Strategic Advisory Council Bios
George S. Attar
Mr. Attar worked for two major companies in his 40-year career. His first half of his 40 years he spent at Accenture. Mr. Attar served as a partner with Accenture where his 21-year career within the firm gave him significant experience in a variety of industries helping companies achieve their business objectives.
In 2003, Mr. Attar joined McKesson Canada as CIO, a role he did for 17 of the almost 19 years at McKesson Canada. He also held several other executive roles at McKesson Canada including SVP Strategy & Business Development for 5 years, SVP of Government Affairs for 5 years, SVP of Technology Solutions for 10 years, and was also responsible for the development and implementation of McKesson Canada’s digital strategy in 2017 though 2021.
George S. Attar is currently an executive coach, currently working for several corporations helping their executives become more effective leaders.
Mr. Attar has been on the board of GS1 for over 10 years and is currently on the board of GS1 Canada and on the executive and the audit committee of GS1.
Mr. Attar earned his Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.
Judy Birdsell
Judy Birdsell is one of the founders of Imagine Citizens Network (ICN) a Society whose mission is to enhance citizens’ ability to become valued partners in improving healthcare experiences and outcomes for people living in Alberta. She has always had a deep commitment to patient perspectives in health, as demonstrated by more than 30 years volunteering in leadership positions with several national non-profits.
Her passion for this cause was further fueled by a series of events surrounding her sister’s death in 2006. Her personal consciousness having been raised by these events, her family and her have experienced many other situations that have reinforced the absolute necessity of people (who are sometimes patients) being much more knowledgeable and engaged in their own healthcare journey (and that of their communities).
Professionally, she has a background in policy and strategy consulting, mainly in the field of health research policy. Previous volunteer roles have included President of Canadian Cancer Society; Board Chair, Stem Cell Network; Board Chair, Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative; Member, CIHR Stem Cell Oversight Committee; Board Member, Health Quality Council of Alberta and Board Chair, MCF Housing for Seniors. Currently Judy is a member of the following: Citizens Advisory Committee, Canadian Institutes for Health Research ( CIHR) North American Advisory Panel, Healthcare Information and Management System Society (HIMSS) and member of the Strategic Advisory Panel for Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Healthcare Systems (MAPS) for Alberta Health.
She had previously received three national awards to recognize her achievements in the voluntary sector and in 2020 was deeply honoured to be awarded the Order of Canada.
Dr. Allan Conway
Dr. Allan Conway, professor emeritus of strategy and entrepreneurship at the Odette School of Business, was the Dean of the School for over a decade. During that time, Dr. Conway dramatically altered the entrepreneurial landscape at the University of Windsor. While overseeing a faculty complement of over 60 full-time and 40 part-time professors, Dr. Conway took the time to promote curricular and extra-curricular change. Bringing a wealth of knowledge gained from his experiences at the Universities of Calgary, Western Ontario, and Harvard, Dr. Conway promoted faculty expertise, university infrastructure, and student engagement in entrepreneurship. He has consulted for a wide variety of organizations and has authored four books.
Dr. Peter Vaughan
Dr. Peter Wayne Vaughan, C.M., C.D., is a leader in the digital transformation and modernization of healthcare. Through his roles as Deputy Minister of Health and Wellness for Nova Scotia, CEO of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), and Chair of Canada Health Infoway board of directors, he has pioneered initiatives to improve access to virtual healthcare, reduce wait times, and facilitate the secure sharing of patient information.
In 2021, Dr. Vaughan was appointed to the Order of Canada for his contribution to Canada’s health care system, and his pioneering leadership in the establishment and advancement of digital health. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contribution to healthcare in Canada.
A former RCAF Special Operation Flight Surgeon, he was Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Medical Service for three terms during the war in Afghanistan. He was awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration in 2010.
Over the course of his career Peter has led ground-breaking policy initiatives. In 1998, while at CMA, his Access to Quality Care work presciently mapped out the challenges Canadians still face accessing health care across the continuum. This almost immediately resulted in the announcement of a federally funded $2.5 million initiative called the Western Canada Waiting List Project to develop protocols and tools to manage waiting lists according to clinical urgency. This work subsequently contributed to the $5.5 million Wait Times Reduction Fund that was a centrepiece of the 2004 First Ministers Health Accord.
Back in 1998 there was no federal legislation dealing with the privacy of personal health information. Peter oversaw the development of the CMA’s 1998 Health Information Privacy Code. According to the Canadian Medical Association, this almost certainly was an impetus that spurred the development of the Patient Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act which received Royal Assent in 2000.
As Deputy Minister of Health of Nova Scotia, Peter led the consolidation of nine regional health authorities into a single provincial health authority. He championed the development and launch of MyhealthNS, the first provincial-level personal health record that enabled patients to access their laboratory and diagnostic imaging results.
Before heading to Johns Hopkins to study epidemiology and preventive medicine in 1996, Peter was an entrepreneurial family physician with a very active hospital and community-based practice. Between 1986 and 1996, he helped pioneer the development of electronic medical records, and several interdisciplinary collaborative practices in Guelph, Ontario.