TORONTO, Dec. 11, 2019 – Patients Canada is pleased to announce that Francesca Grosso has been appointed as the Chair of Patients Canada. Dianne Carmichael has been appointed as Vice- Chair. Long-time patient advocate Chris MacLeod and Canadian health care expert Paul McIvor have also joined Patients Canada’s board.

“As a long-time caregiver and patient navigator for people like my mom, I have experienced the challenges they face first hand.  The services are often not designed around the needs of the patient and family.” Francesca said.

“My commitment to Patients Canada will be to harness the voice of our community to help design services that work better for patients.”

Francesca has been a long-time health care system strategist and patient advocate. She served as Director of Policy to an Ontario Minister of Health and was Vice President of health care at Environics Research Group. She has written a great deal on health services, has been a contributor to media and written health care books including co-authoring the best seller “Navigating Canada’s Health Care – A User Guide to Getting the Care You Need” with Michael Decter.

Dianne Carmichael is the CEO of Carmichael Worldwide Inc. an organization that supports patient centered care globally. Since her father’s cancer diagnosis in 2004, she has been working to make a difference in the lives of patients touched by profound illness. Dianne is also the recipient of the Women Transforming Healthcare Award.

Joining the board are Chris MacLeod and Paul McIvor.

Chris is the founder and Chair of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Society. As a Cystic Fibrosis patient himself, Chris brings decades of patient advocacy experience and is frequently asked for comment by the media on issues relating to access.

Paul McIvor has worked in several capacities at the provincial Ministry of Health, in the private sector as well as in the hospital sector with Halton Healthcare. Paul has first-hand experience living with a chronic disease as both a patient and a parent as he was diagnosed with type I diabetes at the age of 17 and his son was diagnosed at age nine.

About Patients Canada
Patients Canada is a national, independent organization that champions a health care system that works for patients.

SOURCE Patients Canada

For further information: Media Contact: Daniel McIntyre, Manager, Communications, (416)-900-2975, daniel.mcintyre@patientscanada.ca