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.”