Agenda
Flip through our conference brochure and discover what’s new this year.
Download Brochure
Day 1
July 14, 2025
Registration Opens and Continental Breakfast Served
Responding to the Topsy Turvy World of Tariffs and Supply Chain Risk: How to Make Healthcare Projects More Resilient in these Uncertain Times
Alicia MittonAssociate DirectorBTY
Ryan FlinnProject DirectorBuild Nova Scotia
- Determining what materials, equipment and technology will be impacted by tariffs
- Assessing how this will impact progress on projects across the Maritimes
- Pivoting on procurement and anticipating the downstream impact on your clinical team and the project
- Finding storage solutions for materials ordered early in response to the tariffs
- Prioritizing transparency and open communication with stakeholders so that you can collectively overcome external pressures on the project
- Establishing project resiliency through new relationships domestically and internationally
Morning Coffee and Networking Break
Fireside Chat
P3 to Progressive: Perspectives on the Evolution of Healthcare Infrastructure Delivery Models Across Canada and How to Create the Conditions for Project Success
David HoNational Leader, Healthcare and BuildingsAccenture Infrastructure & Capital Projects
Mike MorganVice President, Healthcare InfrastructureBuild Nova Scotia
Resourcing Realities for Healthcare Infrastructure: Developing Recruitment and Retention Strategies to Shore up the Skilled Trades Across the Maritimes
Trent SoholtExecutive DirectorNova Scotia Construction Sector Council
Michelle BusseyCEONova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency
John A. Young, P.GSC.District ManagerPCL Constructors Canada Inc.
Chantal ArsenaultDirector, Policy & Workforce DevelopmentConstruction Association of Nova Scotia
- Identifying current gaps in the skilled trades across the Maritimes
- Assessing projected needs for major capital projects across sectors and how this will impact the projects being planned and currently in flight
- Strengthening outreach to underrepresented communities about opportunities in the skilled trades
- Developing comprehensive education, support and mentorship
- Exploring opportunities to retain that expertise within the Atlantic provinces
Lunch Break
Sponsored by:
From Confection to Connection: Transforming a 100-year-old Candy Factory into a Mental Health Refuge for Young Adult
Deanna BrownPrincipalStantec
Join us for an inspiring session on the transformation of a derelict candy factory into a vibrant Mental Health space.
This ambitious adaptive reuse project showcases the innovative efforts of Stella’s Place Young Adult Mental Health, an organization revolutionizing mental health support in downtown Toronto. This session invites you to:
- Discover how young adult architects and engineers, guided by Stella’s co-design philosophy, collaborated closely with the organization’s Young Adult Council
- Understand how creative engagement led to a project charter and design uniquely tailored to the diverse needs of staff and participants
- Examine how this award-winning rehabilitation project preserved the building’s heritage features while enabling Stella’s Place to expand their programming for individuals aged 16-29
- Gain valuable insights into how thoughtful collaboration and inclusive design principles can create extraordinary spaces for mental health services
Project Focus: Promoting Recovery and Addressing Stigma by Design at the New Mental Health and Addictions Centre in Newfoundland
Glenda WebberVice President - Mental Health & AddictionsCorrectional Health Services, NL Health Services
A new mental health and addictions centre opened its doors in St. John’s, Newfoundland this April. The 102-bed facility is a replacement for the 170-year-old Waterford Hospital. This new, modern building was designed in consultation with the community. Creating a space that reduces stigma, is client centered and recovery focused. This session will put a spotlight on these guiding principles informed planning and design.
Key points of discussion include:
- Creating an engagement plan to incorporate the insights and perspectives of community members into the planning process, including those with lived experiences and Indigenous partners
- Examining how the building was designed to serve populations with different care needs
- Moving away from the ward model to reduce stigma
- Capturing design elements that contribute to feelings of wellbeing including natural light, outdoor spaces and art
- Adding amenities that empower patients to engage in activities that support their mental health journey, including art, fitness, horticulture, and music therapy
Afternoon Networking Break
Designing Hospitals with Staff Safety in Mind: How to Enhance Security without Undermining the Care Environment
Martin Green, CHPASpecialist – HealthcareAthena Security
Violence against healthcare workers is a growing concern from coast to coast. There have been several high-profile incidents in recent months, where staff were seriously harmed at hospitals. Incorporating leading safety practices, tools and technology into the built environment helps ensure that staff can focus on providing care instead of fears over personal safety.
