End-of-Life Care in Canada: Insights from the Field

Join us for a special lecture by Dr. Christopher A. Klinger, Translational Research Program instructor and Recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal. This lecture will feature a talk, a moderated panel discussion, and Q&A. 

Talk title: Hospice Palliative Care and Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada - An Evolution  

Dr. Klinger’s talk will highlight milestones towards hospice and palliative care service provision in Canada and raise awareness of barriers and facilitators in the quest for evidence-based, holistic, patient-centred care for all. 

Moderator

Raza M. Mirza, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Institute for Life Course and Aging and Director, National Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization, HelpAge Canada, TRP Instructor.

Panelists

• Amanda Maragos, CVA Director of Client Services and Volunteer Programs Philip Aziz Centre
• Dr. Fahad Qureshi, Palliative Care Physician, Long Term Care 
• Holly Bartley, Community Life Team Leader, Christie Gardens 

Agenda

• 5:30 - 5:35 pm: Opening remarks by Dr. Rita Kandel, Chair, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology 
• 5:35 - 5:55 pm: Special Lecture by Dr. Christopher A. Klinger, Sessional Lecturer II and Recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal   
• 5:55 - 6:30 pm: Moderated discussion + Q&A 
• 6:30 - 7 pm: Networking 

When and where

This is an in-person event.

Wednesday, March 26, 5:30 - 7 pm ET

TRP Auditorium
263 McCaul St. Toronto, ON

Register now

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About the speakers

Dr. Christopher A. Klinger

Christopher is a Research Scientist with Pallium Canada and chairs the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly’s (NICE) End-of-Life Issues Theme Team, a knowledge transfer network dedicated to enhancing the care of older adults in Canada and abroad.

He also chairs the Quality End-of-Life Care Coalition of Canada’s (QELCCC) Research and Knowledge Translation Committee, a group of national stakeholder organizations concerned about quality end-of-life care.

He is a knowledgeable and experienced educator and has presented at numerous conferences. He regularly teaches courses on aging, health systems/policy research methods and public administration.

Here at the TRP, Chris leads the Student-led Work and Research Module (SWARM) and is a Co-Instructor for the Methods in Practices and Contexts course.

Raza M. Mirza

Raza is an enthusiastic researcher with expertise that spans medical decision-making, ethics, research methods, socio-behavioral determinants of health in persons aging with a chronic illness, and factors influencing late-life social, mental, and physical well-being. He is an instructor at the Translational Research Program. 

Raza M. Mirza, PhD received his MSc and doctorate degrees from the Graduate department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. His areas of expertise and teaching interests include research methods and evaluation, medical decision-making, the socio-behavioral determinants of health in persons aging with a chronic illness, aging-in-place, and factors such as social isolation and loneliness influencing late-life social, mental and physical well-being. He has been an invited speaker at national and international gerontology and geriatrics conferences, workshops and symposiums, and has consulted with various levels of government on diverse issues related to an aging population.

Dr. Mirza is the Director of National Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization with HelpAge Canada, Assistant Professor (Status) at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, Institute for Life Course and Aging, Network Manager for the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly, and the Chair of the Central Ontario Age-Friendly Network.

An expert in his field, he has been invited to speak at national and international gerontology and geriatrics conferences and has been asked to consult with various levels of government on diverse issues related to an aging population.

Amanda Maragos

Amanda Maragos, CVA is the Director of Client Services and Volunteer Programs at Philip Aziz Centre for Hospice Care & Emily’s House Children’s Hospice in downtown Toronto. An experienced professional in hospice palliative care and healthcare management, she currently develops programming that manages a volunteer team of over 350 people, and the allied health team, for both community and onsite hospice services. She loves to see compassion and connectivity lead to acts of kindness and personal growth for all. 

Dr. Fahad Qureshi

Fahad Qureshi is a palliative care physician currently practicing as a locum at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, ON, and as a long-term care physician at Southlake Residential Care Village in Newmarket, ON, and Seven Oaks Long-Term Care (City of Toronto) in Scarborough, ON. Previously, he worked as a palliative care physician at Scarborough Health Network (SHN). He completed his Palliative Medicine residency at Queen’s University after graduating from the Family Medicine program and MD program at the University of Toronto (U of T). Currently, he is nearing completion of a Master of Public Health (MPH) at U of T to further develop system-level skills and scholarship in public health. Fahad is passionate about excellent palliative care practice and program development, across both medical education and research. Fahad is dedicated to improving access to high-quality, patient-centered care across diverse settings. 

Holly Bartley

Understanding that death is not just an ending but a profound part of the human experience. Drawing from her background as a Personal Support Partner, a Team Leader in Community Life department at a Retirement Home, and a recent Death Doula graduate. Holly offers grief support and practical assistance tailored to each person’s unique wishes. Whether through bedside presence, legacy work, vigil planning, or simply holding space for meaningful conversations, Holly walks alongside clients and their loved ones with deep compassion and respect. Holly Bartley’s mission is to empower people to approach death with clarity, grace, and a sense of peace.