Join us for The Leadership Matrix: Leadership Reloaded, a one-day conference exploring how AI and digital transformation are reshaping healthcare leadership. Through expert insights, interactive discussions, and real-world examples, participants will gain practical strategies to lead with confidence in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven landscape—while staying grounded in people, ethics, and compassionate care.
High-level agenda highlights include:
- AI ethics and leadership
- AI workflows for leaders (decision support, meeting prep, communication, and operational efficiency – with interactive discussion)
- Interprofessional simulation insights
- Executive fireside chat on system transformation
- Innovation showcase
AGENDA:
8:15 - 8:45 Registration, Coffee & Networking
8:45 - 9:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:00 - 10:00 Preparing for an AI-Enabled Future: Leadership, Readiness & Responsible Innovation, Kathryn Lockhart, Executive Director, McKenna Institute
How can leaders responsibly prepare their organizations for AI-enabled transformation while maintaining trust, accountability, and human-centred care? This session will explore organizational readiness, responsible AI adoption, governance, ethical considerations, leadership, and building a culture that enables innovation.
10:00 - 10:20 Morning Break & Networking
10:20 - 11:00 Leadership Reloaded: Simulation Before Implementation, Dr. Angus MacDonald & Jacquelynn Carter
Explore how simulation can be used to test new processes, technologies, and models of care before implementation. Learn how leaders can reduce risk, strengthen team performance, improve patient safety, and accelerate organizational readiness for change.
11:00 - 12:00 Executive Fireside Chat: Shaping New Brunswick's Digital Health Future, Dre France Desrosiers, Travis Quigley & Margaret Melanson
Exploring the future of health care in New Brunswick through the lenses of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, innovation, research, and system leadership. This conversation will examine how emerging technologies, connected health systems, and collaborative leadership can strengthen patient care, workforce experience, and New Brunswick's opportunity to lead nationally in health innovation.12:00 - 13:00 Lunch and networking
12:00 - 13:00 Lunch & Networking
13:00 - 14:00 Innovation Panel: Three Innovations Transforming Healthcare
Dr. Keith Brunt – AI-Enabled Precision Cardiology
Exploring Horizon's AI Program, including EchoAI and NanoAI, to improve diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and clinical efficiency through artificial intelligence.
Zach Kilburn & Jen Sheils – Horizon Health Network Innovations
Showcasing innovative initiatives that are transforming care delivery, patient experience, and system performance.
Process Fusion – Workflow Transformation and Automation
Leveraging technology and process redesign to improve efficiency and organizational performance.
14:00 - 14:15 Afternoon Break
14:15 - 15:45 Keeping Humanity Human: AI, the Humanities, and the Future of Healthcare, Interactive Workshop with Dr. Wendy Stewart
As artificial intelligence reshapes healthcare, how do we preserve the human qualities that define excellent care and leadership? Through interactive discussion and reflection, participants will explore practical strategies to integrate AI while strengthening clinical reasoning, professional identity, empathy, and compassionate patient care.
15:45 - 16:00 Closing Remarks
*Wordly will be available for simultaneous translation for both French & English. Be sure to bring your headphones to access this service.
Featured Speakers:
Margaret Melanson, President and CEO, Horizon Health Network
Margaret Melanson has been the Interim President and CEO for Horizon Health Network (Horizon) since July 2022. During this time, she has led the organization through many positive changes in response to the challenges faced by our health care system, including improvements to critical priority areas of access, flow, experience and retention and recruitment.
Margaret was formerly Horizon’s Vice President Clinical Services, and prior to that was Horizon’s Vice President of Quality and Patient Centered Care. She was the former Executive Director for the Saint John area, where she was responsible for clinical service delivery within acute care, among other responsibilities. She also has experience leading a number of clinical networks across all Horizon.
Margaret has extensive clinical and administrative experience in the health care sector, having also previously served as Vice President of Clinical and Facility Support Services for the Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation, among other roles.
She is also a Past President of Speech-Language and Audiology Canada, and the New Brunswick Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.
Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from Dalhousie University, as well as an Executive Master of Business Administration.
Jacquelynn Carter, RN, BN, MHPE (Candidate), Nurse Educator | Simulationist
Jacquelynn Carter is a registered nurse with over 11 years of experience, primarily in emergency care, with additional time in critical care. A natural leader and educator, she currently serves as a Nurse Educator with Horizon Health Network, where she focuses on simulation-based education, clinical mentorship, and interdisciplinary team training.
Jacquelynn has played a key role in developing and implementing simulation programs at the Miramichi Regional Hospital, the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, and for the Dalhousie Family Medicine residency program in Moncton. Her work in simulation is grounded in the belief that experiential, team-based learning is essential to high-quality, collaborative care. She brings a strong nursing perspective to these programs, reinforcing the vital role nurses play in shaping patient outcomes and team dynamics.
She has also taught at the University of New Brunswick and is currently completing her Master’s in Health Professions Education, where her research focuses on supporting nurse preceptors to become confident educators and emerging leaders.
