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Canadian Health and Wellness Innovations Conference

Monday, February 13 - Wednesday, February 15, 2023
The Mirage, Las Vegas, NV
Canadian Health and Wellness Innovations Conference

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Inspiring Resilience

The pace of change in the workplace has accelerated, creating a plethora of challenges and opportunities. We are seeing the ripple effects on our health care plans and worker well-being. With labour shortages, staff burn-out and increasing mental health concerns, employers, unions and trustees need to respond quickly with innovative policy changes. 

The Canadian Health and Wellness Innovations Conference offers targeted and timely sessions on the most pressing topics impacting plan sponsors and participants. Explore new trends and ideas, share experiences and discover strategies to promote an improved culture of health.


Topics/Agenda

  • Available in person
  • Available virtually
  • Health
  • Retirement
  • Canadian
  • General
You must be a logged in registrant to access session handouts.
Monday February 13, 2023
8:30-9:30 a.m. PT
Keynote: The Resilient Life—Reducing Stress and Burnout in Today’s Wild World
8:30-9:30 a.m. PT

With stress at an all-time high, we need new ways of working and living. Based on evidence-based knowledge and strategies, this session will help fortify your mind, body, life and workplace as we face today’s unprecedented challenges. You will learn:

  • Keys to recognizing, preventing and recovering from burnout (at organizational, team and individual levels)
  • Strategies for managing high workloads
  • How to create work-life balance in ways that enhance individual well-being and performance at work
  • Simple yet powerful tools to improve resilience and boost energy
  • The importance of purpose and meaning for enhanced resilience and protection from burnout
  • A framework to prioritize what matters most in your work and life.
Category: Keynote
Susan Biali Haas, M.D.
Speaker
Susan Biali Haas, M.D.
Expert in Burnout Prevention, Stress Management and Resilience
Mental Health Advocate
9:45-10:45 a.m. PT
There Is Nothing to Stigmatize
9:45-10:45 a.m. PT

While psychological illness and injury have recently become much more visible, these conditions aren’t new. They reflect long-standing societal conditions and follow a predictable path—one we can use to effect change on a personal, workplace and societal level. With examples from the 1980s/90s and following the same evidence-based approach used in physical medicine, this session explores the basis of psychological diagnoses and explains why “there is nothing to stigmatize,” providing meaningful strategies for organizations to implement in the workplace.

Category: Health & Wellness
David P. Earle
Speaker
David P. Earle
Founder
Earle Consulting
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT
Psychologically Safe Leadership: It Doesn’t Have to Be So Hard
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT

Leadership can be challenging, and psychologically safe leadership may seem like adding more demands and responsibility—but, in fact, it can make leadership easier. Some leaders are close to burnout or frustrated with what can seem like endless employee demands; others have a real desire to be the best leader they can be. Whether you are a seasoned or potential leader, the tips and techniques in this session can help you succeed with less effort.

Category: Health & Wellness
Mary Ann Baynton, M.S.W.
Speaker
Mary Ann Baynton, M.S.W.
Director of Collaboration and Strategy
Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
1:00-2:00 p.m. PT
Making Your Mental Health Strategy Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
1:00-2:00 p.m. PT

COVID-19 pressures have elevated mental health needs to a board-level concern, revealing a fragmented and inadequate support system. Traditional employee assistance programs (EAPs) offer just a handful of sessions, leaving people with longer term needs to navigate a backlogged public system or spotty paramedical coverage on their own. This session will:

  • Explore ways to better integrate and align EAPs, benefit plans and new mental health supports so people can get the right help, at the right time, at the right cost
  • Show how this integration can streamline administration and reporting for HR and benefits professionals
  • Explain how reporting can provide insights into the mental health of your workforce and influence plan design
  • Help you develop responsive and effective strategies to address workplace mental health in a digital world.
Category: Health & Wellness
Harriet Ekperigin, M.B.A., PMP
Speaker
Harriet Ekperigin, M.B.A., PMP
Vice President, Mental Health
Green Shield Canada
2:15-2:30 p.m. PT
The 15-Minute Home Stretch—Part One
2:15-2:30 p.m. PT
Research has shown time and time again that movement is key in preventing muscular complaints and disability. Dr. Ayla Azad leads this 15-minute stretch using simple stretches that can be done seated or standing in any environment.
Category: Health & Wellness
Ayla Azad, D.C., M.B.A.
Facilitator
Ayla Azad, D.C., M.B.A.
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Chiropractic Association
2:30-3:30 p.m. PT
Understanding the New Canadian Mental Health App Assessment Framework
2:30-3:30 p.m. PT

