UCalgary researcher named Cross Canada Chair in Compassionate Care

Calgary, AB – Shane Sinclair, a University of Calgary medical researcher and international expert on the role of compassion in improving patient outcomes, has been named Cross Canada Chair in Compassionate Care, a five-year appointment supported by St. Joseph’s Health System and St Joseph’s Care Group in Ontario, and Covenant in Alberta. The position, which officially begins on December 1, is designed to establish a unified, system-wide approach to delivering compassionate health care in Canada.

“Compassion is fundamental to health for clients, for their families, and for the staff who provide care because it fosters connection and strengthens wellbeing. St. Joseph’s Care Group is proud to partner with system leaders and the University of Calgary in supporting Dr. Shane Sinclair as the Cross-Canada Research Chair in Compassionate care Together, we are advancing research that will shape care experiences and deepen healing and connection across Canada,” says Janine Black, President & CEO, St. Joseph’s Care Group 

To build on and advance its mission of Unstoppable Compassion, St. Joseph’s Heath System is proud to co-fund the creation of the Cross-Canada Chair in Compassionate Care. “We know that compassion is tied to better health outcomes, which is why it is so important to find innovative ways to embed compassion into everything we do,” said Dr. Mike Heenan, president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System. “This new chair in compassionate care, led by Dr. Sinclair, will lead to evidence-based, real-world benefits for all those we care for.” 

Covenant co-funded the position to build on its long-standing commitment to advance compassion in health care.

“At Covenant, we believe compassion is not just a virtue, it is a responsibility," says Patrick Dumelie, president and CEO, Covenant. "The Cross Canada Chair in Compassionate Care is an investment that helps ensure every person, in every community, is met with care that sees the whole person — body, mind and spirit. With Dr. Sinclair’s research, we can grow this calling in practical ways by weaving compassion more deeply into care teams, training and decision-making to make a real and lasting difference for those we serve.”

“Health care systems are increasingly complex—shaped by diverse professions, patients, pressures, and priorities. When compassion is integrated at a system level, it transforms patient care, enhances workplace wellbeing, revitalizes organizations, and strengthens outcomes across every level.  I’d like to thank St. Joseph’s Health System, St Joseph’s Care Group, Covenant Health and the Faculty of Nursing at UCalgary, for their leadership and commitment to keeping compassion at the heart of health care,” says Dr. Sinclair.

Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, Dr. Catherine Laing, PhD, adds, “We are committed to advancing research that has a positive real-world impact, and Dr. Sinclair’s work unequivocally shows when healthcare providers are compassionate, patients have better outcomes.”

Dr. Sinclair is an internationally recognized, and award-winning researcher on the topic of compassion. His research is directly informed by the clinical arena where he witnessed the transforming power of compassion in the lives of patients and families facing a serious illness. Within Dr. Sinclair’s Compassion Research Lab researchers investigate all things compassion including developing the gold-standard Sinclair Compassion Questionnaire and EnACT (Evidence-informed, competency-based, Accredited, Compassion Training) both of which are integral components of the Cross-Canada Chair in Compassionate Care.

Media Notes:

Dr. Sinclair is available for interviews in the afternoon of Thursday, November 13, from 2 – 4 p.m. 

Read more about Dr. Sinclair’s Compassion Research Lab here 

Media inquiries

Teresa Broughton
Senior Marketing and Communications Manager
Faculty of Nursing
403 619 2791
Teresa.broughton@UCalgary.ca

About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university in this country’s most enterprising city. A leader in startup creation and research innovation – with groundbreaking discoveries in child health, quantum computing and water sustainability – we’re transforming bold ideas into real-world impact. Curious and determined, our 38,000 students are using hands-on learning to forge bright futures for all. Ready to take the leap? Start something at UCalgary. 

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