CXO Forum 2026

Theme

Winning Conditions for Healthcare AI – The Nexus of Technology, Compassion, and Resource Optimization

Healthcare is at a pivotal moment where artificial intelligence promises transformative impact—but success depends on more than algorithms. This CXO Forum will explore the essential conditions for AI adoption that truly advance care: integrating cutting-edge technology with human-centered compassion and strategic resource optimization.

Through thought-provoking discussions and expert insights, participants will examine:

• Technology: How AI can enhance clinical decision-making, streamline operations, and unlock new efficiencies.
• Compassion: Ensuring patient-centric care remains at the heart of innovation, preserving trust and equity.
• Resource Optimization: Leveraging data and partnerships to maximize value while addressing workforce and system constraints.

Join C-suite colleagues and innovators as we define the roadmap for responsible, sustainable AI in healthcare—where progress is measured not only in performance but in humanity.

Registration

Your forum registration includes two nights accommodations, along with canapés, beverages, and a full dinner at the Tuesday afternoon reception, as well as breakfast, lunch, snacks, and unlimited beverages on Wednesday in addition to access to all programming.

Any events labelled as "optional" may have an additional cost to include in your registration. For any questions or clarifications, please contact conference@cchl-ccls.ca.

*Please note that this event is exclusively for C‑suite leaders in the public sector. Registrations from corporate, vendor, or other participants outside this audience will not be accepted.

Early bird registration deadline: February 27, 2026

Regular registration deadline: March 27, 2026

Program-at-a-glance

Speakers

Dr. Zayna Khayat - Chief Program Officer with Canadian Healthcare Foundation, AMS Healthcare

She is adjunct faculty and Executive in Residence with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. She instructs in various programs including the health sector strategy MBA stream, the global executive MBA in healthcare and life sciences, and executive education programs on AI, partnerships, strategy and foresight. She is also a member of the School’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Advisory Board.

Zayna is health futurist in residence with the healthcare and life sciences practice of Deloitte in Canada where she guides individuals, companies, organizations, and governments in the sector on key trends and shifts that are reshaping healthcare, and how they can make smarter bets today to be resilient to whatever futures unfold in healthcare and life sciences.

Dr. Khayat advises a range of tech companies and organizations including Teladoc Health Canada.  

Zayna is the chair of the board of Nourish, a food + medicine national Canadian non profit, and chairs a local queer positive dance collective, Sara Porter Productions. As board member with community non profit services provider West Neighbourhood House, Dr. Khayat chairs the property committee that is providing oversight to the redevelopment of vital land in downtown Toronto to expand access to affordable housing in the community.

Zayna was previously the Future Strategist with SE Health [Saint Elizabeth Healthcare], a national social enterprise in home care and aging, where she lead the Futures team.  With her colleagues at SE Health Zayna co-authored the book Future of Aging.

In 2017 Zayna was seconded to the Health Innovation Lab at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands as their “Innovation Sherpa in Chief”, working on various initiatives to strengthen the Dutch health innovation ecosystem. She co-founded the Dutch Ministry of Health’s Health Innovation School and continues to serves as faculty across 6 regional cohorts each year.

Zayna lead the Health System Innovation platform at MaRS Discovery District, a major innovation hub in Toronto, from 2014 to 2017. At MaRS, Zayna and her team worked with many ecosystem partners to help smooth and accelerate the path to adoption of innovation by health and care systems.

Zayna completed her Ph.D. in the cell biology of diabetes with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as Principal in the health practice of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) from 2001-2010.

Zayna has a B.Sc (Hons) in biochemistry from University of Windsor, where she earned the President's Medal for top graduate (1996) and Board of Governor's Medal for top graduate in her program.

Zayna speaks proficiently in French and Arabic (and a little Dutch). When not building the future of healthcare, she can be found reading for various book clubs, Peloton-ing, or moonlighting as DJ Z$. Zayna resides in Toronto with her husband, 3 teenagers and their puppy Gizmo.

Dr. Jennifer Zelmer - Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Excellence Canada

Dr. Jennifer Zelmer is the inaugural President and CEO of Healthcare Excellence Canada, the new organization formed in 2020 through the amalgamation of the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement and Canadian Patient Safety Institute to achieve safer, higher quality and more coordinated patient-partnered healthcare. Jennifer's long-standing commitment to improving healthcare quality and safety, as well as expertise in spreading and scaling innovations that deliver better outcomes, will help to create this new organization with an expanded capacity to improve healthcare for everyone in Canada. Jennifer previously joined CFHI as its President and CEO in September 2018. She has been a C.D. Howe Research Fellow for several years and is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Victoria, as well as a member of several health-related advisory committees and boards.

Previously, as President of Azimuth Health Group, Dr. Zelmer was a strategic advisor to leaders who sought to advance health and healthcare at local, national, and international levels. Before that, she held senior leadership positions with Canada Health Infoway, the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Jennifer served on the first (2004) Safer Healthcare Now! National Steering Committee convened by CPSI when she was at CIHI. She also served on CPSI's former Health System Innovation Advisory Committee, and more recently, Jennifer served on the National Patient Safety Consortium Steering Committee during her time at Infoway.

Dr. Zelmer received her PhD and MA in economics from McMaster University and her B.Sc. in health information science from the University of Victoria.

Dr. Kathleen Ross - Canadian Physician Leader and Health Policy Advocate

Dr. Kathleen Ross is a respected Canadian Physician leader and health policy advocate, known for her work at the intersection of clinical care, health system transformation, and technology.

