BC-CPC.CA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant
- Research Assistant in Two Scoping Reviews for Quality End - of - Life Care Coalition of Canada
Anica is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, majoring in Health Studies and Evolutionary Anthropology. She has an avid interest in palliative care, which has been cultivated through ongoing research and volunteering, and she plans to become a social worker in the field.
Recently, Anica has worked as a research assistant in two scoping reviews for Quality End-of-Life Care Coalition of Canada on grief and bereavement in palliative care informal caregivers. Prior to that, she worked at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and with the Health Studies Program at the University of Toronto; assisting with the preparation of research manuscripts for publication.
Job Titles:
- Agency, Physician, Pain & Symptom Management Program
Carolyn Tayler has worked in oncology and palliative care in both clinical and administrative roles. She is past president of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) and the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to promoting excellence in nursing care of the dying, and in creating responsive health systems.
In 2006 she and her Fraser Health team were awarded the Tommy Douglas Celebration of Medicare Award, and in 2007, the Award of Merit for Collaborative Solutions from the Health Employers Association of BC. She also received the 2008 Order of Merit for Nursing Administration from the Canadian Nurses Association, and in 2010 was awarded the Life Time Achievement Award from CANO.
As Special Projects Manager, Della uses her impressive experience to inform and lead the development of priority projects for the Centre, advancing its mission and taking on roles that are critical to the Centre's success and growth.
With over 25 years' experience with three BC health authorities, Della brings important perspective and insight to her work at the Centre. As a palliative care and end-of-life care leader, Della played a key role in creating systems to support the practice of palliative care, notably the BC After Hours Nurse Line, a community palliative care operating model and informing work in development for a virtual palliative supportive care monitoring for people receiving care at home.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Strategic Advisor
As the Centre's founder, Dr. Barwich has established the strategic focus and mobilized provincial networks and partnerships to accelerate best practices and promote innovation in palliative care. She is a palliative care clinician, educator and leader.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Adjunct Professor at the UBC Palliative Medicine Division
- Executive Director of the BC Centre for Palliative Care
Dr. Eman Hassan is executive director of the BC Centre for Palliative Care and the lead for the Centre's public health portfolio. She has more than 20 years of experience leading population health initiatives and program evaluation. In her white paper, The Public Health Approach to Palliative Care, she describes different public health palliative care models, including the Compassionate Communities model, and discusses international experiences in these frameworks.
Under Eman's leadership, the Centre's Compassionate Communities initiative and Advance Care Planning interventions received national recognition by both the Canadian Foundation for Health Improvement and the Canadian Frailty Network as innovations that should be spread nationally.
Eman is also an adjunct professor at the UBC Palliative Medicine Division. Her current research interests include the development, evaluation, and spread of innovative interventions and evidence-based collaborative approaches that aim to enhance access to palliative care and supports in all care settings.
In addition to her medical degree, Eman completed a Master of Public Health and a two-year CIHR-funded fellowship in health services research at the University of British Columbia.
Throughout her career, she received notable awards from academic and research institutions. The latest award she received is the 2021 Convening and Collaborating Award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
Job Titles:
- Physician
- Physician Lead, Serious Illness Conversation Initiative
Dr. Gillian Fyles is a palliative care physician, educator, and researcher. She is the medical lead for the Centre's Serious Illness Conversation initiative and a clinical associate professor in the UBC Division of Palliative Care. For 20 years she was the medical leader of the Pain and Symptom Management/Palliative Care Program at the BCCA Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior.
Job Titles:
- Physician
- Medical Lead, Education & Partnership Initiatives
- Medical Lead, Education and Partnerships
Dr. Julia Ridley is a palliative care physician with experience in acute care, palliative units, community, and outpatient clinics. She completed her residency training at UBC, and has a Master's in Education from the University of Toronto. She has interests in research in education and communication, and is the program director for the Palliative Medicine Sub-specialty residency program at UBC.
Elizabeth Beddar-Huber has worked in the field of palliative care as a clinician, instructor, and researcher for the past 15 years. Her career has spanned urban and rural settings throughout British Columbia as a Palliative Care Coordinator and as a clinical nurse specialist. Currently she is the Clinical Lead for the Serious Illness Conversation initiative with BC Centre for Palliative Care and an adjunct professor with the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia.
Esther Owoyomi provides administrative support to the Strategic Initiatives Team, Dementia projects and Physician partnership portfolio. She has a wealth of experience in providing support to senior management to the end that organizational goals be achieved.
Jacquelyn Brubacher provides administrative support to the Strategic Initiatives Team. She brings over a decade of administrative experience, supporting senior management in a variety of industries across Canada.
Outside of work, she has a passion for wholistic health and wellness, nutrition and herbology, and fitness in the great outdoors. She is continually curious and an avid learner about a person's and our planet's wellbeing. Jacquelyn is also an artist and paints abstract with acrylic on canvases, is a published children's book illustrator since 2022, and in her spare time hand-dies fabric to create eco-friendly Furoshiki gift wrap.
Job Titles:
- Advance Care Planning Consultant
- Program Manager, Advance Care Planning
Jas supported the Centre's advance care planning work for several years even before joining our staff, including taking part in the development of our culturally adapted advance care planning initiatives.
