What we stand for
Vision
Comprehensive and quality hospice palliative and end of life care for all Albertans.
Mission Statement
Accountability: We are accountable to each other, our members and our donors to effectively manage our resources and follow through with our responsibilities.
Advocacy: We believe in the rights of all Albertans to have equitable access to hospice palliative and end-of-life-care.
Compassion: We believe that all Albertans deserve respect, support and care.
Diversity: We believe that Albertans are highly diverse, and we support the wish of our diverse populations to have choices in the care they receive.
Integrity: We conduct ourselves with honesty, integrity and fairness.
Teamwork: We encourage participation through the building of partnerships,
collaboration and innovation.
Care. For all those who reside in Alberta.
AHPCA Staff
Brief Info:
Stacey has spent the last 18 years of her career in Nonprofit Management. She started in Disability services, and moved into the charitable sector when she became an Executive Director for Scouts Canada in 2010 and has held positions in nonprofit management since then.
Stacey brings a wide range of experience and skills to her role at AHPCA, with certification in Nonprofit Management from Mount Royal University.
Brief Info:
Contact Theresa Bellows on matters related to:
- Roadshow
- Events
- Palliative Education and Resources
- Community Outreach
- Community Partnerships
- Opportunities to Present
Brief Info:
Before joining AHPCA, Betty worked at a local hospice as a unit clerk. Seeing the incredible difference volunteers made in the hospice setting, she became the volunteer coordinator. Betty understood how palliative did not mean dying and watched as the volunteers made sure everyone felt like they were truly living even in hospice care. Betty has worked closely with volunteers for about eight years. After completing the Volunteer Management Leadership Program, she worked alongside volunteers providing support in a hospice setting. Betty ran the You’re Not Alone – Grief Connection program which matched volunteers to grieving Albertans who were looking for support after the death of a loved one.
Betty receives a great deal of her energy watching the amazing interaction between volunteers and the people they serve, and is humbled when she sees the compassion and selflessness in action. When she is not on the telephone or writing emails, you will find Betty in the parks or out for a drive looking to capture some great bird photographs!
Brief Info:
Iska started with the AHPCA as the program coordinator for the Living Every Seasons (LES) program; a provincial support for individuals who are living with a terminal diagnosis. She is a thanatologist with over 20 years of professional experience in palliative care, grief, loss, bereavement, and post-death care with a focus on compassionate connections and intimacy. Her experience as a funeral director and embalmer focused on supporting families, especially those with young children to share in the funeral experience.
Iska and her family enjoy volunteering within the community and encourage everyone to do so. When she started volunteering at her local hospice facilitating grief groups, answering phones, and washing dishes she fell in love with the hospice atmosphere and became a Health Care Aid so she could spend more time connecting and learning from those who are living at hospice and their families.
Iska’s passions in life include family, community, thanatology, being outside with her family, camping, fishing, and exploring. She is currently working on her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology.
Brief Info:
Coming soon…
AHPCA Board Members
Brief Info:
Cindy Young is the Palliative Care Resource Registered Nurse for Alberta Health Services South Zone. She is active on a variety of committees in her home community of Brooks and its surrounding areas. Her passion is spreading the word about palliative care and its importance in everyone’s journey of life.
Brief Info:
Dr. Donna Wilson is a Registered Nurse, who has just retired from being a Full Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta.
She started nursing after getting a 3-year nursing diploma from the Royal Alexandra Hospital School of Nursing in Edmonton (1976). She went on to get a Baccalaureate in Nursing degree from the University of Alberta (1981), a Master of Science in Nursing degree majoring in gerontology and healthcare management from the University of Texas at Austin (1985), and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Administration majoring in management, teaching, and research from the University of Alberta (1993). Donna has worked as a staff nurse, nursing supervisor, senior hospital administrator, media commentator, educator, researcher, and professor in Alberta, British Columbia, New Zealand, and Texas, as well as unpaid positions in Ireland, Belgium, and England. Donna’s program of research focuses on health services and health policy, primarily in relation to aging, ageism, and end-of-life care, including bereavement. Much of her research is oriented to myth busting.
Brief Info:
Shirley Sheng is a designated Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 10 years of experience, primarily in the public sector and transportation industry. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and specializes in financial reporting and regulatory compliance. Throughout her career, Shirley has been a trusted figure in government finance, ensuring transparency and adherence to accounting standards and regulations. She has excelled in budgeting, financial analysis, management reporting, driving accuracy and efficiency. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Shirley has a deeply personal connection to hospice palliative care. Her passion for making a meaningful impact led her to actively contribute to the association in shaping strategic decisions and fostering positive changes.
