The Advanced Health Care Leadership Ontario College Graduate Certificate focuses on leadership development that meets the population’s health care needs, manages operations, and finds innovative and practical solutions to address complex challenges.
Students will be able to integrate patient and family care theories into current practices, which are responsive to various cultures, behaviours, situations and environments. Core concepts of leadership, quality and improvements to patient safety are explored to achieve enhanced patient outcomes.
Students will apply professional leadership concepts as members of a multi-disciplinary health care team in an organization. Students who excel in the program may have an opportunity to compete for a field placement in their final term as an alternative to the WIL Project.
Fall 2023 Delivery Format
Term 1 classes will be delivered in person and students will be required to be on campus for the duration of the term. The 2023 Fall term begins on September 6. However, to allow for travel delays, classes will be remote until September 16. Students must be on campus to join in-person classes starting September 18, 2023.
This Lambton College program is licensed to and delivered by Cestar College (PDF), a licensed private career college in Toronto, Ontario. Students that are registered at Lambton in Toronto are students of a public college and as such, will receive full credit from
Lambton College for all Lambton College courses completed at the Cestar College campus in Toronto. Students who meet program graduation requirements will graduate with a credential from Lambton College. Students may be scheduled to have classes on Saturdays.
See Course List
Admission Requirements
A university degree in a health care field.
This program is not suitable for students with a dentistry or pharmacy background.
The admissions process is competitive and meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee admission.
Lambton College reserves the right to alter information including admission requirements and to cancel at any time a program or course; to change the location and/or term in which a program or course is offered; to change the program curriculum as necessary
to meet current competencies or changes in the job market; to change the pathways third-party certification bodies; or to withdraw an offer of admission both prior to and after its acceptance by an applicant or student because of insufficient applications
or registrations or over-acceptance of offers of admission. In the event Lambton College exercises such a right, Lambton College’s sole liability will be the return of monies paid by the applicant or student to Lambton College.
English Language Requirements
Applicants must demonstrate language proficiency by submitting one of the following scores:
- IELTS of 6.5
- or -
IELTS of 6.0 + Completion of EAP-3106 (English for Academic Purposes) during first term of study.
- TOEFL iBT 79
-or-
TOEFL 70 + Completion of EAP-3106 (English for Academic Purposes) during first term of study.
- Passed Lambton Institute of English placement test
Please Note: IELTS is the only proficiency score accepted by the Study Direct Stream (SDS) program. Additional country-specific requirements may also be applicable.
Meeting the minimum English requirements does not guarantee admission. Students with higher English proficiency scores will receive priority in the admission assessment process.
Not all students will qualify for EAP-3106 in place of the required IELTS or TOEFL test scores.
Technology Requirements
In order to keep pace with the requirements of each and every course in your program, it is mandatory to own a reliable laptop to complete tests and assignments.
Course List
LHC-1074: Patient and Family Centered Care
Patient and Family-Centered Care (PFCC) is an approach to the planning, delivery and evaluation of healthcare based on mutually beneficial partnerships among patients, families and health care professionals. These partnerships occur at the clinical, program, organizational and policy levels to assure the quality and safety of health care delivery. This course focuses on effective leadership strategies to advance the practice of patient and family-centred care within healthcare organizations.
LHC-1083: Patient Safety
Ensuring patient safety and healthcare quality is critical to everyone in healthcare practice. This course provides healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skill and systems thinking needed to lead the implementation of effective quality and patient safety programs. Learners will examine evidence informed, best practices and elements needed to create a culture of safety and one that engages patients in patient safety. Topics also focus on concepts of human factors, technology, medical errors and the standards and organizational practices which govern quality, safety and risk management in health care today.
LHC-1033: Leadership in Health Care
Students learn the fundamental skills required for effective leadership in health care. Topics covered include resolution, leadership and negotiation skills, strategic planning, leadership culture and accountability, and advanced coaching practices.
LHC-1053: Professionalism and Healthcare
This course is designed to provide you with an introduction on professionalism in the health care industry in Canada. Students will consider what is a "professional" versus behaving in a "professional manner." This course will address various elements inherent to professionalism and healthy workplace practices including communication, interprofessional collaboration and collaborative practices, responsibility and accountability, respectfulness, privacy and requirements for licensure of healthcare professionals. In addition, focus on professionalism standards vital for any healthcare career and/or opportunities in the healthcare field will be discussed.
LHC-1093: Evidence Based Practice
This course focuses on the research process and the analysis and evaluation of research to integrate the best evidence into practice. Learners will gain an understanding of health research evidence and strengthen their research knowledge and skills in order to make informed decisions in their practice. These skills include the ability to understand and interpret research literature and the capacity to translate this knowledge to support and inform practice innovations.
LHC-2094: Cultural Competence for Health Care Providers
Cultural competence is an integral part of providing quality, patient and family-centred care. Cultural competence and culturally effective care are also critical for improving health outcomes, patient safety and patient satisfaction. Health care providers need knowledge and skills to deliver culturally competent and culturally appropriate care in today's multicultural society. This course examines concepts related to cultural competency, diversity, the nature of organizational culture, transcultural caring and change in health care organizations and systems.
LHC-2104: Health Care Leadership Lab
This course introduces learners to challenges leaders must face and manage in health care workplaces. Through lectures, case studies, and in-lab simulations, learners will examine several different strategies necessary for leadership and management in current and future health care environments. Topics covered in the simulated learning experiences, will focus on patient safety, problem solving, conflict resolution, cultural competence, interprofessional collaboration and critical thinking. In addition, learners will study how delegation, professionalism, communication, and teamwork improve health care delivery.