This panel will explore:
- Examining any notable trends in incidents of staff violence
- Enhancing security measures without impeding the ability to deliver care
- Exploring how the built environment can be designed to help facilitate safety in addition to wellbeing
- Determining whether new tools and technology should be incorporated into infrastructure
- Metal detectors
- Safety communication systems
- Biometrics
Access by Design 2030: Examining What the Standard Means for New and Existing Healthcare Infrastructure
Maddi AdamsManager of Compliance and EnforcementNS Accessibility Directorate
Joe Rogers P.EngSenior Advisor, Codes and StandardsNova Scotia Department of Growth and Development
Roman RomanovDirector, Accessibility Advisory ServicesRick Hansen Foundation
Day One Concludes
Day 2
July 15, 2025
Registration & Continental Breakfast
Thought Leadership Panel
Designing for the Future of Healthcare: How to Prepare Infrastructure for Changing Demographics, Technology and Patient Expectations Over the Next 20 Years
Melanie FraserChief Executive OfficerHealth PEI
Dr. Krista JangaardPresident & CEOIWK Health
Dr. Alex MitchellCEO, FounderTranslate Health
Kary ShannonProject Director, Strategic Foresight for Long Range Planning for Population Growth Office of Priorities and Planning Province of Nova Scotia
David LandrySenior Director, Renal ProgramNova Scotia Health Authority
Margaret HawkinsPrincipalDRKR Architects
Marija Mojsilovic GovedaricaSenior Architect, Design Team Lead, Healthcare InfrastructureNova Scotia Department of Public Works
Modular construction is redefining the future of healthcare infrastructure, offering efficiency, adaptability, and speed in ways traditional building methods cannot. As the industry matures, it is becoming an increasingly viable and scalable solution for addressing urgent healthcare needs while enhancing construction timelines and patient accessibility.
A multidisciplinary team from Nova Scotia Health, the Department of Public Works, and DRKR Architects (DFMA Consultant Team) will explore the state of the industry by:
- Exploring how modular construction can deliver specialized healthcare services in within diverse communities
- Providing real-world insights from recent modular dialysis projects
- Examining opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned
- Offering a perspective on how modular solutions are shaping the future of healthcare environments
Morning Coffee & Networking Break
Realizing the Benefits of AI Across the Lifecycle of Healthcare Infrastructure Project: From Planning and Design to Operations and Maintenance
Artificial Intelligence presents new and exciting opportunities to gather insights, achieve efficiencies and inform decision-making about healthcare facilities from planning through to operations.
This session will highlight use cases and touch on future potential for:
- Predicting costs and project schedules with better accuracy
- Integrating AI into construction site monitoring and reality capture
- Generating insights about material use, progress and project hurdles to adapt faster
- Ensuring compliance with building codes
- Establishing intelligent building systems to optimize performance through energy management and predictive maintenance
One Patient, One Record: Aligning People, Process and IT Infrastructure to Achieve Interoperability for an Improved Patient Experience in Nova Scotia
Jamey MartellSenior Director, One Person One RecordNova Scotia Health
Nova Scotia has embarked upon an interoperability journey that the province hopes will improve the delivery of healthcare for both providers and patients. This session will examine how One Person One Record initiative — expected to reach completion in 2026 — is transforming IT infrastructure at hospitals and across the province’s healthcare system. This undertaking will require significant collaboration, testing and training to be successful.
