Board of Directors

Accreditation Canada's Board of Directors is our governing body which comprises 16 voting members and two government observers. Meeting four times a year, the board provides leadership, sets policy, and oversees the organization's long term planning.

		June Bergman (Chair) is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine with the University of Calgary. She is also Chair of the Foothills Primary Care Physician Corporation and co-Chair of the Foothills Primary Care Network (a network of 180 primary care physicians). June has been involved in primary care renewal for many years. She was instrumental in the development of Shared care programs for psychiatry and many chronic diseases in the Calgary health region. She also developed new program models for hospitalists, free standing 24/7 clinics and participated in low-risk maternity models. Currently she manages a family medicine practice that trains family medicine residents. June has also been very involved in the development of quality in primary care through the national evaluation project that developed primary care domains and indicators as well as tools for Canada, and the Towards Optimal Practice committee that supports community doctors in quality practices and local quality initiatives.

		Alice Kennedy (Vice-Chair) has had an extensive and progressive career for the past twenty-five years in the health system, holding a number of senior positions at the regional and provincial level. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer–Long Term Care, Community Living and Supportive Services, Rehabilitation, Continuing and Palliative Care at the Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Alice holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a Masters of Business Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador as well as Certificates in Health Services Management and Nursing Unit Management from the Canadian Hospital Association (CHA). She is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian Council of Health Services Executives (CCHSE) and is active with the NL Chapter. Alice is involved at the national level as well and is the Atlantic Representative on the Board of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHIs an). In addition to serving on Accreditation Canada’s Board of Directors, Alice is also a surveyor.

		Wendy Nicklin (Secretary to the Board of Directors) is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Accreditation Canada. A recognized health care leader across Canada and internationally, she has led a significant renewal of the approach to and value of accreditation. Obtaining her academic degrees at McGill University, Wendy has extensive experience as a critical care nurse and in progressive leadership positions. She has participated in many provincial and national initiatives, such as the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety, and serves on several boards. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, an advisory member of the Conference Board of Canada’s Centre for Health System Design and Management network, and of the Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care. Within the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua), Wendy is a board member, Chair of the International Accreditation Program Council, member of the Research Working Group, and an ISQua surveyor. Wendy has academic appointments to Queen’s University and the University of Ottawa, and is on the advisory committees of the Queen’s University Masters of Science in Healthcare Quality Program and the University of Toronto Masters of Science program on Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.

		Léonard Aucoin, President of InfoVeille Santé, has extensive experience in health care management and consulting. He developed one of the first Integrated Health Centres in Quebec, and has participated in many strategic planning and organizational transformation mandates in various health organizations. Léonard completed his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at l’Université de Montréal, and obtained his Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management at the University of California, Berkeley. He was a member of the Commission for the Study of Health and Social Services (Clair Commission), President of Quebec’s Comité d’examen sur la prévention et le contrôle des infections nosocomiales [Nosocomial Infection Prevention and Control Committee], and Project Manager for the creation of the National Institute for Excellence in Health and Social Services. In 2010, Léonard was recognized as a Knight of the National Order of Quebec.

		Christopher Carruthers, an orthopaedic surgeon and consultant in health care, is the previous Chief of Staff of The Ottawa Hospital. He has held a number of senior medical executive positions, including Chief of Staff, Vice President of Medical Affairs, President of the Medical Staff, and acting CEO, at the former Ottawa Civic Hospital. He is a graduate of Carleton University (BSc.), the University of Ottawa (MD), and Concordia University’s Executive MBA program. He is a Certified Health Care Executive, a past surveyor for Accreditation Canada, and a member of the Canadian Medical Association’s Physician Manager Institute’s faculty, lecturing to physicians and other health care professionals. He is a founder and the first president of The Canadian Society of Physician Executives. Dr. Carruthers has recently completed the Directors Education Program sponsored by the Institute of Corporate Directors at the Rotman School of Management and is a certified director of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

		Brenda Carter is the Regional Vice President for Cancer Services, South East Regional Cancer Program. Over the last 14 years, Brenda has held a variety of senior leadership positions in cancer care in Newfoundland and Ontario. She has considerable experience in cancer system planning, improvement and development, aimed at enhancing the quality of cancer services in Southwestern Ontario. Brenda holds a Master of Health Sciences, Health Administration from the University of Toronto as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario. She is a member of the Canadian College of Health Service Executives.

