Wendy Nelson Email & Phone Number

Toronto, Canada Area

University Of Toronto

Recipient of 2018 Arbor Award to honour outstanding service to the University of Toronto. Chair of IHPME Standing Committee on Student and Alumni Mentorship Programmes. Founder and Project Lead of Vernissage Health, a leadership development initiative within the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Toronto, Canada Area

Wendy is Founder and Project lead of Vernissage Health, a unique leadership development initiative, that supports emerging leaders in the health care and social service field become effective leaders of transformational change. Dialogue is proven to be an effective transformational tool at the personal, organizational and systems level. In Vernissage Health, emerging leaders identified by organizations or academic organizations are engaged in a series of dialogue sessions with experienced leaders to explore the interconnections between leadership and leading change in complex systems. Through story telling, self reflection, journalling and other exercises, participants explore all aspects of leadership and develop personal actions required to move forward as leaders of positive change. Vernissage Health is currently offered to graduate students through Wendy's affiliation with the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto where she currently serves as Senior Fellow. Wendy is also an active student mentor and serves as Chair of the IHPME Student and Alumni Mentorship Programmes Committee.In addition, Wendy plans and delivers Vernissage Health and other customized initiatives to health care and social service organizations to develop compassionate clinical and management leadership teams.

Ontario, Canada

Provided operational leadership to create an integrated regional structure for the programs and services provided through the Ministry of Community and Social Service (MCSS) and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS). Central Region includes York, Simcoe, Peel, Halton, Wellington, Dufferin, and Waterloo, representing 35% of the province's population. Assumed direct line responsibility for youth probation services and oversight to over 400 agencies providing youth justice services, childrens mental health services, childrens special needs programs, programs to prevent and protect women against violence, adult developmental services, autism programs, and child protection services. The combined direct operating expenses and transfer payment allotments in Central Region is over 3 billion dollars - more than one quarter of the provincial allotment within the five Ministry regions. Key responsibilities included:* Completed the realignment of management and staff from three Regions spanning two Ministries into one integrated regional structure. * Fostered community collaboration, broadened agency networks and built partnerships to create and enhance service systems.* Provided support and direction to staff and agencies related to the Ministries regional realignment efforts and program transformation initiatives.

Based on a radically different model of learning, the IMHL program provides experienced international health executives with new skills and the leadership mindsets required to positively impact the health of organizations and communities around the globe. Wendy was one of a select group of Canadians participating in the 2013/2014 IMHL program with an academic focus on successful large scale system change and transformation in health care.

Toronto, Canada

Provided leadership for implementation of nine patient centred Health Links integrating primary care, mental health and addiction services, community support and hospital services.* Provided coaching, advice and expertise during all phases of Health Links implementation.* Provided leadership in development of physician engagement strategies.* Conducted an academic search of the evidence to identify contemporary change models and provided an literature overview and recommendations to support successful change in Ontario's health system via Health Links. * Completed a provincial survey to identify stories of successful change, the use of contemporary change models and key factors for successful transformation within the field (paper under consideration for publication and available on request).

Mission and Strategy RenewalEnhanced Market PenetrationPharmacy Program DevelopmentDeveloped Proprietary Technology PlatformEnhanced Stakeholder CollaborationNew Public/Private Business Initiatives

Mississauga, On

Facilitated Clinical Amalgamation of Two Acute SitesMaintained Effective Employee and Physician Relationships during MergerLed Strategy and Planning for Free Standing Ambulatory Care CentreStrategic Planning for New Advanced Cardiac Care Service and Regional Stroke CentreFunctional and Facilities Planning of New Clinical ServicesAchieved Balanced Clinical Services Operating Budget for Five Consecutive YearsSARS Emergency Response Coordination

Chair Advanced Cardiac Care Committee for Region of PeelStrategic Positioning of Tertiary ProgramsAdmin Liaison with Medical StaffExecutive Sponsor of Reengineering Initiatives to Achieve Operational SavingsLed Quality Improvement Initiatives including Balanced Scorecard

Masters Of Health Science, Health/Health Care Administration/Management

Activities and Societies: Recipient, R. Alan Hay Award, 1982; Served on Executive Committee (1985-1990) and as President, Graduate Society.

Master’S Degree, Management Studies - International Health Leadership, Major Study On System Transformation- Evidence, Recent Efforts And Implications

Activities and Societies: Planning Committee - McGill IMHL Alumni Association and IMHL Leadership Summit in Montreal, QC (October, 2016)