Today, Ellen Gardner and Philip De Souza, Communications and Marketing at HIROC, speak with Kathy MacNeil, President and CEO of Island Health in British Columbia.

Kathy MacNeil still has trouble believing the staff of Island Health now numbers more than 30,000. So when it comes to spreading the message of trust and accountability, she and her leadership team rely heavily on local leaders. A big part of Kathy's learning journey has been getting comfortable with "heard enough, have to go" – making decisions with the information she has and then trusting her wisdom. Her natural curiosity and inclination to "lean into the questions" have been essential for building relationships with the Island's Indigenous community and learning about cultural safety and humility. She and her team have declared their commitment to improved Aboriginal Health in a very public way and she is proud of the way the organization and their Indigenous partners have rallied around this initiative.

Key Takeaways:

[1:49] How Island Health is rolling out its new strategic framework

[3:31] Why the team relies on local leaders

[4:50] The experience of 'swimming in the gray tsunami' and how it's affecting healthcare delivery on the Island

[7:19] Kathy's priorities when she came into the position of CEO

[8:33] A leadership style focussed on developing relationships

[10:44] Where Kathy turns for leadership advice

[11:43] Learning to make decisions with the information you have at the time

[12:30] Advice for all emerging leaders to trust your wisdom

[14:32] Why asking questions is crucial for understanding different people's perspectives and a tool for breaking down resistance

[17:54] What Kathy learned from doing change work

[19:13] How Kathy developed her philosophy around 'courageous innovation'

[21:47] Why it's important to talk about the risks of staying the same

[26:39] How Island Health is getting away from a 'settlers approach' to Indigenous health and moving towards a self-determined approach

[29:20] Why the work of restoring cultural safety and humility is the work of all Canadians

[33:39] How four partners collaborating around substance abuse won a Gold Apple award

[37:18] The one thing Kathy thinks we need to do to turn the corner on patient safety

[41:14] Kathy's secret to being a leader and making an impact

Mentioned in this Episode:

Island Health

Zayna Khayat

Catherine Gaulton

BC First Nations Health Authority

BC Emergency Health Services

SOLID Outreach

Lookout Housing + Health Society

The BC Gold Apple Award

Collective Wisdom from High Performing Women: Leadership Lessons from the Judy Project

Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast

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