Speaker Lineup
Get excited—our full lineup of speakers is now available, featuring thought leaders from across the health information profession.
Lesley Barnes, CHIM
Meet Lesley
Lesley Barnes is a Health Information Management professional with over a decade of experience. She joined the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) in 2023 and is now Program Lead in Classifications and Terminologies. Previously, she worked with the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Lesley leads development of education supporting ICD-10-CA, CCI, and Canadian Coding Standards, and contributes to ICD-11 readiness initiatives. She also represents Canada on the WHO’s Education and Implementation Committee, supporting global ICD-11 adoption.
Lesley‘s Session | 9:00 – 9:45 AM
ICD-11 in Canada: Preparing for the Transition
The move toward ICD-11 is underway, bringing new opportunities and considerations for Canada’s health data ecosystem. With its expanded clinical specificity, flexible coding structure, and digital-ready architecture, ICD-11 represents a foundational shift in health classification. This session will provide an update on CIHI’s readiness efforts, implementation planning activities, and educational opportunities.
Alan Forster, MD, FRCPC, Msc
Meet Alan
Alan J. Forster, MD, FRCPC, MSc is currently Vice President of Quality, Innovation, and Performance at McGill University Health Centre, McGill Professor for Health Innovation. Previously, he was the Executive Vice-President at The Ottawa Hospital. He completed his fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Forster’s focus is enabling teams to create higher value healthcare—where patient outcomes are realized and health system costs are lowered. At the MUHC, he has launched the IMPACT Centre which is leading efforts to create a data-driven culture while promoting partnerships as a way of enabling healthcare innovation.
His seminal research on quality and safety has contributed to over 250 publications and transformed care worldwide. Named one of Canada’s Top 10 Healthcare Power Brokers by Maclean’s (2023) and inducted into the International Society for Quality in Healthcare’s International Academy (2023), Forster is building the health system of the future.
Alan‘s Session | 9:45 – 10:20 AM
Sponsored by Tectonic Advisory Services – In the AI Era, Do We Still Need to Worry About Coding Hospital Records?
With the massive increase in artificial intelligence, it may seem unnecessary for leaders to spend time and energy focused on improving the coding of hospital encounters. In this talk, I will describe why leaders should continue to invest in efforts to improve data fundamentals, including the adoption of data standards like the ICD-11. Without this focus, the health system will never achieve goals related to quality of care, affordability of health services, or population health. Furthermore, innovation in Canada will continue to stagnate. On the contrary, AI based solutions offer a tremendous opportunity to facilitate capture of information.
Juliana Wu, HBA
Meet Juliana
As executive director of Health Data Advancement, Juliana Wu provides vision and leadership for CIHI’s activities relating to emerging data expansion priorities and strategic planning efforts for the modernization and transformation of hospital and other health data infrastructure. Ms. Wu has over 20 years of progressive leadership and management experience across CIHI’s data holdings and the corporate data request program. Prior to joining CIHI, she worked as a strategy consultant in the pharmaceutical industry. Ms. Wu earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and mathematics from Wellesley College in the United States and completed graduate-level training in business economics at Harvard University.
Panel Session | 10:50 – 11:50 AM
Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists will discuss the key differences between current and emerging technologies for medical coding, where they introduce risk, and what it takes to adopt them responsibly. The discussion will also cover governance, workforce implications, change management, and how organizations should think about impact beyond simple productivity or throughput measures.
Michelle Mula
Meet Michelle
Michelle is an accomplished transformation leader with extensive experience in the health sector for over 25 years. Through her experience with the SHA, eHealth Saskatchewan and former Health Authority, she has focused her efforts on enabling clinical workflows and advancing analytics through innovative technologies.
Michelle has received a national award recognizing her as one of the Women Leaders in Quality, Safety and Information. The award celebrates the top female visionaries who are harnessing the power of IT to transform health and health-care in Canada.
In her role as Vice President, Digital Transformation and Information for Better Health and Chief Information and Privacy Officer, Michelle is responsible for a number of provincial services across the Saskatchewan Health Authority including Privacy and Health Information Management, Digital Health, Insights for Better Health and the provincial Transformation Management Office.