Brief Info:
Amber is a Birth Doula, Registered Nurse, Educator at Pacific Rim College, and Business owner of Central Alberta Palliative Care. Amber began her palliative career working with children and now offers care both in home and hospital settings to all ages. She is passionate about ensuring the entire family unit is supported through every transition of life- from birth to death.
Brief Info:
Elaine Klym is a Nurse Educator at Covenant Care Dulcina Hospice in Calgary. Elaine also serves as a provincial representative on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. For almost 20 years of her 30-year career as a Registered Nurse, Elaine has focused on end of life care for clients and their families. She has worked throughout Canada and the U.S. over her nursing career. Advocacy for adequate palliative care available across the spectrum is one of Elaine’s passions.
Brief Info:
Rayne Johnson is a Death Doula, End of Life Consultant and founder of Doing Deathcare Differently. With 30 years as a massage and reiki therapist, her expertise and passion for death and dying matters, Rayne introduces contemplative integrative therapies into hospice and palliative care. Rayne is a public speaker, advocate and educator on alternative options for deathcare, funerals and green burials, as well as a facilitator of Death Chats. She participated in the Pediatrics Integrative Medicine research at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton.
Brief Info:
With over two decades in communications, public relations, and strategic planning, Kristen Lawson has cultivated a reputation for delivering impactful narratives in diverse environments. From liaising with national legislative bodies to driving transformative campaigns for major organizations, Kristen’s versatility and dedication have consistently stood out.
Brief Info:
Tracey is a business leader and C-suite executive with 20+ years of experience driving business and revenue objectives through marketing and sales. She has held a variety of senior roles with professional services firms such as Deloitte, KPMG, and Norton Rose Fulbright and in technology companies like SAP, J.D. Edwards and Microsoft. She led the revenue functions at Hopewell Residential and was the first-ever Brand Manager at Suncor Energy.
A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (formerly Ryerson) Journalism school, she’s also completed the Executive Marketing Program at Queen’s University and the Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials Program with Institute of Corporate Directors via the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
In 2018, Tracey founded TAB Consulting Group which is a strategy practice specializing in all aspects of brand monetization and revenue generation. She is an alumni of the Calgary Top 40 Under 40 and an active volunteer who is currently on the board of the Saddledome Foundation. Tracey is currently the acting Chief Executive Officer of Canada Powered by Women, a non-profit organization that advocates for the voice of women relative to economic prosperity and energy transformation.
Brief Info:
Kirsten is a Registered Psychologist in Calgary Alberta. She has over 8 years of experience in providing therapy with people of all ages move through grief, bereavement, and end of life challenges and now runs the private practice, Lark & Raven Wellness. She has found volunteering in hospices very rewarding work. Since then, she’s found a passion for palliative care. In her spare time, Kirsten enjoys spending time with her dog, creating art, and reading.
Brief Info:
Corinne is a Nurse Practitioner and has served the Edmonton Healthcare Community for the past 25 years. She holds a Masters in Primary Healthcare, a Masters in Project Management and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree.
Corinne has several years of Board Governance experience. She has held positions on numerous boards and committees including the Nurse Practitioners of Alberta, Wabamun Health Professional Recruitment Committee, Alberta Nurse Practitioners in Independent Practice and the Alberta Nurses in Private Practice. She is active in nursing professional groups, political advocacy and support for Nurse Practitioners in Alberta.
Corinne has a strong personal connection to end of life care and a special interest in empowering families and patients at the end of life.
Land Recognition
The Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association recognizes the traditional land of the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples whose elders have walked this land before us and those persons with whom we share this land today. We are grateful to work, live and play upon this territory together and for the ability to learn from the traditional peoples of these lands as we move forward together in reconciliation.
The AHPCA team affirms our commitment to and responsibility in improving relationships between nations and to improving our own understanding of local Indigenous peoples and their cultures.
We also acknowledge all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit persons that reside away from their traditional communities, but who still live across Alberta.
Treaty 6
Denesuliné (Chipewyan)
Nehiyawak (Cree)
Nakota Sioux (Stoney/Assiniboine)
Saulteaux (Ojibwa/Anishinaabe)
Treaty 7
Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy)
Kainai (Blood)
Piikani (Peigan)
Siksika (Blackfoot)
Tsuu T’ina (Sarcee)
Iyarhe Nakoda (Stoney)
Treaty 8
Nehiyawak (Cree)
Dene Tha’ (Slavey)
Dane-zaa (Beaver)
Denesuliné (Chipewyan)
Métis
Buffalo Lake
East Prairie
Elizabeth
Fishing Lake
Gift Lake
Kikino
Paddle Prairie
Peavine