Cara Vaccarino

Cara Vaccarino is the President and CEO of The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (The Royal), bringing more than 25 years of distinguished leadership in mental health care across Canada and the United States. A lifelong social worker, she is known for uniting deep clinical knowledge with strategic, system-level thinking to advance patient- and family-centred mental health services. Cara’s career reflects a sustained commitment to accessibility, innovation, and compassionate care. Before joining The Royal, she held senior roles at leading institutions including the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Trillium Health Partners, and the Edgewood Health Network. Across these organizations, she championed initiatives that expanded service access, strengthened clinical pathways, and elevated the role of mental health within broader health systems.

At The Royal, Cara leads the organization’s SPARQ strategic plan—focusing on sustainability, access, research, and quality—while steering transformative initiatives, including implementing a regionally integrated digital health record and opening an Urgent Care Clinic to better meet community needs. Her leadership reflects an understanding that high-quality mental health care requires both innovation and strong partnerships across the continuum of care. Cara also brings a rich academic foundation and early-career research experience, having worked at McGill University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

She holds a Master of Science in Health Services Administration (MHA) from the University of St. Francis in Chicago, a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Tulane University in New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology from McGill University. Motivated by personal experience, Cara is deeply committed to transforming mental health systems and strengthening community partnerships that support holistic, recovery-oriented care. Her career reflects a steadfast belief that meaningful mental health reform must be grounded in compassion, evidence, and the lived realities of the people and families it serves.