Laurie Edmundson

Laurie Edmundson

Laurie Edmundson has worked tirelessly to advance the patient voice to help improve health care services, both across BC and internationally. Because of her vulnerability and willingness to share her own story about navigating borderline personality disorder and other mental health challenges, she has inspired others and helped shape the way services are delivered.

Vivian Tsang

Vivian Tsang

Vivian Tsang began her journey in health care as a soft-spoken 16-year-old, participating as a patient partner in a research study at BC Children’s Hospital. A decade later, and now a physician, she’s making her voice heard as an advocate for youth advisory voices in research.

Michel White

Michel White

Michel has been an outspoken advocate for including the patient voice in health care since volunteering with the Patient Voices Network in 2008. Over the years, she has added her insights to many initiatives, particularly Fraser Health’s Physician Quality Improvement program, originally as a patient advisor for individual projects and then as a PQI Steering Committee member, enabling her to add the voice of the patient to decisions affecting quality improvement throughout the health authority.

Christopher Stuart

Christopher Stuart

Christopher Stuart leads collaboratively, bringing together care providers to form a team around his patients – with his patients as the most important team member. He develops respectful relationships between patients, caregivers and practitioners, with humility and transparency.

Christine Wallsworth

Christine Wallsworth’s late husband had dementia and, as his cognitive abilities deteriorated, she often saw his voice ignored and that she needed to advocate on his behalf. After a support group volunteer told her how patients, families and caregivers can advocate for the care they receive and influence policies, she joined several patient engagement opportunities…

Michelle Peltier

Michelle Peltier spent 15 hours a day in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre after her daughter Olive was born preterm at 29 weeks. This experience profoundly impacted Michelle and, soon after Olive was discharged, she created a support group on Facebook for other parents of children born…

Wendy Alston

After the heartbreak of her mother’s journey with prolonged delirium, Wendy Alston decided to dedicate herself to making health care better for everyone. With empathy, solidarity and tireless work, she has helped transform care for delirium patients and changed the culture of patient engagement at Eagle Ridge Hospital (ERH). Wendy’s volunteer trajectory was motivated by…

Betty Murray

Providence Health Care (PHC) has a strong culture of person- and family-centred care in large part thanks to Betty Murray’s diligent and passionate work as a patient partner within the organization over the past seven years. With a feisty personality and unbeatable determination, Betty goes beyond sharing her extensive experience as a patient by helping…

Ernie Ellis

Ernie Ellis does not have an exceptional story — he has not published a book or attained national or international fame. However, he is exceptional as a shining example of someone who is using their voice to better their own community. He has come up against a number of personal hardships, but, as his nominator…