PICNet Thank You to Dr. Linda Hoang, Provincial Medical Co-Director
From: Maureen O’Donnell, Tara Donovan, Titus Wong
After nearly a decade with PICNet, Dr. Linda Hoang is leaving her official medical leadership role in the program. While saddened by her departure, we are also excited for Linda as she takes on her new provincial leadership role at the BC Centre for Disease Control as the Medical Director of the BCCDC Provincial Health Laboratory (PHL).
Linda is an exceptional medical leader and a major influence on public health microbiology in British Columbia and Canada for over two decades. As PICNet’s Provincial Medical Co-Director since 2015, Linda has forged a strong partnership between BCCDC PHL and PICNet, with successful, nation-leading programs such as BC’s Carbapenemase-producing organism detection and surveillance program, and Candida auris surveillance program. Linda has been instrumental in collaborating with provincial partners to create a viral respiratory surveillance program in acute care facilities, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic response and of benefit in the future. Linda’s additional contributions included her countless hours at PICNet, supporting our province’s infection prevention and control response to COVID-19.
In addition to Linda’s medical expertise, we have really valued Linda’s compassionate, collaborative approach to the practice of medicine. She appreciates the importance of building partnerships and engaging with key partners as well as ensuring our colleagues feel acknowledged and appreciated. She has promoted collaboration and bringing innovative ideas to fruition.
PICNet will foster the ongoing close partnership with Linda and the BCCDC PHL in the future to enhance provincial surveillance of healthcare-associated infections. Tara Donovan, Network Director and Titus Wong, Provincial Medical Director for PICNet look forward to these interactions as they stay on in their leadership roles.
Please join us in thanking Linda for her many contributions to PICNet and we wish her well in her role as the new Medical Director of the BCCDC PHL.