Health authority's Innovation Hub losing another senior official

Another senior official with the Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is leaving.

Tara Sampalli, senior director of implementation science and global health systems planning, will leave her post on June 30.

In an interview with CBC News on Tuesday, Sampalli said she's been thinking about her future as a number of the projects she's been working on are now in operation.

"Last year I'll say was a blur," she said from the hub's office in a downtown Halifax highrise.

"This year has been more reflective."

Taking on new challenges

The Innovation Hub is a research centre of excellence that aims to modernize and improve health care in the province.

Sampalli has been involved with a long list of projects coming out of the Innovation Hub in recent years, including mobile primary care, VirtualCareNS and virtual urgent care. With those and more than 20 others now being used and assessed by dedicated teams, Sampalli said it made sense to consider if there are other things she could be doing.

Those plans include other work related to health care, a return to teaching and a greater focus on her "biggest passion," singing Indian classical music.

Sampalli said her mother, singer Ranganayask Ragan, used to urge her not to waste her talent and would jokingly introduce her as "a great singer, and she does something else in health."

Sampalli plans to do some work with an international music academy.

"I'll be collaborating with some leading artists and trying to bring my music back into my life."

Second high-profile departure

The announcement of Sampalli's departure comes just two weeks after the surprise resignation announcement by Gail Tomblin Murphy, the health authority's vice-president of research, innovation and discovery.

Sampalli called Tomblin Murphy a mentor and the reason she wanted to work at the Innovation Hub, but she said their respective departures are not connected.

"It's a big loss for us," she said of Tomblin Murphy's looming departure, "but for me, it's a more personal explanation."

Tomblin Murphy helped bring "innovation to the forefront" at the health authority, said Sampalli. There is now a network of scholars to help advance ideas through research and rapid review.

"We churn them out daily, weekly, so that everything we do is informed by evidence," said Sampalli.

"And every initiative now has a wraparound evaluation that's supported by this network of scholars along with system partners. So in real time it's a learning health system."

'Consistently prioritized collaboration'

That approach means new programs and projects are always being evaluated to ensure they're meeting the needs of patients and practitioners without creating any unintended challenges or increasing demands on front-line staff.

Sampalli said she'll look back on the opportunity "to think big" with pride and gratitude.

In a memo to staff on Monday, which was shared with CBC News, Tomblin Murphy paid tribute to Sampalli's 20-plus-year career with the health authority.

"Tara's unique blend of expertise in engineering, health informatics and health care have been instrumental in her work with us. She has consistently prioritized collaboration with patients, communities and our remarkable teams across the province, a commitment I have deeply valued."

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