Jacquelynn is passionate about fostering environments where healthcare professionals—across all disciplines—can grow together. Her leadership work is rooted in the power of simulation, mentorship, and collaboration to build safer systems, stronger teams, and future-ready healthcare leaders.
Dr. Angus MacDonald, Emergency Physician | Medical Educator | Simulation Leader
Dr. Angus MacDonald is a practicing emergency physician at Horizon’s The Moncton Hospital. With over five years as Department Head of Emergency Medicine and an equal tenure as Medical Education Coordinator, Dr. MacDonald has made many contributions to medical leadership and education in New Brunswick.
Deeply committed to the growth and mentorship of future physicians, he has been recognized twice with the Moncton Specialty Preceptor Award and is a recipient of the national Culture Change Champion Award from the Canadian Federation of Medical Students.
Dr. MacDonald is a certified simulationist with more than seven years of experience in the design, delivery, and evaluation of healthcare simulation programs. He serves as the Site Simulation Lead for Dalhousie Family Medicine in Moncton and is particularly passionate about the impact of translational simulation to drive systems improvement and safer patient care.
Outside the clinical and academic worlds, Dr. MacDonald is an enthusiastic alpine ski racing coach, now sharing his lifelong passion with his daughter through coaching and mentorship on the slopes.
Dr. France Desrosiers, CEO Vitalité Health Network
Dr. France Desrosiers is a native of Montreal. She has over 25 years of experience in medicine and management, which she has gained while working to improve the health care system and the well being of communities. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Université de Montréal. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the New Brunswick Medical Society, HealthCareCAN and the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders.
Dr. Desrosiers has held various leadership positions within Vitalité Health Network, including Head of Emergency and Family Medicine, Department Head, Regional Chief of Staff, and Vice President of Medical Services, Training and Research. Since November 2020, she has led the Network as its President and CEO with a strong sense of purpose.
A visionary and deeply committed leader, Dr. Desrosiers is keenly aware of the challenges facing the health care system: an aging population, an increase in chronic diseases and a labour shortage. She is distinguished by her perseverance, rigor and ability to stay the course despite pressures on the system.
Under her leadership, a learning culture built on continuous improvement and accountability has been firmly established. By emphasizing execution, measurable results and performance, this approach drives meaningful improvements across the organization. Dr. Desrosiers has also successfully designed and implemented a model of local family health teams, improving access to primary care and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration.
Keen to remain close to the front lines, Dr. Desrosiers maintains a practice as a family physician. In her personal life, she exemplifies discipline and balance: she is a black belt in karate, a cellist, an athlete and a dog trainer with a K 9 rescue team. A devoted wife and mother of five children, she fully embodies the values of safety, respect, collaboration and integrity, which she promotes within her organization.
A true leader at heart, Dr. France Desrosiers is an inspiring force in health care leadership, a role model for women and a steadfast architect of a more compassionate, efficient and forward thinking health care system.
Travis Quigley, Assistant Deputy Minister, Government of New Brunswick Department of Health
Travis Quigley currently serves as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Government of New Brunswick, where he is responsible for overseeing major healthcare initiatives and system transformation projects in the province, including the implementation of the Clinical Information Solution (CIS) Symbio.
Travis has over 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership and a strong track record in strategic leadership, digital transformation, and healthcare system improvement. He has held senior roles in clinical operations, governance, and system transformation, demonstrating a systems-level perspective on the complexity of New Brunswick’s health ecosystem. His work emphasizes unlocking clinical value for healthcare professionals and patients through pragmatic problem-solving and insightful decision-making.
Jennifer Sheils Vice-President, Strategy, Transformation & Chief Innovation Officer, Horizon Health Network
Jennifer Sheils is the Vice- President of Strategy, Transformation and the Chief Innovation Officer for Horizon Health Network. To ensure a focused and coordinated approach to strategy and innovation Jennifer leads this unique portfolio that encompasses the programs of continuous improvement, transformation, change management, and modernization.
She is also the executive leader responsible for the oversight of our IT Systems, Technology and e-health strategy for digital transformation, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
Jennifer joined Horizon in 2017 following a 20-plus year career in the Information and Communications Technology Industry, with a primary focus on the health care sector in New Brunswick.
Jennifer leads with a focus to enable an integrated healthcare eco-system that welcomes industry partners to energize improvements while supporting patients and clinical programs to explore ways to modernize service delivery.
As an innovation champion, Jennifer engages with our stakeholders and partners to creatively evolve capacity to support sustainable change and continuous improvement.
In addition to her role on the CCHL Board of Directors, Jennifer is part of the Executive Leadership team at Horizon, is a Board Director for ResearchNB, sits on the CAN Health Board of Directors, and sits on the National Healthcare Innovation Council. Jennifer is a member of the Canadian Health Informatics Executive Forum (CHIEF), and an advisory member for the National AI Council in Healthcare.
Zach Kilburn, Chief Digital Officer, Horizon Health Network
Zach Kilburn is the Chief Digital Officer at Horizon Health Network, where he spends most of his days helping one of Atlantic Canada’s largest healthcare organizations answer the question: “How can technology make healthcare better, faster, and easier for patients and care teams?” He leads Horizon’s digital transformation portfolio, including clinical information systems, artificial intelligence, virtual care, cybersecurity, innovation, and emerging technologies.
