ERNA BUFFIE has been writing and directing award-winning documentary films for the last 20 years. From television series to art and science documentaries, Erna’s films have screened in festivals around the world and appeared on a variety of television networks. Her most recent documentary film, Killed by Care: Making Medicine Safe aired in November on CBC’s The Nature of Things.
 BILL CARR earns rave reviews with convention audiences as a humorous keynote speaker and after-dinner entertainer. Carr takes witty and acerbic stabs at political and social issues delivering fresh insight and thought-provoking perspectives on today's reality. As well as being light and humorous, he delivers speeches on creativity and communication that find relevance with all of his audiences. His reviews are outstanding! Carr researches his clients’ needs and develops fresh material guaranteed to jolt, enlighten and entertain. Popular characters such as the Right Reverend User- Paye, Butch Cleaver or Sheik Yar Boute are in demand — or Carr will create a brand new character to suit the event! Your world will not be the same after you've seen it through the eyes of BILL CARR! If laughter is the best medicine, then a healthy dose of BILL CARR is just what the doctor ordered. He also enjoys a career on the stage, most recently in Neptune Theatre’s acclaimed productions of Art and The Government Inspector. He was featured in five seasons at the Atlantic theatre Festival and has toured with theatre companies across Canada. For many years Bill was a regular humorous/political commentator on CBC television and radio and has appeared in several television shows including Black Harbour, Red Green and the Halifax Comedy Festival. Bill has been involved in the production, writing and performance of several videos including the poignant Dancing Inside, in which he also stars. He has created and narrates a new hour-long CBC Radio show, Higher Ground, which draws upon his considerable background as a student of theology and philosophy.
 PATRICK CROSKERRY is a Clinical Consultant in Patient Safety, and Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University. He holds a cross-appointment in the Faculty of Medical Education and, in 2002, was appointed a Senior Clinical Research Scholar at Dalhousie. In addition to his medical training, he holds a doctorate in experimental psychology with fellowship training in clinical psychology.
Patrick has worked in the area of medical errors and patient safety for the past 10 years. His research is principally concerned with the impact of cognitive and affective error on clinical decision making, and he has published 30 articles and several book chapters in the area of medical error, and medical education reform. Patrick has also worked in the area of shift-work and the impact of circadian dysynchronicity on health and performance in the workplace. In the last five years, he has given over 100 invited presentations, principally in the area of healthcare safety, at the provincial, national and international level.
In 2000, Patrick directed the first clinical symposium on medical error in Canada; an event that was repeated in 2001 and 2002. The ‘Halifax’ symposium continues as the premier event in healthcare safety in Canada.
Five years ago, Patrick implemented the first undergraduate course on medical error in Canada at Dalhousie University. The course was adapted for medical residents, and offered in 2002. Both courses are now permanent fixtures in undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. He has published several papers on this approach and, in 2003, implemented a series of faculty development seminars in patient safety at Dalhousie University.
Patrick is an associate editor of the Academic Emergency Medicine journal and a reviewer for several other leading journals. He served as a member of the Patient Safety Task Force of the (US) Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, as well as the working group on Education and Professional Development for the National Steering Committee on Patient Safety (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; 2002), and the Provincial Patient Safety Working Group (Nova Scotia; 2003-2004).
 THERESA FILLATRE is Director Health Services for Hants Community Hospital, Capital Health. She is graduate of St. Boniface School of Nursing, in Winnipeg, and holds an undergraduate degree in social work, a Masters in Health Services Administration from Dalhousie University, and the designation of Certified Health Executive. Over the past 35 years, Theresa has practised in a variety of areas, including mental health, acute care, public health, continuing care, and community-based care. She currently serves as Chair of the Bluenose Chapter of the Canadian College Health Service Executives, and is a surveyor for the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, and a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
 COSTAS HALAVREZOS was born on Boxing Day in Saint John, New Brunswick, where his parents operated “Nick’s Coffee Counter”. It was the perfect training ground for public broadcasting as it gave him the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and free access to the latest newspapers and magazines.