		Aldéa Landry, CM, PC, QC, has been a civil servant with the New Brunswick Department of Justice, a legal practitioner in the Bathurst law firm Tremblay, Landry, Landry (which she co-founded), and a Cabinet Minister and Deputy Premier of New Brunswick in the government of Premier Frank McKenna. She is president of Landal Inc., a consulting firm based in Moncton New Brunswick offering integrated services in organizational and business development and in International Cooperation. She is also vice-president of Diversis Inc, a consulting firm specializing in immigration and diversity. Aldéa sits on the board of directors of several companies, national and community organisations, and is a member of the Prime Minister Advisory Committee on the Renewal of the Public Service. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Université de Moncton and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New Brunswick. She is a graduate of the Directors Education Program offered by the ICD Corporate Governance College and the Rotman’s School of Business, as well as of the Governance Essentials for Directors of Non-Profit Organizations and of the Financial Literacy Program for Directors and Executives. In 2006, Aldéa was awarded the Order of Canada.

		Mary Marshall has practised primarily in health law and has advised regional health authorities, provincial / federal / territorial governments, professional regulatory bodies, and others throughout her career. She is a frequent speaker and has published extensively on health law matters. As well, Mary has served on the Boards of a number of voluntary organizations, including the Canadian Nurses Association and organizations providing supportive housing for persons with disabilities. In 2009, Mary was the recipient of the University of Alberta, Faculty of Extension award for a “Leader in Lifelong Learning” for outstanding research and scholarship. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Canadian Mental Health Association National Office award for a legal counsel or law firm which has provided extraordinary leadership in advocacy. Mary has her Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Toronto (1980) and her Master of Law from the University of Cambridge (1994).

		Frances Martin joined the NS Department of Health and Wellness (formerly the Department of Health) in March 2010 as Associate Deputy Minister. Her responsibilities include program standards and quality, diversity and social inclusion, mental health and addictions, health system workforce, pharmaceutical services, policy and planning, and legislative policy. Frances’ career with the Province of Nova Scotia has spanned closed to 20 years, starting at the NS Department of Environment, followed by senior-level positions at the NS Department of Tourism, Culture, and Heritage; NS Department of Business and Consumer Services; and Office of Policy and Priorities (NS).

		Murray Martin is one of Canada’s longest serving health care executives, with more than 38 years of health care leadership experience. He joined Hamilton Health Sciences in 2001 as President and CEO. Previously, Mr. Martin served as the President and CEO of Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre. He has held a number of other senior management positions including Executive Vice President and COO of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Administrator of the Pasqua Hospital, Regina, Saskatchewan, and Assistant Administrator, Swift Current Union Hospital, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Mr. Martin is a native of Saskatchewan and holds a Bachelor of Administration degree from the University of Saskatchewan and is a graduate of the health administration program from University of Toronto. He is also a board member of the Hospital Insurance Reciprocal of Canada and numerous other regional and provincial health care committees. He is a frequent speaker at health care conferences and has authored a number of publications.

		Dr. David Ostrow has been the President & Chief Executive Officer of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority since 2009. After graduating from from the University of Manitoba in 1968, Dr. Ostrow received post-graduate education in Montreal, Winnipeg, and East Lansing, Michigan. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in 1973, of the American College of Chest Physicians in 1976, and of the American College of Physicians in 1986. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Ostrow was the founding Medical Director of the BC Transplant Society/Vancouver General Hospital’s Lung Transplant Program (1988-1997). He was Vice President of Clinical Services from 1997-2001 at Vancouver General Hospital and was Chief Information Officer for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH) from 2001-2003. He was Vice President, Medical and Clinical Innovation for VCH 2003-2009. Dr. Ostrow is active in Medical Education and continues to conduct an outpatient practice in Pulmonary Diseases at the Vancouver General Hospital’s Lung Center.

