I lead a team of six senior communications advisors, supporting health care delivery with a provincial focus.Responsibilities include internal and external communications, media relations, issues management, marketing and PR support for multiple portfolios including; Public Health, EMS, CancerControl, Seniors, Addictions and Mental Health, and Primary Care. I work closely with AHS Communications leadership to develop and implement strategic plans. Through my work I deliver solutions, increase understanding of the health care system, and help improve the patient experience.

I made it my job to cut through the waffle that can permeate government and health care and helped drive a common sense approach to communications.I mainly supported the Cancer Care portfolio, but also provided intensive support to EMS, Addictions and Mental Health, and Aboriginal Health.I created working relationships with external partners including the Alberta Cancer Foundation, University of Calgary and University of Alberta.

In charge of 30 reporters, my job was to run the newsroom and make it hum. Key to this was motivating and driving the reporters and crafting the daily news coverage. I answered directly to the editor and worked closely with her and the assistant editor on news planning, staff development, interviewing new employees and maintaining high standards through staff support and staff discipline. The first half of the day involved assigning stories, working with reporters to ensure we were chasing the best angle and right leads and liaising with the heads of our politics, sports and business bureaus. Closer to the afternoon deadline I would switch focus to copy tasting, copy editing and planning for the following day.I also ran staff training sessions, represented the paper at functions and was the face of the paper for dozens of journalism students who toured the newsroom.

This job was my stepping stone to become Chief Reporter. I ran a team of seven regional reporters working in branch offices and stepped in to run the newsroom when the Chief Reporter was on leave, sick, or training. I would start at 1pm and focus mainly on copy editing and rewriting to ensure every story had the best angle, was well written, fair and balanced and legally sound. I thrived on working to deadline, especially late-breaking news.

Based at Parliament in Wellington in the Parliamentary Press Gallery, I provided daily news, opinion, web coverage and a blog on national politics. I worked through the 2005 general election mainly following the Leader of the Opposition then carried on through to the beginning of 2007. During my time covering politics I followed then-Prime Minister Helen Clark on her Australian tour, spent a week in Fiji covering the expulsion of New Zealand’s High Commissioner from Suva and spent three weeks in the United States on a State Department-run fellowship.

I cut my teeth at The Dominion Post on a steady diet of crime and breaking news reporting. During those two years I developed fantastic sources that allowed me to take out the national junior reporter award at the Qantas Media Awards.I was humbled by experiencing almost every aspect of human tragedy and triumph, and to tell the stories of those involved. I still look back on this time as one of the most rewarding in my career.