SAS Canada Announces 2010 Health Sector Advisory Council Members

TORONTO , Jan. 18 /CNW/ - Continuing its commitment to the healthcare system, SAS Canada today announced the members of its 2010 Health Sector Advisory Council. The council is focused on helping to improve the delivery of healthcare services throughout Ontario.

Originally established in 2005, the council consists of prominent industry experts, from senior scientists to chief technology and chief executive officers, who meet regularly to discuss issues facing the healthcare industry and share ideas on ways to improve the delivery of the vast range of services that make up healthcare in Ontario.

"With shifting demographics and an aging population, our healthcare system needs to adapt to better serve Ontarians," said Gordon W. Gow, president of Gordon W. Gow & Associates and Council Ambassador. "One of our primary goals is to discuss new and innovative ways to deal with our changing healthcare environment, whether it be better disease prevention or improving the management of healthcare records."

The council also looks at broader issues such as health care reform, technology enablement and emerging trends such as performance management and accountability. With more than a dozen members with expertise covering a wide array of disciplines, the council is able to examine many of the most pressing and critical aspects of healthcare in Ontario.

"For the past four years the council has provided a forum for thought leaders and industry executives to share ideas on how healthcare stakeholders can strategically improve patient care and operate more efficiently," said Pat Finerty , Vice President of Alliances and Business Development for SAS Canada . The role of analytics in healthcare will continue to play an important role in improving quality of care by enabling healthcare providers to make better and more informed decisions.

The council offers an opportunity for members to connect with their peers and other organizations from across the healthcare sector, to benefit from the experience and knowledge of others and provide direct input toward strategies being developed and carried out among the key players in the healthcare community. Based on the insight and advice garnered from these meetings members are able to set benchmarks against industry best practices and further validate areas of critical importance in healthcare services to Ontarians.

    
    2010 Council Members include:

    Gordon W. Gow - Council Ambassador
    President of Gordon W. Gow & Associates

    Scott Murray - Council Chair
    Chief Technology Officer, Canadian Institute for Health Information

    Cara Flemming - Vice Chair
    MHSA, CMA, Vice-President Performance and Chief Information Officer The
    Scarborough Hospital

    Bill MacLeod
    Chief Executive Officer, Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration
    Network

    Peter Catford
    President, H.I.Next Inc.

    Lynn Nagle
    Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

    Michael Carter
    Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
    University of Toronto

    Teresa To
    Head and Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Sick
    Kids Hospital

    Paula McColgan
    Executive Lead, Strategy, Research and Public Affairs, Bridgepoint Health

    Bala Kathiresan
    Chief Operating Officer, Niagara Health System

    Ann-Marie Strapp
    Director, Knowledge Management Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-term
    Care

    John P. Hirdes, PhD
    Professor and Ontario Home Care Research and Knowledge Exchange
    Chair, Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, University of
    Waterloo & Scientific Director, Homewood Research Institute
    

About SAS

SAS is the leader in business analytics software and services, and the largest independent vendor in the business intelligence market. Through innovative solutions delivered within an integrated framework, SAS helps customers at more than 45,000 sites improve performance and deliver value by making better decisions faster. Since 1976 SAS has been giving customers around the world The Power to Know(R)

The Canadian subsidiary of SAS has been in operation for 21 years. Headquartered in Toronto , SAS employs 254 people across the country at its Vancouver , Calgary , Edmonton , Toronto , Ottawa , Quebec City and Montréal offices. www.sas.com.

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For further information: Editorial Contact: Suzanne Sprajcar, [email protected], [phone]; Visit the SAS Press Center, www.sas.com/presscenter