Regional Advisors and Advocates

Advocating for you in your communities

Doctors of BC has a team of Regional Advisors and Advocates (RAAs) who support physicians in the communities where you live and work. They are your first point of contact to assist you in seeking services and support from Doctors of BC.
Specifically, your RAA will:

1. Advise and Advocate for you by:

• Assisting with issues locally, with the health authority, and provincially.
• Supporting you with complaints or discipline issues to ensure you are treated fairly and proper processes are followed.
• Providing individual and group contract support.
• Representing you as the regional staff contact for the new Memorandum of Agreement on Physical and Psychological Safety in the PMA.

2. Inform you about Doctors of BC initiatives and other local, regional or provincial issues by:

• Providing information and answering questions about the PMA.
• Promoting the Health Authority Engagement Survey and sharing the results.
• Updating you on opportunities for involvement in Doctors of BC initiatives, projects, and committees.

3. Connect you to Doctors of BC services, resources, and benefits by:

• Providing expertise with MSP, WorkSafeBC, and ICBC billing and  payment challenges.
• Linking you to resources and supports such as the Physician Health Program, Audit and Billing support, and Negotiations.

Get to know your Regional Advisor and Advocate (RAA):

Ms Eileen Janel, Fraser: I am passionate about driving positive change through physician advocacy and engagement. As a RAA, I serve as a local advocate in navigating complex situations and providing a safe and effective space to dialogue on current and relevant topics. Each day brings the opportunity to network and bring partners together across various sectors, to learn new ways of doing things, and to take on new challenges. My ultimate goal is to support physicians in doing what is best for their patients, colleagues, and the healthcare system as a whole. View Email AddressContact me here.

Mr Brent Weiss, Interior: Working with doctors to help them achieve their goals and improve patient care makes me feel as though I’m indirectly contributing to the delivery of care. I love that part of my job and I love the regional aspect – the different communities, the unique needs and the mix of rural and urban sites. In my role I’ve helped improve doctors’ work environments and inter-physician relationships which in turn lets them focus on what matters most – patient care. And if I can make any small change, for one doctor or a group of doctors, to me that is success. View Email AddressContact me here. 

Ms Alanna Black, Island: The most fulfilling part of my job is collaborating first-hand with doctors to problem solve and to find unique solutions to common goals. Every day I have the privilege of directly experiencing how much doctors care for their patients while helping to implement meaningful change in the communities in which we work and live – change that benefits both doctors and patients alike. It is very rewarding to navigate our health care system alongside care providers in a way that positively impacts physicians’ practices and patient care. View Email AddressContact me here.

Ms Holly Pastoral, North: I love the diversity of my work, and using the knowledge I gain to help foster and grow positive change in the communities I serve. One of the most important things I can do is share stories and experiences to help move change forward. So I want doctors to know that when they come to me with ideas or concerns and ask for my support, I communicate that information to the right people. This has helped successfully improve processes and collaboration with all of our partners and stakeholders. View Email AddressContact me here.

Ms Nicole Harris, Vancouver & Coast: In my day-to-day, I am presented with many different challenges, none of which is ever the same. What I love most about my role is turning these challenges into opportunities and positive outcomes for doctors. Both living and working in the community I serve allows me to be well connected with the doctors in the area, and to better understand the intricacies of their work and work environments. It also helps me to better communicate with doctors, and allows us to truly work together as partners on issues of importance to them, to the profession and to their patients. View Email AddressContact me here.

Ms Sara Taghipour, Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA): No call or question I receive is ever the same – different areas have different challenges and there’s no custom answer for it all. But that is what I love about my job, problem-solving for each unique situation. The one commonality I see in all of the communities I serve though is the importance of patient care. In helping doctors find solutions and overcome their challenges, I feel I’m indirectly helping patients and indirectly improving people’s lives. And this is why I feel good about what I do.