Meet our Team – Jan Byrd

Jan Byrd, Healthcare Excellence Canada’s Director of Health Policy, is passionate about co-designing policy that improves care and safety in healthcare systems and communities. Jan was an early adopter in the Canadian patient safety and quality movement, having worked at the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety (MIPS), and at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, as Manager of Quality, Patient Safety, and Patient Relations for several years. She holds a Master’s degree, focused in Sociology of Health, Illness and Medicine; a Lean Certification; and the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL). In 2018, she was first runner up in The Great Canadian Healthcare Debate, at the National Health Leaders Conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Jan served two consecutive Ministerial Appointments on the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Board of Directors, where she also Chaired the Board’s Quality and Safety Committee. Jan enjoys volunteering as a Member at Large on the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian College of Healthcare Leaders Board. Outside of work, Jan enjoys spending time with her teens and their Australian Shepherd. Jan is also a classical soprano in Winnipeg’s premiere professional choir, The Winnipeg Singers.