2015-2016 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
President
Jenna Smith-Forrester, MSc (Neuroscience)
Medical Student Year 2, Faculty of Medicine
Jenna was introduced to the IHI while completing a Research Scholarship at the Mayo Clinic and has been passionate about improving service delivery, efficiency, and minimizing patient risk through education and systems re-design. Jenna is excited to continue working in both her local and international IHI networks to advocate for the inclusion of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety education into formalized training for future healthcare professionals. Amidst her studies Jenna enjoys yoga and hiking with her chocolate lab, Mya.
Medical Student Year 2, Faculty of Medicine
Jenna was introduced to the IHI while completing a Research Scholarship at the Mayo Clinic and has been passionate about improving service delivery, efficiency, and minimizing patient risk through education and systems re-design. Jenna is excited to continue working in both her local and international IHI networks to advocate for the inclusion of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety education into formalized training for future healthcare professionals. Amidst her studies Jenna enjoys yoga and hiking with her chocolate lab, Mya.
Treasurer
Nicole Lee
B.Kin. Interdisciplinary Studies Candidate – School of Kinesiology
Nicole joined IHI UBC in hopes of raising awareness about current issues in Canada’s healthcare system and encouraging discussions about ways to improve. She enjoys learning about health policies and education, as well as gerontology and gender issues. When she is not studying, she can be found teaching piano or baking.
B.Kin. Interdisciplinary Studies Candidate – School of Kinesiology
Nicole joined IHI UBC in hopes of raising awareness about current issues in Canada’s healthcare system and encouraging discussions about ways to improve. She enjoys learning about health policies and education, as well as gerontology and gender issues. When she is not studying, she can be found teaching piano or baking.
Scholarship Director
Carol Bao, BSc (Cellular and Physiological Sciences)
Medical Student Year 1, Faculty of Medicine
Carol joined IHI UBC with a passion for spreading awareness about the opportunities present in the health care quality improvement community. She is excited to be involved in the scholarship program and to support the candidates in developing their knowledge about quality improvement. She enjoys exploring the great outdoors and sketching in her spare time.
Curriculum Director
Robert Yao
MD Candidate, Faculty of Medicine
Robert was introduced to the IHI through its practicum program when he helped to test the effectiveness of the MedStopper tool for de-prescribing medications. Currently, he is involved in research in screening for adverse drug events and evaluating the asthma management protocol in emergency departments. From his past experiences and education, he learnt to appreciate the importance of quality improvement in health care and became passionate about promoting interprofessional collaborations. With the role as a curriculum director, he hopes to incorporate quality improvement concepts and education into the curricula of different professional schools to promote an interdisciplinary approach to improving health care. In his spare time, he can be found hiking the mountains on the North Shore and playing basketball.
MD Candidate, Faculty of Medicine
Robert was introduced to the IHI through its practicum program when he helped to test the effectiveness of the MedStopper tool for de-prescribing medications. Currently, he is involved in research in screening for adverse drug events and evaluating the asthma management protocol in emergency departments. From his past experiences and education, he learnt to appreciate the importance of quality improvement in health care and became passionate about promoting interprofessional collaborations. With the role as a curriculum director, he hopes to incorporate quality improvement concepts and education into the curricula of different professional schools to promote an interdisciplinary approach to improving health care. In his spare time, he can be found hiking the mountains on the North Shore and playing basketball.
