Regional Leadership
The Executive Medical Director and Executive Director roles act in partnership for the management of BC Cancer’s services and programs within each of its six
regional centres. This dyad partnership requires collaboration, flexibility, innovation and efficient and effective decision making to meet the changing needs of multiple stakeholders, including patients, families, staff and agency partners.
Executive Directors oversee management and administration of operations for respective regional centres, and for the development, implementation and assessment of strategies, programs and services. They develop priorities that support the integration of community, regional and provincial patient-centred care and ensure that standards of care and quality are maintained across services. They also oversee resource requirements such as equipment, space, staff and supplies and plan, monitor and report on specific aspects of administrative and clinical services budgets.
Executive Medical Directors are responsible for comprehensive delivery and management of medical programs for BC Cancer’s regional centres, including quality, safety, professional practice, medical staff development and support. They establish a framework and infrastructure for program delivery and planning and allocate and manage medical resources in the region, anticipating future changes that will affect service delivery. They drive the planning and delivery of medical services, and develop effective partnerships that enable the best patient outcomes and experiences.
For details about the leadership team in your area, click the location below or call the appropriate administration office:
Ruby Gidda, Acting Executive Director, BC Cancer – Abbotsford
Ruby Gidda is the Acting Executive Director for BC Cancer – Abbotsford. Ruby has more than 19 years of experience in health care with a strong background in clinical operations. She has worked as a Registered Nurse in a variety of clinical settings, including surgical, medical, labour and delivery, home support, sexual health, community and Population Public Health. Ruby holds Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Victoria and a Masters of Education from Simon Fraser University.
In February 2017, Ruby began with BC Cancer taking the role of Manager Clinical Services and Regional Nursing lead before taking the Senior Practice Leader – Nursing position and not long afterwards moved into her current role. When not working at BC Cancer, Ruby is a part-time instructor at her alma mater BCIT a position she has maintained for nearly ten years and works as clinic nurse for Options for Sexual Health in Abbotsford.
Dr. Muhammad Zulfiqar, Executive Medical Director, BC Cancer – Abbotsford
Dr. Muhammad Zulfiqar has served as a Medical Oncologist as well as the Medical Director for clinical trials at BC Cancer – Abbotsford since 2010. He was also a member of its Medical Advisory Committee for two years. Dr. Zulfiqar was trained in Internal Medicine at the affiliated hospitals of University of Michigan and completed his Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship at the University of Kansas Medical Center. During his Fellowship, he was awarded a National Institutes of Health scholarship for academic development, completing formal training in epidemiology, biostatistics and clinical trial design.
John Larmet, Executive Director, BC Cancer – Kelowna (Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre)
John Larmet holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Saskatchewan. He has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including child, adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatry, trauma and plastics surgery and burn units. He has broad operational leadership experience spanning almost 15 years leading various departments, including clinical, surgical, emergency and ambulatory care units in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. His areas of interest are operational planning and delivery, emergency management, quality improvement, process design, clinical research and patient and family experience. Mr. Larmet has participated in various collaborative research projects through the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business, Operations Research, Health Quality Council of Saskatchewan – Provincial Breast Health initiative and the Saskatchewan Provincial Emergency Department Patient Experience survey, Mercuri Research group, with the School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan. He is also a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders, currently completing his Certified Health Executive designation.
Dr. Ross Halperin, Executive Medical Director, BC Cancer – Kelowna (Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre)
Dr. Ross Halperin, FRCPC, obtained his MD at the University of Alberta, completing his Radiation Oncology residency at the Cross Cancer Institute (CCI) in Edmonton, Alberta. After residency, he did a fellowship in lung cancer three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) at Washington University Mallinckrodt institute. Post fellowship, he joined the Radiation Oncology department at CCI in Edmonton, subsequently moving to Kelowna in 2003 to join BC Cancer – Kelowna’s Radiation Oncology department where he commenced its prostate brachytherapy program. Dr. Halperin has served as Regional Professional Practice leader of Radiation Oncology at BC Cancer – Kelowna as well as Interim Vice President for Radiation Therapy, Functional Imaging, Surgical and Oral Oncology at BC Cancer. He is a past president of the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology and is a board member of the Canadian Radiation Oncology Foundation.
Kathy Giene, Executive Director, BC Cancer – Prince George (Centre for the North)
Kathy Giene obtained her Registered Nursing and Psychiatric Nursing degrees from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and has held a variety of bedside and health leadership roles throughout British Columbia and Saskatchewan for the past 35 years. She has worked in a variety of healthcare settings, including acute care, mental health, long term care, home and community care, aboriginal care and cancer care. She has held senior leadership roles, including Vice President of Operations, General Manager, Administrator, Director of Nursing and Director of Care. Ms. Giene has her Project Management Certification and has been a Surveyor with Accreditation Canada since 2008. She is also a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders and the Health Care Leaders Association of British Columbia.
