Geneviève Côté is currently the Manager of the Patient Relations Department after a 5-year tenure as the Professional Practice Manager for Psychosocial Services at The Ottawa Hospital. She graduated with a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Ottawa in 1998 and has since worked in health care in London, England and Ottawa, Canada. She has had the privilege of presenting on her work at national and international social work leadership, spiritual care, psychosocial oncology and clinical risk management conferences and has published several articles. She was the elected council member for the Champlain region with the OCSWSSW from 2004-2010 and has taught on topics such as recording of ethical issues, psychosocial oncology and advanced counselling in the contexts of professional development and MSW programs with Dalhousie University, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. She is the 2016 recipient of the Ontario Association of Social Workers’ Eastern Branch’s ‘Bessie Touzel’ Award and the 2019 recipient of The Ottawa Hospital Outstanding Leader Award. She is a recent graduate of the Master of Health Law program from Osgoode Hall at York University.

Marc-Antoine Deschamps has been a paramedic for 23 years and is currently an Advanced Care paramedic and the Superintendent - Public Information with the Ottawa Paramedic Service.

Dr. Dholakia is an assistant professor at the Department of Mental Health and the medical director of ethics at The Ottawa Hospital and Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa. Clinically, he wears many hats through the week, with outpatient mental health , geriatric psychiatry and psychosocial oncology. He is an educator, working closely with undergraduate and post graduate medical students as an anglophone content expert and post graduation site education director at the general campus. Saumil's core areas of interests is exploring and understanding the unique nature of human suffering at health intersections of cancer, mental illnesses and end of life. For this session, he will attempt to bring on a humanistic lens to the discussion, with the entire living with risk concept when it comes to difficult discharges.

Isabelle is a dedicated social worker with 12 years of experience in the Emergency and Intensive Care Units at Montfort Hospital. A
proud Franco-Ontarian, she holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Ottawa, where her thesis focused on
prostitution, morality, and feminist perspectives. For the past three years, she has also served as the clinical ethics liaison at Montfort
Hospital, providing guidance on complex ethical dilemmas in patient care. Passionate about advocating for vulnerable populations, she
specializes in crisis intervention, discharge planning, and connecting patients with essential community resources. Her expertise in
acute care settings and commitment to patient-centered support make her a key member of the interprofessional healthcare team.

Julie Stonehouse registered midwife at the Midwifery Collective of Ottawa and the Division Head of Midwifery at the Ottawa Hospital. Holding a Masters of International Affairs with a focus on Women’s Health as well as a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery and Bachelor of Business Administration, she applies both clinical expertise and a strategic, systems-based approach to advancing the quality of care for pregnant folks and families in the Ottawa community. Her practice is deeply rooted in the principles of informed choice, empowering people to make autonomous, well-supported decisions about their health and birth experience. With a strong commitment to quality improvement, Julie works with her fabulous team of midwives to actively drive initiatives that enhance clinical outcomes and optimize the care delivery process. She is a passionate advocate for evidence-based practices that improve safety, patient satisfaction and empowerment. She works to foster a culture of continuous learning, collaboration and sustainability within the midwifery community. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Julie is the proud mother of three teenaged girls who are active show jumpers and the owner of a hobby farm with a compliment of animal characters that keep her smiling. Her diverse roles in both the healthcare sector and her personal life reflect a deep commitment to health and nature. She is generally tired. But coffee helps.