The Questionnaire: Hospital CEOs on life during the pandemic and what comes next

Barb Collins

President and CEO, Humber River Hospital

Dream job as a kid: “A lawyer. I like the art of debate.”
First thing you do in the morning:  “Check my email.”
If you could have one superpower: “I would make Covid go away.”
Secret to success: “Work hard, be kind and communicate.”
Favourite book: “Hardwiring Excellence by Quint Studer.”
Coolest thing in your office: “A hardhat and shovel, which we used to break ground on the hospital back in 2010.”
Celebrity doppelganger: “Helen Mirren.”
Guilty pleasure: “A martini, with Grey Goose, ice and an olive.”
Favourite spot in the city: “The Humber River trail.”
Next big trip: “My family is going to Turks and Caicos in the spring.”
What helped you through the pandemic: “My colleagues.”
Role model: “My 90-year-old mother, Mary. She still works two jobs.”
Favourite expression: “ ‘Really?’ It’s what I’m known for.”
Coffee order: “Small black coffee from Tim Hortons.”
One meal for the rest of your life: “A steak, cooked rare.”
Worst Covid misinformation you’ve heard: “ ‘Vaccines will harm you.’ It made everyone anxious.”
Favourite TV doctor: “George Clooney, But I think of him as a humanitarian.”

Andy Smith

President and CEO, Sunnybrook Hospital

Dream job as a kid: “Forward for the Montreal Canadiens.”
First thing you do in the morning: “Read a hard copy of the Globe and Mail.”
If you could have one superpower: “Make everyone on my team the best version of themselves.”
Secret to success: “If you help others, it will come back to you.”
Favourite book: “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.”
Coolest thing in your office: “A picture of Winston Churchill on the north coast of France, taken just after D-Day.”
Celebrity doppelganger: “Robert Redford or Ron Howard.”
Guilty pleasure: “I eat two bags of Miss Vickie’s for lunch every day.”
Favourite spot in the city: “The ravine system behind the hospital.”
What helped you through the pandemic: “A lot of walking.”
Role model: “My mother, Susan. She was a nurse and taught me to serve others.”
Favourite expression: “ ‘Go to the blue paint.’ It’s a hockey analogy for going right at a problem.”
Coffee order: “Large Irish cream blend from Second Cup.”
One meal for the rest of your life: “Ackee and saltfish.”
Worst Covid misinformation you’ve heard: “ ‘Covid is over.’ ”
Favourite TV doctor: “Peter Benton, the surgeon on ER.”

Kevin Smith

President and CEO, University Health Network

Dream job as a kid: “An astronaut.”
First thing you do in the morning: “Look at our Covid numbers.”
If you could have one superpower: “Flight, so I could get around efficiently.”
Secret to success: “Love what you’re doing.”
Favourite podcast: “Smartless, with Jason Bateman. It’s funny and a bit nutty.”
Coolest thing in your office: “A picture of Harvey Firestone, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, on the porch of an old cabin in Florida.”
Celebrity doppelganger: “My family says I look like Kevin Spacey.”
Favourite spot in the city: “The waterfront. I feel best when I’m near water.”
Next big trip: “I’m going to England in May.”
What helped you through the pandemic: “Keeping a sense of humour.”
Role model: “My mentors when I was working at McMaster.”
Favourite expression: “ ‘It appears so.’ In my job, it’s better to leave things open to interpretation.”
Coffee order: “Iced espresso with a little bit of milk, from Starbucks.”
One meal for the rest of your life: “Thin crust pizza with green olives.”
Favourite TV doctor: “Hugh Laurie in House. He was a good antihero.”