Board of Directors
Senior cancer program leaders (Chief Executive Officers or designates) from each of the provincial cancer agencies form CAPCA’s Board of Directors. In many provinces, an alternate delegate is also engaged in CAPCA’s work.
British Columbia
Dr. Kim Chi is a medical oncologist. In addition to his leadership role with with BC Cancer, he is Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia, a Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, and the Shrum Chair in Prostate Cancer Research at BC Cancer.
Dr. Chi’s research in the field of genitourinary cancers focuses on prostate cancer and investigational new drugs, where he has contributed to changing international standards of care practice for patients with advanced prostate cancer. He also has been investigating circulating tumour DNA as a source of prognostic and predictive biomarkers for patients with metastatic prostate cancer.
As chief operating officer for BC Cancer, Tracy Irwin is accountable for day-to-day operations and execution on organizational action plans, including the strategic direction, planning and implementation of the key priorities outlined in B.C.’s 10-year Cancer Action Plan.
She has held a number of leadership roles with a focus on system transformation, clinical operations and facility redevelopment. Career highlights include: leading acute care hospitals, primary and community care redesign, building innovation capacity, and establishing new in-person and virtual health services.
She holds a Bachelor or Arts (Psychology) and a Masters of Health Administration from UBC and is an adjunct faculty member with UBC’s School of Population and Public Health.
Alberta
Brenda Hubley is a senior healthcare leader who has worked in the health sector for over 30 years. A Radiation Therapist by training, Brenda has held significant leadership positions in cancer programs, both at large, academic centres and in rural and community settings and is currently the Chief Program Officer for Cancer Care Alberta, Alberta Health Services, leading the province’s cancer program.
Saskatchewan
Deb Bulych is passionate about person-centred care and the cancer care system. In her 33 years with the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, she has held various roles including Director of Social Work, Director of Supportive Care, Director of Nursing, and Vice-President of Care Services.
Through past involvement in many Canadian Partnership Against Cancer initiatives, Deb has helped to evolve and enhance person-centred care for cancer patients and their families in Saskatchewan and across the country. She led the implementation of such programs as New Patient Navigation, Fatigue Management, Pain and Symptom Management, and Patient Reported Outcomes, within the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.
Deb has a Masters of Health Studies and bachelor’s degrees in administration, Social Work and Arts (Sociology). She has and continues to lead work focused on improving access to care, equity within cancer care, and the sustainability of the health system. This includes using alternate models of care and improving patient/provider flow.
Manitoba
Dr. Sri Navaratnam’s career and education reflect her enduring vision to defeat cancer through innovation, research, collaboration, and compassionate care. Leading a provincial cancer organization, she relies on disciplined strategic planning to cultivate purpose and excellence within her team. As an oncologist and scientist, her focus is on advancing cutting-edge research and clinical care for the people of her province.
Dr. Navaratnam remains dedicated to compassionate care, establishing support systems for patients and families, and advocating for equitable access to care for Indigenous communities and newcomers. She also collaborates closely with national and international health and research partners to advance the cancer control agenda in Canada and globally.
Ontario
Elaine Meertens is an experienced healthcare leader who believes strongly in collaborating with healthcare providers and administrators and patients and care partners to advance evidence based and person centered care.
Elaine works in partnership with the Vice President, Clinical, Cancer Programs, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) to provide strategic leadership to province wide programs and services spanning the cancer diagnosis and treatment continuum, reimbursement programs, genetic services for cancer, rare and hereditary diseases and assessment and implementation of new therapies and innovative technologies and interventions.
Elaine began her career as a registered nurse working in various specialties and has been with Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) since 2007.
Elaine has a BScN from the University of BC, a Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Toronto and has completed the UHN-Rotman Leadership Development Program.
Dr. Jonathan Irish is Professor and Division Head of the Head and Neck Oncology and Reconstructive Surgery Division at the University of Toronto.
Dr Irish served as the Chief of the Department of Surgical Oncology at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre from 2000 to 2016. He joined the Surgical Oncology Program at Cancer Care Ontario in 2004 and led the Strategic Funding and Access to Care portfolio. From 2008 until 2021, Dr Irish was the Provincial Head of the Surgical Oncology Program at Cancer Care Ontario. He is currently the Vice-President, Clinical of Ontario Health-Cancer Care Ontario.
As the Kevin and Sandra Sullivan Chair in Surgical Oncology at the University of Toronto Dr Irish leads the Guided Therapeutics (GTx) Program and as a Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret has a research focus in theranostics and nanoparticle therapeutics for cancer.
Quebec
Dr. Jean Latreille’s commitment to the development of global approach to the person with cancer goes back to the early 1980s. Networking and clinical research were newly underway and he participated actively in various projects that were promoting these aspects of cancer care in the province of Québec. He was involved in the conception of the programme de cancérologie du Québec (1992-1998) and since then has contributed to make this a reality.