		John Schram joined the Board of Directors for We Care Health Services in March 1996 and subsequently assumed the role of President and CEO of We Care in 1999. Prior to joining We Care on a full time basis, John held a number of senior executive positions in the publishing industry, both in Canada and in the United States. Throughout his tenure at We Care, John has strived to bring the concerns and issues of the home health care sector into the forefront for governments across the country. John championed We Care’s drive to accreditation with the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation in 2000. We Care piloted their new program Qmemtum. Mr. Schram holds an Honours Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.

		Robert Shearer is Director, Chronic and Continuing Care Division, Health Canada. For over 30 years, Robert has managed diverse health and social programs, including Canada - European Union cooperation in health and social affairs, health human resource policy development, quality and citizen engagement, HIV/AIDS, Hemophilia, youth and educational services. He has excellent knowledge of the Canadian health care system and a strong understanding of the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the health field. He has been recognized to have the ability to bring diverse views and groups together toward a common goal or plan. Robert has extensive experience in providing strategic policy advice and recommendations to boards and senior management officials on health and social issues.

		Peter W. Vaughan is Vice-President Medicine, South Shore Health District in Nova Scotia, and Vice-Chair of the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation’s Research Advisory Committee. He is a health policy and health systems expert specializing in health care strategies, health human resources research, and public health policy and planning. Dr. Vaughan completed his Doctor of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and his Master of Public Health degree at The John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. He regularly appears as a keynote speaker to health research organizations, universities, governments—local, regional, provincial, and federal health planners across Canada. He has a unique background in philosophy, journalism, medicine, health policy, and applied health services research, and holds several adjunct faculty appoints. Dr. Vaughan has been a senior executive in both the private and public health sectors and has served on the boards of many organizations and growing companies.

		Dr. Karima Velji is a health care executive with over 25 years of progressive leadership experience spanning the full continuum of care. Her expertise encompasses development and implementation of innovative care models, interprofessional practice, together with quality and safety systems that foster patient-centered outcomes. Most recently, Dr.Velji was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Executive at Baycrest, a global leader in developing innovations in aging and brain health. She is the President-Elect of the Canadian Nurses Association, and is also on the board of directors of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, University of Toronto (Mississauga campus), Canadian Nurses Foundation, and Assessment Strategies Inc. Dr.Velji was recently appointed as an external reviewer for the Veteran’s Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care/Sunnybrook Hospital.

		George Weber has served as President and CEO of the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, one of four standalone specialized mental health facilities in Ontario, since 2007. Over the previous 26 years, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of a number of national organizations, such as the Canadian Red Cross and Canadian Dental Association, as well as various international organizations, including the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout his career, he has been involved in health and humanitarian work from multiple dimensions, including dental accreditation. George holds a Master's degree from McGill University and has completed the Advanced Management Program from the Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, the International Program for Board Members from the Institute of Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland and the Directors course sponsored by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

		Colonel David Weger joined the Canadian Forces in 1980 and has spent the past 23 years working within the military health care system. He is currently Director Health Services Delivery for the Canadian Forces, with system wide responsibility for a diverse portfolio that includes quality improvement, performance measurement, health human resources contracting, infrastructure, procurement and health informatics. Prior to assuming his current position, he served the Canadian Forces Health Services as a health care administrator and health services operations executive in six different provinces and overseas in Germany and the Middle East. Career highlights include his participation in relief efforts during the 1997 Manitoba Flood and the 1998 Eastern Ontario Ice Storm, commanding a 200-member mobile health services delivery unit and serving as the primary strategic level health services planner for the establishment of the Canadian led multinational hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Colonel Weger holds a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from the University of Alberta, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Strategic Medical Leadership Program and the U.S. Interagency Institute for Federal Health Care Executives. He is a Certified Healthcare Executive and sits on the Board of the Canadian College of Health Service Executives.