Sarah Payne, Retired RN & RM, MA, MCS
Previous Senior Practice Leader, Perinatal Addictions and FIR Square Manager, Sheway Coordinator
Now retired, Sarah advocated for many years for pregnant and postpartum women struggling with substance use. She helped open and managed Fir Square at BC Women's, and was Coordinator of Sheway before she retired. She is passionate about reducing stigma and judgement for this vulnerable population.
Meaghan Brister
BCAPOP Board of Directors Representative
Meaghan has a degree in Psychology from Trinity Western University and an MA in Devising Theatre from London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, followed by a career in social services. Most of her work has involved supporting women along various stages of transition and recovery using many tools, including theatre workshops aimed at empowering oppressed or marginalized communities to advocate for themselves, as well as her qualifications as a yoga therapist and a full spectrum Doula. She has always been passionate about pregnancy and childbirth as a hugely transformational time for women to heal and realize their own strength, something they can take into, and beyond, their role as a mother. Having the blessing of being invited into this journey has inspired her every day as to the resilience and power women have. She considers it the highest honour to come alongside and hold space for these incredible women in their own healing, their families, and within the lives that they are courageously creating. Meaghan is currently on maternity leave from her role as the Support and Education Worker with Burnaby Family Life’s Pregnancy Outreach Program, where she runs educational programs to support informed consent in the birth space and beyond. She works with women facing various barriers and life challenges during pregnancy and with their babes up until six months old, and the majority of this population is made up of new immigrant and refugee women. Meaghan and her family are grateful to live, work, and play on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
Dr. Sarah Lea M.D, M.Sc, CFPC
Herway Medical Lead-Perinatal Addictions South Island
Dr. Sarah Lea is a GP Maternity Physician with a specific interest in perinatal addictions. Originally from Prince Edward island, she completed her medical school training at Dalhousie University in 2010. Additionally, she holds a Master of Science in Community Health and Epidemiology from Dalhousie. She completed 2.5 years of a residency in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of British Columbia before transitioning into Family Medicine. She completed her training in Family Medicine in Victoria in 2016 and has been practicing since that time doing full service family practice with a specific interest in addiction medicine, women’s health and obstetrics. She completed a three month Enhanced Skills Training Program in Addiction Medicine with a focus on Perinatal Medicine. She sits as the Perinatal Addiction Physician Lead for Island Health. She has also recently been appointed the South Island Division Head of GP Obstetrics. When not working, Dr. Lea enjoys spending time with her husband and three young boys listening to music, hiking, biking and generally enjoying the great outdoors.
Dr. Nancy Poole, MA, PhD
Centre of Excellence for Women's Health
Nancy is the Director of the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, a NGO research and knowledge exchange centre hosted by BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre in Vancouver. In that role she leads knowledge translation, network development, and research related to improving policy and service provision on gender and women’s health, including pregnancy and substance use. She has worked with governments, organizations, and groups across Canada and internationally, offering creative thinking on wicked problems. Dedicated to connecting across distance, cultures and sectors, Nancy is catalyst for bringing knowledge to practice and policy, to make social change.
Erin Fulton, RN (C), BScN, IBCLC, MSN
Nurse-Family Partnership, Kamloops
My name is Erin Fulton, I have been a perinatal nurse for 20 years. I love to work with families as they transition into becoming parents. My devotion and passion focuses on attachment, positive parenting behaviours and collaboration with other agencies and families to promote success. My journey begins in the prenatal period, through postpartum and the first 2 years of baby’s life.
Sarah Hein, BScN
Indigenous Knowledge Holder
Hadih! My name is Sarah ( Luggi ) Hein. I am a retired nurse , since April 2018 after 51 years of nursing. I was surprised by a letter of recognition by the Prime Minister of Canada! I am from the Stellaten First Nation Band and I belong to the Frog clan. I was very excited when I was asked to sit on the advisory committee as Indigenous knowledge holder. It's a great honour to be of assistance to the BCAPOP PSU Advisory Committee in any way that I can. My goal is to ensure that the PSU programs support the Indigenous woman with substance use , and that her healthcare system acknowledges her Indigenous culture as a part of her careplan. And in addition, to ensure that the healthcare providers taking care of her are trained to deliver culturally safe services by practicing cultural competency , cultural safety, cultural humility, and culturally sensitive care. Mussi
Katie Graham
Public Health Agency of Canada
Katie is the Maternal and Child Health Lead in the Vancouver office of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Western Region. Katie has worked in health research, acute pediatric and public health nursing and health promotion program evaluation. Through this work, Katie is passionate about reducing health inequities in maternal and child health and is honoured to be a part of the BCAPOP Perinatal Substance Use Advisory Committee.
Dana Clifford, Clinical Supervisor
Sheway, Vancouver (Proud BCAPOP Member Program)
Sue Clarkson, RN (C), IBCLC
Bellies to Babies, Fernie (BCAPOP Member Program)
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The BCAPOP Conference Advisory Committee is responsible for the conference schedule, speaker selection, exhibitor attraction/selection and fundraising activities at the conference.