Dr. Tracy Danylyshen-Laycock, Ph.D. has joined the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) as the new Director of Physician Wellness and Support Programs. She brings with her a wealth of information and experience in mental health, system transformation, leadership, and program sustainability within health care. She has a Ph.D in Health Sciences through the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Her doctoral research focused on the relationship between leadership, facilitation, and the sustainability of a dementia specific training program for staff in rural long-term care homes. Specifically, Tracy studied how the Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) training program changed how staff provide care to residents with responsive behaviours as a result of a dementia diagnosis. She has an advanced Honors Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Saskatchewan (BSPE), an undergraduate degree in Social Work (BSW) from the University of Regina, and a master’s degree in Social Work (Anti-Oppressive Counselling) from Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS.

In her new portfolio, Tracy is responsible for the Physician Health Program (PHP), the Physician in Need Program (PIN), as well as the Medical Benevolence Society (MBS). She will be working with Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka, Physician Advocate (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), as well as the two Physician Advocates within the Workplace Wellness Program. Prior to joining SMA, Tracy was a Director within the Saskatchewan Health Authority and worked in various programs across her 22-year health care career. If you require assistance from the PHP, PIN, MBS, or the Workplace Wellness Program, please visit the Physician Support profile on the SMA website for further information.