For her contributions to the profession of obstetrical anesthesia, making childbirth safer for women and newborns.
Joanne Douglas has helped advance the discipline of obstetrical anesthesiology to improve the quality and safety of care for mothers and their newborns. As a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia and the first woman to head the department of anesthesia at the B.C. Women’s Hospital, she trained and mentored countless students. She has a record of leadership on a national scale, and has served on several professional committees and associations to develop interdisciplinary guidelines and best practices in obstetrics and anesthesia.