Alumni Digest / U of T / People /
A phone call that changed a career
Lisa Alcia found her route into health administration through a professor's encouragement, then brought hospital leadership experience to seniors' care.
Health care executive Lisa Alcia, a 1989 U of T graduate.Photo: U of T Alumni News
The context
Where the work begins
Lisa Alcia once expected to become a doctor. Reconsidering that plan, she followed a friend's suggestion and called Ron McQueen, then a professor and program director in health administration at U of T. He arranged a year at Queensway General Hospital so she could see the work firsthand before applying.
The takeaway
What follows
Alcia graduated in 1989 and went on to spend 18 years as executive director and chief research operations officer at University Health Network. Her mother's experience of cancer later exposed gaps in care that pushed her toward elder care. As a leader of seniors' organizations, she wants to develop long-term care professionals and improve the experience of aging.
Source reporting
A phone call that changed a career
Original summary by Alumni Digest, based on public source reporting. This independent publication is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Toronto. Source image retained for editorial review; rights clearance is still required before any broader reuse.
