Susan Shaw 2019

Dr. Susan Shaw balances a rewarding career in Critical Care Medicine and Anesthesiology with clinical and system improvement work at the local, regional and provincial level in Saskatchewan. She is currently Chief Medical Officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Board Chair for the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council. Dr. Shaw has also been a successful department head, a physician leader with the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative, co-led the Saskatoon Health Region Safer Every Day Breakthrough Initiative, and spent time working with the Saskatchewan Medical Association as the Director of Physician Advocacy and Leadership. Dr. Shaw is looked to as a leader in patient-centred care, physician leadership, continuous improvement, and large-scale change. Susan lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with her husband and two teenage children.

A few excerpts from her letters of recommendation…

I can attest to Dr. Shaw’s leadership abilities and her talent for leading people, and I can confidently say that she motivated HQC executive and staff to do what they knew they needed to do, which is one of the basic truisms of leadership. She excelled at guiding the HQC toward goals that mattered, even if the goals were ambitious, and persevered when they were unpopular. I saw firsthand how her leadership skills supported her efforts to knit together productive networks of influencers across a range of health stakeholders, including patients, physicians, Ministry of Health officials, researchers and others. I don’t think it is an overstatement to say that her leadership at HQC strongly advanced a culture of health care improvement throughout Saskatchewan’s health care system. Bonnie Brossart CEO, Saskatchewan Medical Association.

Susan is a seasoned leader with the patient placed firmly at the centre of every decision. She is committed to continuous improvement, high quality patient care and patient safety. She has a gently persuasive but steadfast leadership style that has earned her the respect of her physician colleagues as well as other health care leaders and providers. Kevin Wasko, MA, MD, CCFP (EM), Physician Executive, Integrated Rural Health, Saskatchewan Health Authority.

Dr. Shaw is among the program’s most popular instructors. The participants report that they learn a tremendous amount of useful knowledge from her, and she regularly receives one of the highest program evaluations.  She is not only very knowledgeable, but she can also impart this knowledge to our physician leaders in a personable and professional way. She relates to their experience and challenges with humility and passion. All these qualities are not often embodied in one person. She is a model of health care provider, health care leader and professional instructor. Moreover, despite her increasing portfolio in Saskatchewan, she continues to fit our program into her calendar. Daniel Skarlicki, PhD, • Edgar Kaiser Chair of Organizational Behaviour,Sauder School of Business, UBC,

One of Dr. Shaw’s strengths is her ability to engage others in order to establish meaningful relationships with those with whom she works. She is consistent in her commitment to demonstrate expertise and growth in her leadership role. Dr. Shaw works tirelessly to improve the quality of healthcare offered to the people of Saskatchewan through engaging, developing and supporting the physicians who provide treatment. Another strength Dr. Shaw has is the compassion and empathy she has when addressing complex and difficult challenges especially involving personnel. She is always thinking of how to solve the issue while maintaining the relationship with the patient, physician or healthcare provider. Preston Smith, MD, Dean of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.

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