Dr. Mike Heenan: The World is Constantly Learning

Dr. Mike Heenan is the President and CEO of St. Joseph's Health System and President of St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. On the episode, Mike tells us about a time when he received one very striking complaint and how it pivoted his work and that of the organization. We also speak to Mike about his career path and how no matter who you are, you can have an impact on someone's life. Throughout his career, Mike has dedicated a lot of time to learning. He shares with us his views on how it's an important balance for all of us to keep in view. While covering some heavy but important topics, Mike also touches on how his family grounds him. And of course, how he's a big Blue Jays fan! Quotables: "I think when you go through life and you say what's my value proposition, it allows you to focus on what gets you up every day and it doesn't look like a transactional job, but a career calling." – M. Heenan "It's these real-life experiences that can stop you as a leader… but it's these humanistic ethical issues that really make a leader pivot and say enough is enough, we really need to deal with this." – M. Heenan "This happens in coffee shops, and it happens in hospitals. And so, I'm not going to change society overnight in one healthcare organization, but I can contribute to us fixing it one incident at a time, or one hospital at a time." – M. Heenan "Even though we have signs in our hallways across all our hospitals in this country that say there's zero tolerance, the fact of the matter is, we do tolerate some of it." – M. Heenan "Someone like the IHI or HIROC who sees all these different organizations can bring this very diverse perspective to a table and apply it depending on the environment." – M. Heenan "I appreciate all of HIROC's support. Most people see HIROC perhaps from an insurance reciprocal perspective but the value-added services and the partnership it provides to the whole continuum of providing quality care…" – M. Heenan Mentioned in this Episode: - St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton - St. Joseph's Health System - Catherine Gaulton - HIROC - Dr. Kevin Smith - University Health Network - National Museum of African American History - Institute for Healthcare Improvement - Longwoods - London Health Sciences Centre - McMaster University - Ontario Hospital Association - Toronto Blue Jays Access More Interviews with Healthcare Leaders at HIROC.com/podcast

You can listen to Dr. Mike Heenan: The World is Constantly Learning online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Dr. Mike Heenan: The World is Constantly Learning is an episode from Healthcare Change Makers by Philip De Souza.

This episode is 46:48 long.

This episode was published on Oct 15, 2025.

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