University of Waterloo delivers AI executive program for regional health leaders

The University of Waterloo has partnered with the Waterloo Regional Health Network to run a new executive education program focused on how senior health leaders are responding to the operational, clinical, and ethical impact of artificial intelligence.

The University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has delivered a new executive education program on artificial intelligence in health care through WatSPEED, its professional and corporate education arm, in collaboration with the Waterloo Regional Health Network. The two-day program reflects growing pressure on health systems to build AI literacy at leadership level as generative and agentic AI tools move from experimentation into operational use.

Focus on leadership and AI decision-making

WatSPEED and the Waterloo Regional Health Network worked together to design the program for senior leaders responsible for guiding 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 technical implementation alone.

“This collaboration with WRHN reflects the urgent need for senior decision-makers in health care to not only understand AI, but to lead with it responsibly,” says Aaron Pereira, executive director of WatSPEED. “AI is shaping patient care and hospital operations, and this investment in our region’s health care leaders will strengthen their capacity to drive innovation, improve system performance and confidently lead transformation.”

More than 30 participants took part in the program, with sessions designed to support decision-making around AI strategy, governance, and system readiness.

Building AI capability inside health systems

The program was developed to align with the Waterloo Regional Health Network’s broader approach to AI strategy and innovation. Danina Kapetanovic, vice president of innovation and chief health innovation officer at WRHN and Waterloo, says the collaboration helped shape internal conversations about how AI will be adopted across the organization.

“Building literacy and leadership capacity around AI is essential for any health system preparing for the future,” Kapetanovic says. “Working with WatSPEED to shape this program ensured it supported the leadership capabilities we need as we build WRHN’s AI strategy. It helped spark meaningful conversations among our team about the future of health in Waterloo Region, the vision we are defining for WRHN, and the conditions we need to put in place to adopt AI responsibly.”

The program content addressed the shift from predictive to generative and agentic AI, alongside leadership models for managing change in complex health environments.

Faculty-led approach and wider implications

Sessions were led by faculty and advisors from across the University of Waterloo, including Joël Blit, professor of economics; John Hirdes, professor in the School of Public Health Sciences; Jimmy Lin, Cheriton Chair in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science; Mark Weber, special advisor to the provost on leadership strategy and development; Ian McKillop, associate professor of management and systems in the School of Public Health Sciences; Ana Crisan, assistant professor at the Cheriton School; and Michael Page, WatSPEED program advisor and director of AI commercialization at Unity Health Toronto.

The university positions the initiative as part of its wider effort to connect research expertise with real-world leadership challenges, particularly as AI adoption accelerates across public services. For education and EdTech stakeholders, the program signals growing demand for executive-level AI education that moves beyond skills training toward governance, ethics, and system-wide decision-making.