Photo caption: Sandy Garraway, program director of cancer, pathology and laboratory medicine at Halton Healthcare.​

As program director of cancer, pathology and laboratory medicine at Halton Healthcare, Sandy Garraway (she/her) leads with empathy, clarity and creativity that makes her work and her teams thrive. She supports some of the hospital’s most complex and interconnected programs, while bringing joy by playing piano in the hospital lobby, offering moments of calm and connection in a place where emotions often run high.  ​

Raised in a musical Welsh family and a longtime church organist, Sandy understands the power of harmony. In music, as in healthcare, success depends on listening, coordination and everyone doing their part whether it’s a rousing rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game during the Blue Jays’ World Series run or guiding teams through highly complex care pathways. 

Sandy’s ability to bridge system-level thinking with the day-to-day human experience sets her apart as a leader who truly sees people. She leads programs that span diagnosis, treatment and critical diagnostic services, yet remains deeply attuned to how decisions land with patients, families and staff. 

Her leadership consistently reinforces a simple message: everyone has a role to play, and when people feel supported, the system works better.  

A physiotherapist by training, Sandy’s path began with a high school sports injury and the physiotherapist who later became her University of Toronto professor. She studied psychology at McMaster University, drawn to human behaviour, then worked in inpatient rehab before moving into leadership at Credit Valley Hospital. It was there she learned a lesson that continues to define her approach: “You don’t need to be the expert; you need to be a leader.”  

In 2019, she became Halton Healthcare’s first Director of Cancer Services, joining just before the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was scary,” she recalls, “but everyone just did what needed to be done.” Watching teams step up under pressure affirmed her belief in shared accountability and trust.  

Cancer care is deeply personal for Sandy, who lost her younger brother to the disease. That experience fuels her commitment to ensuring patients can access high-quality care close to home. Reflecting on her career, she often notes how unexpectedly well the pieces fit together. “I never could have predicted how all the pieces would align,” she says. “Now everything feels connected, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see it come together for patients and the team.”  

Her leadership is grounded in compassion. Guided by the belief that everyone who enters a hospital is anxious, Sandy makes a point of stopping to help people who look uncertain walking them to their destination and reassuring them they are in good hands. For more than a decade, Sandy has mentored others in their leadership journeys, finding joy in watching people grow and step into their potential.  

For Sandy Garraway, leadership is about presence, purpose, and showing how each person’s work fits into the bigger picture. Her blend of strategy, service, and heart strengthens care for patients, families, and teams every day.