For our final episode of 2024, we interviewed Anita Simon, a Canadian healthcare designer with diverse experiences ranging from academia, industry, non-profit and patient advocacy. Anita emphasized the need to shift our healthcare systems from industrial practices focused on improving cost and efficiency outcome measures towards measuring outcomes that truly matter to patients and families.

Anita described her family’s challenges with seeking compassionate care for their daughter when she was experiencing mental illness. Her personal experience led Anita to co-found Calgary Silver Linings Foundation, providing support and resources for eating disorder recovery.

We also discussed the role of The Patient Revolution (a global movement towards kind and compassionate healthcare) and the concept of “Boards that Care”. There is no better time like the present for our healthcare systems to work towards improving access to timely, individualized and compassionate care for all. 

Resources

Anita Simon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-simon-9a71849/

Calgary Silver Linings Foundation: https://www.silverliningsfoundation.ca/