I have worked in Cancer Care for over 25 years; both in front line and administration. The last
half of my career has had a focus on quality improvement in radiation oncology. Understanding the life giving and also regrettable experiences are a part of human kind and health care; I penned these words using both the patient and the healthcare provider voice. I love artistic expression and feel that as healthcare workers we don’t bare our souls a lot in this format. We think we have to keep our guard up at all times so as not to disappoint the patients we care for. Over the years with various patient safety education and initiatives I feel that is is getting a bit easier to express ourselves and our concerns and feelings openly.

My name is Cyndy Penner. I am a radiation therapist by profession. I have been employed at CancerCare Manitoba since 1992. My work experience includes administering radiation treatments, director of quality improvement, manager and School of RT coordinator. Along with my radiation therapy diploma, I have a Human Resources and Management certificate. I enjoy problem solving, coaching, creating and developing systems and collect data to improve all aspects of health care. I enjoy collaborating with patient and other healthcare disciplines to provide better services for our patients.
I have great bosses, co-workers and friends who are a consistent support to me in the many
endeavours I initiate and am involved with in my current positions at work. I have also been married for 30 years to my husband Ross; and we have two adult children who make us very proud to be their parents. These are the people who walk alongside me and encourage me as I invest my working hours into improving patient safety in the health care team.