Communications Team
Communications Project Director
Wayne Leung
B.Sc. Pharmacology Candidate - Faculty of Science Wayne is a third year undergraduate student aspiring to become a geriatric physician. He not only wants a career in medicine, but also wants to be instrumental in improving the quality of healthcare in Vancouver and BC. After spending a year as an Events Director in UBC IHI, he is excited to take on the new role of a Communications Director. In his spare time he enjoys hanging out with friends and exploring new restaurants. |
Communications Project Director
Evelyn Chan
B.A. Geography Candidate, Faculty of Arts Evelyn is a fourth year undergraduate student and passionate about public health issues and Canada’s healthcare system. She joined IHI to learn more about quality improvement and new approaches and technologies that are introduced to healthcare decision making. Evelyn is passionate in applying Geographic Information Science(GIS) in the context of spatial epidemiology and medical geography. She is looking forward to connecting with other students that are also passionate about public health! In her spare time, she enjoys doing bikram yoga, swimming and writing. |
Newsletter Director
Catherine Lim
B.Kin Health Science Candidate - Faculty of Kinesiology Catherine is a Vancouver born second year undergraduate student who was inspired by IHI’s mission of employing and educating future leaders in order to optimize health care. She was first introduced to IHI UBC by a close friend who learnt of Catherine’s interest in sociology and the health care system. Catherine enjoys playing and listening to music, swimming, skiing, and fashion. She is very excited to promote IHI UBC and become an agent of change with such a talented group of individuals! |
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Melissa Wan B.Sc. Pharmacology Candidate - Faculty of Science Melissa is a fourth year undergraduate student and joined IHI UBC in her first year out of curiosity to learn more about healthcare improvement and IHI. Since then, she has developed a wide variety of interests in quality improvement and patient safety such as overcrowding, development of screening tools, adverse events, patient flow, and clinical decision rules (particularly in the ED). She’s passionate about creating and promoting student opportunities to help them gain hands-on experience to apply and learn the principles of quality improvement! In her spare time, she can be found reading, coaching, and mentoring! |
Harriet Ho
MSc Candidate, School of Population and Public Health Harriet is a Bachelor of Commerce graduate entering her first year in the Master of Science program, intending to concentrate in Health Economics. She was first introduced to IHI UBC last year, and found a dynamic community of like-minded individuals who were passionate about health care improvement. Harriet believes that health care is a truly interdisciplinary undertaking, and through IHI events, she hopes to engage students from across different faculties to offer diverse perspectives on tackling health care issues. In her spare time, she enjoys discovering new music, reading, and running.
Oscar Iu
B.Sc. Integrated Science Candidate, Faculty of Science Oscar is a fifth year undergraduate student who joined IHI UBC with a passion to effectively engage students to practical, yet often overlooked, healthcare issues in the community. Hoping to integrate his study of physiology, population and public health and software development, he strives to pursue his research interests in: expanding the use of eHealth in healthcare and health-related technological applications in everyday life; reducing avoidable healthcare errors and workarounds, while stressing the importance of patient safety; and developing new as well as building upon existing public health strategies to drive innovation in health quality improvement. He is excited to work alongside his fellow QuIP Director, Saaranga, to bring his enthusiasm about healthcare improvement to the UBC student community through the organization of interactive workshops and interesting panel events that bring forth relevant healthcare issues. In his spare time, he can be found coffee-shop hopping, blogging under @theoxfordman, and playing basketball. |
Andrew Purssell MD Candidate, Faculty of Medicine Andrew Purssell completed his BScH in Life Sciences and his MSc and PhD in Microbiology and Immunology at Queen’s University. His graduate research focused on deepening our understanding of antibiotic resistance. He is now a third year medical student at the University of British Columbia and is interested in a career as a specialist in infectious disease. Andrew was drawn to IHI UBC because of its work in promoting the translation of research into effective healthcare solutions. As an Events Director at IHI UBC, Andrew hopes to convince others that anyone is capable of enacting positive change through a combination of innovation and a willingness to test new ideas. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys Ultimate Frisbee, reading, and spending time with friends and family. 
Saaranga Sasitharan
Master of Health Administration Candidate, Faculty of Medicine Saaranga was first introduced to the IHI while participating in a Quality Improvement practicum, investigating the effectiveness of the MedStopper tool in improving a physician’s de-prescribing process. Inspired by IHI’s mission, Saaranga joined the IHI UBC chapter in the capacity of QuIP Director with the hopes of promoting awareness about equitable access, and quality improvement in healthcare. She aspires to improve quality in healthcare by exploring policy development concerning removing cultural barriers and improving cultural competency in health care programs. This year she is very excited to work alongside her fellow QuIP Director, Oscar, to introduce fellow students and health professionals to the importance of quality improvement through interactive workshops and seminars. In her spare time, Saaranga enjoys practicing and performing Bharathanatyam, a form of traditional South Indian dance. |