Dr. Louise Nasmith, Associate Provost Health, will be retiring from UBC at the end of this month. Louise has been at UBC since 2007 when she was appointed as the Principal of the College of Health Disciplines following an international search.  

Following a review of the College of Health Disciplines in 2014, and recognizing that UBC was uniquely placed to play a leading role in BC and Canada in the transition to a more patient-centred and community-based health care system, a decision was made to integrate that portfolio with other integral health areas under UBC Health. Louise accepted the role of Associate Provost Health and led the UBC Health Office since 2014. By facilitating closer cross-discipline and sector linkages, UBC Health has strengthened UBC’s impact and capacity for excellence in health education and research, and created opportunities for improved wellbeing and patient outcomes, accelerated knowledge development and innovation, and greater training effectiveness.  

In addition to steering UBC Health, Louise stepped up to co-head UBC’s Department of Family Practice. Louise is the recipient of the 2018 Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) President’s Award for Exemplary National Leadership in Academic Medicine. She is a fellow with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and an honorary fellow with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). For the last decade, she has been working with educators, practitioners, health authorities, and governments to advance collaborative practice and inter-professional education in various jurisdictions within Canada with a particular focus on primary health care. Her work has significantly impacted the landscape of health education in Canada. UBC is very grateful to Louise for everything she has done for the university. 

UBC is pleased to advise that Dr. Sandra Jarvis-Selinger has agreed to step into the interim role as Acting Associate Provost Health, effective July 1. Dr. Jarvis-Selinger is a Professor and Associate Dean, Academic in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is a PhD-trained educational specialist and researcher in the area of Human Learning, Development and Instruction. Prior to joining the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Jarvis-Selinger was an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Director of Curriculum for the UBC Doctor of Medicine (MD) undergraduate program, and the Assistant Dean, Faculty Development in the Faculty of Medicine.

With the recent Board of Governors’ decision to appoint Dr. Dermot Kelleher as the Vice-President Health, there will soon be a search for an Associate Vice-President Health who will assist Dr. Kelleher in leading the UBC Health portfolio. 

We wish Louise all the very best in her retirement and would like to thank Sandra for leading the UBC Health office in the interim.