Elections – CSRT Board of Directors

Biography

Kari grew up professionally at St. Michael’s, at countless patient bedsides as a Respiratory Therapist, alongside many colleagues, through multiple leadership roles, and completion of the masters of science in community health - health practitioner teacher educator program at U of T. Kari has dedicated her energy to leading multiple healthcare teams and to developing high functioning healthcare teams – focusing on clinical excellence, individual performance, team performance and the impact on experience.  Currently she is the Clinical Leader Manager – Clinical Excellence and Team Development and Anesthesia Assistants at Unity Health Toronto – St. Michael’s, with a major portion of that role tasked with the build and implementation of the Critical Care Department Strategic Plan. Through this role, Kari established the Centre of Excellence in Mechanical Ventilation (CoEMV), developed the Extra-Corporeal Life Support Program, and is in the final stages of creating the Team Training & Clinical Excellence (TTrACE) Academy. The Academy is a unique, team-based program designed to focus on ‘how we do the work’ that support the organizations vision of achieving the best care experiences, created together. Outside of her professional work, she finds great joy in raising her two boys and watching them explore what the world has to offer.

Statement of Intent

To my fellow colleagues

I am grateful for the opportunity in putting my name forward for your consideration as a candidate for the CSRT Board of Directors – Critical Care position. I feel fortunate to have 25 years of experience in this profession, in different capacities and roles.  The last few years have been our biggest challenge as co-workers, family members, and humans. As Respiratory Therapists, we worked tirelessly through each wave and now need to redirect our energy to finding our place in the ‘new normal’ of the healthcare world.

Critical Care can be an unpredictable and complex environment. The challenges in Critical Care change depending on the organizational structure, leadership, geography, staffing, and patient population. I am fortunate to work in an organization that supports equitable opportunity for health disciplines, one that supports RTs working to their full scope of practice for the better care of our patients. This has allowed me to lead the build and implementation of our hospital’s strategic plan: The World Class Specialty Care Area – Critical Care. Through liaison with patients and families, clinicians, the Foundation, and executive leadership we are seeing success. It’s not lost on me that I am in a position of privilege here – from the support in this role to the continued support for our excellence in clinical practice.

Success in this Board position would be three fold: 1. Contribute to a continued equitable, inclusive, and diverse conversation on the role of the RT in Critical Care and how that remains a positive influence on the profession overall, 2. A meaningful and purposeful involvement to the development of the strategic priorities of the next CSRT Strategic Agenda by identifying the range of needs, challenges, risks and successes, and 3. Applying concepts from our own strategic plan build and highly functional team behaviours/qualities to this role in helping reach the deliverable goals.

I thank you in advance for your consideration and wish you all the best.

Kari White, RRT, FCSRT, MScCH (HPTE)