Palliative Care Conference 2025


Embracing Time!
In the realm of palliative care, time takes on profound significance. While we strive to provide compassionate, patient-centered care, the reality is that time is often in short supply—both for our patients and ourselves. This conference will delve into the unique challenges of managing time within palliative care settings, where every moment matters.
Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Time: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Venue: Scarborough Convention Center
Meet Our Speakers!

Keynote Speaker
Session Title: Time for Connection
Kate Davis is an award-winning comic, author and sought-after international keynote speaker who teaches audiences to “lighten up,” bringing them the balance and connectivity they lack in their busy lives. Her keynotes are grounded in two decades of research and development that have transformed the lives of her audiences. Kate’s compelling insight and outspoken character provide a powerful combination to help organizations empower their staff with effective tools for managing stress and sustaining motivation. Through the proven health-building power of laughter, Kate inspires others to create moments of inclusivity, joy, and productivity in all areas of their lives. This work leaves people feeling energized, optimistic and equipped with practical tools to make real change and stay motivated. Kate regularly appears on popular media channels, including TVO, Breakfast Television and CBC’s Radio One, and has been published in Today’s Parent Magazine, Reader’s Digest and more. She has also penned two books. Her first, “Breast-feeding Diaries,” won the iParenting Media Award. Her most recent book, “Second Best Mom – Stories, Tips and Okay Advice,” is now available on all platforms. In Kate’s podcast, “Humor in the C-Suite”, she interviews leaders, executives and business owners on how leaders use humour to create an extraordinary work culture.

Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
Session Title: Prognosis: A Timely Dialogue in Palliative Care
Dr. Yeung is a community based palliative care physician with the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities. He has an academic appointment as a lecturer with the University of Toronto and is actively involved with teaching and mentorship. In this capacity, he serves as the medical education co-lead for palliative care in affiliation with Scarborough Health Network for medical learners. His academic areas of interest are communication skills and medical education. He also works as a palliative care physician at Kensington Hospice and Yee Hong Hospice within the Greater Toronto Area. When he isn’t serving the patients of Scarborough, you will likely find him playing with his two dogs or enroute somewhere on an airplane.

Senior Director, Community Partnerships and Cancer and Palliative Programs, Sinai Health
Session Title: Making the Most of Our Communication
Susan Blacker, MSW, RSW is the Senior Director, Community Partnerships and Cancer and Palliative Programs Planning and Performance at Sinai Health System. She brings to this role more than 25 years of experience as a direct practice social worker, educator and program leader in the field of cancer and palliative care. Susan is also the Provincial Clinical Co-Lead for the Ontario Palliative Care Network. Susan holds an academic appointment at the University of Toronto. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and is appointed as Lecturer (status only) as well as Quality Co-Lead for the Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family and Community Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine. She teaches a course about social work practice in palliative care each fall to MSW students at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Her scholarly work has focused on interprofessional collaboration and education.

Nurse Practitioner & Clinical Coach, Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
Session Title: Timely Advance Care Planning: Shaping the Path to Meaningful Decision-Making
With a deep commitment to enhancing healthcare delivery, Nirusha is Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Coach specializing in the integration of early palliative care within the Scarborough community. By working closely with organizations and healthcare providers, Nirusha focuses on building capacity to provide compassionate, patient-centered care that aligns with the needs of individuals facing serious illness. She is committed to fostering collaborative approaches to palliative care, ensuring that patients and families receive the support they need at critical stages of care.

Clinical Consultant
Session Title: Taking Time: Giving and Taking Care Guided by Palliative Values
During his four decades at the Addiction Research Foundation (ARF) and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Wayne worked as a therapist, clinical supervisor, program director, consultant, researcher, and educator. He was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). He continues to teach, write, consult, and advocate for social justice and healthy communities.

Dr. Gillian Gilchrist Chair in Palliative Care Research, Lakeridge Health / Queen’s University; Division Head, Palliative Care, Lakeridge Health
Session Title: Improving Access to Timely Palliative Care via Electronic Medical Records
Dr Aynharan Sinnarajah is the Division Head for Palliative care at Lakeridge Health, and the Dr. Gillian Gilchrist Chair in Palliative Care Research with Lakeridge Health and Queen’s University, and Associate Professor at Queen’s University. He has worked clinically, in research and in leadership for 18 years in Alberta and Ontario. He completed a Masters of Public Health at Harvard University in 2014, and his research focuses on health services research in palliative care. His focus is on designing, implementing and evaluating early palliative care models of care across the care continuum. He co-founded and co-led the PaCES (Palliative Care Early and Systematic) project in Alberta. The PaCES project aims to improve systematic early palliative care for patients living with advanced cancer and non-cancer illnesses, and is now working on similar initiatives to Ontario. He also has an active interest in informatics and is leading a project looking at clinical decision support in electronic medical records to screen for patients living with advanced illnesses and high palliative care needs.

Social Worker/Psychotherapist
Session Title: The Power of Mindfulness in Caregiving and Well-Being
My professional journey began in hospice and palliative care, where I had the privilege of supporting individuals at the end of life. As a cancer survivor, this field holds a special place in my heart. Working with people navigating the end-of-life journey taught me invaluable lessons—about compassion, resilience, and the profound wisdom that emerges in the face of mortality. I worked closely with clients and their families, conducting home and hospital visits and providing emotional and practical support during some of their most challenging moments. I encountered health conditions I had never heard of before, each one teaching me something unique. As my career evolved, I shifted my focus to supporting caregivers of children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. I now work at a community health center, where I integrate mindfulness-based techniques to help individuals manage stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions. Mindfulness has become a powerful tool in my practice, helping clients—and me—cultivate presence, regulate emotions, manage pain, and nurture relationships. It not only reduces stress but also enhances overall well-being. Every day, I am inspired by the incredible strength and wisdom my clients bring to their healing journeys. They continue to teach me profound lessons, and I am deeply honoured to walk alongside them as they navigate their paths.

Speaker, Researcher, Facilitator, Clean Slate Strategies
Jennifer Spear is a Recovering Corporate Executive, Keynote Speaker,
Researcher, Facilitator, Emcee, Moderator and Trainer who loves a challenge and partnering with her clients to embrace uncertainty in order to Work & Lead UnScripted. As a graduate of both Ivey’s Executive MBA program and Second City, Jennifer operates where the business and creative worlds collide. Jennifer is a certified Facilitator and Trainer in Creative Problem Solving and is a Certified Professional Innovation Advisor. Jennifer has worked with diverse groups including the Oakridges Hospice, Providence Healthcare and NASA. Jennifer is a contributor to Forbes and is the Author of the upcoming book “UnScripted”. Jennifer is excited about her Chaos2Clarity research study that uncovered the secret to well-being is how we well embrace uncertainty.

Singer and Songwriter from Toronto
Alexandra Babiak is a singer and songwriter from Toronto and released her second full length album “Magical Thinking” in October 2022. Alexandra received her Honours of Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Toronto in 2017 and was an independent Musician in Residence at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity. Alexandra is available for bedside and atrium concerts.