Centenary Medal – Tarnia Taverner

Dr Taverner is currently Senior Director with Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) for Children Hospital BC. Where she has overall responsibility for operations and administration of a large portfolio including:  Emergency Department & Trauma, Medicine/Surgery, Oncology/Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplant Programs, Vascular Access Team, Access & Flow for the Site & the Nursing Resource Team.

Her work at Children’s Hospital as Senior Director includes all aspects of direct services, education, training and research activities. Providing leadership and direction, in establishing strategic direction and operational planning. Identifying service and budget priorities, allocating resources, program development, planning goals and objectives, coordination of service delivery systems and establishing monitoring benchmarking and quality indicators. As well, having responsibility for establishing clinical priorities and plans for clinical service delivery.

Prior to her role as senior director with PHSA, Dr Taverner was Clinical Director for Fraser health Authority providing leadership and overall clinical operational responsibility for Delta Hospital, including overseeing operational management of Medicine, Surgery, OR. ED, PARU, Ambulatory, Endoscopy, Respiratory therapy, Residential care and Volunteer services.

Dr Taverner has been an Associate Clinical Professor with UBC since 2015 and her focus of research is on chronic pain management. Dr Taverner is currently working with Dr Garrett at UBC investigating the use of virtual reality for the management of chronic pain.

Dr Taverner obtained her PhD from the University of Leeds UK, Faculty of Healthcare and her Master’s Degree from the University of Leicester UK, School of Anaesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine & Biological studies. Dr Taverner emigrated from the UK to BC in 2009 and spent six years at UBC as an Assistant Professor acting as course lead for several undergraduate and graduate courses in the nursing program, specifically around adult nursing care and pain management. Community work included acting as Director for Pain BC on the board of Directors for a 3 year term. As well, partnering and facilitating a joint program between UBC and Baba Farid University in Punjab, travelling to Punjab several times to provide consultancy and expertise in healthcare operations and leadership, as well as consulting in research and overseeing and supporting Punjabi students in their research.

She has over 20 publications in scientific peer reviewed journals and has presented her research at National and international conference.

Ph.D. MSc. RN.