Since 2015, the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) has supported staff members working within each health authority (HA) to support SSC initiatives. While the specific work undertaken within each HA differs, support may link to the work of Physician Quality Improvement, Spreading Quality Improvement, Health System Redesign, Physician Leadership initiatives, Facilities Engagement, and others. Now, the scope of the work of these leaders is evolving to include Shared Care. The six HA SSC/SCC Leaders are:
Yuriko Ryan
Provincial Health Services Authority
Yuriko is a bioethicist-gerontologist with over 20 years of work experience in health care that spans health policy research, health care administration, and physician engagement.
Brian Lane
Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care
Brian is based in North Vancouver, on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples. He has worked with Vancouver Coastal Health for the past 10 years. A constant in his career has been to find ways to improve how people experience, access, and benefit from quality health care. Whether that has been clinically as a physiotherapist, supporting physicians and health care teams through their own QI projects or helping develop new initiatives and teams to fulfill a real need within the system. As SSC/Shared Care Leader for VCH and PHC he supports physicians to engage as powerful health system partners. Outside of this you’ll find him outside, usually chasing his two boys all over the north shore trails either on bike or foot.
Jag Sandhu
Fraser Health Authority
Jag has over two decades of clinical and health care management experience with particular areas of expertise including leadership in the VP Medicine portfolio at Fraser Health, primary health care redesign and physician contracted initiatives. Jag has comprehensive knowledge and experience with the BC health care system, health authority operations and physician engagement. Jag lives in White Rock with his wife Jean and two sons Chase and Rowan.
Atusko Tanahara
Interior Health Region
Atsuko has been with Interior Health for the past 10 years and has held a variety of roles that have allowed her to develop an extensive organizational awareness of Interior Health. She has a Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education with Athabasca University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her senior dogs, Stella and Spud. She is excited to expand her collaboration to Shared Care partners and looking forward to connecting with people in the Shared Care sphere.
Deborah Bartley
Island Health Region
Deborah is based on Vancouver Island, a region of spectacular natural beauty on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw People. With over 15 years experience on the Medical and Academic Affairs team, Deborah had a hand in the launch of the regional Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) program, has administered the Health System Redesign (HSR) funding program for 7+ years, and is energized when linking physicians with the right JCC funding stream to meet the strategic objectives shared by Island Health, physicians, and the JCCs. When not working Deborah finds inspiration on the coastal trails from Long Beach to Telegraph Cove, sampling farm-to-table fare with friends and family, and heading out for off-Island travel.
Janice Paterson
Northern Health Region
Janice lives in Prince George, BC, on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. Janice has a background in project management, research, and quality improvement. In her role as SSC/Shared Care Leader, Janice enjoys providing steward leadership to physicians in the Northern Health region by supporting them to access resources, learn, and lead systems change and improvement in collaboration with the health authority and the Joint Collaborative Committees. Janice fully embraces outdoor recreation in the North, spending her spare time skiing, hiking, biking, camping, and boating with her family.
