Effective August 31, Dr. Ellen Giesbrecht stepped down as Head of the BCW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a role she held for seven years. In addition to being department head, for the past two years Ellen has also served as Acting Senior Medical Director, Acute Perinatal Programs, a role she willingly assumed at short notice when Dr. Roanne Preston was recruited to a UBC leadership role. This was intended to be a short-term commitment but as almost two years have passed, Ellen has certainly gone above and beyond the call of duty in her commitment to serve BC Women’s.
I am very pleased to announce that Ellen has now formally accepted the role as Senior Medical Director, Acute Perinatal Programs, necessitating her decision to step down as department head.
Ellen led the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology through an amalgamation of call groups and several physician leadership changes (UBC Department Head, MFM Division Head, and REI Division Head) and has engaged the department in key initiatives including site redevelopment, CST and Lean leadership. In addition she has engaged more members of the department in the medical leadership of the hospital and has provided ongoing mentoring of new leaders. In May 2013, Ellen received her Canadian Certified Physician Executive designation, a national certification recognizing excellence in leadership through education and leadership assessment. She has also become a member of the Board for the BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre Foundation.
I am pleased to advise that Dr. Nicole Racette has been appointed Acting Department Head, Obstetrics and Gynecology, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre, until end of January 2015 while recruitment for a new head proceeds. Nicole has served as Acting Assistant Department Head over the past year.
She is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and in 1987-1988, pursued additional training in the fellowship program in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at UBC. She received her Canadian Physician Executive Certificate from the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Physician Executive Association in May 2013. Nicole is a Clinical Associate Professor and also heads the division of General Gynecology and Obstetrics in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her clinical practice includes early pregnancy loss assessment (EPAC) and reproductive medicine, including recurrent pregnancy loss and pelvic and first trimester ultrasound.
Please join me in welcoming and supporting Nicole in her new leadership role that she will be doing in conjunction with her Division Head role with the Division of Gynaecology General.
Please join me in acknowledging Ellen Giesbrecht’s contributions to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and in supporting her as Senior Medical Director, Acute Perinatal Programs going forward.