The University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has partnered with the Waterloo Region Health Network to offer a new executive education program on artificial intelligence in healthcare through its professional and corporate education arm, WatSPEED. The two-day program reflects the increasing pressure on the health system.I Generative and literacy skills at the leadership level agent AI The tool moves from experimentation to production.
Focus on leadership and AI decision making
WatSPEED and Waterloo Regional Health Network have teamed up to design a program for senior leaders responsible for leading long-term transformation across hospitals and health systems. According to information shared by the University of Waterloo on LinkedIn, the course was held earlier this week and focused on the strategic implications of AI adoption, rather than just the technical implementation.
“This partnership with WRHN reflects the urgent need for senior decision makers in healthcare to not only understand AI, but also to lead it responsibly,” said Aaron Pereira, Executive Director of WatSPEED. “AI is shaping patient care and hospital operations, and this investment in healthcare leaders in the region will strengthen their ability to drive innovation, improve system performance, and lead transformation with confidence.”
The program attracted more than 30 participants and featured sessions designed to support decision-making around AI strategy, governance, and system readiness.
Build AI capabilities within your healthcare system
The program was developed in line with Waterloo Region Health Network's broader approach to AI strategy and innovation. Danina Kapetanovic, vice president of innovation and chief health innovation officer for WRHN and Waterloo, said the collaboration helped shape the internal conversation about how to implement AI across the organization.
“Building AI literacy and leadership capacity is essential for future-ready health systems,” Kapetanovic said. “Working with WatSPEED to form this program ensured we supported the leadership capabilities needed as we built WRHN's AI strategy. This led to meaningful conversations within our team about the future of health care in Waterloo Region, the vision we are defining for WRHN, and the conditions that need to be in place to responsibly implement AI.”
Program content covered the transition from predictive AI to generative and agentic AI, along with leadership models for managing change in complex healthcare environments.
Faculty-led approach and broad impact
The sessions were led by faculty and advisors from across the University of Waterloo, including economics professor Joel Britt; John Hildes, Professor, School of Public Health Sciences; Jimmy Lin, Cheriton Professor in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science; Mark Weber, Special Advisor to the President on Leadership Strategy and Development. Ian McKillop, associate professor of management and systems in the School of Public Health; Anna Crisan, Assistant Professor, Cheriton School. and Michael Page, WatSPEED Program Advisor and Director of AI Commercialization at Unity Health Toronto.
The University positions this initiative as part of a broader effort to connect research expertise with real-world leadership challenges, especially as the adoption of AI accelerates across public services. This program demonstrates the growing demand for education and EdTech stakeholders for executive-level AI education that moves beyond skills training toward governance, ethics, and system-wide decision-making.
