Connecting Canada: Interoperability, AI, and the Future of Equitable, Citizen-Centric Care

In this episode of Perspectives on Health and Tech, Oracle Health welcomes Shelagh Maloney, CEO of Digital Health Canada, for a forward-looking conversation about how Canada can build a more connected, equitable, and digitally empowered healthcare system. From advancing interoperability and clinician mobility to exploring the role of artificial intelligence in care delivery, Shelagh shares insights from Digital Health Canada's AI in Action initiative — including the "winning conditions" needed to deploy AI responsibly and inclusively. Together, we explore how technology, policy, and collaboration can unite care across provinces, empower citizens with access to their data, and help clinicians deliver smarter, more human-centered care from coast to coast to coast.   -------------------------------------------------   Episode Transcript:

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Welcome to Perspectives on Health and Tech podcast, brought to you by Oracle Health. In this series, we have conversations on creating a seamless and connected health care world where everyone thrives. Let's get started. Welcome to the Perspectives on Health and Tech Podcast, brought to you by Oracle Health. I'm Larry Sylvestre and today we're exploring one of the most defining challenges and opportunities in Canadian health care: interoperability.

 

00:00:44:04 - 00:01:13:04

From enabling clinicians to practice across provincial lines to giving Canadians direct access to their health records, interoperability is key to building a truly connected health system. Joining us today is Shelagh Maloney, the CEO of Digital Health Canada, an organization at the heart of advancing digital health, professional development, and policy collaboration across the country. Shelagh, thank you for being here.

 

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Before we dive in, could you tell us a bit about your vision since taking on the CEO role earlier this year? Well thanks, Larry. First, let me start by saying how thrilled I am to be on your podcast. I'm looking forward to the conversation. And yes, I did join Digital Health Canada. It's been almost a year. I joined at the end of January 2025 and it's been a whirlwind.

 

00:01:38:05 - 00:02:04:08

And Digital Health Canada, like other, you know, national associations that we really want to provide value to our members. We have networking events and we have influence health policy. We look at advocating for the profession. And, you know, one of the things that I'm excited about is that we've just launched a strategic plan to 2030.

 

00:02:04:11 - 00:02:22:06

 

And so a big component of that is going out and asking our members what Digital Health Canada means to them and what they're looking for. We're doing some work in the governance space. I think education is trauma, endless possibilities now, and particularly as AI is getting so big. And I know we're going to talk about that later.

 

00:02:22:08 - 00:02:47:10

And of course, advocacy for both professionals and the profession at large. That's a perfect set up for our discussion, Shelagh. How can Canada move forward from our fragmented systems to a pan-Canadian model of care that's equitable, citizen centric, and digitally connected? One of the biggest conversations right now in health care is around nation building, breaking down barriers between provinces and territories.

 

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What are you seeing from your standpoint at the leadership role at Digital Health Canada? You know, this is