As a Family Physician with 3 decades of frontline experience, she has championed evidence-informed policy reforms to improve access, equity, and integration across Canada’s health systems. As a founder and Chair of Pathways Patient Referral Association, she had demonstrated the ability to apply practical solutions to the administrative challenges faced in frontline care and drive improvement in patient care, including knowledge translation into the consultant referral process.

During her recent tenure as President of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Ross advanced national conversations on physician wellness, health human resources, the balance of public and private health care in Canada and the ethical deployment of artificial intelligence in care delivery. She continues to advocate for responsible innovation, promoting digital health solutions and AI tools that reduce administrative burden and enhance patient care, while ensuring patient privacy and public trust remain at the core of all technological advancement.

Dr. Ross is an avid volunteer in her community and internationally and has received several awards for her global humanitarian work.

Partners

The CXO Forum is presented by CCHL and Digital Health Canada.

Supporting Sponsors

Venue

Delta Hotels Grand Okanagan Resort
1310 Water St
Kelowna, BC V1Y 9P3

Your forum registration includes two nights accommodations - Tuesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 1. Should you require additional nights, please contacts us with a request to extend your stay. Note that additional nights are not guaranteed, and are at your own cost.

About CXO Forums

CCHL, in partnership with Digital Health Canada, is proud to introduce the CXO Forum—an inspiring new gathering launching in 2025 and held twice annually going forward. Designed as a premier experience for senior health leaders, the Forum offers world‑class leadership development, meaningful networking opportunities, and thoughtful dialogue, all within an environment grounded in celebration, support, and community.

This Forum brings together C-suite colleagues, mentors, team members, and health leaders from across Canada representing diverse backgrounds and sectors. Participants will engage in interactive sessions that address the current state of healthcare, explore pressing issues, and highlight forward‑thinking solutions tailored for C‑suite leadership. To enable open, candid discussions, all sessions will follow Chatham House rules.

Through immersive workshops, expert panels, and high‑impact networking, attendees will examine critical challenges and opportunities—from hospital infrastructure and system interoperability to governance and workforce planning. The CXO Forum equips leaders with the insights, connections, and strategies needed to confidently guide their organizations into the future.

The Forum will explore any of the five domains from the LEADS in a Caring Environment Capability Framework throughout our programming. For more information on the LEADS Framework, please visit the LEADS Canada web site at https://cchl-ccls.ca/pld-leads/the-leads-framework/.

Forum Objectives

• Provide a purpose-built gathering space for Canada’s health leaders;
• Develop essential skills and behaviors to enhance leadership;
• Connect leaders with peers and systems across Canada to advance collective learning;
• Inspire participants to lead the future of healthcare collaboratively; and
• Present world-class cutting-edge knowledge, focused on solutions and workplace application.

Attendance at this program entitles certified Canadian College of Health Leaders members (CHE / Fellow) to 6 Category I credits towards their maintenance of certification requirement for attending the conference.

Policies

Registration fees include admission to all sessions, meals, and two nights accommodations. Registration is by invitation only to CCHL members exclusively.

Payment Policy:
Registration must be submitted online and paid in full by the registration deadline to qualify for the early registration rates. If payment is not received by the deadline date, attendees will be invoiced at the next deadline rate. Registrations received without full payment are considered incomplete and shall not be included in the event.

Early bird deadline: February 27, 2026

Regular registration deadline: March 27, 2026

Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to conference@cchl-ccls.ca and received no later than the early bird deadline. Registration fees will be refunded minus a $250 administrative fee. There will be no refunds for cancellation requests received after the early bird deadline.

No-shows occur when individuals register but do not attend the event. No-shows are not eligible for a refund.

CCHL reserves the right to make changes in programs and speakers, or to cancel the conference if registration targets are not met or when conditions beyond its control prevail. If the conference is not held for any reason, CCHL’s liability is limited to the refund of the registration fee only.

Photo/Video Release:
CCHL will take photographs and some video at the event and utilize them in CCHL news or promotional material whether in print, electronic, or other media including the website. By participating in the conference, you grant CCHL the right to use your photograph for such purposes.

Privacy Policy:
CCHL collects information through registration forms for planning purposes, for providing information to delegates about the event, and for completion of registration, name badges, and delegate lists. In delivering this conference, CCHL is supported by sponsors. As part of that support, if a delegate consents during the registration process, then their complete contact information will be made available to the sponsors.

Code of conduct:
The Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL) is committed to fostering an inclusive environment to all participants. Together, we create learning opportunities designed to equip leaders with discharging their roles effectively. As such CCHL’s goal is to provide a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all participants. This code of conduct outlines our expectations for behavior to ensure a positive experience for everyone at our conferences and events.

Expected Behavior:
Participants should treat one another with respect, dignity, and courtesy, ensuring a professional and inclusive environment where all voices are welcomed and encouraged, regardless of background or identity. Participants are encouraged to Foster a collaborative environment, with an emphasis on engaging in constructive discussions and being open to diverse perspectives, while maintaining professionalism through appropriate dress, language, and behaviour.

Unacceptable Behavior:
Harassment, discrimination, and any abusive behavior, including offensive comments based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, race, religion, or other protected characteristics, will not be tolerated. Disruptive behavior that interferes with the event or others' enjoyment is prohibited, as is any inappropriate conduct such as unwelcome sexual attention, stalking, or intimidation.

If you experience or witness any unacceptable behavior, please report it to event staff right away, as all reports will be treated discreetly and confidentially. Participants found in violation of the code of conduct may face consequences such as warnings, expulsion from the event without a refund, or exclusion from future events.

By attending this event, you agree to abide by this code of conduct and help create a positive and inclusive experience for everyone.

For more information

Conferences & Events Team
conference@cchl-ccls.ca