Patient & Family Advisory Committee

Clyde, AB

Treaty 7 Blackfoot Kainai

Billie-Jo is from Treaty 7 Blackfoot Kainai area which is commonly known as Blood Tribe. She left at a young age to raise her family in Tsuut’ina and is a Nation member within their tribe raising her 3 children. She has been involved with many boards that assist our First Nation People, and currently sits on the Calgary Aboriginal Urban Affairs Committee.

With her strong educational background in Business and Health she has played an essential role in navigating First Nations People and holds the position within Primary Care Alberta as the Senior Practice Consultant for the Indigenous Support Line. As a Wife and Mother, she continues to preserve her Traditions for her Children and her People, while uniting her Education and culture into a 2-eyed seeing approach.

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.

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 Health Quality Alberta’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 Health Quality Alberta’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.

Cochrane, AB

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 Health Quality Alberta’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!

Caslan, AB

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.

Edmonton, AB

Edmonton, AB

Sturgeon County, AB

Grounded in a strong belief in universal healthcare, Ross is a strong believer in accessible and affordable healthcare for everyone. He believes that timely access to care and preventative services can help control the spread of diseases, reduce complications from chronic conditions, and improve overall public health.

Ross has lived through the remarkable advancements in diabetes management since his Type 1 diagnosis over 40 years ago, gaining deep personal insight into the impact of service providers, medications, lifestyle adjustments, and technological innovations. His background as an Occupational Therapist offers a valuable service provider's perspective on the healthcare system, further enriched by his current role within a large urban school board, where he leads teams of professionals that support students with complex educational and medical needs. Ross's personal journey also includes navigating the complexities of long-term care as a caregiver for a parent.

This multifaceted experience fuels his commitment as a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Committee, where he believes in the value of providing recommendations for enhancement as a catalyst for continuous improvement, highlighting specific areas for change and enhancing performance. He believes that constructive criticism, when delivered appropriately, offers significant benefits for system improvement, fostering learning, growth, and collaboration.

Fort McMurray, AB

Todd is a paramedic by trade and currently working in the oilsands under emergency and security management. As a lifelong resident of Fort McMurray, he has a deep knowledge of the pros and cons of healthcare programs in a remote northern community, as well as what’s required to be successful within the region itself. A former Chair of the AHS Wood Buffalo Health Advisory Council, Todd has been deeply involved in the communication and improvement of our healthcare system. With his experience as a patient after having gastric bypass surgery through AHS, participation in the adult Weight Management program and mental health system navigation stemming from the 2016 wildfire, Todd is a valuable resource for patient-driven care.

Todd believes healthcare is one of the most prominent issues facing Albertans today, and that to solve its issues requires a communal effort from a diverse group of individuals, which is why he is passionate about being part of the solution as a member of Health Quality Alberta’s Patient and Family Advisory Committee.