A passionate facilitator and coach, Jas brings energy and insight to the team, leaning on her leadership experience developing a diversity services portfolio for Fraser Health and as Board Chair for Surrey Libraries and Surrey Hospice Society. She has been recognized for her commitment to the community through awards like Leader of the Year, Woman of Distinction, and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Award.
Jennifer manages the Centre's office and provides project and event support. She liaises with partners and other stakeholders and is instrumental in coordinating daily operations. Jennifer has worked in an administrative capacity in a variety of settings, including public health and long-term care.
Job Titles:
- Bereavement Initiative Manager
- Bereavement Initiatives Manager
Joshua is a grief researcher, speaker, consultant, and host of the Grief Dreams Podcast. Joshua holds a master's degree (Psychology) from Trent University and a PhD (Psychology) from Brock University. His academic research has focused on dreams and continuing bonds after loss, including prenatal and pet loss. As one of the leading academic experts in grief dreams, which can be dreams of the deceased, Joshua has directed significant efforts on raising awareness about this fascinating phenomenon.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Initiatives
Kathleen has worked with BCCPC since 2015, leading projects related to clinician education and practice support. In partnership with palliative care clinicians and leads in the province, Kathleen successfully led the development of the BCCPC's Palliative Care Competency Framework, Palliative Care Education Framework, and Symptom Management Guidelines. These resources have been widely used by our health system partners to advance palliative care for people with serious illness in BC.
Kathleen starts each day with a waterfront walk with her labradoodle and husband. Her favorite way to end the day is playing cards with her two teenagers while her dog eats chip crumbs under the table
Job Titles:
- Community Development Specialist
Kathy Kennedy has more than 30 years of management and service delivery experience in health and social services organizations at the community level and province - wide. She has developed and implemented numerous educational and support programs for diverse groups, including individuals and families living with dementia, hospice families, caregivers, parents, and women in abusive relationships, as well as designing and facilitating training programs for staff and volunteers.
Through her role with the Alzheimer Society of B.C., Kathy led the development and implementation of the First Link® Dementia Support program and Minds in Motion®, a fitness and social/activity program for people with dementia and their care partners.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager for an Advance Care Planning
- Project Manager, ACP Dementia Project
Kathy Sheng is the project manager for an Advance Care Planning project led by BC Centre for Palliative Care in partnership with Alzheimer's Society of BC, Family Caregivers of BC, United Way, and researchers and experts in Advance Care Planning education. The project aims to help people living with dementia and their family/friend caregivers prepare for future health-care decisions through engagement in Advance Care Planning. The project is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Dementia Community Investment.
Kathy is a licensed pharmacist in BC with a background in geriatric care management. For the past 3 years, Kathy has worked in the field of residential care as the clinical pharmacist and medication management consultant for various long-term care, assisted living, group home, and hospice care communities.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Lead, Serious Illness Communication
Laura Finkler-Kemeny (she/her) is a master's trained Registered Nurse (RN) and researcher on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Her research interests focus on knowledge exchange, implementation science and health systems improvement, with a particular focus on how palliative care can improve health care delivery, quality and accessibility in Canada. Laura works as a hospice nurse throughout Vancouver and has previous experience in leading, coordinating and planning palliative care services in the home and hospital throughout BC. She is a strong advocate for the importance of quality communication in healthcare, and how healthcare provider language effects healthcare experiences."
With 30+ years' experience in professional executive assistant positions and a track record of strong performance in high-volume, high-pressure environments, Lesley skillfully manages administrative duties and client relations for the BC Centre for Palliative Care. Originally from Ontario, Lesley graduated from McMaster University with a Combined Honors BA. When her daughter moved to England to pursue her career, Lesley headed West to Vancouver where she now calls home. In addition to her duties as an Executive Assistant, Lesley is also active in her community volunteering and enjoying all the outdoor activities that BC has to offer.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager, Public Health Initiatives
Lisa is a recognized change-maker with over 15 years' non-profit executive leadership experience with a focus on community and partnership development.
Her varied background includes developing programs in health, education, housing and economic development, and she'll bring her diverse experience and focus on capacity building to the public health team, supporting and growing our network of community organization partners.
Pam Martin comes to the BC Centre for Palliative Care with over 15 years of evaluation experience in community development and public health. She is passionate about palliative care and has volunteered in hospices for almost 20 years. Pam is known for leading with her heart and received a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for her community efforts.
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager
- Communications Lead
Pam Warkentin has over 20 years' experience in corporate communications, serving diverse industries like health care, post-secondary education, engineering, financial services and advertising. Working with the BC Centre for Palliative Care represents a welcome return to the health care sector. She has been with the Centre since May 2020.
Rachel Carter (PhD) is a Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning researcher. She has been with the BC Centre for Palliative Care since 2015, and is currently the Director of Research. Her research has included community-led Advance Care Planning, including cultural adaptation of this education for the Chinese and South Asian communities. More recently, her experience includes grief and bereavement supports, and building consensus around the definition of care provided by hospice societies in BC.
Rachel moved to B.C. from Melbourne, Australia, where she worked in Advance Care Planning (ACP) at Austin Hospital's Respecting Patient Choices department. She has worked on national ACP projects in Australia, and has experience with the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager, Strategic Initiatives