Stay informed with the latest insights, updates, and initiatives dedicated to enhancing patient safety. | | |
The PFPSC Board is very grateful to all of you, our members, for your ongoing contributions and support! We welcome feedback and suggestions anytime.
The Board wishes to thank Ioana Popescu for her role as our Executive Director this past year. She has done so much to set up the programs, working groups and operations plan for us. We are very grateful for all she has done and will miss her.
We are grateful to have Janet Bradshaw join us now as our Manager, organizing and coordinating not only our board and meetings but also taking on more administrative and operational tasks.
News briefings include:
Successful PFPSC AGM on June 23rd – Thank you to all members as well as external partners who attended our AGM! Our highlight was our guest speaker from World Health Organization, Dr. Ayda Taha, who shared with us changes at WHO, work in progress and opportunities for collaboration.
Strategy Plan 2025-2028 is ready for distribution. Again, thank you to members, Board and Committee as well as community partners who openly shared thoughts and suggestions for PFPSC and our direction for the next three years.
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Sustainability, a priority focus for PFPSC – We are awaiting to hear about funding from several sources at this time and continue to seek additional funding for not only this next year but on a long- term basis. We are very appreciative to HIROC and others who have given us funding this past year to support our journey as a new not-for-profit organization. We ask members and partners to help us reach out to our communities for their support through project or long-term grant opportunities as well as in the following ways:
- Partnership – those interested in supporting PFPSC’s mission can choose one of the 3 tiers of partnership: gold ($5,000), silver ($3,500), or bronze ($1,000).
- Sponsorship – those interested in supporting a specific PFPSC initiative can choose one of the 3 tiers of sponsorship: supporter (under $5,000), collaborator (up to $10,000), or partner (over $10,000).
- Sustaining partner – those interested in donating over $50,000 for 3 or more years.
- Individual donations – one time, monthly or annual gifts to honour, pay tribute, celebrate the life or legacy of special people.
Board and Board Committees - Our board will continue with its seven members, with one new member, Arvin Minocha, joining us. We wish to thank Linda Hughes for all her contributions on the Board as our Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Audit & Resources Committee. She will continue working with the committee. The priority for the board will be sustainability including funding, operational leadership, and board evaluation strategies. We continue our succession planning. Interested members please contact Kathy Kovacs Burns through hello@patients4safety.ca for more details and follow-up.
| | Mutual Healing Working Group Update | | |
We recently met with Riverview Health in Manitoba to discuss the Mutual Healing Program (MHP). Unfortunately, the organization has decided that at this time the MHP is not a good fit for them. The discussion we had with Riverview was rich and planted the seed for them to share and spread the information about the program. We will continue to explore all options for the program.
Together for healing,
The Mutual Healing Working Group (MHWG)
| | Knowledge Transfer (KT) Working Group Update | | |
Join the KT Working Group – Help Advance Patient Safety Awareness
The KT Working Group currently has no new members, and we warmly welcome anyone interested in joining this dynamic team.
Our goal is to enhance awareness and engagement around patient safety by involving PFPSC members and the broader public—including patients, families, healthcare providers, and community organizations—through participatory approaches and public dialogue.
Key Initiatives
We aim to increase public understanding of patient safety issues and solutions by:
- Partnering with PFPSC members and the public in awareness campaigns
- Sharing compelling educational materials
- Supporting key annual events, including:
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World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) – September 17
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Canadian Patient Safety Week (CPSW) – Late October
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World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) – Late November
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Pressure Ulcer Day (PUD) – November 17
- Supporting additional educational activities as they arise
Current Focus: World Patient Safety Day (WPSD)
The KT Group is actively planning for WPSD, themed “Safe from the Start – Safe Care for Every Newborn and Child.” Activities include:
- Designing a dedicated WPSD webpage
- Organizing a webinar featuring Canadian initiatives to ensure safe care for children
- Creating social media content for members to share
We invite all PFPSC members to participate in this campaign and help amplify our message. If you're interested in contributing to any aspect of the WPSD campaign—or in joining the KT Group—please let us know by emailing hello@patients4safety.ca !
