On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, as we recognize our current and future healthcare leaders for their accomplishments, we profile Michener’s very own Hasina Jaffer.
Hasina Jaffer (Respiratory Therapy Class of ‘08) was raised in a healthcare setting. She attended the daycare of the hospital where her mother worked, volunteered while growing up and had her first high school job at the hospital.
Hasina’s path to a career in healthcare seemed inevitable, and Michener helped provide her with the skills and the opportunities to make it a reality.
“My parents always encouraged me to choose a meaningful profession that gives back to the community and helps those most in need,” she says. “Michener set the foundation for me to get there. It gave me a background in research and the practical skills I needed to enter the field of respiratory therapy.”
“Without that, I don’t think I’d be where I am today.”
CHARTING HER PATH TO HEALTHCARE
Hasina graduated out of a collaborative program between Michener and the University of Waterloo with an Advanced Diploma of Health Science in Respiratory Therapy and an Honours BSc in Kinesiology.
Upon graduation, she worked frontline as a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at Southlake Regional Health Centre. She enjoyed the mentorship and interprofessional teaching that came with the role and decided to pursue that further. “That mentorship is what really got me interested in education,” Hasina says, “because I love the teaching component of healthcare.”
That interest led to a Master of Science (MScCH) Community Health & Health Professions Education with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and an entry into the world of teaching.
ENTERING THE WORLD OF DIGITAL HEALTH
While working as a frontline RRT and contract lab faculty at Michener, Hasina joined the Humber River Hospital as a professional practice leader while overseeing Michener students on placement. As the new Humber River Hospital became Canada’s first fully digital hospital, she found a new passion in the burgeoning field of digital health.
“I got to be involved in redevelopment, building new technologies and rolling out new equipment and new policies across the organization,” she says. “It was really exciting and taught me a lot.”
Hasina is currently working on her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Western University, with a focus on health professions education specializing in virtual reality and AI in curriculums. In her current role as Academic Chair of Critical Care at Michener, she is part of a team working to implement virtual reality within the curriculum.
“Our simulations are amazing!,” Hasina exclaims. “You really get that practical component, so when you go out clinically, you’ve seen it all in a simulated environment and you’re ready to run.”
“I think it’s the way of the future.”
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Hasina says she is grateful to the Michener community for the teaching and guidance she’s received, and she is honoured to help the next generation of health professionals.
“The faculty are amazing and have supported me, beyond just my time at Michener but after I graduated,” she says. “Being back in the community now, I’m thrilled to get to pass that support along to our students and the future of healthcare.”