Patient and Community Advisory Committee (PAC)

Darren Lauscher brings a long history of community activism, advocacy, and experience from the HIV realm. He brings to the table his experiences from past board participation at local, provincial, and national level. He continues his involvement in HIV research whether it be academic, or community based. At UBC he is a mentor, a Public Patient Voice at the UBC Health table, co-chair of the Patient Advisory Committee, Public Patient Voice at the UBC Health Systems table, guest classroom speaker, a researcher in patient engagement in academic curriculum to name just a few things he is involved with.

Janice Barr has been instrumental in the evolution of community living in B.C.  In January 2020, Janice became the Chief Executive Office for the Community Living Society. Janice brings over thirty 30 of experience and leadership in the Community Living field. She is a passionate advocate for person-centered and responsive supports for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.  Janice began her long career and involvement in the Community Living sector by providing direct support to people with an intellectual disability and their families.  This experience continues to form the basis of her decisions.

Janice has held two previous positions as a CEO or Executive Director of a Community Living organizations as well as many sector wide leadership positions, including Advisory Board member of the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship at University of British Columbia, Director and past Chair of the Community Social Services Employers Association, Director for the BCCEO Network and, founding member of the BC Employment Network.

Larry Dawe is the past president of the Myalgic Encephalomelitis & Fibromyalgia (MEFM) Society of BC and has prior experience as a board member for a number of organizations including the Alzheimers Society of Canada. He has experience as a caregiver for his wife (a long term breast cancer patient) and his daughter (myalgic encephalomyelitis).

Anja Lanz brings her many years of lived experience to topics such as patient-centred care and navigating the healthcare system and is a strong advocate for better healthcare in BC and beyond.  Her knowledge, perspectives, and insights are helping to shape the healthcare ecosystem, and she aims to empower healthcare professionals and others to be strong advocates for change. Her work since 2012 with the UBC Health Mentors program earned her the 2021 R. Paul Kerston Community Educator Award.
Anja loves to travel in search of museums and UNESCO World Heritage Sites to learn more about the world’s ancient history, especially early human art such as cave paintings or rock carvings. She is fascinated by early civilizations and archeology.

Early childhood treatment for congenital cerebral palsy and pediatric asthma taught Kent more by demonstration than by declaration about the positive principles of patient-centered practice that then inspired him to put healthcare at the center of much of his professional life.  Trained in paramedicine as a teenager, and later in health specialty broadcast/print journalism, communications production, and publishing, Kent has supported UBC Health’s continuing clinical team-based care education efforts in multiple capacities ever since the inception of the Health Mentors Program in the Fall of 2011.

Daryl Luster is an advocate and peer mentor/advisor. He has experience as a presenter, peer navigator, blogger and brings a broad understanding of issues faced by people living with chronic disease. His work as an advocate and educator is focused on viral hepatitis. His lived experience with hepatitis C and his community work is focused on raising awareness and understanding. Supporting improved quality of life for all patients is at the center of his work. He works as an advisor/contractor with the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Advisory Committee (CHASRAC), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and a member of community-based organizations, including CanHepC and others to include patients in clinical and research settings.

Sue Macdonald coordinates Consumer Involvement and Initiatives for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, in Vancouver. Sue’s work focuses on amplifying the voice of peers, persons with lived/living experience of mental health and substance use issues. A long time advocate of patient and family engagement in health care and health professional education, she is excited to share her experiences in this area as a part of the project team.

Mandy Young is the president of the BC Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) Association. As a mother of a transgender child with PWS, a rare genetic disorder and Autism she has first-hand experience managing the complex care of an individual with additional needs. Since 2012 she has been a Health Mentor in the UBC Interprofessional Health Mentors program and has been a member of the UBC Health Patient Advisory Committee since 2018. She is a contributor to the Living Library Project and co-developed the Health Advocacy workshop, which she co-leads approximately 10 times a year to OT, PT, Medicine, Dietetics and Pharmacy students. In her local community of North Vancouver, Mandy facilitates a support group for families with children aged 0-16 with additional needs and facilitates Partners for Inclusive Education which brings together administrators, teachers, EA’s, community members and parents to engage in inclusive education from a place of “power with” and "nothing about us without us".

Sharon Tomlinson has an MBA from the University of Phoenix and has 16 years experience working in Health Awareness, Education and Promotion. Sharon’s work experience includes Healthy Heart Society, Health & Stroke Foundation as the Health Information Coordinator and Muscular Dystrophy Canada as the Services Specialist for BC and Yukon, and ProBed Medical as the Manager, Client Relationships.  In her roles, Sharon was responsible for engaging and motivating clients, connecting them with local resources and helping members put into practice the use of various health related self-management tools, and giving individuals the tools and resources to make an informed decision regarding their health.  

Jon Collins (2017-2020) is a member of Arthritis Research Canada’s Patient Advisory Board and co-chair of Reaching Out with Arthritis Research (ROAR). He has seen two sons through UBC medical school and has health care experience as a patient with polio, cancer, and arthritis. He has served on many committees and is retired from a 40-year career in the mining industry.