Costas studied in physics at St. Francis Xavier University, but after getting a BSc he returned to take a year of Arts courses.
He began freelancing for CBC Radio in the mid-70s and was hired as a producer in Saint John in 1978. Four years later, he began hosting. From 1985 to 1987, he worked with CBC Radio in Quebec City. Aside from duties on the daily shows, he wrote and hosted the network program Radio Active, which showcased music and performers of the Francophone world.
Costas made his return trip to the East Coast in 1987, and has been living happily ever after with the Maritime Noon team. He has been guest host on such network program as Cross Country Checkup and As It Happens, and as a prelude to the 2004 Olympics, he researched and prepared 10 brief documentaries on Contemporary Greece. He loves pickup basketball, playing bass with The BBQ Kings, and any activity that involves spending time with his family.
 PHILIP HASSEN is Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Patient Safety Institute. Philip Hassen has had a distinguished career in health service management and policy. He most recently served as Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Prior to this position, Philip served as President and CEO of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. He has also held the position of President and CEO of Providence Health Care in Vancouver; President of St. Joseph's Health Centre in London, Ontario; and COO and Senior VP of the Toronto Hospital's Toronto Western Division. In Calgary, he was the Executive Vice-President of the Foothills Provincial General Hospital.
Philip is a Fellow of the Canadian College of Health Services Executives and has a BSc (Honours) in Unified Science from Wayne State University and a Master of Public Health Administration from the University of Michigan.
Throughout his career, Philip has stressed the importance of a patient and client-centered focus with an emphasis on improving the quality of care for Canadians and strengthening leadership in health care and systems-thinking
JEFF KIRBY, MD, MA(Phil) is an ethics consultant with the Dalhousie University Department of Bioethics. His primary responsibilities relate to Ethics Collaboration between the Department of Bioethics and Capital Health. Jeff’s particular areas of interest and research are organizational ethics, ethics support for policy development, and clinical ethics consultation. Jeff also works part-time as a physician psychotherapist at Dalhousie University Health Services.
NEIL J. MacKINNON, PhD, RPh, is an Associate Professor at the Dalhousie University College of Pharmacy. He is also cross-appointed to the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, and to the School of Health Services Administration, Faculty of Health Professions. Neil’s primary research interest focuses on improving the medication use system. He edited a book published by the Canadian Pharmacists Association, on seamless care, and he has received several research grants related to medication safety.
 BONNIE SALSMAN has over 20 years of pharmacy experience, including clinical pharmacy practice, drug distribution and hospital pharmacy management. She was the Director of Pharmacy at Camp Hill Medical Centre from 1992-1995, and at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre from 1995-2001. She has contributed extensively to professional pharmacy journals, and has given presentations on clinical pharmacy, management and medication safety topics to a wide variety of audiences. Bonnie is a past-president of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP), a past board member of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Hospital Pharmacy Residency Board, and a member of the CSHP Board of Fellows.
Bonnie was the chairperson of Health Canada’s Resource Management Subgroup on Pandemic Influenza Planning, and served for five years as a member of the Management Advisory Committee for Health Canada’s Therapeutic Products Directorate. She recently served as a representative on the Canadian Coalition for Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention, and was a member of the National Steering Committee on Patient Safety. She is the managing editor of the Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Annual Report, and is a member of the Board of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. She is currently a pharmacy management and medication safety consultant, based in Halifax.
EVELYN SCHALLER is Vice-President of Patient Services for the Cape Breton District Health Authority and has, to her credit, a remarkable career in healthcare administration. A registered nurse by profession, Evelyn is a graduate of the Victoria General Hospital School of Nursing, in Halifax, and has a bachelor and master’s degree in nursing from Dalhousie University. In 1998, the Canadian Hospital Association presented her with a National Leadership Award.
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