“Whatever Job I’m In, I’m Going to Find a Way to Make a Difference” – A Black Community Leader’s Perspective on Engagement and Advocacy

Camille Orridge is a patient and community-focused healthcare leader who has passionately and tirelessly worked for more than 50 years to address systemic barriers in the healthcare system, creating innovative equitable health solutions for underserved populations. She has founded a number of key initiatives, including Pathways to Education, the Canadian Home Care Association and the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) and has served on numerous boards, as a volunteer and in her capacity as the CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. In this oral history narrative, Camille reflects on her extensive 50-year journey as a healthcare advocate, identifying victories but also areas that continue to be barriers for historically marginalized communities, such as Black communities. In so doing, she discusses the complexities that she has encountered while pushing boundaries and reimagining a more equitable healthcare system in Ontario and reveals key historical touchpoints in the health equity and advocacy space.