Mekaiel Zia
Toronto
Summary
Results-driven Fulbright scholar with extensive leadership experience and a strategic oversight background. Expert in driving organizational success through effective team collaboration and dynamic problem-solving in a data-driven environment. Specializes in corporate strategic planning and tracking of objectives using true north metrics. Demonstrated track record of consistently delivering measurable results and exceeding targets.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Director
Health For All Collective (HFAC)
07.2024 - Current
- Co-founded Healthcare For All Collective as a collaborative platform for strategic advice, policy change and national level initiatives in Pakistan.
- Adapted WHO Primary Healthcare guidelines for Primary Healthcare networks across Pakistan and developed model facilities to showcase high-quality care and patient safety.
- Led long-term strategic objectives and organizational restructuring for healthcare networks such as Indus Hospital and Healthcare Network (IHHN).
- Developed strategic public-private partnerships and policy advocacy initiatives, including collaboration with the Govt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to improve healthcare governance in the province.
- Collaborated with Members of National Assembly to embed 'Right to Health' as part of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Consultant Advocacy (part time)
Taskeen Health Initiative (Taskeen)
06.2022 - Current
- Led mental health advocacy efforts to foster strategic change at national level, including participating at national level task force led by President of Pakistan.
- Advocated for decriminalization of suicide and liaised with political stakeholders for successful decriminalization.
- Collaborated with National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) to highlight mental health malpractice in Pakistan and initiated regulation of services with Islamabad Health Regulatory Authority (IHRA).
- Curated annual mental health advocacy strategy for Taskeen and reviewed national priorities with the Pakistan Mental Health Coalition (PMHC).
Associate Director, Corporate Strategy
Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. (SIHL)
07.2023 - 06.2024
- Managed multi year planning and annual corporate work plans, aligning strategic goals with healthcare operations for an annual revenue of CAD 148 million.
- Provided strategic advice and situational awareness to senior executives, supporting of key initiatives and stakeholder engagement for portfolio management of CAD 160 million.
- Co-led the development and execution of corporate strategy, embedding strategic priorities and true-north metrics across the organization and its subsidiaries.
- Mentored and developed cross-functional teams to operationalize strategic initiatives across sites and subsidiaries.
- Adapted 'centralization within decentralization' management model for SIHL as a centralized holding company and implemented a 'hub and spoke' design for patient care.
- Co-designed a data-driven management model to track healthcare and operational metrics for data driven governance.
Associate Director, Medical Staff Administration
Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. (SIHL)
06.2019 - 06.2023
- Collaborated on strategic planning to develop short and intermediate-term business goals for the organization.
- Curated a 'top-down, bottom-up' annual revenue cycle planning model for SIHL and operationalized annual revenue plans for targeted 15% growth from CAD 85 million (FY 2019-2020) to CAD 120 million (FY 2022-2023).
- Managed clinical projects, including Shifa Life Support Training Center, Shifa One Constitutional Ave clinics, and Trans-Arterial Radio-Embolization (TARE) services.
- Collaborated to create an organization-wide pandemic response strategy, including information portals, vaccination policies, and employee risk stratification.
- Led financial planning & management for the CanSino COVID vaccine trial with a budget of CAD 1.7 million with National Institute of Health (NIH) Pakistan.
- Organized a pandemic psycho-social support program to improve mental wellbeing and increase resilience for healthcare workers.
Advocacy Manager (part time)
Taskeen Health Initiative (Taskeen)
03.2021 - 05.2022
- Proposed National Mental Health Helpline to enhance resilience during COVID-19 pandemic.
- Advocated for mental health integration into Universal Healthcare (UHC), evaluating its implementation.
- Drafted replacement bill for Mental Health Ordinance 2001, collaborating with Minister of Health to update legislation.
- Revitalized regional mental health coalitions and represented Taskeen at GMHAN & SYM forums.
- Conducted legislative mental health gap analysis and created a future advocacy roadmap for Pakistan.
- Curated and executed public awareness campaigns on suicide decriminalization, including social media, webinars, and opinion-editorials.
Assistant Director, Medical Staff Administration
Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. (SIHL)
07.2018 - 06.2019
- Project manager for Phase I of app-based telemedicine project 'eSHIFA' with a budget of CAD 250,000.
- eSHIFA created a virtual hospital and improved access to care by linking existing healthcare & mental health providers to patients, providing app-based lab and medication delivery services.
- Initiated development of data driven virtual patient care model for eSHIFA Phase II & initiated recruitment of healthcare personnel.
- Developed a dedicated healthcare finance team for the organization and initiated of CPT based billing and costing systems for the organization.
Clinical Operations Manager via Directed Studies Student Program (part time)
Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center
02.2017 - 08.2017
- Developed workflows for the launch of Emory Healthcare’s telemedicine program focusing on expanding mental health services via handheld devices for the State of Georgia.
- Proposed and evaluated various charging mechanisms for integration into Emory’s existing clinical network.
- Collaborated to refine clinical workflows in the Neurology department and reduce wait times for patients.
- Optimized internal documentation practices to reduce lag times for Medicare & Medicaid benefits and reduce medial errors in the facility.
Education
Master of Public Health - Health Policy & Management
Emory University
Atlanta, GABachelor of Medicine - Medicine & Surgery
Shifa Tameer E Millat University
Islamabad, PakistanSkills
- Project management
- Strategic leadership
- Healthcare management
- Healthcare quality
- Digital health
- Health advocacy
- Analytical thinking
- Coaching and mentoring
Accomplishments
Co-founded Health For All Collective for national level healthcare initiatives.
Oversaw revenue cycle planning for SIHL, surpassing 15% annual growth targets with a revenue increase from 85 million to 148 million CAD over 4 years.
Co-led strategic planning at SIHL and managed 160 million CAD portfolio at SIHL.
Led corporate restructuring at SIHL and adapted "centralization within decentralization" model for the organization
Spearheaded mental health advocacy with successful decriminalization of suicide in Pakistan
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Urdu
Native or Bilingual
Punjabi
Professional Working
Timeline
Associate Director
Health For All Collective (HFAC)
07.2024 - Current
Associate Director, Corporate Strategy
Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. (SIHL)
07.2023 - 06.2024
Consultant Advocacy (part time)
Taskeen Health Initiative (Taskeen)
06.2022 - Current
Advocacy Manager (part time)
Taskeen Health Initiative (Taskeen)
03.2021 - 05.2022
Associate Director, Medical Staff Administration
Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. (SIHL)
06.2019 - 06.2023
Assistant Director, Medical Staff Administration
Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. (SIHL)
07.2018 - 06.2019
Clinical Operations Manager via Directed Studies Student Program (part time)
Emory Healthcare – Emory Brain Health Center
02.2017 - 08.2017
Master of Public Health - Health Policy & Management
Emory University
Bachelor of Medicine - Medicine & Surgery
Shifa Tameer E Millat University
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