Paris physician earns national recognition for innovative family planning platform
Paris Independent Staff
A Paris physician who has dedicated her career to helping families navigate medical emergencies and difficult decisions is receiving national recognition for an innovative platform designed to help Canadians prepare for life's unexpected challenges.
Dr. Laura Shoots, an emergency physician at Brant Community Healthcare System and founder of Take Care, has been named to the inaugural Canada Small Business 100 (CSB100), presented by Mastercard.
The national recognition program, created by GLORY Media, celebrates small businesses demonstrating leadership, innovation, community impact, customer experience and long-term excellence. The inaugural honourees were announced Oct. 6 during the Mastercard Small Business Summit in Toronto.
For Shoots, who lives in Paris and was born at Brantford General Hospital, the recognition marks another significant milestone for a business inspired by her firsthand experiences working in emergency medicine.
"To be named to the Canada Small Business 100 so early in our journey is an incredible honour," said Dr. Laura Shoots, founder and CEO. "In the ER, I see what a difference it makes when a family has planned ahead together. This recognition tells us that families and partners across the country see that need too."
Launched in April 2025, Take Care is a secure, online platform designed to help families organize important information before a medical emergency, unexpected illness or death.
The platform provides a centralized location for healthcare wishes, powers of attorney, important documents and other practical information that loved ones, executors or substitute decision-makers may need during a crisis. Users can control who has access to specific information and when it becomes available.
The goal is to eliminate some of the confusion, stress and uncertainty families often experience when faced with difficult decisions. Shoots has been actively sharing that message within her own community. Earlier this year, she hosted a free online seminar aimed at helping families prepare for medical emergencies and unexpected loss.
The June webinar focused on organizing important documents, understanding powers of attorney, preparing executors for their responsibilities and encouraging families to have conversations about their wishes before a crisis occurs.
“When a crisis hits, families are often left scrambling—unsure of their loved one’s wishes, overwhelmed by decisions, and forced to navigate paperwork at the worst possible time,” Shoots said ahead of the June event. “With a little preparation, we can help families face these moments with love, not fear.”
Beyond her work in emergency medicine and entrepreneurship, Shoots teaches McMaster University family medicine residents and holds a master's degree in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from the University of Toronto. Her combination of medical experience, education and commitment to improving patient and family experiences has helped shape the development of Take Care.
The national recognition is the latest in a series of accomplishments for the relatively young company.
Take Care was selected for the inaugural cohort of Springboard Enterprises' Longevity Accelerator, a New York-based network that has spent 25 years supporting women-led startups.
The company also won $10,000 through Startup Canada's Equal Slice Pitch competition.
This summer, Shoots earned an opportunity to pitch Take Care on the main stage at Startupfest in Montreal after being selected as one of the top three companies in her cohort.
The growing recognition is helping position the Brant County-founded business for further expansion.
Take Care currently reaches families through wealth advisory firms, home care organizations and direct purchases through its website. With increasing national interest, the company is now seeking additional investors and partnerships to support its next phase of growth.
While the accolades highlight the business's success, its underlying mission remains rooted in a challenge Shoots regularly witnesses in the emergency department: families being forced to make important decisions without knowing their loved one's wishes.
Through its guiding philosophy, Plan. Share. Take Care., the platform encourages Canadians to have those conversations early, organize essential information and ensure loved ones are better prepared when the unexpected happens. For more information about Take Care, visit www.takecaretogether.ca.
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