Episode 9: Matt Anderson and Chris Simpson on leading healthcare in a pandemic and adapting to change

Dec 16, 2021

Matt Anderson (BA’92) and Chris Simpson (BSc’90) took very different routes to get to top leadership positions in healthcare in Canada. Matt graduated with an arts degree and began his career in data analytics and IT. He went on to earn a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and Management from the University of Toronto and is now CEO of Ontario Health. Chris Simpson graduated from science and went on to Dalhousie University to graduate with an MD in medicine, subsequently completing internal medicine and cardiology training at Queen’s University. Currently, he’s Executive VP (Medical) and Chief Medical Officer at Ontario Health. They discuss leading healthcare through a pandemic, addressing current and future challenges and adapting to change.  

In this episode: 

• The very different paths to healthcare leadership and knowing vs. not knowing what you want as a student 
• COVID-19 as a change agent that forced change quickly in healthcare 
• Using data and evidence to guide decisions and create the most benefit  
• The health human resources problem and burnout of healthcare workers 
• Managing stress and avoiding burnout 
• Advice for building a successful career – and defining what success really means 

 

Links and resources: 

Ontario Health: https://www.ontariohealth.ca/our-team/senior-leadership-team 

Chris Simpson Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dr_ChrisSimpson 

Think Like a Monk book 

 Thanks to: 

Our alumni host, Shauna Cole: https://www.unb.ca/alumni/alumni-news/unb-alumni-podcast-hosts.html 

Music by alumni artist, Beats of Burden: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/beats-of-burden/1451387846 

Our alumni Affinity Partners, TD Insurance, Manulife, and MBNA Mastercard: https://www.unb.ca/alumni/benefitsandservices/index.html