2026 e-Health Agenda

Preview the Day!

Our agenda is taking shape! We have some incredible speakers lined up—and even more on the way!

Stay tuned for a day packed with learning, networking, and inspiration.

Event Agenda

7:30 – 8:45 AM Registration, Breakfast, Networking & Exhibits
8:50 – 9:00 AM Opening Remarks Conference Host: Mahmoud Suleiman, BSc. Phm, MHSc., L.L.M., CHIM, CEO & Registrar, CHIMA and the College
9:00 – 9:45 AM ICD-11 in Canada: Preparing for the Transition Speaker: Lesley Barnes, CHIM, Program Lead, Classifications and Terminologies, CIHI 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.
9:45 – 10:20 AM Sponsered by Tectonic Advisory Services - In the AI Era, Do We Still Need to Worry About Coding Hospital Records? Speaker: Alan Forster, MD, FRCPC, Msc, Vice President, Innovation, Quality, Performance, McGill University Health Center, Vice President, Innovation, the Research Institute of McGill University Health Center, Professor, McGill University, Faculty of Medicine 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.
10:20 – 10:45 AM Morning Break | Networking & Exhibits
10:50 – 11:50 AM Technology-Enabled HIM: Current State, Emerging Technologies, Governance, and Workforce Capacity
Panelists
- Juliana Wu, HBA, Executive Director, Health Data Advancement, CIHI
- Michelle Mula, Vice President & CIO, Saskatchewan Health Authority
- Lee Vickers, BOrgM, CHIM, CHE, Regional Director of Health Information Management, Horizon Health Network
- Ronald Johnson, Btech, MER, CHE, PMP, PMI ACP, Chief Executive Officer (Interim), Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services
- Dan Perri, Chief Medical Information Officer, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
- Betsy Nejat, Interim Operations Lead & Senior Director of Partnerships and External Relations, CHIMA
Moderator
- Glenn Lanteigne, President & CEO, Tectonic Advisory Services Inc.
Health information leaders today face a myriad of pressures, including workforce capacity, recruitment and retention, turnaround times, data quality, and the growing need for timely and reliable health system information.

This panel brings together national, health system, and HIM leadership perspectives to discuss the current state and future direction of technology-enabled health information management.

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.
11:50 AM – 1:05 PM Networking Lunch & Exhibits
1:10 – 1:45 PM Sponsored by Solventum - Future of Coding Leadership: How HIM Leaders Can Shape the Next Era of Coding in Canada Speaker: Akeela Karmali, CHIM, MBA, Consulting Lead, Health Information Division, Solventum 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.
1:45 – 2:30 PM Beyond the Chart: How Coding Accuracy Shapes Performance in Canadian Healthcare Speaker: Jodi McMullin, CHIM, CCCS, CCDIS, CCS-AHIMA, Director, Scojo Consulting Ltd 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.
2:30 – 2:55 PM Afternoon Break | Networking & Exhibits
3:00 – 3:45 PM Trust Before Intelligence: Governing AI and Health Information Speaker: Patrick Lo, CISSP, CIPP/C, Privacy Horizon 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.
3:45 – 4:00 PM Closing Remarks Conference Host: Mahmoud Suleiman, BSc. Phm, MHSc., L.L.M., CHIM, CEO & Registrar, CHIMA and the College
4:00 – 5:00 PM Bonus Exhibit Hour Enjoy an extra hour to visit the exhibit room and spend time connecting with exhibitors.
5:00 – 7:00 PM e-Health26 Sunday Welcome Reception* *not included in Health Information at e-Health26 Individual Pass.