Maria Gruending
About Maria Gruending
Maria Gruending is a Manager of Strategic Policy in Home and Community Care at the Ontario Ministry of Health. She has extensive experience in health and social services, having held various roles within the Ontario government and contributing to significant policy developments.
Current Role in Home and Community Care
Maria Gruending serves as the Manager of Strategic Policy in Home and Community Care at the Ontario Ministry of Health. In this role, she plays a crucial part in transitioning the delivery of home and community care from Local Health Integration Networks to Ontario Health Teams. She oversees key elements of the COVID-19 response in home and community care, including the transition to virtual care delivery, ensuring that services adapt to meet the needs of the population.
Previous Experience at Ontario Ministry of Health
Maria Gruending has held multiple positions at the Ontario Ministry of Health. She was the Project Implementation and Team Lead in the Home and Community Care Branch from 2017 to 2020. Prior to that, she worked as the Implementation Lead in the LHIN Renewal Branch for six months in 2016. Her experience in these roles contributed to her expertise in policy implementation and strategic planning within the health sector.
Background in Child Welfare and Community Services
Maria Gruending has extensive experience in child welfare and community services. She worked at the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services in various capacities, including Executive Assistant to the Child Welfare Secretariat, Policy Analyst, and Senior Business Advisor for the Child Protection Information Network (CPIN) Project. Her roles focused on policy development, program analysis, and implementation, contributing to her comprehensive understanding of community service delivery.
Educational Qualifications
Maria Gruending holds a Master’s Degree in Political Philosophy from the University of Sussex, which she completed from 2006 to 2007. She also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities from Carleton University, studying from 2001 to 2005. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her work in policy analysis and strategic planning in the health and community services sectors.
Legislative Contributions and Policy Development
Maria Gruending played a significant role in the development of the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, which was passed in July 2020. She is currently involved in developing its regulations. Additionally, she conducts forecasting and demand modeling to support multi-year planning and policy options for an aging population, ensuring that policies are informed by data and emerging evidence.