We are IH: Lillooet physician dedicated to health equity & allyship

After graduating from medical school, Nancy worked as an independent general practitioner surgeon, covering nightly on-call duties, maternity care, emergency department shifts, hospital rounds, long-term care and primary care clinic services. 

Over the past 30 years, this broad scope of work has allowed her to adapt to new environments, work in specialized areas, and manage a heavy 24-hour on-call workload. 

“Wanting to create more meaningful and long-term change, I completed a Master of Health Administration at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a leadership course at the UBC Sauder School of Business,” says Nancy.

A pivotal moment in Nancy’s journey of growth came when she began reflecting on how her own mental models have shaped her role as a physician. 

“I was curious to learn more about myself and my inherent racism and the presence of white fragility in the face of change. These were important points in my personal journey of cultural humility,” she shares.

Along the way, she found strength and guidance in the mentorship of female Indigenous leaders.  

“I acknowledge and respect with gratitude the mentorship and guidance from a group of female St'at'imc leaders who came together to guide me during difficult times, providing care when there were only two regular physicians in Lillooet.”

For Nancy, reconciliation is acknowledging her role in deliberately dismantling systemic racism that negatively impacts the quality of life for Indigenous Peoples. 

“Within my sphere of influence, I am guided by the six calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission around health. These are a guiding light for health practitioners,” notes Nancy.

Nancy is working to improve her capacity to become a meaningful ally through deliberately acknowledging and acting to remove barriers that enable the right to Indigenous self-determination. She also focuses on building relationships with St'at'imc leadership.

Living and working in a rural area that has a limited number of health-care professionals has shaped Nancy’s understanding of how access drives health outcomes. 

“As a physician, I have strived to keep a generalist skillset to meet the wide range of services needed by the Northern St'at'imc Nation as well as surrounding communities,” she says. “Over the decades, I have also worked to improve emergency transportation for services that are not available locally.  

“Equity in access, embodied in the Canada Health Act, continues to guide my work. In rural and underserved areas, achieving equity means more resources and greater effort—especially for vulnerable populations where many do not access services at all until late in their illness or they are seeking end-of-life care.” 

Nancy also explains how belonging and inclusion are complex in the region. 

“Many physicians here are international medical graduates, often beginning their Canadian practice in this remote region,” she explains. “Supporting these physicians in feeling comfortable working and living here means more attention on interracial understanding, cultural awareness and community openness. We have a role to play in welcoming these physicians and their families and being curious as to how our own mental models affect this.” 

Her proudest moment at Interior Health was performing the first C-section at Lillooet Hospital after restarting the local surgical program there in 1997. 

When she arrived in Lillooet, Nancy says she was surprised to learn that the surgical program which she had been recruited into at that time had closed. She worked hard over the next year with a local team to rebuild the program, retraining staff and re-establishing a functioning maternity and surgical program. 

“Delivering the first baby by elective C-section was a moment to remember. It embodied the principles of innovation, birth closer to home, teamwork and collaboration, persistence, local empowerment and dedication.”

Something many people may not know about Nancy is that she’s the proud mother of two sets of identical twins.

“I have one set of boys and one set of girls—which, if I’ve done the math right, is about a one in 1.2 million chance of happening!”

And while she’s had less time in recent years for activities outside of work and home, Nancy still finds joy in spending time with family, playing the piano, doing things for others to help make their lives better, enjoying nature, walking by the Fraser River and travelling abroad.

Nancy remains deeply passionate and grateful for the opportunity to serve as a physician. Walking alongside people to improve their health, engaging and participating at a community level, and helping build lasting structures that provide stability to health care in the region all motivate Nancy every day.

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