Known for turning big ideas into practical results, Zach has spent more than two decades at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and innovation. Whether it's implementing enterprise clinical systems, advancing AI-powered solutions, or challenging the status quo, his focus is always the same: delivering measurable value while improving the experience for clinicians and patients alike.
Zach is also an active member of the Canada AI Alliance, collaborating with leaders across the country to help shape the future of responsible AI adoption in healthcare and the public sector.
A passionate advocate for innovation, Zach believes that AI is not here to replace people—it is here to help people do their best work. His approach combines equal parts optimism, pragmatism, and governance, ensuring that organizations can move quickly without leaving trust, privacy, and accountability behind.
Kathryn Lockhart, Executive Director, McKenna Institute
Kathryn Lockhart is the Executive Director of the McKenna Institute. As the former CEO of Propel, Kathryn led Atlantic Canada's virtual accelerator serving over 110 companies a year. Together with her team, their mission to raise baby unicorns empowered founders across the region. She is a Managing Partner at WEL Atlantic (Women’s Equity Lab) where they are completed investing from their fully subscribed second fund that brings women investors together to invest in women and women-identifying led startups in Atlantic Canada. She is also a member of the IWF (International Women’s Foundation) and an active mentor at CDL.
Kathryn led a cross-regional team to launch Startup Atlantic, a pan-regional brand representing the region with a single voice. Previously, she was the Vice President of Growth and Corporate Strategy at JVPLabs, a MedTech start-up focused on supporting congestive heart failure patients. She has deep experience scaling young technology companies.
Kathryn holds an MBA from Harvard Business School as well as a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership from University of New Brunswick’s Renaissance College. Her work experience began in Toronto where she launched and grew the first technology division for a now global Human Capital Management during which she relocated to Europe, where she later ran her own start-up based in Oldenburg, Germany as well as led strategic growth for another start-up in Munich. Back in Canada she then served as the Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Bluedrop Learning Networks based in St. John’s.
She is a regular guest speaker at startup events and conferences, hosts a podcast titled Founder Journeys, is a Director with Opportunities New Brunswick, TLT East Ventures, and serves on the advisory board for Victory Advanced Technologies. he was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in 2024. Kathryn and her family are based in Saint John where she enjoys coaching her children’s basketball teams.
Dr. Keith Brunt, Associate Professor of Pharmacology; Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University
Dr. Keith Brunt is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology in the Faculty of Medicine at Dalhousie University; a Translational Scientist in Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery at the New Brunswick Heart Centre; and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business at the University of New Brunswick. Recognized nationally and internationally by granting agencies and research societies for developing a fundamental understanding of pathophysiology, as well as engineering solutions that can address the unmet medical needs of patients.
Dr. Brunt is known in New Brunswick as a champion of change in virtual care and digital health, in experimental therapeutics and diagnostics, and as an explorer of the natural sciences and engineering from molecules to machines. A team builder, Dr. Brunt works collaboratively with industry and non-profit organizations to maximize efficiency and reduce demands on the health care system. His diverse training environment has offered exceptional opportunities from basic science to clinical implementation—establishing his leadership in translational medicine in Atlantic Canada.
Wendy A. Stewart, MD, PhD, MMedEd is Assistant Dean, Preclerkship and Director of Humanities at Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, Professor at Dalhousie University, and a practising paediatric neurologist. Her work sits at the intersection of healthcare, medical education, the humanities, and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on how we can preserve human connection, meaning, and wisdom in an increasingly AI-enabled world.
An internationally recognized educator and scholar, Dr. Stewart has spent more than a decade integrating visual art, music, narrative, portraiture, and other humanities approaches into health professions education to foster clinical reasoning, communication, professional identity formation, and compassionate care. She has led numerous initiatives and research projects exploring the role of the humanities in healthcare and more recently, expanded her work to include AI in healthcare, AI ethics, and technology-enhanced learning.
Her presentations challenge audiences to consider not only what AI can do, but what remains uniquely human and how the humanities can help healthcare professionals retain those essential qualities as technology continues to transform care.
Daniel Cheng, Chief Digital Officer. Process Fusion
Daniel Cheng is Chief Digital Officer at Process Fusion and a recognized leader in digital health innovation. He partners with healthcare organizations across Canada to harness the power of AI, automation, and agentic technologies to transform care delivery, optimize operations, and improve outcomes.
Passionate about the responsible adoption of AI, Daniel advocates for solutions built on trust, governance, and measurable value. Known for his ability to make complex technologies accessible to executive and clinical audiences, he helps organizations navigate the intersection of technology, strategy, and healthcare transformation. Daniel serves on the TECHNATION Health Advocacy Committee and is an active member of several leading health informatics and digital health organizations including the Canadian Health Informatics Executive Forum (CHIEF).
FEES:
CCHL Members: $70
CCHL Student member: $20
Non-members: $100
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