This presentation will discuss the newly designed assessment framework for mental health apps that establishes standards at a national level. Developed through collaboration with stakeholders with a range of perspectives from across Canada, the assessment framework has more than 450+ criteria across seven domains:

  • 1. Data and privacy
  • 2. Clinical evidence
  • 3. Clinical safety
  • 4. Usability and accessibility
  • 5. Security and technical stability
  • 6. Cultural safety, social responsibility and equity
  • 7. Enhanced data sovereignty standards.
Category: Health & Wellness
Nicholas Watters, M.B.A.
Speaker
Nicholas Watters, M.B.A.
Director, Access to Quality Mental Health Services
Mental Health Commission of Canada
3:45-4:30 p.m. PT
Q&A with all speakers from Day One
3:45-4:30 p.m. PT
Category: Health & Wellness
David P. Earle
Panelist
David P. Earle
Founder
Earle Consulting
Harriet Ekperigin, M.B.A., PMP
Panelist
Harriet Ekperigin, M.B.A., PMP
Vice President, Mental Health
Green Shield Canada
Mary Ann Baynton, M.S.W.
Panelist
Mary Ann Baynton, M.S.W.
Director of Collaboration and Strategy
Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
Nicholas Watters, M.B.A.
Panelist
Nicholas Watters, M.B.A.
Director, Access to Quality Mental Health Services
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Susan Biali Haas, M.D.
Panelist
Susan Biali Haas, M.D.
Expert in Burnout Prevention, Stress Management and Resilience
Mental Health Advocate
Tuesday February 14, 2023
8:30-9:30 a.m. PT
What’s Next in Remote and Virtual Health?
8:30-9:30 a.m. PT

Use of telemedicine, iCBT and other virtual health services accelerated rapidly during the pandemic, illustrating both the value and the need. This session explores key technologies that will likely become common items in benefits plan discussions in the next five years, including:

  • Home-based services (e.g., home visits by clinicians, lab tests)
  • Digital therapeutics, such as drugs and other medical devices that collect data and connect you to 24/7 care
  • Remote patient monitoring
  • Gene therapy
  • Health apps as a complement to care.
Category: Health & Wellness
Timothy W. Clarke, FCIA, FSA
Speaker
Timothy W. Clarke, FCIA, FSA
President
tc Health Consulting Inc.
9:45-10:45 a.m. PT
Healthier Together: The Value of Online Peer Communities to Support Member Health
9:45-10:45 a.m. PT

Benefit plans rarely leverage one of the most important resources we have—each other. Online peer health communities can expand our network of “people like us” to talk to, share with and learn from. Done right, peer communities can play an important role in better member health as a reliable, inclusive, supportive resource and a natural extension of an existing wellness strategy. This session will provide:

  • The evidence that peer support positively impacts both mental and physical health
  • The benefits to both plan members and plan sponsors
  • Tips to launch a successful online peer community that engages members, supports their health and still respects their privacy.
Category: Health & Wellness
Sean Gilbert
Speaker
Sean Gilbert
Vice President, Business Development
Synergiq Solutions
11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. PT
Rethinking Gender: How Benefit Plans, Sponsors and Trustees Can—And Must—Adapt
11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. PT

As society acknowledges the full range of gender identity and expression, benefit plan sponsors need to rethink their approach to gender, including benefit plan design and administration. Attendees at this session will:

  • Learn how to meaningfully adapt their language, policies and practices to reflect the spectrum of gender identity/expression and meet legislative requirements
  • Know what questions to ask of their insurers to determine how they are treating and costing individuals who identify as other than male or female as well as and why and when to request changes
  • Understand what gender-affirming care is and is not covered in the jurisdictions where they operate, and what private products exist to fill the gaps to ensure coverage reflects their population.
Category: Health & Wellness
Jennifer Taylor
Panelist
Jennifer Taylor
Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Medavie
Karen M. DeBortoli, LL.B.
Panelist
Karen M. DeBortoli, LL.B.
Principal; Director, Knowledge Resource Centre; Canadian Privacy Officer
Buck
Padraigin Murphy, J.D.
Panelist
Padraigin Murphy, J.D.
Associate
Koskie Minsky LLP
1:15-2:30 p.m. PT
National Dental and Pharmacare: What Plan Sponsors Need to Know
1:15-2:30 p.m. PT

