Your Host:

Leslie McGill
President & CEO
MedicAlert

A MedicAlert subscriber for nearly 40 years, Leslie became President & CEO in May 2020 with a focus to protect more Canadians, increase MedicAlert’s charitable impact, and build on a solid foundation of partnerships with Canada’s first responder community.   

A passionate health care champion, Leslie has spent more than 30 years in the health sector primarily focused on advocacy, fundraising and innovation – a mix of experience that ensures MedicAlert continues to evolve to meet the needs of its subscribers while remaining true to its core mission.   

She has also held senior executive positions within an Ontario Crown Corporation, one of the world’s best-known public relations firms, and two of Canada’s globally-recognized academic health sciences centres. 

A journalist by training, Leslie holds a Master of Journalism from Western University (UWO) and is the recipient of several awards for her work in the field of advertising and marketing.

Our Guest:

Tara Kiran
Principal Investigator
OurCare

Tara Kiran is the Fidani Chair of Improvement and Innovation at the University of Toronto. A family doctor and renowned primary care researcher, Tara investigates how changes in the health care system impact patients, particularly the most vulnerable. In her research and practice, she develops and tests solutions to make health care more inclusive and more effective.  

Much of Tara’s research has evaluated how primary care reforms have impacted quality of care. She also leads research to directly improve quality of care including initiatives to measure and reduce care disparities, engage patients in health service improvement, and support physicians to learn from data. In 2022, Tara launched OurCare, a national initiative to engage the public in co-creating the blueprint for a stronger, more equitable primary care system in Canada.  

Tara practices family medicine at the St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team. She is the Vice Chair for Quality and Innovation in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, a Scientist at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. You can learn more about her research at https://maphealth.ca/kiran/