NIHS Policymaker-Research Dialogue

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The NIHS Policymaker-Research Dialogue brings policymakers and researchers together to identify and discuss the most critical policy needs in Ontario’s healthcare system. This event features a panel of policymakers who will share their perspectives on current policy needs and areas requiring more research. This event may be of particular interest to researchers looking to situate their research within our healthcare policy landscape. The NIHS Policymaker-Research Dialogue hopes to foster new connections and encourage submissions to the second NIHS Call for Proposals (deadline December 12, 2023).

Panelist Bios

Angeline Ng

Angeline Ng is a graduate of the University of Toronto Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, a Registered Pharmacist with the Ontario College of Pharmacists, and currently the Vice President of Professional Affairs at the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA). Throughout her career, Angeline has worked in a variety of different pharmacy settings including community pharmacy, long-term care pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, and teaching. In her current position at the OPA, she is focused on advancing the profession through advocacy, with a goal to shape a sustainable and positive future for pharmacy professionals, patients, and our broader health system.

Ned Pojskic

Ned Pojskic is GreenShield’s Vice President of Pharmacy Benefits Management. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing both the strategic and operational elements of the Green Shield Administration pharmacy benefits management function, which includes leading GreenShield’s strategic direction with respect to pharmacy and drug benefits management as well as oversight of drug pricing, formulary management, specialty pharmacy, patient support programs, and drug prior authorization. Ned has an industry background that includes a role as Director of Health Policy for the Ontario Pharmacists Association and also holds Masters and PhD degrees from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toronto, where he is currently appointed as an adjunct lecturer.

Shenda Tanchak

Shenda Tanchak is the Registrar and CEO of the Ontario College of Pharmacists (OCP). Her regulatory career spans more than 25 years, having served in leadership and consulting capacities with regulators across the country. Before joining OCP, Shenda was a regulatory consultant who helped organizations reach agreements about policy and programs, strategic plans, collaborative partnerships and internal governance. Prior to her consulting career, Shenda served as CEO and Registrar of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario and Senior Advisor to the Executive Office at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. She is a three-times past President of the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario (now called Health Profession Regulators of Ontario) and chaired the Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators Registrar’s Committee for two terms. Shenda possesses a diverse academic background, including a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, both of which build on her earlier education in advertising and public relations. She is a non-practicing member of the Law Society of Ontario.

The Network for Improving Health Systems is a collaboration between the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (LDFP) and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) at the University of Toronto. The NIHS is creating a strong engine for evidence and knowledge transfer around improving the health care system including evolving pharmacy practice and related health policy.