Name: Ryan Benson (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Improvement Consultant
Years of Service: 14
Worksite: Community Health & Services Centre
Community: Kelowna
Ancestral Territory: Syilx
Advice to live by: “Life is short – use the good china.” - Unknown
As an Improvement Consultant with Interior Health, Ryan Benson likes to bring positivity and a sense of a can-do attitude to everything she encounters in her day.
Ryan feels lucky her role allows her to work with every discipline in Interior Health, and be able to affect change and see the results in real time.
“It is really rewarding and fulfilling to know that I am making a difference.”
Receiving her certification as Lean Implementation Specialist is one of the highlights of Ryan’s career so far at IH. Lean is a mindset of continuous improvement. It’s a systemic approach to identifying and eliminating waste or non-value-added activities to provide the best possible services for people and their families.
Ryan after earning her certification as Lean Implementation Specialist
One of Ryan’s coworkers said it best:
"I call [Ryan] a magician because she truly has every trick up her sleeve to get a job done. If she doesn't know something, you can bet she knows who does. She has an infectious sense of humour and when you're in her presence, you can guarantee you'll have a great laugh and still get your work done. I've watched her grow over the years and there is no limit to what she can do."
Ryan recently expanded her hobbies by taking up guitar lessons. In her free time, she also enjoys camping with her family, cooking and travelling to new locations. In fact, once pandemic restrictions ease further, Ryan is hoping to travel to Barkerville during the summer to learn more about B.C.’s diverse history.
Ryan visiting the Icefields Parkway in Alberta with her son, Zac
Ryan nominates Kelly Catherwood, Improvement Consultant to keep We Are IH going:
“Kelly goes above and beyond on a daily basis. She was key in implementing drinkingwaterforeveryone.ca, where people can go and look up any water advisories for the Interior Health region. She also coordinated mobile vaccination clinics in the South Okanagan region.” – Ryan Benson
Every Friday at Senpaq’cin School in Oliver, students from k-7 take part in Fire Fridays, a land-based program that connects syilx language, culture and food.
/stories/fire-fridays-senpaqcin-school
Olivia Duncan is long-term care coordinator who started her health care journey as a teenager. She fell in love with the energy of the hospital & nursing staff.
/stories/we-are-ih-care-coordinator-started-career-health-care-17
A partnership between School District 73, Thompson Rivers University and IH, HSA offers high school students an opportunity to explore careers in health care.
/stories/health-sciences-academy-welcomes-second-cohort-students
The Interior Health (IH) Legal Substances Team and the YOUTHWISE Advisory Group are excited to launch IH’s annual youth poster contest
/stories/contest-seeks-youth-views-tobacco-cannabis-vaping-alcohol
Emily Davidson is continually reminded of her why and inspired by the resilience of patients, their families and her colleagues.
/stories/we-are-ih-lpn-thrives-compassionate-care
Housing is a right. IH’s Health & Housing Program Plan aims to improve health-care access for people experiencing housing insecurity and those living outdoors.
/stories/how-housing-and-health-are-connected
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