Karim Mamdani, CEO, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and creating a culture of compassion and real conversations

Healthcare Change Makers

Today, your host Ellen Gardner, Communications and Marketing at HIROC, speaks with Karim Mamdani, President and CEO of Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences.

With a strong interest in building sustainability in the healthcare system, Karim started his healthcare career working with the OHA and PwC in systems management and finance. Before coming to Ontario Shores in 2006 in the role of Chief Operating Officer, Karim worked at a number of academic health science centres – the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University Health Network and the Hospital for Sick Children. He was drawn to mental health as the area in healthcare where we have yet to achieve significant breakthroughs. As the 2017 recipient of the Aird and Berlis LLP Award for CEO Human Resources Champion, Karim has cultivated a leadership style that encourages open and honest conversations, ongoing training, and being as human as possible.

Key Takeaways:

[3:51] Why financial modelling is important in healthcare

[5:22] Karim’s interest in leveraging his knowledge of health systems and financial methodologies in order to influence the healthcare system in a larger way

[8:15] What drew Karim to working in the area of mental health

[11:37] Why it’s important to Karim to make himself as available to staff as possible

[16:16:] The biggest problem in organizations is that they don’t recognize that mental health issues are a part of their workforce

[18:21] Why partnering is essential in enabling Ontario Shores to deliver for its patients

[20:53] Plans for celebrating Ontario Shores 100th anniversary and honouring the work that was done that made it possible to survive 100 years

[24:15] How Karim looks after his own mental health and why having an optimistic attitude is important

Mentioned in this Episode:

Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences

CAMH - The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Aird and Berlis LLP HR Awards

Talking about Mental Illness (TAMI)

Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care

The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group

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