Skip to main content

PHSA Executive

 
PHSA’s executive team is a group of experienced and innovative leaders in management and administration, health care, education and research.

Dr. David W. Byres

President & chief executive officer

Portrait of David ByresDr. David Byres has over 25 years of experience in the health sector, most recently as the associate deputy minister, clinical leadership for the B.C. Ministry of Health. He has held responsibility across a number of divisions in the Ministry including Primary Care, Pharmaceutical, Lab and Blood Services, Specialized Services, Population and Public Health, Health Sector Workforce and Beneficiary Services, and the Office of Indigenous Health.

Previously, David served as the executive vice president for Providence Health Care and later as the chief nurse executive for the Ministry of Health. His health career began in community mental health and as a registered nurse in medicine, mental health, community, and emergency settings.

David is actively involved in research and is currently a co-principal investigator examining a health equity intervention framework to promote the provision of equity-oriented care for Indigenous people in B.C.’s emergency departments.

David holds a doctorate in nursing practice, a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and a bachelor and masters of science degree in nursing. He is an adjunct professor with the School of Nursing at UBC and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Victoria. He is a certified health executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders, recipient of the Dean's Medal of Distinction from the UBC Faculty of Applied Science and was recently inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing.

Dr. Leanne Heppell

Executive vice president, BC Emergency Health Services & chief ambulance officer

Portrait of Leanne HeppellDr. Leanne Heppell joined PHSA in July 2021 from her position with Providence Health Care as chief operating officer acute care & chief of professional practice & nursing in April 2015. Prior to this role, Leanne was the vice president, patient safety and innovation; and chief of professional practice and nursing. 

Leanne brings to her role over 20 years of senior leadership experience, including with Vancouver Coastal Health, Fraser Health and the BC Ambulance Service. She is a registered nurse with a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Victoria. Leanne graduated from UBC as a clinical nurse specialist in the masters in nursing program, and completed a masters in leadership from Royal Roads University in 2003. She is also an academic supervisor of leadership studies at Royal Roads University. Leanne is a values leader with a focus on putting patients and families first. Leanne completed a doctorate of business administration in 2016.

Dr. Maureen O'Donnell

Executive vice president, provincial clinical policy, planning & partnerships

Portrait of Maureen O'DonnellDr. Maureen O’Donnell is responsible for provincial clinical policy, innovation and research. Her portfolio leads collaborative work to create and execute on system-wide strategies. These apply clinical excellence, data and analytics, discovery and technology to solve challenging and complex issues, act on opportunities for innovation and, with input from patients, care providers and researchers, seek to enact evidence-based improvement in health and health-care across B.C. 

In addition to her role with PHSA, Maureen is supporting the Ministry of Health during a two-year appointment as associate deputy minister, health system innovation, working collaboratively to provide a stronger focus, for both the ministry and the broader health sector, on driving innovation and effective strategy management.

Maureen is an experienced health care leader, clinician and academic. She is a subspecialist pediatrician with a master of science in clinical epidemiology and is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. She has served as chair for a number of national and international boards and national executive committees. 

She supports her clinical sub-specialty area of pediatrics through her participation with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada on the examination committee. She currently serves on the board of directors for Children’s Healthcare Canada where she is the immediate past chair and on the board of directors of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).  

Shannon Malovec

Executive vice president, provincial digital health and information services

Portrait of Shannon MalovecShannon is a highly skilled health informatics leader, passionate about transforming health care through patient engagement and experience in strategic planning, portfolio/program management, and systems implementation.  In this executive role, she supports our local and provincial systems and partners with the Ministry of Health to deliver digital strategies, including the latest work delivering the IMMS BC solution, vaccine passport and Health Gateway.

