HQCA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Communications
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Improvement
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Improvement
Job Titles:
- Senior Analyst, Health Systems Analytics
Retired paramedic from rural East Central Alberta, B Adair (he/they) is an accomplished equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) speaker, educator, and facilitator. Through his company, Just B Diversity & Inclusion Consulting, B takes pride in providing safe and non-judgmental spaces for folks of all backgrounds to learn and ask questions comfortably.B shares his life experiences, sense of humour, and passion for advocacy while facilitating conversations that increase knowledge and improve EDI practices with educators, business owners, healthcare organizations, students, and community groups across the country.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Communications
Charlene is Chief Executive Officer of the HQCA. Charlene has been with the HQCA since 2004, and oversees daily operations, while providing expertise and guidance to ensure the organization meets its legislated mandate and strategic and business plan objectives. She has more than 30 years' experience in healthcare and has held a variety of leadership roles. Prior to joining the HQCA, Charlene worked within the former Calgary District Hospital Group and Calgary Health Region, Calgary Laboratory Services, and Carewest.
In addition to her formal training as a medical laboratory technologist where she started her career in healthcare, Charlene holds a Master of Business Administration in Executive Management from Royal Roads University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to the CEO & Corporate Secretary
Clifford D. Johnson, Q.C., ICD.D, was appointed to the Health Quality Council of Alberta Board in April 2021. Mr. Johnson is a seasoned lawyer, board director and senior executive. He holds Bachelor of Commerce and Juris Doctor (law) degrees from the University of Calgary. He retired from law practice on Dec. 31, 2020. He was a past member of the Law Societies of Alberta and England and Wales. He was awarded the Queen's Counsel designation on Jan. 1, 2002, and achieved the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors on Feb. 26, 2008. He has authored more than 70 research papers and articles many of which he presented at professional seminars. Two were published in the Alberta Law Review and have been referenced in court decisions.
Mr. Johnson worked at a major oil company in business management and legal positions before moving to private practice. He spent 20 years at a major national law firm holding leadership positions including Practise Group Leader, National Management Committee member and Managing Partner, Calgary office. He moved to business for six years before returning to private practice in 2012. He has extensive board and management experience with for-profit and non-profit organizations. Positions held have included Director, Chairman, CEO, President, Executive Vice-President and Vice-President.
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Analytics
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to the Executive Director
Dr. Carlyn Volume-Smith was appointed to the Health Quality Council Board of Directors in April 2021. She is a licensed clinical pharmacist with a B.Sc. in Pharmacy, a M.Sc. in Health Promotion, and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Alberta. Her doctoral thesis was a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the impact of drug policy changes on healthcare providers and patients.Dr. Volume-Smith has spent more than two decades in the pharmaceutical policy and the health benefit sectors. She has managed complex scientific advisory processes that support Government of Alberta sponsored drug programs. Additionally, while working with a private health benefit provider, she managed departments charged with the adjudication of more than $2 billion annually of extended health, travel, dental, and drug claims for health benefit plans. During her tenure within Alberta Health, she established and maintained strategic relationships with other provincial and federal government departments. This included specialty drug programs, Alberta Health Services-Pharmacy Services, and research/academic communities to develop, advance and communicate evidence-informed and outcome-based drug program policies.Dr. Volume-Smith also had the opportunity to collaborate and consult with healthcare and allied healthcare providers, vendor associations, professional associations and colleges, as well as the general public, to refine the government sponsored drug and supplementary health benefit programs. Additionally, she served on several pan-Canadian committees including the Provincial Advisory Group for the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review, the Provincial/Territorial Working Group on Rare Diseases and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Working Group on Pharmaceuticals.Currently, Dr. Volume-Smith is a member of the executive team at the Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan, a not-for-profit organization that provides health and disability benefits to more than 60,000 employees of Alberta's public education sector and their families.
