Megan Stowe, Executive Director for Virtual Health and Clinical Informatics, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority
As a role-model for health leaders in Canada, Megan’s thought leadership and pragmatic, compassionate approach will help advance the positive impact of digital health tools and design for all Canadians. It’s a privilege to work with Megan -she is well-deserving of this award and epitomizes the type of leader who will deliver the long anticipated potential of digital health technologies.
As the Executive Director for Virtual Health and Clinical Informatics at Vancouver Coastal Health, Megan Stowe leads teams responsible for identifying and integrating digital health tools into clinical environments across VCH. Her energy, vison and humilty inspire the teams to work collaboratively to deliver innovative solutions.
The unprecedented conditions of the past year created intense pressure for digital health tools to be stood up literally overnight. Clinicians had to be provisioned, trained and supported to use new eHealth tools that were both secure and patient-friendly. At the same time, patients had to be able to use the tools safely, with minimal disruption. All while the health system itself was figuring out how to enable remote work for thousands of employees.
Throughout the pandemic, her focus has been on making the systems make sense, no matter how rapidly they were deployed, so that clinicians and providers can do their work effectively and patients have a good experience.
Under Megan’s leadership, multiple clinical workflows were supported with digital options, including robust training materials. One example among many: Zoom went from being a small, contained clinical pilot to a full virtual visit platform in three days.
Megan’s open, transparent, inclusive communications style is widely appreciated. Her pragmatic, clear, respectful direction to project teams is a major factor in the recent successful delivery of a transformational future state roadmap. A champion of stakeholder relations, she has fostered and influenced VCH’s cooperative relationships with the government, board, other health authorities, private and public sector organizations and members of the public.
Learn more about the Women Leaders in Digital Health Award here.