The federal government is implementing the first stage of a near-universal national dental plan before the next scheduled federal election. National pharmacare is smaller in scale but includes funding for a rare disease drug strategy and a national formulary. Both initiatives have important impacts on plan sponsors and members. This session will help private payers prepare by answering these questions:

  • How will these plans be designed, implemented, financed and governed?
  • What effects could they have on the scope, eligibility and cost of employer-sponsored health benefit plans?
  • How are benefit carriers engaging and influencing government policymakers and other stakeholders?
Category: Health & Wellness
Barbara A. Martinez
Panelist
Barbara A. Martinez
National Practice Leader, Drug Solutions
Canada Life
Chris Bonnett, M.H.Sc., Ph.D.
Panelist
Chris Bonnett, M.H.Sc., Ph.D.
Principal Consultant
H3 Consulting
Joanne Y. Jung, RPh
Panelist
Joanne Y. Jung, RPh
Pharmacy Practice Leader
WTW
2:45-3:00 p.m. PT
The 15-Minute Home Stretch—Part Two
2:45-3:00 p.m. PT
Dr. Ayla Azad leads part two of the 15-Minute Home Stretch, using simple stretches that can be done seated or standing in any environment.
Category: Health & Wellness
Ayla Azad, D.C., M.B.A.
Facilitator
Ayla Azad, D.C., M.B.A.
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Chiropractic Association
3:00-4:15 p.m. PT
Reducing Opioid Dependency via Your Benefit Plans
3:00-4:15 p.m. PT

Addressing substance use disorders often means navigating a web of comorbid physical and/or mental illness challenges, including chronic pain, mood and anxiety disorders, and trauma. But many plan sponsors don’t realize that their current benefit plan design may be a significant barrier in helping members and their families access the multidisciplinary treatments needed. Using opioid dependency as a case example, this presentation will examine why current plan designs are unintentionally acting as barriers and explore how plan sponsors can take advantage of innovations and nonpharmacological interventions to ensure the best use of benefits dollars while supporting members in times of need.

Category: Health & Wellness
Ayla Azad, D.C., M.B.A.
Panelist
Ayla Azad, D.C., M.B.A.
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Chiropractic Association
Michael P. Sullivan, B.S.P., M.B.A.
Panelist
Michael P. Sullivan, B.S.P., M.B.A.
President
Cubic Health Inc.
Owen Peter Kelly, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Panelist
Owen Peter Kelly, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Executive Director of Finance and Innovation, Clinical Psychologist
Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Wednesday February 15, 2023
8:30-9:30 a.m. PT
The Value of Intellectual Wellness
8:30-9:30 a.m. PT

We spend a lot of time focusing on the physical aspects of wellness, but it’s just as important to keep our minds healthy. Intellectual wellness can improve overall wellness by increasing our brainpower while lowering our risk for life-altering conditions, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. This session will:

  • Provide a working definition of intellectual wellness
  • Show how it fits into our overall model of health and wellness
  • Discuss the impact of dementia and Alzheimer’s on our overall health
  • Provide ways to increase intellectual wellness.
Category: Health & Wellness
Avinash D. Maniram, M.Sc.
Speaker
Avinash D. Maniram, M.Sc.
Partner
PBI Actuarial Consultants Ltd.
9:45-10:45 a.m. PT
Maximize Your Benefit Plan Value With an Impactful Communication Strategy
9:45-10:45 a.m. PT

Surveys show that benefits are a key driver in attraction and retention. However, employees can’t appreciate the investment you’re making if they don’t access these programs (or even know they exist!). We’ll explore how to build a communication strategy that maximizes the impact of your benefit plan. With case studies and practical tools, we’ll discuss:

  • Uncovering communication gaps and measuring results
  • The power of personas: Why a one-size-fits-all approach won’t reach your diverse employee group
  • Learning from marketing experts to capture interest, educate, drive action and empower employees to access the support they need.
Category: Health & Wellness
Valerie Travis
Speaker
Valerie Travis
Founder
bespoke benefit solutions
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT
Disability Plan Design: Is It Time for a Refresh?
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT

Disability programs in Canada remain important benefits for plan members, but most plan sponsors don’t review their structure and design. This session will provide an overview of common short- and long-term disability designs and key cost drivers, including expectations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll explore ideas to restructure key plan provisions, such as the elimination period between short term and long term, own occ/any occ definitions, duration of coverage, coverage beyond age 65 and the role of self-insurance.