Dr. Greg Powell was appointed to the Health Quality Council of Alberta Board in April 2021. Dr. Powell has an exemplary career of leadership and innovation that spans 40 years in the fields of emergency and aviation medicine, education, and research. He is a Professor Emeritus, Emergency and Family Medicine, at the University of Calgary and is a founder of STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) and the STARS Foundation. He held the position of Chief Executive Officer, STARS & STARS Foundation until March 2012, and continues today in the role of founder and director emeritus.Dr. Powell is an internationally recognized leader in critical patient care, air medical transportation and emergency medical training and education and has received many awards and significant recognition throughout his career. In 2006, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian award, in recognition of his contribution to the community and Canada. Additional significant awards include: Honorary Baccalaureate Degree, SAIT, Business Administration (2017); naming of Foothills Medical Centre Helipad, Calgary as The Dr. Greg Powell Helipad (2015); Queen Elizabeth 11 Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012); One of 100 Outstanding Albertans (2012); and one of Alberta's "One Hundred Physicians of the Century" (2006).In June 2018, Dr. Powell was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame. He attained his initial medical training at the University of British Columbia, post-graduate training at University of Calgary and subsequently, emergency medicine specialty training at McGill University through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program. Over the past five years, he has been very involved in the organ and tissue donation community in Alberta and Canada, as a result of a very personal and family interest. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Foothills Country Hospice Society in Okotoks. And from 2017 to 2021, he served on the Patient and Family Advisory Committee of the Health Quality Council of Alberta, most recently as Chair.Greg and his wife Linda raised their two sons and daughter in rural Alberta (Millarville).
Dr. Hawranik has held a variety of clinical and senior leadership roles within health care and in higher education. She worked in community health, in tertiary care hospitals, and as a policy analyst. She held positions as Associate Dean in the Faculty of Nursing and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba. She moved to Alberta to assume the role as inaugural Dean for the newly created Faculty of Graduate Studies at Athabasca University. Most recently, she held the interim positions of Associate Vice President Research for more than two years, followed by the role of interim Dean for the Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University. She is currently Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Health Disciplines, Athabasca University.
Dr. Hawranik has a wide range of board membership experience. She has been a board member and president of national and provincial boards of directors which included long term care facilities, community non-profit organizations, and post-secondary national and western Canadian boards. Her program of research examines the effectiveness of community services for informal caregivers who care for an older adult with cognitive impairment. A component of this research has examined the adequacy of vision care services for older adults living in long term care facilities for fall prevention.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Communications
Jacquelyn Colville was appointed to the Health Quality Council of Alberta Board in April 2021. She was previously an external member of the board since 2017, and has served as the chair of the Audit & Finance Committee. She is an experienced executive and community leader with skills in financial management, business leadership and directing strategy. She is currently the chief financial officer of Midnight Sun Financial, where she is accountable for the private equity, real estate and loan portfolios, and for leading critical functions including finance, human resources and organizational development.
Jacquelyn has held numerous key financial and governance roles in her career, including wide-ranging experience leading transformational projects, and supporting companies through periods of significant change. Previously, Jacquelyn was CFO of Alberta Investment Management Corporation where she developed the financial operations and services for the now nearly $120-billion investment organization. Other leadership experiences include CFO Champion Pet Foods and CFO Coal Sherritt International, as well as Senior Manager, Tax at Ernst & Young.
Jacquelyn has a demonstrated commitment to corporate governance, and has extensive experience serving on and advising boards of private companies, provincial crowns and not-for-profits. She is dedicated to building high-performance boards and fosters the learning of others through her facilitation of the Private Company Governance program with Ozone Advisory Group. Jacquelyn holds the ICD.D designation, is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA, CPA) and received a B.Comm. with distinction from the University of Alberta.
