Dr. David Byres

David Byres is an experienced executive leader, board member and registered nurse. He most recently served as the Senior Executive Advisor to the Minister of Health in British Columbia. David was previously President and Chief Executive Officer at the Provincial Health Services Authority in British Columbia where he provided strategic leadership for a network of specialized care including supply chain, emergency health / ambulance services, cancer, children and women’s health, and mental health and substance use services across the province of B.C. He has over 30 years of clinical nursing, administrative, policy, and regulatory experience in acute, emergency, mental health, substance use, and government settings.

David has a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing, a RWJ / Wharton School of Business Nurse Executive Fellow, a certified healthcare executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute for Corporate Directors.

David led the opening of the first clinic in North America to provide diacetylmorphine as treatment for heroin use as well as supported the creation of the BC Centre for Substance Use and the Inner City Youth Mental Health Program which became Foundry BC. He is a former Associate Deputy Minister of Health and served as Chief Nurse Executive for the province of BC. He is an Adjunct Professor at the UBC School of Nursing and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria School of Nursing.

David is co-principal investigator examining equity for vulnerable populations seeking emergency care. He is a recipient of the Dean’s Medal of Distinction from the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC, was named one of 150 Canadian nurse innovators and champions by the Canadian Nursing Association and received an award of distinction from the College of Registered Nurses of BC. He serves as a director on the boards of HealthPro Canada and on Covenant House Vancouver.