Headshot of Suzanna. She has long, brown hair, is wearing round, purple rimmed glasses, and a colourful blazer.

Suzanna (Sue) Crawford

MN RN BN BSc
Pronouns: she/her

Affiliations

Manager, Health Systems Transformation Initiative

Faculty of Nursing, Dean's Office

Background

Credentials

Regulated Member, College of Registered Nurses of Alberta,

Educational Background

Master of Nursing, Thesis based, University of Calgary, 2020

Bachelor of Nursing, University of Calgary, 2012

Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Calgary, 2010

Biography

I am an engaged, creative, entrepreneurial thinker who loves to connect people and solve problems. I carry unique experiences as a practicing Masters-prepared registered nurse, educator, and entrepreneur.  With interests in health systems, disruptive innovation, strategic leadership, and governance, I enjoy positions as the Manager of the Health Systems Transformation Initiative with the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary; a Councillor with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta; and a board member for Calgary Quest Children's Society.

I partner with patients and families in times of crisis through my role as a Registered Nurse with Psychiatric Emergency Services in the Emergency Department/Pod-D at the Alberta Children's Hospital. I am an advocate for families affected by chronic illness and disability, an area which I focused my graduate thesis research. I have worked as a disability support worker for over 15 years. Through my professional experiences, I noted a strong need for community-based support for families affected by disability. In 2016, I answered this call to action by co-founding ENABLE, a social enterprise that creates meaningful matches between people with disabilities and support workers. Since its inception, ENABLE support workers have provided families affected by disability with over 25,000 hours of community-based support.

In recognition of my work in health promotion and innovation, I was named Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine in 2020; StartUp Canada's CANIE Award in Social Innovation for the Prairies Region in 2020; finalist in Innovation with the Western Legacy Awards in 2019; named UCalgary Faculty of Nursing’s 2010-2020 decade representative; Distinguished Graduate Student of 2018 by the Women’s Resource Centre at UCalgary; and was awarded the $25,000 first-place prize in Trico Charitable Foundation’s What’s Next YYC social enterprise pitch competition in 2021. During my studies at the University of Calgary, I have been awarded nearly 30 scholarships.

Awards

  • What's Next YYC? Social Enterprise Competition, recipient of $25,000 grand prize, Trico Charitable Foundation. 2021
  • Top 40 Under 40, Avenue Magazine. 2020
  • CANIE Award for Social Innovation, recipient for the Prairies Region, StartUp Canada. 2020
  • Innovation finalist, Western Legacy Awards, Calgary Stampede. 2019
  • Graduate Scholarship for Entrepreneurship and Innovation recipient in 2016, 2017, 2018, University of Calgary. 2018
  • Distinguished Graduate Student, University of Calgary, Women's Resource Centre. 2018
  • Innovation Development Award, first place pitch winner, University of Calgary. 2017