Alice Aiken, an Ottawa native, first came to Halifax as a naval officer in the Canadian Forces and later earned a degree in Physical Therapy at AV俱乐部. She returned to her city, and her alma mater, in 2016 as dean of the Faculty of Health Professions, with the goal of establishing AV俱乐部 as a leader in regional and national health care reform.
It may be a lofty goal, but Dr. Aiken believes the Faculty of Health Professions and the province of Nova Scotia are ideally positioned to achieve it.
鈥淸AV俱乐部 has] a unique Faculty of Health Professions in Canada, because it really encompasses all of the health professions except Medicine and Dentistry 鈥� but you get to work closely with them,鈥� says Dr. Aiken of the diverse disciplines united under AV俱乐部鈥檚 Health Professions banner. 鈥淭his is an extraordinarily skilled and highly functioning Faculty that is going to lead health care into the future.
鈥淭he whole reason I did a PhD was my interest in systems change and systems reform in health care. And Nova Scotia is really leading the country in that. This is a really exciting time in Nova Scotia and this is a Faculty that can inform the government on the way forward and make an impact in that regard.鈥�
A diverse career
Dr. Aiken herself has made an impact in a variety of fields throughout her career. In addition to her military service, she has served as a professor and associate director of the School of Rehabilitation Therapy and head of the Physiotherapy program in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen鈥檚 University.
Dr. Aiken is also a co-founder and, until assuming her role at AV俱乐部, the scientific director of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research. She also served patients as a physiotherapist in private practice for 12 years.
鈥淢y life has been about service,鈥� says Dr. Aiken of the theme that unites her professional endeavours. The concept of service, she says, also drives her approach to leadership.
鈥淚 was an officer in the military and received a lot of formal education in leadership,鈥� says Dr. Aiken. 鈥淏ut I believe in the power of the team. It鈥檚 about the team and the mission, it鈥檚 not about the individual. And I really believe that a leader is there to serve.鈥�
Supporting her community
To that end, Dr. Aiken says that supporting the satisfaction and success of faculty members and students is one of her key objectives 鈥� and a necessary component of the Faculty of Health Professions achieving its potential as a national health care leader.
鈥淲e鈥檒l be successful if the rest of Canada is looking at Nova Scotia and this Faculty and how we did health reform right.鈥