Public Member
Deborah has a professional background and training in Social Work and Law. She works as a private consultant in the areas of respectful workplace, human rights and conflict management offering mediation, investigation, and training. Deborah served as Panel Chair for the Alberta Human Rights Commission for four years. For the past ten years, Deborah has served as a Sitting Justice of the Peace in the Provincial Court of Alberta, Traffic Division. As a volunteer, Deborah is a very committed and one of the founding members of the Calgary Health Region's Patient/Family Safety Council. Deborah played a significant role in speaking about her families' experiences in a series of patient safety sessions targeted to leaders in the Region during the roll-out of the Region's new patient safety policies and procedures. She has worked with managers and staff and other Council members in sharing experiences and opportunities to advance the voice and participation of patients and families in safety efforts. Deborah is often asked to give addresses in other regions, provinces and health systems where there is a desire to listen, learn and make improvements to safety from the patient/family perspective. Deborah is a patient/family member of the Calgary Region's Disclosure Evaluation Project Team, jointly funded by the Region, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, and the Health Quality Council of Alberta. Deborah is a member of Patients for Patient Safety Canada, a patient led program funded by the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, associated with the World Alliance for Patient Safety, committed to bring the perspective of patients and families to healthcare organizations and systems engaged in safety improvement.