MacEwan’s first chancellor, Dr. Anthony Fields, has had a storied career in the health-care industry as a physician, teacher, researcher and administrator, as well as a professor of oncology and the vice-president of cancer care for Alberta Health Services. The Chancellor Speaker Series, which will hold its first event on April 4, was launched to profile Dr. Fields’ body of work, as well as to help promote and advance MacEwan’s place as a leading post-secondary institution.
“Education must be adaptable to society’s growing needs,” says Dr. Fields. “The Chancellor Speaker Series was created with the mindset that positive change begins with dialogue, conversation and open minds.”
The series will run semi-annually. Each event will feature an expert bringing their knowledge and point of view to support the sitting chancellor’s professional expertise and MacEwan’s strategic vision, Teaching Greatness.
For the inaugural speaker series event, Dr. Fields chose Dr. Jane Philpott, dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen’s University.
“Dr. Philpott’s exceptional career and expertise in Canadian health care made her a clear choice for our first speaker,” says Dr. Fields. “I believe her experience and insight will provide the basis for meaningful discussion and action going forward.”
Dr. Philpott is also the director of the School of Medicine at Queen’s University, CEO of the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization, a professor of family medicine, a medical doctor and a former member of Parliament.
“It's a great honour to be chosen as the first speaker for the Chancellor Speaker Series. I have had the opportunity to interact with the chancellor because he's been involved with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, and he's an exceptional person for whom I have a great deal of respect,” says Dr. Philpott.
She will be speaking about the future of health-care workers, and the role that post-secondary institutions play in that future. “Healthcare is in a bit of a crisis state across the country – and even around the world – after three years of a pandemic. This is a time where we need to do things differently. And I think that universities have an incredible opportunity to be transformative,” says Dr. Philpott.
That opinion is shared by faculty at MacEwan dealing with the health-care field.
“As a citizen of a downtown campus, the Faculty of Health and Community Studies is deeply committed to the betterment of social, environmental and economic issues through teaching, scholarship and service related to health and community. Our role becomes even more crucial when we consider the current context of conflict, reconciliation, economic and health-care challenges globally,” says Dr. David Danto, dean, Faculty of Health and Community Studies. “It is with great warmth and honour that we welcome Dr. Philpott to MacEwan University. Her clinical work, advocacy and service within higher education have had wide-ranging impacts both locally and around the world.”
Dr. Christy Raymond, dean, Faculty of Nursing, also looks forward to learning from Dr. Philpott’s lecture. “Nurses have an integral place in the leadership of our health-care system and are perfectly placed to drive innovations that will address the complex challenges we face. How and what nursing students learn will shape the leaders they will become. It is a tremendous honour to have Dr. Philpott on our campus given her inspiring health advocacy, health experiences and knowledge of policy, politics, and what it means to care for others.”
Dr. Philpott isn’t limiting her lecture to members of those faculties, however. The health-care crisis affects all Canadians, she notes, and fixing it will require cooperation from all sides. “I think that we all need to work together. It's actually going to take everybody getting on board, being creative and determined, that will actually allow us to be able to do things, potentially in new and creative ways.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring any questions they may have about the topic, as the lecture will be followed with a question period.
Dr. Philpott says her aim is to ensure that attendees leave knowing that the status quo isn’t working, and to be inspired to enact change where needed. “I hope people will walk away thinking about some new ideas and how they can move them forward.”
To read event details or purchase tickets, head to MacEwan.ca/Chancellor.