Knowledge Transfer Working Group
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Communications Working Group Update
Supporting Communication and Connection
| | Once a shining light, Now invisible, by Anonymous from HeART of HealthCARE virtual art gallery | |
The Communication Working Group (CWG) has been actively:
- Keeping the website up to date
- Supporting the KTWG in promoting World Patient Safety Day
- Reviewing and contributing content for the monthly member email
We’re committed to keeping everyone informed and engaged!
We Want to Get to Know You!
If you haven’t already, please send your member profile to hello@patients4safety.ca. We’d love to learn more about you—not just as a PFPSC member or patient advocate, but as a person. Tell us about your interests, your family, or something unique we might not know!
Need inspiration? Check out Laurie Kay’s profile in our first newsletter—it’s a great example.
Thanks in advance for sharing!
Together for Patient Safety,
The CWG
| | Patient Safety & Incident Management | | |
New Web Page: Patient Safety and Incident Management
We’re excited to announce a new page on our website dedicated to Patient Safety and Incident Management (PSIM). You can explore it here: Patient Safety and Incident Management Workshops – Patients for Patient Safety Canada. Please share this resource with your networks to help us spread the word!
Workshop Spotlight: Northern Manitoba
Theresa Malloy Miller and Dale Nixon recently delivered a virtual, modified version of the PSIM workshop to students entering the health field at a northern college in Manitoba. The session was well-received and sparked meaningful discussions about patient safety.
Growing Interest Across Canada
We’ve been engaging with several groups to raise awareness about the PSIM workshop. Interest is growing, and we’re seeing strong potential for future presentations and collaborations.
Toronto Workshop Follow-Up
Participants from the recent Toronto workshop held a follow-up Zoom meeting. The conversation focused on recognizing and responding to different types of harm, and the discussion was both insightful and impactful. The group plans to meet again in September to continue the dialogue.
Patient Safety and Incident Management Group
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The Membership Working Group was pleased to welcome Shalini Periyalwar to PFPSC in April!
With the help of two PFPSC members, Donna has been reaching out to international Patient safety groups to have an on-line discussion to learn about their membership recruitment and retention process. So far we have connected with the US, Ireland, Mexico, Poland and Denmark. What we have learned so far is that for the most part their members come from the huge group of Facebook followers that most have. This brings a limited number people who are active in the actual work that they do. Like PFPSC, it is recognized that this is volunteer work and members do what they can amongst their personal and work commitments. We also learned that narrowing the focus of the work is necessary so as not to overwhelm the members. The most beneficial part of this exercise has been to make the connection with our international counterparts and hear that they would like to maintain the connection. From what Ayda, our WHO guest speaker mentioned at the AGM, increasing connection between the global patient safety networks is a goal of WHO. We are well on our way to doing so.
In May, Melissa travelled to the IHI/BMJ International Forum in Quality and Safety to speak about co-production of research. During the conference, she was able to connect with Inge Kristensen, CEO of the Danish Patient Safety Authority to learn more about their organization. They have a small but engaged group of patient partners that they work with. They purposefully keep their patient group small so that they can stay closely connected and highly engaged.
How might you, as a member, be better engaged? What does that mean to you? We would love your feedback via hello@patients4safety.ca or you can email Melissa directly.
More learning to come on this!
Membership Working Group
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PFPSC reaches the hearts and minds of everyone involved in healthcare with the intent of keeping everyone safe. Artistic expression can compliment our mission and shape the future.
The intent is to use these artful expressions to complement our patient safety work: on slides, newsletters, and social media posts. Just remember to credit the artist/author. (Artist Name, Name of Gallery, Patients for Patient Safety Canada). Please let Janet know as well, so that the artist can be notified and thanked for their work.
There are seven remarkable galleries: Safety and Harm, Healing, Partnerships, Maternal Newborn Care, Safe Diagnosis, Understanding Harm, Antimicrobial Awareness. Given our current resources, we can only update the galleries for the respective campaigns coming up.
