O TYM ODCINKU
Children’s healthcare extends far beyond hospital walls. In this episode, host Dr. Katharine Smart speaks with Dr. Vera Etches, President and CEO of CHEO, about how pediatric systems can evolve to better meet children and families where they are.
Drawing on her public health background, Dr. Etches shares how CHEO is redefining its role - not only as a hospital, but as a connected health system anchored in community partnerships.
Together, they unpack what “right-sizing” children’s healthcare really means: improving access and equity, supporting primary care teams, and reducing the need for families to travel long distances for specialized services. Dr. Etches highlights innovations such as regional virtual mental health supports, expanding pediatric surgery into community hospitals through collaborative models, and using data and patient feedback to tailor care pathways and strengthen capacity close to home.
They also explore emerging opportunities, including precision child and youth mental health, AI-enabled personalization, and how schools, cultural safety, and public health intersect with clinical care.
Through a lens of co-design, continuous learning, and system-wide collaboration, Dr. Etches offers a candid look at how CHEO is leveraging research, data, and community relationships to deliver care in the right place; whether at home, in schools, in primary care, or virtually.
The conversation offers a practical, inspiring look at how “right-sizing” children’s healthcare can create more equitable, integrated, and community-rooted systems.
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