Ontario Medical Association (OMA) – How digital and virtual care can help strengthen Ontario’s health-care system – OMA’s Prescription for Ontario

Allan O’Dette, Chief Executive Officer, OMA

Allan O’Dette, MBA, ICD.D, is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ontario Medical Association, representing the political, economic, and clinical interests of Ontario’s 43,000 physicians. With a record of success in leading change and organizational renewal, Allan has more than 30-years of experience and a diverse range of skills in media, sales, marketing, financial oversight, large projects, public policy, and government relations.

Prior to leading the OMA, Allan was Ontario’s first Chief Investment Officer, tasked with founding and leading a one-stop agency to attract and retain foreign investment for the province. In this role, he attracted billions of dollars in new investment to Ontario that created thousands of jobs.

From 2011 to 2017, he was President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, where he led the modernization of Canada’s largest and most influential business association, representing over 60,000 members with more than 2.5 million employees.

Allan is an entrepreneur with more than 25 years experience in progressive leadership roles in the bio-pharmaceutical sector. Passionate in support of Canadian business and his community, he has served on numerous private and not-for-profit boards. Allan was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contribution to his community and his philanthropic activities.

Dr. Jim Wright

Dr. James G. Wright (CM, MD, MPH, FRCSC, FRCS Ed) has had a distinguished career. Dr. Wright is currently Executive Vice-President, Economics, Policy and Research at the Ontario Medical Association. Most recently he was Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Previously, he was Chief of Perioperative Services, and Surgeon-in-Chief, Department of Surgery, and Vice President, Medical at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Jim oversaw one of the busiest and most advanced paediatric surgery departments in Canada.

At SickKids, Jim was responsible for the operation of six surgical divisions (Cardiovascular, General, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic, Plastic and Urology) and five Departments (Anaesthesia, Critical Care, Dentistry, Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology). An accomplished surgeon and researcher, he provided leadership to the Perioperative Services staff, ensuring a high level of engagement in complex clinical care, basic and clinical research, undergraduate and postgraduate education and numerous administrative responsibilities.

Jim was previously the President of the Paediatric Specialties Association, a $60M Practice Plan of over 100 physicians. In his role as Vice President, Medical, Dr. Wright was executive medical lead for the quality and risk teams, providing guidance and expertise on advancing the quality of clinical care and services. Jim worked with senior staff to set organizational goals and objectives for clinical quality and had accountability for the Centre for Patient Safety, working closely with teams to advance the culture of safety, through research and education. As chair of Medical Affairs, he oversaw the appointment process, and ensured the credentialing and licensing protocols were in place for all physicians annually and when new-hires joined the hospital. He also was Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee; the committee responsible for physician appointment and medical quality within the hospital.

Equally active in education, Jim won the Robert B. Salter Excellence in Orthopaedic Education Award in May of 1997. Since 1994, he has served as (or is currently serving as) primary or secondary supervisor for more than 30 MSc or PhD students. He has been an ABC fellow. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Kappa Delta Award of AAOS, the Arthur Huene Award of POSNA, and the inaugural President’s Award from SickKids. Dr. Wright was Chair of the Paediatric Surgical Chiefs of Canada and lead for the Canadian Paediatric Surgical Wait Time Project.

In 2016 he was awarded the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian order.

Jim completed his surgical training at the University of Toronto, a clinical fellowship in Melbourne, Australia, graduate work in clinical epidemiology and a fellowship in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at Yale University.

Dr. Chandi Chandrasena

Dr. Chandi Chandrasena is OntarioMD’s Chief Medical Officer, providing the clinical perspective and advice to inform current and future digital health products and services for physicians to add increasing value to patient care.

Before joining OntarioMD, Dr. Chandrasena was an OntarioMD physician peer leader for six years mentoring physicians and practice staff to incorporate technology effectively into their workflows. She has been a regular speaker at many national and provincial conferences providing practical tips and best practices on certified electronic medical records systems and integrated digital health tools, as well as medical mobile apps that clinician practices have found valuable for patient care. Dr. Chandrasena also works closely with the Continuing Medical Education Department at the University of Ottawa.

Dr. Chandrasena has advised the Champlain Local Health Integration Network on local issues and providing clinician-facing solutions, and has had roles on several boards and executive committees and co-chaired committees on virtual care and digital technology. Dr. Chandrasena has held many leadership roles at the OMA, including the elected chair (2018-2020) for District 8.