Virginia Carltong

Strategic Healthcare Executive, Registered Nurse, and UBC Master of Health Policy and Leadership alumna with 20+ years of progressive leadership experience, spanning clinical operations, system-level quality assurance, health policy implementation, and high-stakes operational management across complex, regulated environments.

Director – Patient Care Quality Office - Providence Health Care - Vancouver, BC

(2025-05)

• Execute statutory oversight and legislative compliance under the Patient Care Quality Review Board Act across 18 sites (Acute, Community, Long-Term Care), maintaining regulatory integrity and public accountability.
• Provide system-level risk analysis and strategic reporting to Executive Leadership and Board committees, translating complex quality data into actionable governance, risk mitigation, and policy enhancements.
• Create care quality governance structures by embedding Indigenous-specific anti-racism frameworks, cultural safety protocols, and EDI principles directly into complaint mechanisms, aligning with BCCNM directives.
• Partner with senior medical and administrative leadership to evaluate operational risks, improve clinical performance metrics, and champion patient rights across regional health portfolios.

Patient Care Manager – Emergency - St. Paul's Hospital - Vancouver, BC

(2024-10 - 2025-05)

• Directed operational, financial, and clinical governance for an interdisciplinary team of 200+ unionized staff, ensuring alignment with professional practice standards and staff safety protocols.
• Led data-driven scope of practice expansion and integration for LPNs, optimizing team roles and driving clinical workforce strategy.

Operational Readiness Lead - St. Paul's Hospital - Vancouver, BC

(2024-02 - 2024-10)

• Architected multi-departmental transition and operational readiness strategies for Surgery, Perioperative, Birthing/Newborn, MDRD, and Scopes for the New St. Paul's Hospital.

Patient Care Manager – SDC, PACU and SHAU - St. Paul's Hospital - Vancouver, BC

(2022-01 - 2024-02)

• Advanced perioperative patient flow, clinical workflows, and policy frameworks; oversaw critical care educational preparation ahead of new facility transitions.

Clinical Educator & Registered Nurse – Operating Room - St. Paul's Hospital - Vancouver, BC

(2020-09 - 2022-01)

• Designed and delivered specialized perioperative education programs; utilized quality improvement data to reduce surgical site infections and enforce clinical practice standards.

Registered Nurse – Operating Room/General Surgery - St. Paul's Hospital - Vancouver, BC

(2015-11 - 2020-09)

• Trained and mentored new OR and Cardiac surgery nurses to increase team size.

Onboard Guest Services Manager - Rocky Mountaineer Railtours

(2000 - 2012)

• Directed operations, emergency response protocols, and service strategies for luxury rail operations.
• Led cross-functional hospitality teams in conflict resolution, de-escalation, public communications, and safety compliance under strict transport regulations.

Master of Health Policy and Leadership in Clinical Education - Health Policy and Leadership - University of British Columbia (2025)

Indigenous Canada - University of Alberta (2023)

Perioperative Nursing Program Certification - Perioperative Nursing - VCH/SPH (2016)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Nursing - Vancouver Community College (2015)