SPPH Welcomes New Program Director, Accreditation and Quality Improvement

We are excited to announce that Dr. Patricia Janssen has been appointed as the new Program Director, Accreditation and Quality Improvement at SPPH. Dr. Janssen is an esteemed academic with an extensive background in public health research and education.

In her new role, Dr. Janssen will report to the School Director and be responsible for obtaining accreditation for SPPH’s academic programs. She will work collaboratively with the leadership team, faculty members, and education staff to evaluate the School’s educational mission, faculty qualifications, and curriculum, as well as oversee self-evaluations, peer reviews, committee reviews, and develop a comprehensive strategic plan for accreditation.

In addition to her role as Program Director of Accreditation and Quality Improvement, Dr. Janssen is also a Professor and Co-lead of the Maternal Child Health Theme at SPPH. As she focuses on maternal and child health, with a particular emphasis on physiologic birth, Dr. Janssen is widely recognized for her pioneering work in developing SmartMom and SmartParent, prenatal and parenting education programs delivered by text messaging. These programs have been highly effective in improving maternal and child health outcomes, particularly among marginalized and underserved populations.

Dr. Janssen is the leader of Optimal Birth BC, a consortium of clinician scientists who work with health authorities in BC to promote physiologic birth, and works at the forefront of efforts to improve maternity care delivery in the province. She also leads the Centre of Excellence  “Advancing the Science of Physiologic Birth,” which focuses on advancing the evidence-based practices for optimal birth outcomes.

Dr. Janssen’s research interests include prediction and prevention of cesarean birth among healthy women, diagnosis and management of dystocia, management of early labor, as well as outcomes and costs associated with differing models of maternity care delivery. Her work has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has received funding from a variety of sources, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

SPPH’s leadership team is excited to have Dr. Janssen on board and believes that her leadership, expertise, and integrity will be instrumental in developing and implementing a comprehensive accreditation process for the School’s academic programs. Dr. Janssen’s appointment underscores SPPH’s commitment to achieving the highest standards of quality and excellence in our programs.