Shannon returned to PHSA in 2019 from TELUS, where she was principal for patient engagement leading strategy and development of TELUS Health’s patient-facing applications, including Personal Health Record, Home Health Monitoring, and EMR Portals.  Previous to TELUS Health, Shannon was director, clinical solution delivery for PHSA.  She led the delivery of major clinical IM/IT projects across PHSA, Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Healthcare.  She also led the teams responsible for the project portfolio management office, budget planning and management, and performance management and benefits evaluation. 

Shannon is currently president of the board of Digital Health Canada. In November 2021, she was awarded a Top Forty under 40 award from Business in Vancouver.

Scott MacNair

Executive vice president, business operations

Portrait of Scott MacNair

Scott MacNair is responsible for leading business operations within PHSA, with a focus on enhancing value across the provincial health-care system. His portfolio includes supply chain, Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services, Health Emergency Management BC, facilities management and capital projects as well as Lower Mainland accountability for diagnostic imaging services, pharmacy services, biomedical engineering and Integrated Protection Services.

Scott has diverse experience in the private sector. Starting in 2008, Scott worked with Stryker Canada, a leading medical technology company. He assumed increasingly senior leadership roles in commercial sales, marketing, contracting, tendering and pricing, operational and commercial performance and financial performance, and in 2016 he took on the role as president. 

Earlier in his career, Scott spent 13 years leading teams in the areas of business development, sales and marketing with Boston Scientific and Xerox. He completed his bachelor of arts at the Rochester Institute of Technology and has completed the executive leadership program at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Susan Wannamaker

Executive vice president, clinical service delivery

Portrait of Susan WannamakerSusan Wannamaker leads clinical delivery programs that support direct patient and client care, including BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services, BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.

Susan has held diverse executive roles in her 40-year career in health care, including clinical background as a nurse, operational experience in running hospitals, leading significant transformation initiatives and 20 years in leadership roles at Vancouver Coastal Health. Susan has been "hands-on" at virtually every level of the B.C. health-care system; as a result, she has a deep understanding of how different roles and professions work together and appreciates how important relationships within and across health authorities are to achieving lasting, positive outcomes.

She played a significant role in shaping B.C.’s 10-year cancer care action plan announced in February 2023 and immediately prior to her current role, she was president of BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre. Before that, she was senior vice president at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, Ontario, responsible for all hospital operations and ensuring operational readiness for a new hospital expansion.

Dr. Kim Nguyen Chi

Executive vice president & chief medical officer, BC Cancer

Portrait of Dr. Kim ChiDr. Kim Chi leads BC Cancer as executive vice president and chief medical officer. He is focused on supporting teams of dedicated professionals to provide timely access to high quality cancer care services and in doing so, improve health outcomes for British Columbians, province-wide. 

Dr. Chi has been a practising medical oncologist and clinical researcher in B.C. for more than 25 years, allowing him to bring important clinical and patient care perspectives to health system decision-making and implementation of the B.C. 10-year cancer care plan announced in February 2023. Dr. Chi’s research is in the area of genitourinary cancers with a focus on prostate cancer and investigational new drugs, including outcomes, Phase I-III clinical trials, neoadjuvant studies and mechanisms of treatment resistance. 

He has had peer-reviewed grant funding from the Canada Institutes of Health Research, National Cancer Institute of Canada, Canadian Cancer Society, the US Department of Defense, Movember and the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada. Dr. Chi also serves as Shrum Chair in Applied Genomics Research for Prostate Cancer and has an appointment as Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia and Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University.

Alexandra (Lexie) Flatt

Executive vice president, data governance & analytics

Portrait of Lexie FlattIn her role as executive vice president, data governance & analytics, Lexie supports PHSA, along with its health authority partners, in making “data-informed” decisions that support the needs of both patients and care providers.

With 25 years of experience leading complex projects related to analytics, decision support, performance evaluation, funding and reporting in B.C. and Ontario, Lexie is well-versed in leading organizations through strategy, operations and policy development. Her hands-on experience is supplemented with a strong academic background, including an MBA and advanced statistical and research, business, and finance training.

