Toronto, ON, March 7, 2008 – The buzz word was INNOVATION and on the first day of a two day conference, Saint Elizabeth Health Care (SEHC) was creating some buzz. The conference celebrates SEHC’s centennial year and promotes the use of research, evidence and innovation at the individual, organizational and systems levels of health care.

President and CEO Shirlee Sharkey inspired guests with an energizing address, “Innovation is that place between what is desirable, what is possible and what is viable. If you can find the balance between those things, you’ve hit the sweet spot.” Saint Elizabeth Health Care has hit that innovation sweet spot several times over the past 100 years and has been on the leading edge of knowledge and change in the health care industry.

This conference is another example of that kind of innovation and SEHC is bringing people, knowledge and technology together in order to build a collective wisdom from diverse perspectives. Beginning with a panel discussion on “Using Information for Transformation” and continuing with numerous presentations on diverse subjects such as patient empowerment, building leadership teams in health care, health and aging and advocacy in public health. It was a day of sharing of knowledge, information and ideas.

Day two of the conference promises to continue to be an exploration of the future of health care with confirmed presenters including:

• Clement Bezold, PhD., Chairman of the Board/Founder, Institute of Alternative Futures
• Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care
• Stephen Lewis, President of Access Consulting Ltd., Professor, Centre for Health and Policy Studies, University of Calgary.
• Sandra MacDonald-Rencz, Executive Director, Office of Nursing Policy, Health Policy Branch, Health Canada
• Paul Williams, PhD, Co-Chair, Canadian Research Network for Care in the Community, Professor Health Policy, Co-Director, CIHR Team in Community Care and Health Human Resources,
• Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

For more information, visit the Saint Elizabeth Health Care 100th Anniversary website at www.sehc.ca/100

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For media inquiries please contact:

Andria Louca - Media Relations Advisor
Saint Elizabeth Health Care
T: 905.968.6538
E: alouca@saintelizabeth.com