From 2005-2009, Dr. Latreille directed the accreditation and designation of multidisciplinary teams for local, regional or supraregional mandates in line with the cancerology program. From 2006 to 2011, he was director of the medical oncology program for the faculty of medicine at University of Sherbrooke. From 2012 to 2019, he was general director of the Direction générale de cancérologie at the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), province of Quebec. Since then, he has served as national medical director of the Direction cancérologie (formerly the Programme québécois de cancérologie) at Québec’s ministry of health and social services (MSSS).
Mélanie Morneau holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, a master’s degree in cellular and molecular biology (2008) and an MBA in pharmaceutical management (2009). She joined the team of the Quebec Cancer Program of the MSSS in 2009 and has held various positions there including scientific advisor, coordinator for the implementation of networks dedicated to a tumor site and, from 2017 to 2023, Director of the offer of care and services in cancerology.
Since September 2023, she has assumed the role of Director of the Quebec Cancer Program, in co-management with the medical lead and National Director, Dr Jean Latreille.
New Brunswick
Dr. Eshwar Kumar has been a member of CAPCA’s Board of Directors since the late 1990s. His driving passion is working to improve the quality of life for people affected by cancer.
Dr. Kumar was appointed as Co-CEO of the New Brunswick Cancer Network when it was established as a division of the Department of Health in 2005. He continues as the Medical Director. He represented New Brunswick in the development of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control (CSCC), has served on the Board of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC), and continues to be actively involved in many committees and networks. He has been a long-standing volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) where he currently serves on the National Board of Directors.
A graduate of St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore, India, Dr. Kumar did his post graduate training in England. He obtained his Fellowship in Radiotherapy & Oncology from the Royal College of Radiologists, London, England. He moved to Canada in 1984, joining the Cancer Centre in Saint John, NB as a staff Radiation Oncologist. He was Head of the Department of Oncology and the Cancer Center from 1994 to 2010, retiring from active clinical practice in 2018.
Nova Scotia
Bio not available
Prince Edward Island
As a Radiation Oncologist in Prince Edward Island, Dr. Brown has been involved in the implementation of advanced radiotherapy techniques including the development of a stereotactic radiotherapy program for brain metastases. He continues to strive to improve the patient experience of all individuals requiring cancer care on PEI. Part of this work involves the implementation of PEI Cancer Action Plan to ensure equitable access to care for all Islanders.
Dr. Brown looks forward to advancing the CAPCA initiatives already in progress to improve the screening and surveillance programs currently under development on PEI.
Bio not available
Newfoundland and Labrador
Kelli O’Brien has over 30 years of progressive clinical and leadership experience in health care. Prior to her current role, where she has responsibility for the provincial cancer care program as well as numerous other portfolios, she served as president and chief executive officer of St. Joseph’s Care Group, a health-care organization in Northwestern Ontario offering programs and services in mental health and addictions, rehabilitation, and seniors’ health.
Between 2005 and 2021, Kelli held various senior leadership roles at the Western Regional Health Authority including vice president of quality and research, vice of president long-term care and rural health, and vice of president people, quality, and safety. In each role, Kelli was recognized for her ability to effectively develop partnerships and networks, her commitment to excellence, continuous improvement, and high-quality, value-based care.
Kelli holds a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from Dalhousie University, a Master’s in Science in Rehabilitation from Queen’s University and is currently a PhD candidate at Memorial University. She is both an EXTRA fellow with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and a peer surveyor with Accreditation Canada. In 2023, Kelli was appointed to the province’s expert advisory panel for the Long-Term Care and Personal Care Home Program Review.
As former Division Head of Radiation Oncology and currently as Clinical Chief of Cancer Care, Dr. Teri Stuckless has led effective strategies towards improved quality of care in Newfoundland and Labrador in domains including health human resources planning, national collaboration, survivorship and enhanced access to radiotherapy services. She is an Associate Dean with the Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University. She has experience as the Vice President Medicine for Eastern Health. She is a radiation oncologist at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre and Associate Professor in the Discipline of Oncology. Areas of clinical practice include management of gynecologic and gastrointestinal malignancies. Research interests include human resource management, survivorship, and well-being.
Directors
Dr. Craig Earle is Chief Executive Officer at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership), a medical oncologist at Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre, a Senior Scientist at ICES, and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Earle originally trained and practiced in Ottawa, after which he spent 10 years – 1998 to 2008 – in Boston at Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Harvard School of Public Health. From 2008 to 2017 he was Director of Health Services Research and Head of Clinical Translation at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.
The Partnership is a federally funded pan-Canadian Health Organization that, as steward of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control, works with partners across the country to improve cancer outcomes and access to high-quality cancer care for all people in Canada.
Kristi MacKenzie is a self-directed, results-driven healthcare leader with 20 years of progressive leadership experience in the cancer system at Provincial, Regional, and local levels.
With extensive expertise across the entire cancer care continuum, Kristi focuses on stakeholder engagement, relationship management, and leveraging data analytics to drive system performance. She is deeply passionate about improving the patient experience and advancing health equity, and has led efforts to integrate equity-informed practices and person-centered care into regional oncology programs.
Kristi holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration and Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and Psychology. She is a Certified Health Executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and currently serves as the Cancer Workforce Co-Lead for Canada with the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership.