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Improvement
Calgary, AB Jamie retired in 2014 as City of Cranbrook Director of Engineering Services, completing 40 years of municipal engineering in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. He, and his wife of 33 years, Katie then set to fulfill a lifetime dream as full-time RVers. Their adventure was cut short in 2015 when Katie was diagnosed with stage 3 vaginal cancer which claimed her life in 2016. Jamie subsequently re-located to live with a daughter and family in Calgary later in 2016. He quickly became involved in healthcare activities as a way to "give back" after experiencing the care given and compassion shown by doctors, nurses, and all the other clinicians who tried so hard to preserve Katie's life and ease her suffering. Jamie has volunteered at South Campus; and later, Rockyview General Hospital, serving on the Alberta Health Research Ethics Board's Community Health Committee; as a Food Bank volunteer; and participating in the Primary Health Care Integration Network through Alberta Health Service's Strategic Care Network. Most recently, Jamie was sponsored by the Strategic Care Network to complete in PaCER training, which educates patients on becoming research-informed voices to benefit health system research, planning, and policy. Jamie remarried Cathie in 2019 and they live quietly with new puppy Molly. They attend St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Calgary where they are both active on various church committees. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys gardening, fly fishing, reading and building models of old-time sailing ships. Pre-COVID-19, Jamie has also volunteered as a timekeeper for numerous jumping events at Spruce Meadows. He hopes to continue his volunteer role when the COVID-19 pandemic ends. PFAC provides Jamie with another opportunity to both "give back" to the healthcare system in general, as well as the privilege of working with wonderful, dedicated folks who are striving to improve the health outcomes of Albertans.
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Improvement
Job Titles:
- Administrative Assistant, Health System Analytics
Calgary, AB Jenny has lived in Calgary since she moved to Canada over twenty years ago. As the primary caregiver to her ageing parents, who have some complex healthcare issues, Jenny understands very well the challenges Albertans are facing navigating the healthcare system. Being a first-generation immigrant whose native language is not English, and through her experience of getting medical help and supporting family members and friends with their healthcare needs, Jenny has also gained insights into the language and cultural barriers many immigrants experience trying to access healthcare services. Jenny is inspired by HQCA's mission of patient safety, person-centred care, and health service quality on a province-wide basis. She appreciates the opportunity to join the PFAC team and to inform and support HQCA's work. Professionally, Jenny has comprehensive experience in information technology, data management, and data engineering. She currently works as the Director of Data Engineering at the Canada Energy Regulator. She has a strong interest in seeing how patient health care information can move seamlessly between providers and the patients themselves, with the goal to put the focus on the patient/family and remove barriers to continuity of care.
Job Titles:
- Director, Financial Services With the
- Lead, Health System Analytics
Jessica is Director, Financial Services with the HQCA, and has accountability for all financial systems and controls within the organization. She is a Chartered Accountant with more than 10 years of work experience in a variety of industries. Prior to joining the HQCA, Jessica spent seven years with an oil and gas service company working in a variety of financial roles and for a number of different projects. Her career also includes time with Ernst & Young providing assurance and advisory services to both public and private sector enterprises.
Job Titles:
- Senior Analyst, Health System Analytics
Job Titles:
- Senior Data Manager & Lead
Job Titles:
- Specialist, Human Factors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Medicine Strategic Clinical Network
Karen believes that all individuals and families using the healthcare system need to have their voices heard in all aspects of their care. As a patient advisor, Karen shares her lived experiences with chronic pain, depression, and M-GUS with the hope that a seed is planted and will grow into effective changes being made in the delivery of patient-centered care.
Karen joined the HQCA's Patient and Family Advisory Committee in November 2023. She graduated in 2022 from the University of Calgary's Patient and Community Engagement Research (PaCER) program and is now involved in several research projects as a Patient Researcher. She is also working with AHS on several initiatives, including the Home to Hospital to Home Transitions Guidelines as part of the Patient Resources Team within the Primary Health Care Strategic Clinical Network. (SCN).
Karen is also a member of the Medicine Strategic Clinical Network, the Mental Health Strategic Clinical Network, the Patient Engagement Reference Group (PERG), the Virtual Patient Engagement Network (VPEN), and the Alberta Health Services Patient and Family Council.
