Dr. Verna Yiu is 1 of 2 members representing Canada-at-large on CIHI’s Board of Directors. An accomplished leader in the academic and health care sectors, Dr. Yiu has been involved in public-sector governance for more than 2 decades. She is currently the president and CEO of Alberta Health Services (AHS), Canada’s first and largest provincewide health system, providing integrated care to more than 4.2 million Albertans.
Dr. Yiu is guided by the principle that health care is a people business, built upon strong and collaborative relationships. Creating the stability and vision that people and organizations need to succeed, strengthened within the objectives of the Quadruple Aim, has been the hallmark of her governance style — first in her role as interim dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta and now in her current role. Since taking the reins of AHS in January 2016, Dr. Yiu has strengthened relationships with AHS’s many partners, including government; academic institutions; health foundations; the AHS workforce; patients, clients and families; and communities across Alberta. By doing so, AHS has bolstered community engagement, collaborated on world-class research, led the country in many health performance indicators and met budget targets — all with the most efficient and leanest health care administrations in Canada.
Dr. Yiu previously served as vice president of Quality and chief medical officer at AHS from 2012 to 2016. Prior to taking the role of interim dean in 2011, she was vice-dean for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry from 2008 to 2011 and assistant dean for Student Affairs from 2000 to 2008. She has won numerous awards for teaching and clinical excellence, and she also chaired the Specialty of Nephrology for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for 6 years. Dr. Yiu is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta and continues to practise as a pediatric nephrologist.