Canuck Place Children’s Hospice acknowledges with incredible sadness the passing of former board member, Dr. Doug Cochrane.

Canuck Place was honoured to have Dr. Cochrane join the Society board in December of 2019. He was a member of the Quality Committee and Executive Committee as well as the Foundation Board.

At Canuck Place, we are in the service of human beings. We value connection and partnership with children and families and we view this relationship as a powerful instrument of healing in the face of pain and uncertainty. Dr. Cochrane lived his life serving improved care for children and families – the world will miss his valued connection, partnership and leadership.

As a highly-respected pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Cochrane was known nationally and globally and trained generations of Canadian and international medical students, residents, and fellows, while caring for the sickest children in the province and performing over 3000 neurosurgical operations. Tens of thousands of clinic patients and their families remember his skill, his constant good cheer and his smile.

Through his work in the province of BC and nationally, Dr. Cochrane worked to ensure patient safety and high-quality care. He was pioneer and one of the key founders of the patient safety and quality improvement movement in Canada. He served as the first Provincial Patient Safety & Quality Officer from 2008 – 2019, and both the inaugural Chair of the BC Patient Safety Task Force (2003 – 2008) and Health Quality BC/BC Patient Safety & Quality Council (2008 – 2019).

“I have had the pleasuring of knowing Doug for over 25 years, working with him in various capacities,” said Canuck Place Board Chair, Suzanne Steenburgh. “Doug gracefully guided Canuck Place through sharing his wisdom. Doug has had a far-reaching career across many health sectors both nationally and internationally. Canuck Place is grateful for the incredible insight and vision he brought to improve care for children and families facing life-threatening illnesses.”

Thank Dr. Cochrane for bringing humanism to healthcare.

More on Dr. Cochrane
Doug Cochrane: Remembering a Pioneer of Patient Safety and Better Care (cyberimpact.com)