Vancouver, B.C. (October 3, 2023): Canuck Place Children’s Hospice held its Annual General Meeting, electing Board Director Suzanne Steenburgh as Board Chair, and two new Board Directors to the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Society Board of Directors, Dr. Matthew Chow and Tom Wong.
Former Board Chair, Bob Smart will continue to sit on the Board as a Director, Rob Coard will begin serving as Vice Chair, Tom Webster will remain Treasurer, and Teresa Budd will remain serving as Vice Chair & Secretary. Canuck Place is also grateful for the leadership contributions of Director Jennifer Baumbusch who has stepped down from the Board.
Joining Canuck Place’s Board of Directors are Dr. Matthew Chow and Tom Wong. Directors continuing their roles include John DeLucchi, Markus T. Delves, Dr. Douglas Cochrane, Barbara Mohan, Jill Donaldson, and Barry Macdonald.
We are so thrilled to have Suzanne Steenburgh step into the role of Board Chair and Rob Coard as Vice Chair, and we welcome our new Board Directors. Our Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Society Board of Directors are individuals motivated by compassion to meet the needs of seriously-ill children and their families across B.C. and the Yukon. From the entire team at Canuck Place, we thank them for their volunteer contributions to the leadership of care for children and families who receive pediatric palliative care.
Denise, Praill, Canuck Place CEO
More information on the Board Chair and new board members:
Suzanne Steenburgh, Canuck Place Board Chair
Suzanne Steenburgh is a former nurse and health leader with almost 20 years of experience in children’s health.
During her career, Suzanne held roles including Director for Quality, Safety and Accreditation, Program Manager and Nurse Clinician with the Provincial Health Services Authority. As part of these roles, Suzanne lead safety programs for multiple child and youth programs and agencies, supported the teams through Accreditation Canada surveys (achieving ongoing Exemplary Status), held oversight of several medical/surgical inpatient units and clinics and lead teams through the design process for two of the new inpatient floors at the Teck Acute Care Center. Suzanne’s early clinical time was spent working in the areas of pediatric neurosciences, oncology, and palliative care with a specific focus in the care of children with brain and spinal cord tumors.
Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master’s in Nursing and certifications in Lean Leader Methodologies, Change Management, Quality Improvement and Executive Coaching.
Suzanne lives in Vancouver with her husband and children and currently spends her time supporting a small family business and volunteering to support local charities.
Dr. Mathew Chow, Canuck Place Board Director
Dr. Matthew Chow is Chief Mental Health Officer at TELUS Health, Canada's largest digital health company and one of the largest providers of physical, mental, and financial well-being services in the world.
By the time he was 40, Dr. Chow had served as founding medical director of e-Mental Health Services and Strategy at British Columbia Children's Hospital; co-chaired the Specialist Services Committee to improve medical, surgical, diagnostic, and mental health services across British Columbia in partnership with government and physicians; oversaw more than $3 billion in annual public healthcare spending as a member of the Medical Services Commission, British Columbia's public health insurance board; and led 14,000 physicians through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and a year of unprecedented climate-related disasters as President of Doctors of British Columbia.
Dr. Chow's personal mission is to enable people to make their highest and best possible contribution to their communities. This aligns with TELUS Health's focus on total well-being: physical, mental, and financial. Dr. Chow and his colleagues weave together 'high touch' and 'high tech'—a global team of compassionate human beings empowered by digital technologies— to create remarkable well-being experiences for people worldwide.
Tom Wong, Canuck Place Board Director
Tom Wong is a retired PwC Consulting Partner with over 45 years of experience assisting clients on large and complex transformational and IT programs. He is an accomplished executive who has held various regional and national responsibilities at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (E&Y) and CapGemini including leadership roles in Public Sector markets, Healthcare markets, Utility and Energy markets, Technology Advisory services, ERP implementation services, Program Risk Advisory Services, Data and Business Intelligence services, and Computer Forensics services.
He remains active as a strategic executive and board advisor to various organizations. His corporate and non-profit board involvement includes EasyPark, Zajac Ranch Society, The Mel Jr and Marty Zajac Foundation, Community Living Society, and Vancouver Community College.Tom was elected as a Fellow of Chartered Professional Accountants, CA in 2017.
For a complete list of Canuck Place’s Board of Directors, please visit https://www.canuckplace.org/about-us/our-team/
About Canuck Place:
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is British Columbia and the Yukon’s pediatric palliative care program. Over 871 children living with life-threatening illnesses and families from five provincial health regions receive Canuck Place inpatient and community-based care (in home/in hospital). Canuck Place operates 13 patient beds and 8 family suites through two hospices in Vancouver and Abbotsford. Services include in-hospice medical respite and family support, pain and symptom management, provincial 24-hour Clinical Care Line, music and recreation therapy, education and art, grief, loss, and bereavement counselling, as well as end-of-life care. With donors, research initiatives, our talented team, patient family partners, and over 261 volunteers, we care for children with short lives and the families who love them. canuckplace.org
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice is British Columbia and the Yukon’s pediatric palliative care program. Over 871 children living with life-threatening illnesses and families from five provincial health regions receive Canuck Place inpatient and community-based care (in home/in hospital). Canuck Place operates 13 patient beds and 8 family suites through two hospices in Vancouver and Abbotsford. Services include in-hospice medical respite and family support, pain and symptom management, provincial 24-hour Clinical Care Line, music and recreation therapy, education and art, grief, loss, and bereavement counselling, as well as end-of-life care. With donors, research initiatives, our talented team, patient family partners, and over 261 volunteers, we care for children with short lives and the families who love them. canuckplace.org