Susan Good

Vice president, people & culture

Portrait of Susan GoodAs PHSA’s vice president of people & culture, Susan is focused on the health and well-being of PHSA’s workforce and strengthening our organizational culture.

Susan is a senior organization development practitioner and respected health-care leader. She joined PHSA in 2018 as executive director of practice and patient experience with BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services. In 2021, she took on the role of executive director, people experience, followed by interim vice president, people & culture, before taking on the vice president role permanently in March 2022. 

Before coming to PHSA, Susan worked with Fraser Health, serving for two decades in progressive leadership roles. Prior to that, Susan led her own consulting practice in management and organizational development, serving a variety of public and private sector industries. 

Susan holds a bachelor of arts in psychology and English and a master of arts in organizational development and change. She also represents the health-care industry as a member of the advisory council for the School of Leadership Studies with Royal Roads University and is an active volunteer, serving as a trustee on the board and executive committee of the Global Organizational Development Network.

Joe Gallagher, Kwunuhmen

Vice president, indigenous health and cultural safety

Portrait of Joe GallagherIn this new executive role, Joe Gallagher will guide the further development and evolution of PHSA’s Indigenous health and cultural safety strategy, lead the delivery of cultural safety and humility education, and support PHSA’s Indigenous Health and Human Resources Plan. 
 
Joe is Coast Salish from the Tla'amin First Nation and has already made extraordinary contributions to B.C.’s health-care system over the course of his career. Joe was the founding chief executive officer of the First Nations Health Authority, the first and only health authority of its kind in Canada, and served as CEO from 2009-2019. Prior to this role, Joe held senior leadership roles at a number of governmental and First Nations organizations, working in areas including health care, community development, economic development and intergovernmental affairs. 

In the last year, Joe has provided executive-level consulting support to B.C. health regulatory colleges and other institutions as they work to address Indigenous-specific racism and achieve cultural safety and humility in health-care settings. 

Kendra McPherson

Vice president, clinical improvement & transformation 

Portrait of Kendra McPhersonKendra McPherson leads clinical improvement and transformation, which includes the health improvement networks and PHSA’s coordinating role in primary care. Through the Transformation Leadership Office, Kendra is focused on where PHSA is going from a system perspective, driving our executive leaders to meet milestones and deliver outcomes critical to the transformation of PHSA and the B.C. health-care system overall. 

Kendra has led and managed a number of large, system-wide transformation initiatives provincially, across Canada, and in the United States. Through these experiences, she has developed a deep understanding of issues impacting the continuum of care and insights into what it takes to achieve and sustain strong gains in efficiency, patient care, and clinical outcomes. Kendra holds a bachelor of arts in family and nutritional sciences from the University of British Columbia, a master of healthcare administration from Seton Hall University and numerous professional certifications. 

Laurie Dawkins

Vice president, communications & engagement

Portrait of Laurie DawkinsLaurie Dawkins is responsible for internal and external communications across all PHSA portfolios; including media relations, social media, brand, content services and web strategy.

Laurie has more than 25 years’ experience in the communications industry, and holds the international professional designations of accredited business communicator and strategic communications management professional. In 2017, she was named a Master Communicator of Canada by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)– Canada. Laurie is an active member of IABC locally, nationally and internationally, a frequent mentor to new communicators, and she holds more than 26 industry awards and honours for her professional work and volunteerism. 

Prior to joining PHSA in November 2018, Laurie served for 17 years with Vancouver Coastal Health in increasingly senior roles, including interim vice president, communications, public affairs & community engagement. Before that, she was privileged to work with organizations like the University of British Columbia, Industry Canada and Placer Dome Mining, among others.

Michael Lord

Vice president, finance & chief financial officer

Portrait of Michael LordMichael Lord provides strategic financial leadership to PHSA and its many robust programs and services and holds executive responsibility for financial strategy, management and reporting as well as employee records and benefits, payroll, timekeeping and scheduling.

