NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jun 9, 2013) -

What: National Health Leadership Conference 2013, From rhetoric to action: Achieving person and family-centered health systems

When: Day 1: Monday, June 10, 2013, from 9:10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (Opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m.)

Where: Sheraton on the Falls, 5875 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario - Great Room

Despite much talk and some action, we are far from achieving a health system in Canada that is fundamentally designed to focus explicitly on people by being respectful to their preferences, needs and values. How can health leaders implement an integrated person and family-centered health system across the entire health system? This question will be the focus of the National Health Leadership Conference, on June 10 and 11, 2013, in Halifax, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Hosted by the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the Canadian Healthcare Association, this annual conference is the largest national gathering of health system leaders in Canada, with more than 750 health leaders expected in Niagara Falls. Themed, From rhetoric to action: Achieving person and family-centered health systems, the conference will challenge governments, health leaders, trustees, providers and the public to take concrete steps to move person and family-centered care from rhetoric to reality.

Day 1 speakers include:

• Margaret Trudeau, celebrated Canadian and mental health advocate, shares her experience as a patient and discusses the role that healthcare professionals, family and friends have - as well as her own role - towards recovery and dealing with day-to-day positively on Monday, June 10, 09:10 - 10:15

• Brian Goldman (host of CBC's White Coat, Black Art), Durhane Wong-Rieger (Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes), Shirlee Sharkey (Saint Elizabeth Healthcare), Hélène Campbell (double-lung transplant recipient), and Barbara Farlow (Patients for Patient Safety Canada) will discuss the next steps to achieving patient and family-centered health systems on Monday, June 10, 15:30 - 17:00

Presenter biographies, concurrent session and poster project abstracts can be found at http://www.nhlc-cnls.ca. Follow us on Twitter @NHLC2013 and #NHLC2013.