Our presenters will focus on:
- Delivering an overview of the One Person One Record program and related timelines
- Detailing how various teams and vendors are collaborating on this innovative project that will streamline access to patient data
- Identifying hurdles and lessons learned to date as it relates to achieving interoperability
- Examining how the implementation will affect new and existing infrastructure as well as workflows
- Preparing staff to work differently as technology changes
- Defining targeted outcomes
- Exploring how the project will support future digital initiatives and transformation in support of patients and staff
Unlocking the Power of AI in Healthcare Facilities: Trends, Opportunities and Forward Looking Considerations to Optimize Care
Robyn StewartCGI Partner, Director of Business Consulting, Atlantic Business UnitCGI
Lunch Break
Sponsored by:
INTERACTIVE PANEL
Developing an Operational Readiness Roadmap: Sharing Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Healthcare Infrastructure Projects
Selina ShiProject Manager
Operational Readiness & Move ReadinessColliers Project Leaders
Cybelle RieberProject Lead – Coordination and CommunicationMental Health and Addictions Capital Planning
Department of Health and Wellness
Government of Prince Edward Island
Marie-Luc JodoinVice President, Transition and Activation ServicesHealth Care Relocations
Creating a detailed plan for move-in day helps set the transition and activation of a new healthcare facility up for success. However, even with the best laid plans there can be some bumps in the road. Join our panelists as they share insights on operational readiness best practices and lessons learned from current and recently completed projects. Panelists will share perspectives on stakeholder engagement, meeting staffing need, planning for future workflows, and training.
- Identifying who leads the operational readiness process, who’s involved and when the work begins
- Developing strategies to successfully sync operational readiness with building readiness, clinical with facilities
- Assessing the different considerations for greenfield vs. brownfield
- Sharing change management best practices including early implementations, training and communications
- Ensuring the people, systems and equipment are in place
- Examining pitfalls and lessons learned from current and recently completed healthcare infrastructure projects
LeeAnn Larocque BN, RN, MHA, CHEActing Vice President Clinical Care & Chief Nurse ExecutiveIWK Health
IWK Health has been on an incredible journey to transform its pediatric emergency department so that it can better accommodate the increase in annual patient visits, meet evolving standards and allow for innovation in patient care. This journey started 8 years ago, with the Government of Nova Scotia approving funding in 2021. Much has happened since—including a pandemic, that created new considerations for patients, staff, project design and costs.
This session will examine the planning process, project hurdles and pivot points as well as the community support and engagement that has informed the project and kept it moving towards opening day next fall.
Points to be covered include:
- Overview of the project scope and timelines
- Incorporating lessons learned from the pandemic into the design
- Utilizing mock-ups
- Engaging with patients and families about critical aspects of the project to ensure it meets evolving community needs
- Working with donors and the IWK Foundation to support project success
- Examining the addition of biophilic design elements, with the addition of a therapeutic garden
Afternoon Networking Break
Striving for Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare Facilities: Benchmarking Hospital Performance and Identifying Opportunities to Make Improvements
Myles SergeantFamily PhysicianHamilton Health Sciences
Executive Director
Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care
Dr. Nabha ShettyAssociate Professor, Department of MedicineDalhousie University
William GagnonDirector of ImplementationCanadian Coalition for Green Health Care
Director of Strategy, Planetary Health Organizations
Wellbeing, Equity & Regeneration
Executive Director
Northwest Territories Medical Association
Nova Scotia is striving for net-zero by 2050. This goal includes healthcare facilities, which are some of the largest contributors of GHG gases. This session will examine actions- big and small—that healthcare facilities can take to curb GHG emissions, realize the benefits of improved energy management and improve overall sustainability.
- Benchmarking environmental sustainability performance using the Green Hospital Scorecard
- Assessing direct and indirect emissions from hospitals
- Translating those insights into energy management strategies for your healthcare facility
- Examining recent examples of initiatives at healthcare facilities that successfully improved the environmental footprint
Chris McQuillanPrincipalKPMB Architects
The use of exposed wood in acute care settings has generated great interest and much debate in recent years. This session will highlight emerging research on the performance of wood in healthcare environments in an effort to further add to the discussion about its potential.
- Understanding the case for and against the use of mass timber in acute care
- Explore the outcome of a schematic design and engineering for a mass timber acute care inpatient tower – Review preliminary costs, constructability and LCA analysis
- Discuss opportunities for future innovation