Calgary, AB I am a person who has lived experience with mental health and addictions. I found the obstacles these experiences created to be extremely difficult to overcome in my youth. I was always heavily involved with the social work system, mental healthcare system, addictions system, and foster care system. I now use these experiences as a source of strength and perspective in my role as a Youth Peer Support worker. Authentically connecting with people and reducing stigma is my passion. I love bringing humor, fun, and creativity to my work in councils, research, consulting, knowledge translation, and beyond! I am proud to be a part of communities working so hard to reduce these obstacles for other young people who are going through what I once did. There is still a lot of work to be done. I believe caring authentically for people and their health will change healthcare outcomes in a beautiful way!
Job Titles:
- Lead Visual Analyst, Health System Analytics
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Engagement
Krystal Reusch was born in Toronto, grew up in Red Deer, and has been a proud Edmontonian for the past eight years. She works in an ophthalmologist's clinic as a technician and receptionist.Krystal was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) at eight months. Her younger sister also has CF. Her lived experience as a patient with CF and as an advocate for her sister, motivates Krystal. She's passionate about patient care and is always looking for creative solutions to improve it. She believes that communication between a patient and their healthcare provider is the key to having a positive impact on the patient's wellbeing.Krystal's passion and creativity inspired her family to suggest for her to become a patient advocate. She looks forward to sharing her lived experiences of the healthcare system and collaborating with the other members of the Patient and Family Advisory Committee.Krystal's hobbies include crocheting, crafting, reading, decorating her apartment, and playing the occasional video game.
Job Titles:
- Senior Analyst, Health System Analytics
Larissa originates from Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement in northern Alberta. She recently obtained a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences and graduated from MacEwan University. She is currently working within her community as a recreation and youth activities facilitator. With a love for her community, Larissa also has four years of guiding, interpreting, and outdoor education experience within the Indigenous tourism industry. She enjoys the forests and lakelands via hiking and kayaking and has a special interest in traditional Indigenous plant relationships.
A long-time student of both science and history, Larissa has always had a curiosity about natural ancestral knowledge and kinship to the land. She shares her passion by connecting with others through land-based learning and storytelling.
Larissa joined the Patient and Family Advisory Committee in November 2023. Her experience with healthcare includes assisting her mother in navigating the healthcare system to seek treatment for her trigeminal neuralgia. Larissa strongly believes in giving the patient a voice in their course of treatment and thinks that by considering a diverse number of experiences and testimonies, the healthcare system can work towards more effective and informed policy and procedure.
Job Titles:
- Health and Safety Management Consultant
Leonard is a Health and Safety Management consultant who specializes in heavy equipment, off-road, all-terrain vehicle training and certification in northern Alberta and northeast British Columbia. Leonard worked in a variety of professional roles prior to obtaining his heavy equipment operator certificate from Keyano College, including technical and safety management roles with Procter & Gamble/Weyerhaeuser.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Health System Analytics
As Senior Director, Health System Analytics, Markus oversees the HQCA's measurement and analytical functions, as well as many of the monitoring and reporting functions such as population-level surveys and health system performance reporting. This involves survey and administrative data analytics, and survey development, methodology, and reporting. Markus plays a key role in the HQCA's use of objective information to drive actionable improvement that enhances quality healthcare.
Markus joined the HQCA in 2009 following a career with Statistics Canada's Research Data Centre at the University of Calgary where he was responsible for managing and coordinating daily operations, and conducting population research. He collaborated with other multidisciplinary teams from across Canada to identify and implement strategic and systematic changes to the program.
Markus holds a PhD in sociology with a specialization in health research from the University of Calgary and a Master of Arts from Lakehead University. He has training in both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Masood Peracha was appointed to the Health Quality Council of Alberta Board in April 2021. Mr. Peracha is a senior financial and risk management professional, with more than 36 years of healthcare and public sector systems auditing, risk management and business consulting experience. He currently serves as the chair of the Audit & Finance Committee. He has 15 years of experience as the chief audit executive at the University of Alberta Hospital, and later, Capital Health Authority. His professional background also includes extensive consulting experience with reputable international firms, including one of the major accounting and auditing firms as well as two international information technology services firms. At these firms, Mr. Peracha has served in a variety of governance, strategic and IT planning, control assurance and risk advisory roles.
