In a recent episode of the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada’s (HIROC) Healthcare Changemakers podcast, Christine Donaldson, President and CEO of HealthPRO Canada, reflects on her leadership experiences and shares actionable insights on sustainability, collaboration, and navigating healthcare challenges in today’s evolving landscape. Here are three key takeaways from the conversation:

1. The Power of Collaboration in Healthcare

Christine emphasizes that building trust and partnerships are essential to breaking down barriers in healthcare. Drawing on her experience from her early days as a pharmacist to leading a national procurement organization, she discusses the importance of being open, transparent, and authentic when working with diverse stakeholders.

2. Prioritizing Sustainability

Christine has always been passionate about sustainable products and reducing waste in healthcare. She highlights the need to "take the waste out of the system, be more climate-friendly, and green our healthcare environment." At HealthPRO Canada, sustainability is a key focus, integrated into our scorecarding. Suppliers are now required to report on their sustainability efforts, which not only raises their business profiles but also creates a win-win for both corporations and hospitals.

“We have such an important opportunity to move the needle here and create an appetite and an understanding of how some of these changes can make a big difference in how we become more climate-friendly in all of our healthcare systems.”

3. Managing Supply Disruptions

Global supply chain challenges have tested healthcare systems, but Christine’s leadership focuses on proactive solutions. She highlights how HealthPRO Canada has developed the Healthcare Supply Chain Playbook to navigate disruptions and ensure consistent access to essential medical products.

“We’ve created a supply chain playbook. I’m very proud to say that we’ve come up with highlights of where we saw communication breakdowns and processes that weren’t working, and now we can create the appetite to come together and really figure out the how.”

To hear more about Christine Donaldson’s leadership journey and her thoughts on healthcare innovation and sustainability, tune in to the full episode of Healthcare Changemakers.

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