LHC-2043: Leadership in Primary Health Care
This course provides discussion concerning the key political and administrative decision-making processes in Canadian health systems. Students examine topics related to primary health care, the social determinants of health, health reform and public policy. This course highlights leadership styles and skills that are responsive to the health needs and strengthen primary health care in Canada.
LHC-1062: Health Services Information and Technology
This course focuses on the fundamentals of informatics from a theoretical and practical perspective. Students will explore the history of informatics, the implications and impact of the use of computers within our current healthcare system. In addition, students will examine issues related to privacy, confidentiality, security of information and clinical documentation in healthcare environments. Both the paper and electronic chart are a critical part of the health record. Examples of Electronic Health used by the various health sectors in Ontario will be explored including assessment instruments, information exchange portals designed for seamless sharing of health information and government requirements for data collection for public information and QI purposes. All health care professionals are required to meet documentation standards established by their Regulatory/Professional bodies and healthcare organizations. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss the use of social networking tools used in communicating health-related information fostering quality and safe patient care.
LHC-3053: Strategic Planning in Health Care
Strategic Planning helps leaders understand the current situation in healthcare and help prepare them for the future. This course focuses on the essential elements of strategic planning. Key elements in strategic planning include: development/review of Mission, Vision and Values; current state analysis, identification of opportunities and threats, goal setting, development of measurements for success, and communication. Some key concepts include strategic thinking, the creation of strategy, and the implementation and evaluation of strategy. Present day, future trends and strategic planning initiatives in health care will be examined.
LHC-1001: Canadian Careers in Health Care
This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills required to be successful in their field placement in Advanced Health Care Leadership as well as help in finding suitable employment after graduation. Students will learn how to successfully market themselves, review the importance of social media in terms of future job searches, and understand their rights during their field placements. Emphasis will also be placed on proper interviewing techniques, teamwork skills, and learning the professional expectations of placements.
LHC-4023: Human Resources and Performance Management
Participants in this course will become knowledgeable on the management of human resources in health care organizations. This course presents a broad overview in the field of health human resources management, and provides participants with an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies for effectively managing people in health service delivery in a professional manner.
LHC-3023: Leadership Communication, Collaboration and Relationships
Collaborative Communication is at the foundation of effective engagement, top performance and innovative outcomes. Creating the context for collaboration, and engaging in open and skillful dialogue, creative problem solving and effective coordination are essential leadership skills in today's workplace. Participants will learn the benefits and impact of collaboration and apply new concepts as they practice engaging in collaborative communication. One of the tools this course explores is the framework of emotional intelligence (EI) and is designed to help participants enhance their EI in terms of both personal and social competence.
LHC-4033: Financial Management
This course introduces participants to the fundamental tools and concepts related to finance in health care. Leaders in any organization need to understand the cost of doing business. Participants will learn to read, analyse and interpret financial information related to the budgeting process, funding and accounting procedures for health care organizations in Ontario.
LHC-4053: Health Care Reform: Managing Effectively in a Changing Environment
Managing change is a challenge most organizations face today. To be an effective leader, it is important to competently lead and manage continuous simultaneous change initiative. With a focus on reform and improvement by the Provincial government, organizations in Canada's Health Care Sector need to enhance or develop processes to build capacity. Participants will explore leadership perspectives as they learn the skills, tools and strategies to manage change processes. Students will be introduced to Quality Improvement tools and strategies including an introduction to Lean Principles.
MAN-2103: Project Management
This course will provide the student with an overview of the structured processes and knowledge areas of project management within the context of organizations. It will contrast the differences between operational management and project management. It will provide the student with numerous tools and techniques used to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close a project. Students learn the vocabulary, definitions, principles and concepts of project management and working in a project team.
CPL-5559: WIL Project
Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Project is aimed at enriching students by connecting different program areas of study, cutting across subject-matter lines, and emphasizing unifying concepts. The focus of the WIL Project is to make connections between study and industry by engaging students in relevant and meaningful activities that are connected to and practiced within the professional workplace. WIL Project allows students to enhance and strengthen their employability prospects post-graduation by fine tuning skills and knowledge and meeting the expectations of today's employers. Students are required to attend the scheduled shifts in the WIL office, reporting to the WIL Supervisor. Weekly real-world challenges are presented in the WIL office, designed by industry professionals. In addition to the weekly assigned deliverables, students are also offered professional development sessions, and exposed to industry guest speakers, enhancing their opportunity to develop their professional network.
-or-
CPL-4449: Field Placement for Advanced Health Care Leadership (Full-time)
This course will provide students with the opportunity to gain practical hands-on experience during their field placement in Advanced Health Care Leadership. Students will utilize their classroom experience, practice professionalism, work as part of a team and improve their employability skills for future employment after graduation.
WIL Project Prerequisites (CPL-5559)
In order to continue onto Term 4, the following prerequisites must be met:
- Overall GPA of 2.0 or greater
- No more than two outstanding courses in addition to WIL Project
- These courses must be able to fit your WIL schedule conflict free
- Courses scheduled back-to-back with your WIL shifts are considered in conflict (applies to students studying in Sarnia ONLY)
Program Maps
Students are required to follow their prescribed program map and are not allowed to take unscheduled breaks for any reason.
Current Students
Current students can view program maps from previous years on the mylambton website.
You will need to login with your C# and password in order to access your program map.
Employment Opportunities
Graduates of the program will gain enhanced leadership knowledge, skill and vision to apply to the health care system.
This program does not meet the preparatory requirements or the eligibility criteria to write the registration exams to qualify as a registered practical nurse or registered nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario. Please visit the College of Nurses of Ontario to learn more about how to become a Registered Nurse (RN) or Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) in Ontario. The college will not provide evidence of language proficiency and students must write the accepted language proficiency tests as set out by the CNO.
For more information about post-graduate work eligibility for international students, please review the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program information.