Kyle Warkentin

Job Title
Community Engagement Advisory Network (CEAN) Member

Department/Location
Community Engagement

How long have you worked at VCH?
I’ve been a CEAN member since August 2013.

Tell us what you do at VCH in one or two sentences:
Members of VCH’s Community Engagement Advisory Network volunteer their time, knowledge and experience to help to provide the patient/public voice in healthcare planning. They also connect VCH to the communities they live and work in.

What’s your favourite thing about your work?
I really enjoy the collaboration that happens when CEAN members come together and function at different levels of community engagement. I enjoy the challenges and conversations that take place with health care providers, policy makers and the community in general. I enjoy knowing that my contribution DOES make a difference.

How does your work contribute to the VCH True North goals?
I feel my contributions work with the True North goals as the base depicts, “people first.” I feel that by giving patient partners the opportunity to collaborate on a corporate, strategic and governmental level, the values and movements forward of the “people” are truly being met. I feel that by listening to the users of the system, and working with the policy makers to ensure those changes become true, really is the pivotal movement of patient centred care.

One thing we might be surprised to learn about you:
I have been flying planes since I was 16 – getting my pilots license before my drivers license.

Three things you always have in your fridge:
Pickled beets, red onions, and eggs.

Who or what inspires you?
I am inspired by others stories of survival, making their lives work from the “bottom” to the “top” so to speak. Whether that is a person whom has undergone intense financial strains or a person whom has literally needed rescuing on a side of a mountain- I have a few close people in my life that have truly inspired me forward.

Most healthy habit:
My most healthy habit is exercising everyday as well as cutting sugar out of my coffees – although that was hard (ha ha).

Favourite vacation spot:
My favourite vacation spot (I have been to twice now) is Iceland.