Management Team & Departments

Our nine departments at Victoria Hospice each report through their Department Manager to our Executive Director.

The Executive Director, as chief executive officer, serves as general manager, administering and overseeing all planning, operations and activities within the Victoria Hospice organization; actively promoting and safeguarding the integrity and goals of the program; working in close collaboration with the Management Team to ensure delivery of palliative care services; maintaining relationships with external agencies on behalf of the Society; effectively promoting public awareness of Victoria Hospice Services, and securing adequate financial and human resources.

Management Team

Wayne Peterson

Executive Director

Wayne leads the dedicated team of departmental managers at Victoria Hospice and reports to the Boards of both the Victoria Hospice Society and the Victoria Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation. As chief executive officer, Wayne serves as general manager, administering and overseeing all planning, operations and activities within the Victoria Hospice organization.

Dr. Fraser Black

Medical Director

Our Medical Director leads our team of physicians at Victoria Hospice, providing care for patients and their families across multiple care settings. In 2010/11, this included 592 admissions to our Palliative Care Unit, and close to 1,000 medical consultations in patient’s homes, residential facilities or other hospital units.

Rod Braithwaite

Manager, Corporate Services

Rod oversees the financial management of Victoria Hospice, and manages a group of staff that is responsible for a range of non-clinical services, including payroll, facilities and information technology. Copies of our audited financial statements as prepared from year to year are available from the Corporate Services department.

Kathleen Burton

Director of Development

Kathleen is responsible for leadership and management of the Victoria Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation, including several development staff. The team collectively looks after all of our fundraising and donor initiatives, including major and planned gifts, annual giving, donor recognition, membership, events and corporate and community donor relations.

Dr. Michael Downing

Director of Research

Dr. Downing heads the Research and Development office, which was formed in 2007 to provide support and coordination for providing research. Many studies have been conducted in such areas as new pain drugs, bowel care, respiratory congestion, family support, children and bereavement. Victoria Hospice research partners include the University of Victoria, the University of British Columbia, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the British Columbia Cancer Agency and the Victoria Palliative Research Network.

Dave Traynor 

Acting Manager, Communications, Marketing & Public Relations

Dave manages all of our communications, marketing and public relations initiatives at Victoria Hospice, and works closely with our development staff at the Victoria Hospice Foundation to help ensure the success of our ongoing fundraising efforts.

Jennifer Kennedy

Nurse Manager

Jennifer is responsible for nursing care for our patients and families, both within our 17-bed unit and in the community. She manages a staff of Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses, nurse aids and clerks and works in cooperation with our other clinical and non-clinical employees and volunteers, as well as the VIHA Home and Community Care Nursing staff. Besides the regular nursing activities, including as part of our 24-hour Palliative Response Team, Victoria Hospice nurses teach palliative care courses to other health care professionals, and participate in important palliative care research.

Kay Larsen

Manager, Volunteer Services

Kay manages all aspects of our volunteer services. She supports our staff across various departments who work closely with over 200 volunteers in clinical areas (inpatient unit, bereavement and community) and another 200 volunteers in non-clinical areas (Thrift Boutique, fundraising events and administration).

Brenda Pengelly

Manager, Education Services

Brenda manages all of our educational services at Victoria Hospice, including delivery of our palliative care courses; student practicum training for students in medicine, nursing, counselling, social work and other academic faculties; and customized palliative care training for health care professionals on a fee-for-service basis. Her department is also responsible for the development and distribution of our books and professional publications, and handles all education requests from educational institutions, government and community agencies.

Wendy Wainwright

Manager, Psychosocial Counselling Services

Wendy manages our Psychosocial Services team, which includes counsellors, social workers, a Child & Youth counsellor and a Spiritual Care Coordinator. The team provides psychosocial services to patients & their families from registration to bereavement, including advocacy, mediation, practical support (e.g. estate & funeral planning,) counselling (e.g. grief & loss) & team support. They also provide educational programs and presentations for staff and volunteer orientation, courses and conferences, and are involved in program evaluation and research.