Denise Bradshaw

Director, Provincial Health Initiatives, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre

Denise Bradshaw is committed to improving health care services for vulnerable populations, especially women who use substances. One of her major accomplishments was the development and establishment of the Heartwood Centre for Women, a residential treatment centre for women with substance dependence.

Throughout her career, Denise has consulted with vulnerable women receiving her care. By expanding hours of operation, and providing transportation, to modifying approaches to clinical supervision and making sure the needs of patients are properly considered during facility design, Denise has consistently worked to improve access to care.

Whatever the scale of the challenge, Denise does not accept shortcomings; she looks for system-wide improvements, collaborates with others, forges partnerships and delivers results.

One such example is when Denise led the establishment of Canada’s first daytox program, significantly improving access to withdrawal management services and improving access for vulnerable populations. She has also championed increased access to primary health care services across Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

For being a passionate health care champion making a difference in the lives of communities challenged by substance use, Denise Bradshaw has been awarded this year’s Health Care Hero for Provincial Health Services Authority.

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