Panel Session | 10:50 – 11:50 AM
Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists will discuss the key differences between current and emerging technologies for medical coding, where they introduce risk, and what it takes to adopt them responsibly. The discussion will also cover governance, workforce implications, change management, and how organizations should think about impact beyond simple productivity or throughput measures.
Lee Vickers, BOrgM, CHIM, CHE
Meet Lee
Lee is a seasoned healthcare leader serving as the Regional Director of Health Information Management at Horizon Health Network in New Brunswick, Canada. With a strong background in health information strategy, data governance, and clinical documentation integrity, Lee plays a pivotal role in ensuring the accuracy, security, and accessibility of health data across a complex regional healthcare system.
In this role, Lee oversees the planning, implementation, and continuous improvement of health information management services, aligning operational performance with regulatory standards and organizational priorities. Known for a strategic mindset and collaborative leadership style, Lee works closely with clinical, administrative, and executive teams to strengthen data quality, support decision-making, and advance digital health initiatives.
Panel Session | 10:50 – 11:50 AM
Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists will discuss the key differences between current and emerging technologies for medical coding, where they introduce risk, and what it takes to adopt them responsibly. The discussion will also cover governance, workforce implications, change management, and how organizations should think about impact beyond simple productivity or throughput measures.
Ronald Johnson, Btech, MER, CHE, PMP, PMI ACP
Meet Ron
Ron Johnson is the chief executive officer (interim) of NL Health Services. He has approximately 30 years of progressive career experience in health care from front-line delivery to executive management.
Ron has had executive accountability for a number of health-care and corporate portfolios. Most recently, he held the position of vice president, digital health, innovation & research and chief information officer leading the implementation of the new CorCare health information system. Previously, he held the positions of chief operating officer for the Eastern Zones, both urban and rural.
Panel Session | 10:50 – 11:50 AM
Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists will discuss the key differences between current and emerging technologies for medical coding, where they introduce risk, and what it takes to adopt them responsibly. The discussion will also cover governance, workforce implications, change management, and how organizations should think about impact beyond simple productivity or throughput measures.
Dan Perri, BScPhm, MD, FRCPC
Meet Dan
Dr. Dan Perri is Chief Medical Information Officer at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton and Associate Professor at McMaster University. He is also Chief Medical Officer and Principal Investigator for Project AMPLIFI, improving care transitions through digital interoperability. His research focuses on digital health integration, clinical pharmacology, critical care, and evidence-based practice, with emphasis on AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics for personalized care and patient safety. He also has expertise in clinical guideline development, contributing to major guidelines in critical care and sepsis, bridging data science innovation with rigorous medical evidence.
Panel Session | 10:50 – 11:50 AM
Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists will discuss the key differences between current and emerging technologies for medical coding, where they introduce risk, and what it takes to adopt them responsibly. The discussion will also cover governance, workforce implications, change management, and how organizations should think about impact beyond simple productivity or throughput measures.
Betsy Nejat, BA, CAE
Meet Betsy
Panel Session | 10:50 – 11:50 AM
Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists will discuss the key differences between current and emerging technologies for medical coding, where they introduce risk, and what it takes to adopt them responsibly. The discussion will also cover governance, workforce implications, change management, and how organizations should think about impact beyond simple productivity or throughput measures.
Glenn Lanteigne, MBA, CSSBB
Meet Glenn
Glenn Lanteigne is CEO of Tectonic Advisory Services Inc., a Canadian healthcare technology advisory firm supporting health systems, public sector organizations, and digital health companies. He brings more than 30 years of experience as a strategic advisor to healthcare leaders, with work spanning health information systems, digital health, AI, cybersecurity, RIS/PACS, governance, business cases, and large-scale transformation.
Glenn has advised more than 300 clients across the healthcare sector and has held senior leadership roles with organizations including the Government of Ontario, Government of Canada, LifeLabs, TELUS, Allscripts, CLINICARE, and GE. He currently serves on the boards of Technation Health and HIMSS Ontario, and is an instructor with the Canadian Institute for Health Informatics.
A former member of the Canadian Forces, Glenn holds a BA Honours in Economics and Politics from the Royal Military College.
