CST implementation and delivering quality care key priorities for new VCH Coastal COO Karin Olson

For many people in the Coastal Community of Care, Karin Olson is a familiar face if not a familiar name. Her experience at Lions Gate Hospital began when disco music dominated the radio airwaves.

Those who have yet to meet her, though, won’t have to wait long. Karin is planning a fall tour of Coastal sites where she hopes to meet both staff and community members. Success on any project starts with a strong foundation and that begins with building relationships, says Karin, who started as Coastal’s new Chief Operating Officer on September 13.

Karin, as many are aware, comes to Coastal with ample knowledge of the health authority. She brings more than 35 years of progressive senior operational leadership experience to the role. That includes 15 years in the Coastal region itself, firstly as Manager of Critical Care/Cardiac/Emergency at Lions Gate Hospital, then as Director of Acute Care Services for Coastal.

Karin was also Executive Director of the CST project before moving to Kitchener, Ontario three years ago where she was Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive at Grand River Hospital.

Along with her hands-on nursing experience, Karin holds an Executive MBA from the Sauder School of Business along with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from UBC. She is also trained in LEAN management, a graduate of the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council Academy, a certified Canadian College of Health Service Executive.

Here’s a short Q&A with Karin and what she hopes to accomplish in the Coastal Community of Care:

What made you come back to Coastal?

I started in Coastal (actually Lions Gate) in 1978 and had a progressive and rewarding career within Coastal. I loved working with the staff, physicians of in the Coastal Community of Care, and external partners who supported our ability to provide quality care. I also appreciated the diverse geography of Coastal and the uniqueness of having urban, rural and remote communities. In addition, I raised my family on the North Shore, have deep community roots and ties to Coastal so this role felt like a perfect fit for me personally and what I can provide to this CoC in terms of my leadership knowledge and skills.

How long do you plan to stay here?

It was a terrific experience working in Ontario over the past three years. In particular, being exposed to new health care systems and delivery of care. I definitely felt like I gained knowledge and experience within a progressive and quality focused organization. That said, I missed VCH and in particular, the people and work associated with the Coastal CoC. To me, this move feels like coming home. I plan to stay at Coastal indefinitely.

What are your goals for the coming months?

Coming back to Coastal has a bit of a surreal feeling to it. There are many welcoming and familiar faces and processes but also significant changes. My initial plan is to look with new eyes and understand what the successes and challenges are within Coastal and how I can support the Senior Leadership Team and their teams to provide quality care in the most efficient way possible. Meeting with community members across Coastal will also be important. CST will certainly be a high priority  to ensure that we are ready  and able to support a successful “go live” in Spring 2017. This is not a small goal for myself or the many physicians and staff who I will be asking to work with me and the CST team to implement safely together.

The one thing that I have is confidence in the physicians and staff and their commitment to excellence in patient care. I truly believe that we can do this clinical implementation together and I look forward to meeting and talking with many individuals and groups about how we can be successful.