The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) is pleased to congratulate Dr. Nadine Caron for receiving the Order of British Columbia, the province’s highest form of recognition.
The first Indigenous female general surgeon in Canada, Dr. Caron has devoted her career to providing better access to culturally safe health and wellness care and improving medical outcomes for Indigenous patients.
“Throughout her career Nadine has been a strong
advocate for the inclusion of cultural safety and humility within BC’s
healthcare system,” said FNHA Vice President, Sonia Isaac-Mann. “She is a
consummate professional, inspirational leader and positive role model
who has opened doors and helped pave the way for other Indigenous people
seeking a career in medicine. We congratulate her on this prestigious
honour.”
Born and raised in Kamloops, BC, the highly recruited star basketball player completed her BSc in Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University, receiving the Shrum Gold Medal as the top undergraduate student, before becoming the first female Indigenous student to complete an MD at the UBC Faculty of Medicine as its top student.
While completing her residency at UBC, Dr. Caron concurrently completed an MA in Public Health from Harvard University, and went on to earn a postgraduate fellowship at the University of California in endocrine surgical oncology.
Dr. Caron currently works as a general endocrine surgeon at Prince George Regional Hospital, and holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at UBC Faculty of Medicine. In January 2020, Caron was named the founding FNHA Chair in Cancer and Wellness at UBC. This new position, supported by $3 million in funding, was created to improve cancer outcomes and wellness among Indigenous peoples by examining the stories and needs of Indigenous cancer patients and their families. Her main areas of interest are Indigenous health and Canadian health policy.
Among a lengthy list of professional accolades, Dr. Caron is the previous recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of the Fraser Valley, an honorary degree from Simon Fraser University, and the Thomas Dignan Indigenous Health Award from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
