Learning together: Building learning health systems through collaboration
How do we move from research and data to meaningful change in health systems and communities?
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Red & White Club, 1833 Crowchild Trail NW
Registration closed
The 2026 O'Brien Institute for Public Health fall forum will bring together researchers, health-system leaders, patients, community organizations and policy partners to explore how learning health systems can support more responsive, equitable and collaborative approaches to health improvement.
Participants will explore the diverse forms learning health systems work can take, what is needed to support it and how collaboration across sectors can help accelerate impact.
The forum will also mark the launch of the O’Brien Institute Learning Health Systems Accelerator.
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Registration
Light breakfast will be available
9:00 - 9:30 a.m. | Welcome remarks
Featuring Dr. Kirsten Fiest, PhD and Dr. Khara Sauro, PhD
9:30 - 10:15 a.m. | Demystifying the learning health system: What does it take?
A keynote presentation by Dr. Robert Reid, MD, PhD and moderated by Dr. Khara Sauro.
An accessible introduction to what learning health systems are, why they matter and what it takes to build them, from the people and partnerships involved to the interconnected “gears” that support continuous learning and improvement.
10:15 - 10:30 a.m. | Break
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | What does it take to build a learning health system together?
A panel discussion bringing together health system, clinician, data and patient perspectives to explore the collaboration needed to build effective learning health systems.
Featuring Dr. Kim Simmonds, PhD, Lana Bentley, D’Arcy Duquette, and Dr. Claire Barber, MD, PhD. Moderated by Dr. Nicole George, PhD.
11:30 - 11:45 a.m. | Launch of the O’Brien Institute LHS Accelerator by Dr. Khara Sauro
A suite of tools and resources that will support O’Brien Institute members in advancing learning health systems by embedding research into healthcare, enabling rapid cycles of improvement, and advancing the Quintuple Aim.
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. | Lunch & poster presentations
Join us for a showcase of posters highlighting learning health system initiatives that turn data, evidence and lived experience into meaningful improvements for health systems and communities. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
12:45 - 1:00 p.m. | Pulse Check by Dr. Khara Sauro
An opportunity to reflect on the morning’s discussions, connections and poster showcase, and consider how they have shaped your thinking about learning health systems.
1:00 - 1:45 p.m. | Equity in ALL gears: A conversation starter for advancing equity-centred learning health systems
Keynote presentation by Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde, MD, PhD and moderated by Dr. Katie Birnie, PhD.
A practical exploration of how equity can be embedded throughout a learning health system, with examples of how researchers and partners can put equity into practice across its different “gears.”
1:45 - 2:45 p.m. | The learning health system gears in action
Short research presentations exploring how research helps learning health systems learn, adapt and improve.
Featuring Dr. Zahra Goodarzi, MD, Dr. Doreen Rabi, MD, Dr. Lara Cooke, MD, Dr. Matthew James, MD, PhD, and Dr. Perri Tutelman, PhD with Lance Tanke. Moderated by Dr. Kirsten Fiest, PhD.
2:45 - 3:00 p.m. | Closing remarks by Dr. Khara Sauro
Dr. Robert Reid, MD, PhD
Dr. Robert Reid is lead scientist emeritus at Trillium Health Partners and a global expert in learning health systems, population health and primary care. He led the development of the Learning Health System Action Framework, awarded CIHR's 2025 Article of the Year, and now used across Canada.
He also developed the patient-centred medical home model at Group Health Cooperative (now Kaiser Permanente), since adopted worldwide. Dr. Reid holds academic appointments at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, and received the 2024 Louise Lemieux-Charles Health System Leadership Award.
Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde, MD, PhD
Dr. Ibukun Abejirinde is a scientist at the Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners and associate professor (affiliated scientist) at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.
She leads a transdisciplinary research program advancing health equity across the health system, working collaboratively with policymakers, patients, community organizations and researchers. She is a 2022 AMS Healthcare Fellow in Compassion and Artificial Intelligence, and co-leads the digital health equity hub of the International Collaborative for Translational Digital Health.
Dr. Kim Simmonds, PhD
Dr. Kim Simmonds, PhD, is the Chief Executive Officer of Primary Care Alberta, serving as the inaugural leader of Alberta’s provincial primary care agency since November 2024.
An epidemiologist by training, she brings senior leadership experience across academia, government, and the private sector, including serving as Assistant Deputy Minister of Health and in executive roles focused on system planning, quality, and innovation. She holds a PhD and MSc in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary.
Lana Bentley
Lana Bentley is Executive Director of the Women’s Centre of Calgary. She has spent her career championing women and girls. A family therapist by training, Lana is also an award-wining instructor at Mount Royal University.
A strong believer in investing in your community and celebrating diversity, Lana sits on several boards including Youth Central Calgary, the Alberta College of Opticians, and the Black Heritage Committee at Heritage Park. When she’s not working or volunteering, you can find Lana on the ski hill, cheering on the Toronto Raptors, or adding to her ever growing sneaker collection.
Dr. Claire Barber, MD, PhD
Dr. Claire Barber, MD, PhD, FRCPC, is a Rheumatologist and Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. She holds the Grace Glaum Professorship in Arthritis Research in the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health and serves as Associate Vice Chair of Planetary Health in the Department of Medicine.
