SPARK: Conversations by Children's Healthcare Canada

Send us Fan Mail Families navigate fragmented healthcare and education systems while managing invisible labour that systems and professionals often don't recognize: coordinating care, translating information across sectors, and advocating for their children's needs. In this episode, researchers, a clinician, and parent partners discuss how lived experience must become integrated expertise driving system change, not just testimony, and how meaningful family participation in co-design cre...

Send us Fan Mail Early identification and intervention can transform outcomes for children with disabilities and their families, yet Canada's fragmented health and education systems create barriers that leave parents navigating alone. In this episode, guest Dr. Keiko Shikako speaks with researchers and parent partners about the impact of early identification, current system gaps, and promising approaches like the Childbright Coaching Research Project. This is the first in our miniseries...

Send us Fan Mail In this special capstone episode of SPARK: Conversations, host Dr. Katharine Smart speaks with Emily Gruenwoldt, President and CEO of Children’s Healthcare Canada, to reflect on two years of exploring what it means to right-size children’s healthcare systems in Canada. They look back on key themes from the series — from timely access to care, community-based services, equity, partnerships, and family-centred care to workforce and data challenges — and connect these insights t...

Send us Fan Mail Across Australia, pediatric centres have just come through a challenging respiratory virus season - driven by influenza, RSV, and COVID - with unusually high volumes among infants and young children, shifting viral patterns, and sustained pressure on emergency departments and inpatient units. As Canadian hospitals begin to experience early increases in respiratory illness, pediatric leaders are watching closely for signals of what may lie ahead. In this “just-in-time” episode...

Send us Fan Mail Pediatric palliative care is so much more than end-of-life support — it’s about walking alongside children and their families from diagnosis through symptom management, grief, and beyond. In this episode of SPARK: Conversations, Dr. Katharine Smart speaks with Megan Wright (Roger Neilson Children’s Hospice) and Denise Praill (Canuck Place Children’s Hospice) about what it takes to right-size pediatric palliative care systems across Canada, improve equity and access, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of SPARK: Conversations, host Dr. Katharine Smart is joined by Rochelle Reid, Senior Lead and Strategic Advisor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre. Rochelle shares insights from the development of the organization’s first five-year EDI plan and emphasizes the importance of community partnerships, equitable policies, and data governance to right-size services for children and families. Don't miss the launch of Children's Hea...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of SPARK Conversations, host, Dr. Katharine Smart, and her guests explore the impact of the recent Canadian federal election results on children’s health and healthcare across the country. Podcast guests, Danielle Flieler, Manager, Federal Government Affairs at Santis Health, and Jim Armour, Managing Partner with Summa Strategies Canada, share their perspectives on the cabinet composition and government priorities in relation to healthcare, especially for chil...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of SPARK Conversations, we explore right-sizing children’s healthcare systems from the perspective of Community Hospitals that serve children, youth, and their families. Our guest for this episode, ‘Remi Ejiwunmi, Vice President, Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children, with Trillium Health Partners, shares her perspectives regarding the role and impact of community hospitals play within the Canadian healthcare system to ensure every child, youth and famil...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of SPARK: Conversations, we explore the role of home healthcare. Maureen Charlebois, Chief of Nursing & Clinical Officer at Bayshore HealthCare, discussing the importance of home healthcare within the Canadian healthcare system to ensure that every child, youth, and family can feel supported both inside and outside hospitals. Enjoyed the episode? Leave us a rating or review, share with your colleagues, and be sure to subscribe!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of SPARK: Conversations, we explore the collaborative efforts shaping the future of child and youth mental health care in Ontario. The Children’s Health Coalition, a powerful partnership between Children’s Mental Health Ontario, Ontario’s 5 children’s hospitals, and other key organizations, is working to ensure kids and families get the care they need—when and where they need it most. Join us as we dive into how this groundbreaking coalition is transform...

Send us Fan Mail Enjoyed the episode? Leave us a rating or review, share with your colleagues, and be sure to subscribe!

Send us Fan Mail Through visionary leadership, health systems focus, population-based approaches, trusting relationships, and creative partnerships, systems-focused Children’s Hospitals create integrated delivery networks purposefully designed to meet the unique needs of children and families. This serves to improve healthcare access, system navigation, and efficiency, and children’s experiences of care and outcomes. In this episode of SPARK: Conversations, join host Dr. Katharine Smart...

Send us Fan Mail Season 5, Episode 1 | Episode released on May 6, 2024 View on YouTube Description: Children’s Healthcare Canada, together with our members and strategic partners, is on a mission to right-size children’s healthcare systems, which are “accessible, equitable, evidence-informed, connected healthcare services” purpose-built for kids. Two years ago, Children’s Healthcare Canada embarked on this journey, engaging children’s healthcare leaders, clinicians, and researchers; family...