Category: Health & Wellness
Ellen Whelan, FCIA, FSA
Speaker
Ellen Whelan, FCIA, FSA
Principal
Eckler Ltd.

You learn so much about advancements in benefits as well as a lot about yourself by attending this conference.

Benefits of Attending

  • Learn firsthand about the latest trends in health and wellness that could be important to your plan design.
  • Find out how others have successfully introduced wellness initiatives to their members.
  • Discover ways to motivate plan participants to take part in the shared responsibility for their own health.
  • Online program materials, three continental breakfasts, two luncheons and beverage breaks are included.

Who Should Attend

Trustees, administrators and staff who represent group benefit and health care plans in the Canadian corporate, multi-employer and public sectors. This conference would be of interest to any individual, including our American members, with an interest in wellness topics, whether individually or in the workplace.

​Preconference Workshop

safeTALK is a half day accredited training program that comes with certification through LivingWorks, and is part of an internationally approved suicide intervention strategy program since 1981.

8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 12th and includes breakfast.

Virtual Conference Features

  • Purposeful sessions—Be the first to see exclusive sessions on Monday, February 12, 2023. Watch presentations as they post throughout the day to ignite your learning experience.
  • Session recordings—Busy on February 14? Want to watch a game-changing session again? Return to the virtual environment to watch recorded sessions until Monday, March 13, 2023.
  • Session handouts—Download session handouts ahead of time so that you are prepared to follow along with each presentation.
  • Always open—The virtual environment will be open 24/7 giving you the opportunity to access everything in the environment on your time.

Speakers

  • Ayla Azad, D.C., M.B.A. Interim Chief Executive Officer Canadian Chiropractic Association
  • Mary Ann Baynton, M.S.W. Director of Collaboration and Strategy Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
  • Susan Biali Haas, M.D. Expert in Burnout Prevention, Stress Management and Resilience Mental Health Advocate
  • Chris Bonnett, M.H.Sc., Ph.D. Principal Consultant H3 Consulting
  • Timothy W. Clarke, FCIA, FSA President tc Health Consulting Inc.
  • Karen M. DeBortoli, LL.B. Principal; Director, Knowledge Resource Centre; Canadian Privacy Officer Buck
  • David P. Earle Founder Earle Consulting
  • Harriet Ekperigin, M.B.A., PMP Vice President, Mental Health Green Shield Canada
  • Sean Gilbert Vice President, Business Development Synergiq Solutions
  • Joanne Y. Jung, RPh Pharmacy Practice Leader WTW
  • Owen Peter Kelly, Ph.D., C.Psych. Executive Director of Finance and Innovation, Clinical Psychologist Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Avinash D. Maniram, M.Sc. Partner PBI Actuarial Consultants Ltd.
  • Barbara A. Martinez National Practice Leader, Drug Solutions Canada Life
  • Padraigin Murphy, J.D. Associate Koskie Minsky LLP
  • Michael P. Sullivan, B.S.P., M.B.A. President Cubic Health Inc.
  • Jennifer Taylor Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Medavie
  • Valerie Travis Founder bespoke benefit solutions
  • Nicholas Watters, M.B.A. Director, Access to Quality Mental Health Services Mental Health Commission of Canada
  • Ellen Whelan, FCIA, FSA Principal Eckler Ltd.

​Speakers

Speakers for the 2020 conference will be announced in fall of 2019. Please check back soon.

Continuing Education

Educational sessions at this program can qualify for CEBS® Compliance credit. Visit www.cebs.org/compliance for additional information.

Other Continuing Education Credit:

Continuing Education credit for additional professions and designations MAY be available for attendance at live sessions, depending on profession/designation requirements. You must register for the program and request CE credit at least 60 days prior to the beginning of the program so that the Foundation can seek preapproval from the governing agency.


Note: Requests made for continuing education credit do not guarantee administration of credit. For further information on continuing education credit, please call (262) 786-6710, option 2.


Policies
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Registration Information

Register early and save!

Registration Information
  Member Nonmember


Through 1/9/2023 C $1,935.00 C $2,265.00
After 1/9/2023 C $2,235.00 C $2,565.00
 

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