Her research focuses on learning health systems and the use of real-world data to generate and apply evidence that supports continuous learning, improved care delivery, and better patient and population outcomes
D'Arcy Duquette
D’Arcy is a patient partner and health-care advocate involved with several provincial and community organizations, including the Critical Care Program Improvement and Integration Network, Choosing Wisely Canada, Imagine Citizens Network and Kidney Disease – Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO).
As a cancer survivor who has experienced the Alberta health-care system through colon, lung and bladder cancers, he brings both personal and professional perspectives to his advocacy. He is committed to helping build a safe, high-quality health-care system for everyone and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for Community and Healthcare Advocacy in 2023.
Dr. Kirsten Fiest, PhD
Scientific Director, O'Brien Institute for Public Health
Dr. Kirsten Fiest is the Institute’s Scientific Director and a professor of critical care medicine, community health sciences, and psychiatry at the CSM. She brings deep expertise, a passion for public health, and a collaborative vision to the Institute’s leadership.
An accomplished researcher, her work focuses on improving outcomes for critically ill patients and their families through patient- and family-centered care and meaningful partnerships.
Dr. Khara Sauro, PhD
Associate Scientific Director, Health Systems, O'Brien Institute for Public Health
Dr. Khara Sauro is an Associate Professor and Ohlson Professor of Head & Neck Health Services Research, in the Departments of Surgery, Community Health Sciences and Oncology.
Her research focuses on improving the quality and safety of care for patients with head and neck Cancer, especially those who undergo major surgical treatment, to optimize the health of these patients. She has a particular interest in leveraging routinely collected administrative data to evaluate the quality of healthcare and the application of knowledge translation and quality improvement methodologies for improving healthcare delivery.
Dr. Zahra Goodarzi, MD
Dr. Zahra Goodarzi is an academic geriatrician. She is Division Head for Geriatric Medicine, Medical Lead for Specialized Geriatric Services and Transition Services and Program Director for Leaders in Medicine.
Her major research interests involve knowledge translation, knowledge synthesis and qualitative methods to improve the lives of older adults. She examines the experiences of older adults living in supportive living and long-term care with frailty, dementia, concomitant mood disorders or neuropsychiatric symptoms. She is co-lead for the Geriatric Emergency Medicine Team, restraints reduction team for Calgary and the national special interest group.
Dr. Doreen Rabi, MD
Dr. Doreen Rabi is an internist and clinical endocrinologist, and head of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the Department of Medicine at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine. She is also a professor in the Departments of Medicine, Cardiac Sciences, and Community Health Sciences, in addition to being a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the O’Brien Institute for Public Health.
Dr. Rabi's scholarly work uses multiple methodologies to understand how we best support care for those living with clinical and situational complexity. She is well known in the clinical guideline community and is very interested in the role of clinical guidance as tool for health equity promotion.
Dr. Lara Cooke, MD
Dr. Lara Cooke is a neurologist and professor in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, and Associate Dean of Health Education Research and Innovation. She completed her medical residency and fellowship training at the University of Calgary, following a master’s degree in Physiology from the University of Western Ontario.
Dr. Cooke has held several leadership roles in medical education, including serving as the Cumming School of Medicine’s first Assistant Dean of Faculty Development and Associate Dean of Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development and head of the Division of Neurology. Her research interests include medical education, program evaluation, and physician learning, specifically in the context of audit and group feedback.
Dr. Matt James, MD, PhD
Dr. Matthew James is a clinician scientist and nephrologist, and a professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. He is also a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the O’Brien Institute for Public Health.
Dr. James holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Calgary. His research focuses on kidney and cardiovascular disease, with an emphasis on risk prediction, clinical decision support and improving quality of care through patient-oriented research, implementation science and pragmatic clinical trials.
Dr. Perri Tutelman, PhD
Dr. Perri Tutelman is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor in Transdisciplinary Digital Mental Health in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary as well as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.
Currently, her research is focused on developing novel patient-oriented interventions to support the wellbeing of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer. She works closely with patient partners to co-design research that addresses what matters most to patients and their families. Dr. Tutelman’s work has been recognized with grants and awards from national funding bodies including the Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Pan-Canadian Palliative Care Research Collaborative, and the Royal Society of Canada.
Lance Tanke
Lance is a patient partner at the Thrive Lab led by Dr. Tutelman. Drawing on his lived experience with cancer, he works collaboratively with the research team to ensure patient priorities and perspectives are integrated throughout the research process. He is dedicated to promoting patient-centered cancer care and research to enhance outcomes and the experiences of future patients and their families.
Dr. Nicole George, PhD
Dr. Nicole George, PhD is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, mentored by Dr. Kathryn Birnie and Dr. Melanie Noel. Nicole earned her PhD in Rehabilitation Science at McGill University. Her postdoctoral research focuses on advancing equitable pain care, research, and policy for young people in Alberta.
Dr. Kathryn Birnie, PhD
Associate Scientific Director, Population Health, O'Brien Institute for Public Health
Dr. Kathryn Birnie is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, and Community Health Sciences, as well as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Psychology.
She is also the Associate Scientific Director of Solutions for Kids in Pain, a research program striving towards quality equitable pain management for children through partnerships with youth, families, health professionals, policymakers, hospitals, and community organizations. Dr. Birnie is a passionate advocate for integrating individuals, families, and communities into the heart of health research, healthcare delivery, and health systems design.