Surrey Hospitals Foundation has a new president and CEO.
Nicole Robson brings over 25 years of experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors to her new role.
“I’ve had a career really built on impact,” Robson said. “I was really driven by the idea of making this world a better place and leaving things a little better than we found it.”
The Burnaby resident said she already feels at home at her new job. “I am so impressed by everyone here: the team at the foundation, the doctors,” Robson said. “Everyone is just so passionate and caring.”
Robson has seen firsthand the incredible work being done at Surrey Memorial Hospital and still considers Surrey, her community. “My mother actually received cancer treatments here before we lost her,” Robson said.
“I see our role (at non-profits) as coming alongside the issues and the causes and figuring out how we can bridge or partner to be solution-oriented,” Robson said.
Robson also believes most people want to help, but they often do not know how.
“I really view that as what the roles of non-profits are, or foundations, is to help be a facilitator of that change and come alongside people so they can see how they can help,” she said.
Surrey Hospitals Foundation is a non-profit that has raised over $200 million for major health care facilities in Surrey including Surrey Memorial Hospital, Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre. It also raises funds for the Czorny Alzheimer Centre and other specialized programs in the community.
The vision for the Foundation is to transform “care for residents South of the Fraser through providing excellent hospital care,” reads a post on surreyhospitalsfoundation.com.
Robson agreed that the demand on the health care system is high.
“The amount of people in care that I just witnessed walking through, I was floored” Robson said. “Those are the stories we don’t hear and it makes me think back to the pandemic, right, where people really understood sort of the weight of what health care workers are dealing with and that hasn’t stopped.”
What gives her hope is the hard-working health care workers and staff. “We get to see the best of humanity every day and that is what gives me so much hope, is there are so many people who do care and roll up their sleeves every day,” she said.
“There’s need everywhere and I think there’s also solutions to go with that and there’s a lot of passionate people pouring into this system and, and addressing those issues,” Robson said.
“I have yet to see anything that is perfect,” Robson said. “But when you’ve got those people, you know, rallying for change, or to help or to lean in….that is the thing that should give you hope.”
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READ MORE: CEO of Surrey Hospitals Foundation retires
The long-time CEO of Surrey Hospitals Foundation, Jane Adams, retired in late 2023 after 16 years.