The members of a review committee directed by Health Minister Terry Lake to undertake a strategic and operational review to assist Fraser Health have been named.

The ten-member committee will have its first face-to-face meeting before the end of this month. The review committee will work with Fraser Health's board to examine the health authority's current operational practices and identify priority action areas to address service and fiscal challenges.

The membership includes:

• David Mitchell - Committee co-chair, Fraser Health board chair.
• Dr. Charles Jago - Committee co-chair, Northern Health board chair.
• Erwin Malzer - Interior Health, Governance Committee chair.
• Cathy Ulrich - Northern Health president and chief executive officer.
• Dr. David N. Ostrow - Vancouver Coastal Health president and chief executive officer.
• Dr. Jeremy Etherington - Interior Health, Medicine & Quality vice president.
• Michael MacDougall - BC Emergency Health Services president and Provincial Health Services Authority executive vice president.
• Elaine McKnight - Ministry of Health, associate deputy minister.
• Chris Brown - Ministry of Finance, assistant deputy minister.
• Christina Krause - BC Patient Safety & Quality Council, executive director.

The board of Fraser Health will submit to the ministry a new strategic and operational plan to cover a three-year period, beginning in fiscal 2014-15. Fraser Health's board also will submit a revised fiscal plan for the remainder of this fiscal year.

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)

BACKGROUNDER

Fraser Health strategic review committee members named

Background with links to biographies for the committee members:

• David Mitchell - Committee co-chair, Fraser Health board chair. Mitchell is a chartered accountant who has worked with clients in the public and not-for-profit sectors. His biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qz5Oy
• Dr. Charles Jago - Committee co-chair, Northern Health board chair. Jago is a past president of the University of Northern BC and has been involved in many Northern economic development initiatives. His biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qz5Ty
• Erwin Malzer - Interior Health, Governance Committee chair. Malzer is a former business consulting partner with IBM based in Vancouver and currently serves on the executive board of the BC Institute of Corporate Directors. His biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qz5YQ
• Cathy Ulrich - Northern Health president and chief executive officer. Ulrich has spent the majority of her career in rural and northern locations where she has gained a solid understanding of the nature of the region along with area health needs and concerns. Her biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qz64H
• Dr. David N. Ostrow - Vancouver Coastal Health president and chief executive officer. Ostrow also is chair of the Western Healthcare CEO Forum and a member of the board of the Canadian Institute for Health Information. His biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qz68g
• Dr. Jeremy Etherington - Interior Health, Medicine & Quality vice president. Etherington is a past chair of the College of Family Physicians of Canada - National Committee on Emergency Medicine. His biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qz6df
• Michael MacDougall - BC Emergency Health Services president and Provincial Health Services Authority executive vice president. MacDougall brings extensive provincial experience in the health and public sectors. His biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qz8Jj
• Elaine McKnight - Ministry of Health, associate deputy minister. McKnight has more than 20 years of experience providing leadership and setting the strategic direction for the development and implementation of a number of complex change initiatives.
• Chris Brown - Ministry of Finance, assistant deputy minister. Brown is a chartered accountant and has played a significant role in government reviews such as BC Ferries, TransLink, the Justice System, BC Hydro and Insurance Corporation of BC.
• Christina Krause - BC Patient Safety & Quality Council, executive director. Krause brings her experience in improving patient safety and identifying best care practices across the province.  Her biography is available at: http://ow.ly/qSx8L

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)