Please take a moment to look at the gallery, and borrow and promote the gallery within your network.
If you know of artists who may be interested in contributing to any of the galleries for each campaign, please direct them to Janet and hello@patients4safety.ca
HeART of HeathCARE Virtual Gallery
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Joni Magil
Joni was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, where she earned a Bachelor of Science from McGill University and an MBA from Concordia University. She spent nearly 30 years working in healthcare information while raising her family in Montreal. After several cross-country trips to explore the ideal place to retire, Joni and her husband chose to settle in Sidney, British Columbia, making the move in 2012.
As an active patient partner, caregiver and patient, Joni draws from lived experience to amplify the patient voice in healthcare planning, delivery, and evaluation. She is a dedicated member of, and contributor to, several national and provincial organizations, including Patients for Patient Safety Canada, Patient Voices Network, Patient Advisory Network, Island Health Patient Experience & Engagement Committees, College of Health & Care Professionals of BC Regulatory Committee, Healthcare Excellence Canada and REACH BC.
Joni brings over 35 years of combined public and private sector experience and a deep commitment to advancing patient-centered healthcare through meaningful collaboration and system transformation. Her professional career includes more than two decades at the North American headquarters of a global healthcare information company, followed by over 10 years in leadership roles at the British Columbia Ministry of Health where she led initiatives in policy development, stakeholder engagement, and health system dispute resolution.
Her extensive and varied personal and professional experience has given her valuable insight into health system navigation, patient engagement, cultural safety, and the importance of equity in care. A strong advocate for inclusive, transparent decision-making, Joni is passionate about creating space for patients and families to be heard, respected, and involved in shaping the future of healthcare
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Andrew Milroy
Andrew Milroy (M.A., LSSBB) is a healthcare professional and systems thinker with a passion for Quality. He has spent nearly 15 years working in healthcare, clinical research, and international development to become an industry expert on matters of patient safety, quality assurance and improvement. Andrew is Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certified and has successfully developed and managed complex Quality Management Systems in highly regulated healthcare fields, with the purpose of providing assurances for patient and research participant safety. Andrew is also himself a former patient and consumer of the Canadian healthcare system with it now being +20 years post first hospitalization. Since 2022, he has become involved as a Patient Advisor and Advocate with the aim of improving the local and national healthcare system through the patient lens and utilizing the rich experiential knowledge that is found within it.
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Angie Hamson
I am a parent in a blended family, and my husband and I share four wonderful children. Our older three are all grown up and have flown the nest, while our 15 year old is still home with us. We have one 4 year old grandchild, and another one due this fall! This makes family time very fun, with childlike squeals of joy and endless questions.
Our youngest child has had a complex medical history and has spent quite a bit of time in the hospital. He has had dozens of surgeries to date, with more to come. We have had some wonderful, life-saving experiences in the healthcare system, as well as some gaps where things could have been more quickly addressed or more effectively treated, times when we didn’t have appropriate communication or feel listened to or heard. Overall, we are pleased with the care that my son received, but want to speak up to improve care for others coming after us. We feel it is important to continue the strengths and build on the positive experiences we have had, and to highlight the needs and areas for improvement.
I have been an active volunteer patient partner and family advisor for 13 years, involved in a number of organizations. I currently co-chair the Child, Youth, and Family/Caregiver Partner Working Group with Kids Come First, and sit on the Board of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), a peer support organization for families of children and youth with mental health and substance use health issues.
I am passionate about patient and family engagement and work as a Family Engagement Specialist at the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions. My role is to support and facilitate engaging with families of children and youth with mental health, substance use health, and addictions challenges. I lead our Family Advisory Council and amplify the voices of people with lived and living experience in our work.
In my spare time, I enjoy attending musical theatre, and taking archery and pottery classes. I’m not very good at either, but I enjoy the learning process. I also spend quite a bit of time shuttling our 15-year-old to his various activities, and am getting ready to teach him to drive… I’m not quite ready for that adventure yet.
| | | We will feature 2-3 member profiles in each newsletter to get to know each other better. Please send your profile and picture to hello@patients4safety.ca | |
What Our Members Are Up To
| | How Our Members Contribute to Safer Healthcare | | |
Kathy Kovacs Burns has participated in several media interviews to raise awareness about the prevention and management of bedsores.