Panel Session (Moderator) | 10:50 – 11:50 AM
Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists will discuss the key differences between current and emerging technologies for medical coding, where they introduce risk, and what it takes to adopt them responsibly. The discussion will also cover governance, workforce implications, change management, and how organizations should think about impact beyond simple productivity or throughput measures.
Akeela Karmali, MBA, CHIM
Meet Akeela
Akeela Karmali is a healthcare executive with over 20 years of leadership experience across Canada’s public and private sectors, including roles at 3Terra, Unity Health Toronto, the Ontario Ministry of Health, and 3M Canada’s Health Information Systems division. She is recognized for advancing Clinical Documentation Improvement and computer-assisted coding, leading major product launches, and delivering data-driven performance solutions that help hospitals optimize funding and improve patient care. A Certified Health Information Management Professional, Akeela now leads Solventum Canada’s Consulting Services, where she drives system transformation through CDI, benchmarking, regulatory and compliance support, outsourced services, and performance advisory services.
Akeela’s Session | 1:10 – 1:45 PM
Sponsored by Solventum – Future of Coding Leadership: How HIM Leaders Can Shape the Next Era of Coding in Canada
Canadian coding teams are under pressure: rising volumes, increasingly complex documentation, workforce constraints, tighter reporting expectations, and more burden to produce timely, trusted data for funding, quality, and decision-making. At the same time, computer-assisted, auto-suggested, and autonomous coding technologies are moving quickly from being a future concept to an operational reality.
This session goes beyond the hype to focus on what HIM leaders need to know now. How do we evaluate coding technology in a Canadian context? How do we measure value beyond speed? How do we protect case-mix integrity, build coder trust, and ensure automation is governed responsibly?
Through real-world Canadian results and practical leadership considerations, participants will gain a clear lens for assessing technology-enabled coding and preparing their organizations for what comes next.
This is not just a session about coding technology. It is a session about how HIM leaders can define the future of coding in Canada.
Jodi McMullin, CHIM, CCCS, CCDIS, CCS-AHIMA
Meet Jodi
Jodi McMullin is a Health Information Management (HIM) professional based in West Kelowna, BC, with over 37 years of experience in the field. As a Certified Health Information Manager (CHIM), she holds multiple credentials, including Certified Clinical Coding Specialist (CCCS), Certified Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CCDIS), and Certified Coding Specialist – AHIMA (CCS-AHIMA), and is pursuing coding credentials for Australia ICD-10-AM. Jodi is the founder of ScoJo Consulting, where she provides expert outsourced coding services, coding audits, modernization of coding manuals, and educational opportunities for hospital coders.
Jodi’s Session | 1:45 – 2:30 PM
Beyond the Chart: How Coding Accuracy Shapes Performance in Canadian Healthcare
Accurate clinical coding is a cornerstone of funding, performance measurement, and strategic decision-making in Canada’s healthcare system. It directly affects hospital funding, key performance indicators, and reporting to provincial ministries and CIHI, while also supporting research, capital planning, and population health initiatives. This session reframes coding quality as a strategic enabler, showing healthcare leaders how strong coding practices drive organizational performance, equitable funding, and evidence-based decision-making.
Patrick Lo, CISSP, CIPP/C
Meet Patrick
Patrick is a highly experienced professional in information privacy and security, with over 25 years of expertise. He holds certifications as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Information Privacy Professional/Canada (CIPP/C).
As CEO of Privacy Horizon, Patrick leads the development of the company’s PHI Framework and strategic roadmap. He specializes in delivering privacy compliance expertise and practical solutions for early-stage, small, and mid-sized healthcare and health technology organizations.
Patricks’s Session | 3:00 – 3:45 PM
Trust Before Intelligence: Governing AI and Health Information
Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare, but without strong governance, it can introduce serious risks to privacy, safety, and public trust.
This session examines how Canadian healthcare organizations can move beyond AI hype and build the governance foundations required for responsible, compliant, and trustworthy AI adoption. As AI tools become embedded in clinical workflows and operational systems, the key question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but whether organizations are prepared to govern it effectively.
e-Health26 is hosted by
Learn more about the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) and the Canadian College of Health Information Management (CCHIM).