Prior to retiring in 2017, Mr. Peracha was employed at a provincial crown corporation in the roles of Principal Advisor, Risk Management and Compliance, and Director, Project Risk Advisory Services, respectively. During this nine-year period, he played a key role in the initiation and establishment of the full-fledged Corporate Risk Management and Internal Audit programs at the Corporation.
Mr. Peracha holds a Master of Business Administration degree, along with several professional designations including Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). He is also an active member of several professional and community-based organizations, with current roles as chair and co-chair on two community-based boards in Edmonton. In 2012, in recognition of his community and charitable organizational services, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Improvement
Edmonton, AB Haitian-born spoken word artist Medgine is a person for whom the love of language and the alchemy of words is second nature. Her multi-lingual upbringing (french, creole, english) not only prompted her to begin experimenting with the potential and magic of language, but naturally compelled her into a deep love of poetry. Her work has been featured in CBC, CBC Radio-Canada, Global TV, Skirtsafire Women's Arts Festival and the Edmonton Poetry Festival.Over the years, Medgine has been diagnosed with Lupus (SLE), CIDP, Polymyositis and Raynaud's, all of which has fueled her desire to merge her storytelling into patient advocacy especially those living with chronic illnesses. Medgine is currently an Improvement Facilitator, working in Primary Care and constantly brings her patient-lens when supporting family physicians and clinics. Medgine is passionate about providing tools and resources to equip discouraged dreamers living with chronic health conditions, so that they can live their most fulfilling lives. She is currently working on her first collection of poetry.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, Communications
As Senior Director, Health System Improvement, Mollie oversees a team focused on improving the quality of Alberta's health system. This involves developing and implementing new initiatives using innovative approaches to enhance health system quality and patient safety.
Sherwood Park, AB Nana's professional career has focused on the non-profit sector and she recently moved into post-secondary education, working with the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta. She enjoys working on projects that impact Albertans in terms of better health treatment, care, and research. In her personal life, Nana identifies as part of the "sandwich generation," meaning that she and her husband provide care to her two children, and her senior parents who are deaf. Nana enjoys listening to podcasts and audiobooks, as well as volunteering in areas where she believes she can make a difference. She served previously as a board member for an organization that supported deaf and hard of hearing individuals and families. Recently, she has been volunteering more in the health sector, trying to help create a path of accessibility for those who might find it harder to access healthcare. This is the primary reason Nana joined the Patient and Family Advisory Committee, to make a difference in the area of accessibility. Because of her parents' hearing impairment, she feels keenly aware of the layers of complexity they experience when accessing health care services that she, as a hearing person, does not.
Job Titles:
- Senior Analyst, Health System Analytics
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Analytics
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Improvement
Job Titles:
- Payroll & Benefits Administrator
Job Titles:
- Lead, Health System Analytics
Lethbridge, AB Teena serves as an active and avid volunteer in her community. Currently, she focuses on her work as a Toastmaster and as a literacy tutor for adults with Read On, a program through the Lethbridge Public Library. Prior to receiving a disability pension, Teena held many professional positions, including her 15 years of service as an air traffic controller in the military. Teena's experience with the healthcare system started with her diagnostic journey regarding multiple sclerosis (MS). This journey included her family, and uncovered other important experiences and details about care she received during infancy and childhood. Teena joined the Patient and Family Advisory Committee because believes in the value of oversight of the healthcare system by a third-party organization. Without outside oversight, she believes a system will fail or stagnate. Teena has seen first-hand the spectacular elements, as well as the struggles, of Alberta's healthcare system. Teena is proud to inform and support the HQCA's work to monitor the system and recognize where good work is happening.
Job Titles:
- Senior Lead, Health System Analytics
Job Titles:
- Analyst, Health System Analytics