Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre Appointment of new Vice President, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion, Dr. Miranda Lesperance

November 4, 2022 – Mirams Becker was thrilled to support and share in the announcement of Dr. Miranda Lesperance to the role of Vice President, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion at Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre.

Original Source: Memo from Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of TBRHSC

I am pleased to announce Dr. Miranda Lesperance as our new Vice President, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion, effective December 7, 2022.

In this new position, Dr. Lesperance brings more than 18 years of experience working in health research, academics, public health and Indigenous health. She is currently involved in many aspects of health care, education and research settings. More recently, the Public Health Agency of Canada as a Program Manager, Lakehead University as a Contract Lecturer in the Indigenous Learning and Health Sciences Departments, Bruyère Research Institute as a co-Investigator on the STROBE-Equity project, and at the University of Ottawa as a Post-doctoral Fellow on the Indigenous Peoples and COVID-19 projects.

As Vice President, Indigenous Collaboration, Equity & Inclusion, Dr. Lesperance will report to the President and CEO and provide counsel in advocacy and engagement with Indigenous communities, as well as federal and provincial authorities to improve health delivery and equity outcomes.

In this role, Dr. Lesperance is responsible for advancing equity, diversity and inclusion inclusive of patient health equity objectives, by recommending, developing and leading aspects of the equity, diversity and inclusion strategy. She will work closely with the TBRHSC leadership team to provide expertise, resources, strategies and actions to advance equity and inclusion goals across the organization.

Dr. Lesperance holds a PhD in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. At Lakehead University, she earned her Masters of Public Health with a focus on determinants of health and wellness, and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology. She has academic and professional training in qualitative and quantitative research and inquiry, including Indigenous and non indigenous literature, theory, praxis, frameworks, and analytical methods.

Dr. Lesperance is a former MITACS Accelerate fellow and a 6-time recipient of the Indspire Building Brighter Futures scholarship (from 2017-2022), an awards program that honours First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement across Turtle Island and beyond. Their stories are shared in a nationally broadcast celebration that showcases the diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada. She is passionate about volunteering and advocacy and has served as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for Roots Community Food Centre where she led the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion sub-committee, and has recently joined the Faye Peterson House as a Board Director.

Dr. Lesperance, whose spirit name, Ojiichaagobishinkwe refers to reflections in water, is originally from Lake Helen Reserve 53A, in Red Rock First Nation, Ontario. She descends from the wolf and bear clans and currently resides in Neebing, Ontario with her partner and two children.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lesperance to our organization.