Dr. Kassia Johnson receives the 2024 Pat Mandy Inclusion Award
Dr. Kassia Johnson is the recipient of this year’s Pat Mandy Inclusion Award. The award recognizes an individual at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) who embodies the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in their day-to-day interactions, progressing the realization of our organization’s core values by fostering a more inclusive and equitable health care experience and work environment for all. Johnson is a developmental pediatrician at the McMaster Children’s Hospital Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre (RJCHC) and the senior medical director of EDI in Medical Affairs.
“Work with love in your mind. Find joy in connecting with people who have different ideas from you and speak up to make change as the time to make change is now.”
Dr. Karen Harman, division head of Developmental Pediatrics, along with Tabitha Hamp, manager, Human Rights and Inclusion, presented Johnson with the award on November 5, 2024. The award is an eagle sculpture carved in stone by Indigenous artist “Bud” Roger D. Henry of the Onondaga Nation/Wolf Clan/Six Nations Reserve. The sculpture represents great strength, leadership and prestige, power of the Great Spirit, great perception, capable of bridging worlds, healing and grace.
The award is named for Pat Mandy, a nurse and former HHS Vice President of Patient Services. While at HHS, she created the Aboriginal Advocacy Program, now called the Indigenous Health Navigator, the first such initiative in Canada. Since retiring, Pat has continued to serve her community. She is a past board chair at De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre, and is now Chair of the Board of the Moccasin Identifier. In 2017, she was awarded the Order of Canada.
Applying an EDI lens every day
Johnson was nominated by a group of her colleagues, in recognition of her ongoing efforts that go above and beyond in raising awareness about matters of anti-racism, anti-oppression and Indigenous reconciliation through her EDI work that strives to shift clinical care to be more equitable and inclusive for patients and their families.
Joanne Urban, speaking on behalf of the nomination group, explains, “Dr. Johnson embodies the principles of EDI every day. She is an exemplary role model with lived experience and connections to diverse communities, including here at Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, The Canadian Pediatric Society and other groups within the Hamilton community.”
Johnson is proud to receive this award and shares her thoughts on this significant honour.
Dr. Kassia Johnson receives the Pat Mandy Inclusion Award from Tabitha Hamp, HHS manager, human rights and inclusion
“This is a very meaningful opportunity to have my work recognized by nominators who I work with every day,” says Johnson. “The pediatric nursing staff are a group of individuals who are open to understanding and talking about complicated EDI issues and how they influence our patients. I had the opportunity to present at a workshop with Pat Mandy last year. To think that I am exemplifying the values that I saw her speak about is very touching.”
A life of compassion, activism and education
Johnson has led a career filled with connections to diverse communities, including children and families in Developmental Pediatrics. Many of these individuals have complex and extensive needs and belong to marginalized groups.
However, her commitment to EDI began long before she started her career, with pivotal moments experienced in childhood and as a young adult. At only five years of age, she already understood the importance of helping others when she stopped to help a fellow runner who had fallen when she was winning a foot race. At 15 years old, she travelled to a Provincial competition with the Special Olympics Swim team as a coach. As an adult, she continues to live these values, speaking out about racism and oppression that many in the health care system experience.
Dr. Johnson embodies the principles of EDI every day.
“I have lived a life of compassion, activism and education,” she reflects. “Anti-racism, anti-oppression and Indigenous reconciliation work are important to me because they impact the health and lives of everyone around me.”
Johnson approaches every individual she meets with respect, empathy and sensitivity. Amongst her peers and colleagues, she is a known as a leader that is committed to developing new policies, educational content and professional development opportunities to help staff and partners gain a better understanding of equity-deserving groups.
Recently, Johnson was appointed as the physician co-lead of the Extensive Needs Program in the Department of Pediatrics for McMaster Children’s Hospital. In this role, she works in a team in identifying and addressing barriers faced by families, including discrimination, socio-economic challenges and long waiting lists. She tackles topics within the social determinants of health such as finances, housing, access to food and medical services since access to these resources affects well-being. She believes that when you ask tough questions and imagine big opportunities, you can advocate and connect patients to programs and services that will improve their overall health.
Track record of commitment
Johnson credits her family for their support as she balances her time and energy to fulfil many roles. “I have an exceptional family who supports me,” she said. “My children say that I spend a lot of time chatting with lots of people, but they understand that, when I am doing so, I am building relationships. EDI work does not happen in silos. Relationships can change lives.”
Johnson holds an impressive number of positions that demonstrate her ongoing commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression and Indigenous reconciliation. She is the director of Anti-racism and Inclusion for the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University, a founding member of the Anti-Racism Coalition (ARC) for McMaster Children’s Hospital and an inaugural Board Member of the rebooted Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre.
Additionally, Johnson is the founder and physician co-lead for the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) Anti-racism Initiative – Blueprint for Change, Moving Words Into Action – where she is developing and implementing a strategy for anti-racism work that will be done by the CPS and its membership. She has co-authored many publications, presented at conferences, developed teaching aides and provides learning opportunities in all of her interactions she has inside and outside of her work at HHS.
Johnson envisions a world and a health care system that is culturally sensitive, where resources are equitably available and shared. She inspires and encourages everyone around her to engage in actions that promote revolutionary change that will bring about positive health outcomes and health care access for all.
Her advice to people about embedding anti-racist and anti-oppressive thinking and actions into their daily lives and work is this: “Work with love in your mind. Find joy in connecting with people who have different ideas from you and speak up to make change as the time to make change is now.”