Dr. Stacy Miller, Executive Medical Director, BC Cancer – Prince George (Centre for the North)
Dr. Stacy Miller is a Radiation Oncologist and former Physician Leader at BC Cancer – Prince George (Centre for the North). As a physician leader in the North, she has focused on the BC Cancer's vision to bring cancer care closer to home, including development of Telehealth systems to support this work. Dr. Miller is originally from the west coast and moved to Prince George in 2012 for the opening of BC Cancer – Prince George (Centre for the North). She trained at the University of British Columbia with a residency at BC Cancer and a subsequent international fellowship in Sydney, Australia. Clinically, She is involved in the treatment of several types of cancer with a special interest in genitourinary and lymphoid malignancies as well as brachytherapy and rapid access to palliative radiotherapy.
Cherie Taylor, Executive Director, BC Cancer – Surrey
Cherie Taylor holds a Masters of Social Work and an undergraduate degree from University of Victoria. She came to BC Cancer from Fraser Health with a strong background in clinical operations, including inpatient and outpatient oncology with many years of leadership experience helping to advance clinical care, service development, redevelopment opportunities and quality improvement. Ms. Taylor has more than 27 years of combined acute and community experience leading many successful operational and project initiatives. She held several leadership roles at Fraser Health, including Director of Surrey Memorial Hospital Medicine Program, Director of Ambulatory Medicine Outpatient Clinics at Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgical Centre and Director of Clinical Operations for Ridge Meadows Hospital and Community. She takes pride in building strong, collaborative partnerships and linkages between teams and stakeholders with resulting improvements for patient and family-centered care.
Dr. Ursula Lee, Executive Medical Director, BC Cancer – Surrey
Dr. Ursula Lee is a medical oncologist at BC Cancer – Surrey and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia. She obtained her medical degree from the University of British Columbia and completed her training in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology at the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer. Dr. Lee has a Masters of Education and has held a number of leadership positions, including Department Head for Medical Oncology at BC Cancer – Surrey, and has co-chaired the annual BC Cancer conference for many years. Currently, Dr. Lee is Division Head of Oncology at Fraser Health. Her clinical and research interests include gastrointestinal and gynecologic malignancies, sarcomas and quality improvement.
Anita Wempe, Executive Director, BC Cancer – Vancouver
Anita Wempe is the Executive Director for BC Cancer – Vancouver. Anita has more than 13 years of experience in health care, including the foundation of her career as a Registered Nurse. Since her transition from the front lines of care to leadership roles in Fraser Health, Anita has obtained her Masters of Health Administration from the University of British Columbia. She has worked in a variety of health care settings including Acute Care, Access and Flow, Community Care and Primary Care. Her most recent leadership roles were within Fraser Health as Clinical Director at Eagle Ridge Hospital and Clinical Director, New Westminster & Tri-Cities Health Services. Anita takes pride in building collaborating relationships and putting the patient and family back in the center of health care.
Dr. Gary Pansegrau, Executive Medical Director, BC Cancer
– Vancouver
Dr. Gary Pansegrau is a Medical Oncologist and the Executive Medical Director at BC Cancer — Vancouver. He completed his medical school training in Toronto and his internal medicine and medical oncology training at the University of British Columbia.
He started working at BC Cancer in 2004 with a primary focus on breast cancer and has previously served as the Medical Oncology Regional Professional Practice Leader and as the Regional Medical Director for BC Cancer – Surrey. In July 2016, Gary took on the role of BC Cancer – Surrey’s first regional medical director until his move to Vancouver last fall.
Kelly Nystedt, Executive Director, BC Cancer – Victoria
Kelly Nystedt has an Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and completed Radiation Therapy training at Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre. She is the recipient of the L.J. Cartwright Award and Joan Beaverstock Radiation Therapy Student Essay Award, Certificate of Merit, for her graduating class. She also holds a post graduate Certification in Adult and Continuing Education at University of Victoria. Kelly moved to BC as a new graduate in 1992 and has practiced her entire career within BC Cancer – Victoria. Starting as a clinical Radiation Therapist, she transitioned through progressive leadership positions including Dosimetrist, Radiation Therapy Educator, Clinical Instructor, Director of Clinical Operations for Radiation Therapy, Regional Director and now Executive Director, BC Cancer – Victoria. She has been an active advocate for her provincial and national professional associations: British Columbia Association of Medical Radiation Technologists and Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT), respectively serving two full terms (six years) as Director for BC and two years as Finance Director for CAMRT. She is currently participating in the Canadian College of Health Leaders Mentorship Program.
Dr. Jason Hart, Executive Medical Director, BC Cancer – Victoria
Dr. Jason Hart is a medical oncologist at BC Cancer – Victoria. He trained in Hematology and Medical Oncology in Edmonton, Alberta, before joining the Medical Oncology team at BC Cancer – Victoria in 2005. He was also appointed the Department Head of Medical Oncology in Victoria, in January 2016. He is currently a Clinical Associate Professor with the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, and at the University of Victoria. Areas of clinical practice and research interests include benign and malignant hematology, as well as sarcoma. He has an interest in pharmacoeconomics, and he currently serves with the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR), as a clinical guidance panel member and review leader.
