Downey evaluated the presentations to determine the recipient of the MHA Alumni Association Health Leadership Awards.
The MHAAA Health Leadership Award is given to an outstanding MHA student upon the presentation of the Health Care Management Field Project.
The qualities of the presentations were very high throughout. Each presenter was very articulate, clearly owned his/her project and demonstrated significant initiatives that will impact organizations and the health care system.
That being said, we are pleased to inform you that Anne-Marie Parent is this year’s recipient of the MHAAA Health Leadership Award. Anne-Marie completed her field project, “Coordinated Access to Home and Community Services” at the Champlain LHIN. Her presentation clearly demonstrated her leadership abilities and how her project was an innovative contribution to the health care system. The presentation also demonstrated her ability to plan and implement a complex concept. For these reasons, the committee is pleased to give Anne-Marie this award.
Michael Garron Award
The Michael Garron Hospital, formerly known as Toronto East General Hospital, and the University of Ottawa Master of Health Administration program have a deep and longstanding relationship that has extended over a decade.
The Michael Garron Award recognizes a University of Ottawa MHA student who has demonstrated innovative health solutions to practical problems encountered during their residency placement. This year’s recipient of the award is Belinda Maciejewski. Belinda completed her residency at The Ottawa Hospital, and presented her project entitled “Mapping the Operational Process for the New TOH Home Dialysis Program”.
Michel Lalonde Award
The goal of the Michel Lalonde scholarship is to recognize a student in the MHA program who exhibits exceptional leadership qualities manifested through academic excellence and engagement in extracurricular activities.
We are proud to report that several candidates displayed great leadership qualities. This is not only an attestation of the excellent students that enroll in the MHA program but also evidence of the leadership skills that are developed within the program.
We are pleased to inform you that Anne-Marie Parent is this year’s recipient of the Michel Lalonde MHA Scholarship for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Congratulations to Anne-Marie and Belinda - we wish you much success in your future careers.
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- Category: Rising Stars
Her career path – which began with an undergraduate degree in biology and continued with jobs in retail, public service and finance – led her to discover a passion for nutrition and administration. To further mesh her skills in management and health care, after finishing a degree in Nutrition from uOttawa, Carolyne decided to pursue a Master of Health Administration (MHA).
Carolyne’s commitment to health extends beyond her day job. A mother of two young girls, she enjoys going on outdoor activities such as mountain and road cycling, running and cross-country skiing. Her private practice, Fine Balance Nutrition, focuses on gastro-intestinal health, lipid management and sports nutrition for new athletes. But beyond that, Carolyne is the co-leader of a not-for-profit group which aims to bring together local RDs and welcomes new graduates through networking events and professional development opportunities. What’s more, she also volunteers for the fundraising committee at her daughter’s school. As a registered member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario, Carolyne also volunteers as a local “Nutrition Month” media representatives for Dietitians of Canada.
“Receiving a scholarship in memory of Laurie Strano is a great honour. In my eyes, this scholarship acts as a thank you for my contributions and the ones of past and future MHA students. It also serves as a reminder that these commitments are recognized, and highlights the importance of community involvement.”
What matters to Carolyn is nutrition, health promotion, disease prevention and working with children. As an enthusiastic and motivated individual, she hopes to work as a leader for a dynamic, health-focused organization which embraces creativity, strives for innovation and cares about its community.
For more information about the Laurie Strano Memorial MHA Scholarship, please contact Roxanne Chénier, Development Officer, at (613) 562-5800, ext. 4760 or
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- Category: Alumni in the Lead
Create Opportunities for People to Become Healthy
I simply couldn’t function—let alone achieve any degree of professional success—without these skills and the frame of mind they inspire. My position as executive director of Ottawa Inner City Health has no piece of paper that tells me what to do and how to do it. Solutions are never plug and play. My job requires me to think what I call big thoughts about big problems and the big ideas and partnerships to solve them.
It only sounds daunting. My work connects me with people I like and actions I believe in. It gives energy and balance to my life. It enables me to do not merely what I want to do, but also what matters so much to me that I believe I was born to do it. There is no better feeling and no greater satisfaction than that—and the Telfer MHA made it possible.
Five remarkable alumni, including Wendy Muckle, will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the world of business, healthcare, community and their alma mater at the 2016 Telfer School of Management Gala of Excellence. The Gala will be held at the Shaw Centre on Saturday, October 15, 2016. This will also be an opportunity to collectively celebrate our alma mater and highlight the graduation anniversary of the classes of 1966, 1976, 1991 and 2006.
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- Category: Telfer Announcements
Thank you to all the participants, sponsors and volunteers who joined us for the Telfer Golf Tournament on September 18, 2015.
With their help we raised over $24,000 for the Laurie Strano Memorial MHA Scholarship Fund!
Congratulations to our winning team! Stuart Whiston, Sean Mullen, Simon Whiston and Jay Strano (left to right).
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Student Voices
The following article was written by a member of our student community. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Telfer School of Management. For more information or to flag inappropriate content, please
