Leadership Development Grant Program
Ontario’s Anesthesiologists is proud to sponsor the Leadership Development Grant Program, recognizing and supporting the development of future leaders in anesthesiology. Our goal is to cultivate visible, influential, and inspiring anesthesia leaders within Ontario’s health system.
Through this program, Ontario’s Anesthesiologists aims to:
Increase the number of anesthesiologists in leadership positions.
Raise awareness of our specialty’s value in the health system.
Champion equity and diversity.
Applications for the 2026 Ontario’s Anesthesiologists Leadership Development Grant program are now open until Monday, September 14, 2026!
A Q&A with Grant Recipient Dr. Ehtesham Baig
In 2025, Dr. Baig was awarded one of our Leadership Development Grants. He used his funding towards the Rotman School of Management Global Executive MBA for Healthcare and the Life Sciences (GEMBA-HLS), which he completed in June 2026.
We thought the launch of 2026 edition of the Leadership Development Grant Program would be a great time to chat with Dr. Baig about why he decided to grow his leadership skills and why he pursued the grant, which is funded by our members who choose to pay their voluntary section dues.
Q: Why the GEMBA-HLS program?
A: I wanted to bridge the gap between clinical practice and health-care leadership. As the director of the Cancer Pain Program at University Health Network, I regularly see the challenges we face with administrative burdens and inefficient workflows. I wanted to build the strategic skills necessary to implement systemic changes, specifically learning how to leverage digital data pipelines, AI, and workflow optimization to improve how we deliver care. Ultimately, I hoped to gain a broader perspective on health systems, refine my leadership abilities, and learn how to better advocate for physician innovation at a structural level.
Q: Why did you decide to apply for the grant?
A: Pursuing an executive MBA while managing a busy clinical practice and family responsibilities is a significant commitment. I applied for the Leadership Development Grant because my goals align deeply with the future of our specialty here in Ontario. Whether it is optimizing administrative workflows for our anesthesia association or driving better physician engagement at the medical staff association level, I wanted to bring the strategic insights from this program directly back to our community. The grant represented not just vital support, but validation from my peers that investing in leadership development is critical for our field's evolution.
Q: How has receiving the grant benefited you?
A: The grant provided invaluable support, allowing me to focus fully on the GEMBA-HLS program and translate that learning into immediate clinical impact. The strategic knowledge I gained is already instrumental in my day-to-day roles. For example, we are currently applying these concepts to develop a block room dashboard and redesign our regional anesthesia workflows, directly improving OR efficiency. The program gave me the framework to lead these kinds of data-driven, operational enhancements. Ultimately, the grant has empowered me to look beyond individual patient encounters & design better, more sustainable healthcare systems.
Q: Any words of encouragement to your fellow Ontario anesthesiologists who might be considering applying for the grant?
A: I highly encourage any Ontario anesthesiologist considering this path to take the leap and apply. As perioperative physicians, we are uniquely positioned to understand the daily pain points of our healthcare system, but we often lack the formal training to enact large-scale change. Programs like this, supported by the OA grant, give us the tools to transform our clinical insights into actionable, systemic improvements. Do not underestimate the value of your perspective. Investing in your leadership development not only elevates your own career, but fundamentally strengthens our entire specialty and profession.