Facts vs. Myth: the realities of equity in Canadian healthcare

Moderator

Tai Huynh– Founding editor-in-chief, The Local

Tai Huynh is the founding editor-in-chief of The Local, an independent magazine exploring urban health and social issues in Toronto. He’s also creative director at OpenLab, a design and innovation centre at the University Health Network, and co-founder of Choosing Wisely Canada.

Dr. Andrew Boozary, Executive Director, Population Health and Social Medicine, University Health Network

Dr. Andrew Boozary is a primary care physician and Executive Director, Population Health and Social Medicine at the University Health Network. He holds academic appointments as an assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto and as an adjunct faculty member at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Dr. Boozary is the founding editor-in-chief of the Harvard Public Health Review and has published in top academic journals including JAMA, BMJ and Health Affairs. Dr. Boozary completed his medical training at the University of Toronto and health policy training at Princeton University (Master in Public Policy) and Harvard University (Master of Science). He has maintained active research as a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is a Senior Fellow at the Wellesley Institute.
 
At UHN, Dr. Boozary is working to develop, evaluate and scale new models of healthcare delivery for patients with complex health and social needs. During this pandemic, Dr. Boozary also serves as co-lead of the Ontario Health Toronto Region COVID-19 Homelessness Response and is a member of the Canadian Medical Association's Post-Pandemic Expert Advisory Group. Prior to joining UHN, Dr. Boozary served in senior advisory roles in the provincial and federal government on public policy issues ranging from primary care reform to the implementation of pharmacare.

Dr. Amy Montour, Multidisciplinary Co-Lead, Ontario Palliative Care Network, and physician, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory

Amy Montour is an Haudenosaunee woman from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Ontario. She has completed Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Medicine degrees at McMaster University. Amy works clinically in palliative care, hospitalist medicine, and community care for Indigenous people. Amy's academic work focuses on elevating the status of Indigenous knowledge in the health care system and advocating for system change in education and health institutions.

Dr. Onye Nnorom, President, Black Physicians' Association of Ontario

Dr. Onye Nnorom is a Family Doctor and a Public Health & Preventive Medicine specialist. She is the Associate Program Director of the Public Health & Preventive Medicine Residency Program at the University of Toronto, and is the Black Health Theme Lead for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. As the Black Health Theme Lead, she is tasked with developing educational content for teaching medical students about Black Canadian health, and inequities due to systemic racism. She is also a clinical consultant for the Nicotine Dependence Clinic at Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

She is the President of the Black Physicians' Association of Ontario. She was also the chronic disease prevention lead at TAIBU Community Health Centre, where she led a number of successful cancer screening initiatives. Most recently she has taken the role as the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead, within the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. And she is the host of a podcast called Race, Health and Happiness where she interviews successful Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, providing wisdom on how to stay well in a “racialized world”.
 
Dr. Nnorom completed her medical degree at McGill University and then completed a Masters of Public Health (Epidemiology) and residency training at the University of Toronto. Being of Nigerian and Trinidadian heritage, she is particularly interested in Black community health and wellness, and racism as a social determinant of health.