May 30 Radio interview on the Tod Veinotte Show 95.7 News Radio
In June, Kathy Kovacs Burns and Ioana Popescu delivered a presentation to a group of dietitians, highlighting key concepts from the Patient Safety and Incident Management course they helped develop.
Planning is underway for a Webinar presented by PFPSC on WPSD Sept 17 - watch for details coming soon and share with your networks.
Joni Magil and Linda Hughes will be presenting for IPAC during Canadian Patient Safety Week at the end of October.
| | Do you have contributions you'd like to highlight for the next newsletter? Please reach out to hello@patients4safety.ca | | |
At Home
Ioana Cristina Popescu, MBA, BAE, retRN
- Inaugural Executive Director of PFPSC
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It’s very special to feel at home at work, eh? Here is how I describe it: we see and appreciate each other for our unique gifts; we feel a strong positive connection with each other and as a result we look out, care for, and help each other grow; advancing our collective purpose betters us and those whom we collaborate and serve; we draw courage from each other to shape a better world. I think you experience it as a PFPSC member or collaborator. I felt at home at work every day serving PFPSC from my first interaction in 2009 until my last day as Executive Director. And I know it will continue because such a strong bond can’t be broken by any career change.
PFPSC is a human-centred organization like no other. In the book Humanocracy, the authors describe for-profit companies and a business model that mirrors our values. We operate using “chains of trust” not chains of command; PFPSC is the vehicle to better our members’ lives and the lives of people we touch. Using humanity as our strategy lines up with what they recommend: “while data can crack the ice, real progress is possible only when hearts begin to melt”; “only a keenly felt and widely shared moral imperative has the power to break through the indifference, self-interest, and fear that long guarded the bureaucratic citadel”. Reading this book, I felt very proud of PFPSC and very confident that it can do what other organizations can’t.
As a volunteer-run organization, with more than half of members engaged for 10+ years (for-profit companies have a 5-year tenure average), we have the “staying power” - as Sharon, one of our members called it - to see that harm is prevented and to see that indeed no other people go through what we’ve been through after harm.
Now that I’m looking for the next organization to call home, I find myself drawn to books and topics that discuss what it takes to have a meaningful life. This podcast by Hidden Brain came my way a few days ago, and I think you will like it (it will resonate with many of you, especially the lived experience shared at the beginning, so be prepared emotionally). The answer is: being connected with a sense of purpose bigger than ourselves that is rooted in our values.
"I am because we are” is a saying from African philosophy of ubuntu. Thank you for 15+ years of purposeful work and a nurturing community. A new chapter of our story starts now, and every sign and evidence I know of points to this being an amazing chapter for PFPSC. I will come home to visit and wait for you to visit me too.
See you soon!
Ioana Popescu
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Our next all member meeting is on July 29, 2025. We are offering two time slots to accommodate member schedules as best we can: 1000-1100 MT and 5:00-6:00 MT. Join the meeting that works best for your schedule. If you need the invite please contact Janet at hello@patients4safety.ca.
- World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) is Sept 17 with the theme "Safe Care from the Start - Safe Care for Every Newborn and Child," which fits in with our Maternal Newborn Care Gallery. PFPSC is planning a Webinar with a panel of four speakers - more information coming soon.
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Canadian Patient Safety Week is Oct 27-31 Theme TBA
- Antimicrobial Awareness Week Nov 18-24. Meetings are underway with the National Coordinating Center for Infectious Disease. The WHO theme is Act: Now: Protect our Present, Secure our Future.
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Ioana Popescu and Donna Davis represented PFPSC at the Policy Lab re: updating Incident Management hosted by Healthcare Excellence Canada ( HEC) in Toronto in January 2025. This is the synopsis of the rich discussions prepared by Healthcare Excellence Canada. To download a pdf copy (of image below) click here
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