Dr. Danielle Martin is the executive vice-president and chief medical executive of Women’s College Hospital (WCH), where she is also a practicing family physician. Dr. Martin leads the hospital's strategy to establish Women's Virtual, Canada's first virtual hospital, aimed at improving care and reducing health system costs. Dr. Martin frequently provides commentary on health issues through her work as a contributor at the CBC. Her national bestselling book Better Now: 6 Big Ideas to Improve the Health of all Canadians, was released in 2017. In 2019, Dr. Martin became the youngest physician to receive the F.N.G. Starr Award, the highest honour available to Canadian Medical Association members.

Talk

When Cracks Become Chasms: COVID as the great diagnostician

During COVID-19 pre-existing challenges in Canada’s health and social systems have been painfully exposed. Far from being “the great equalizer”, our experience of the pandemic is shining light on problems that are long overdue for a fix. In her discussion, Danielle Martin will highlight three core health system issues - wait times for elective care, access to services outside of medicare, and the impact of race and class on health – and how they have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The good news is that solutions are within our grasp. In the second half of her presentation, Dr. Martin will outline some of the ways forward for a truly universal health system, using COVID as the case study for improvement.