Michael has over 20 years of senior leadership experience in the areas of finance, service delivery and policy development. His career includes several years in the B.C. public service, serving with the ministries of Health, Finance, and Social Development & Poverty Reduction. More recently, in Saskatchewan, Michael led the development of provincial accessibility legislation and played a significant role in shaping the future of community housing.

Michael holds a degree in economics and political science, has a chartered professional accountant designation, and is finishing a certificate in conflict resolution and negotiation.

Dr. Natasha Prodan-Bhalla 

Vice president, quality, safety, clinical informatics, and chief of nursing and allied practice 

Portrait of Dr. Natasha Prodan-BhallaDr. Natasha Prodan-Bhalla is responsible for providing strategic leadership to nursing and allied health professionals across PHSA, for leading the development of a quality framework that includes patient engagement and experience, the PHSA policy office, accreditation, and ethics and spiritual care. 

Prior to this role, Natasha was the collaborative practice leader for nurse practitioners with PHSA and still works as a nurse practitioner at BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre one day a week in the Heart Program for Women and the Access Clinic. Natasha completed her doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Colorado, holds a master of nursing, adult nurse practitioner degree from the University of Toronto, and a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Western Ontario. Natasha also holds a post masters family nurse practitioner certificate from the University of Massachusetts, is a North American menopause practitioner, and holds a cardiovascular nursing certification from the Canadian Nursing Association. 

Natasha is a fellow of both the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the Canadian Academy of Nursing. She is an adjunct professor in the Schools of Nursing at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. She was a founding board member of the Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC and is the current co-chair of the National Principle Nurses Advisors Task Force. Separate from her role at PHSA, Natasha serves in an advisory capacity as the provincial chief nursing officer with the B.C. Ministry of Health. 

Dr. Sean A. Virani

Vice president, medical & academic affairs 

Portrait of Dr. Sean ViraniDr. Sean Virani is responsible for PHSA medical affairs, physician compensation and engagement. He also leads quality and safety for medical staff, including physicians and nurse practitioners, infection prevention and control, the BC Medical Quality Initiative, and has oversight for PHSA’s Health Authority Medical Advisory Committee. 

Dr. Virani is a respected physician and a key opinion leader for heart failure in Canada, bringing more than two decades of medical experience to the role. He also serves as head of the division of cardiology for Providence Health Care (PHC) and physician program director with the Heart Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Dr. Virani previously served as the provincial medical director for Cardiac Services BC, a past-president of the Canadian Heart Failure Society as well as associate professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He is co-chair of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Heart Failure Guidelines Panel and co-chair of B.C.’s Provincial Advisory Panel on Cardiac Health. He also serves as medical director for HeartLife Foundation.

He completed his internal medicine and cardiology training at UBC before embarking on a sub-specialization in heart failure and cardiac transplantation at Stanford University.  Dr. Virani also has a masters degree in public health from Columbia University with a focus on health-care management.  

Zulie Sachedina

General counsel & chief legal officer

Portrait of Zulie SachedinaZulie Sachedina is responsible for overseeing the legal, risk, privacy, patient care quality, and technology development offices at PHSA. 

Zulie has devoted more than 30 years to public service as a leader, lawyer and human rights advocate. She acquired her masters in health administration and her law degree from the University of Toronto and her LL.M in Global Health Law and Governance from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. She is an adjunct professor and teaches health law at the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia and is a technical advisor for the Global Health Diplomacy Program at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.

Zulie is an active community volunteer and serves as a governor of the Law Foundation of British Columbia, an organization with the legislative mandate to fund access to justice initiatives, support law reform and public legal education. As chair of the Ismaili International Conciliation and Arbitration Board, she leads this global dispute resolution organization, which provides mediation services in 19 jurisdictions across the world.

SOURCE: PHSA Executive ( )
Page printed: . Unofficial document if printed. Please refer to SOURCE for latest information.

Copyright © Provincial Health Services Authority. All Rights Reserved.

    Copyright © 2024 Provincial Health Services Authority