Provincial Ballroom

Introduction

Jennifer Churchill, CEO, Empowered Kids Ontario

Opening Keynote: Rebuilding Children’s Healthcare So No One is Left Behind

Dr. Ripudaman Minhas, Developmental Pediatrician, Women and Children’s Health Program, St. Michael’s Hospital

The Canadian health care system can be difficult to access for anyone.  This is especially true for families of children and youth who live with a profound challenge, like Autism Spectrum Disorder or cerebral palsy.  And getting the diagnoses and services can be harder still for families who are dealing with any number of forms of marginalization – such as poverty, systemic racism, or immigration status, to name only a few.  Addressing this need is top of mind for Dr. Ripudaman Minhas. 

A developmental paediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and Assistant Professor in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Dr. Minhas has spearheaded a number of programs aimed at helping marginalized children and youth and their families get the health care they need using social media platforms to provide evidence-based health information for families. He’s the founder of Our Kids Health which brings evidence-based child health information to 10 cultural-linguistic communities, now reaching 200,000+ followers worldwide.  And the Maple Circle Project was created specifically for parents with a refugee background to understand how they approach parenting after they settle in Canada, particularly if they have a child who has developmental or behavioural concerns.  “I’m interested in how health care professionals engage with diverse communities,” says Dr. Minhas.  “We’ve made some progress, but we need to continue to work hard to identify opportunities to ensure health care is easily accessible to everyone.”