July 25, 2024
The Quebec Cancer Foundation proudly welcomes Mr. Mario Provencher as the first patient partner to sit on its Board of directors.
Having received a cancer diagnosis in 2016, Mr. Provencher was invited to be a patient partner in oncology by his hospital center once he completed his cancer treatments. He has since then been providing input and sharing his opinions to improve the care and services provided by the healthcare system. He fulfils his duties in this regard with great pride, by notably participating in various committees and other initiatives.
“In 2020, it was my spouse’s turn to be struck by cancer. Despite our residing in Rouyn-Noranda, the Quebec Cancer Foundation provided us with valuable support in conjunction with our trips to Montreal for treatment. Our experience was both calm and compassionate, and I can only hope that such services will soon be available in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
This is actually when I first met Foundation General Manager Marco Décelles. After having spoken with him on a few occasions, I was eager to do what I could to help other people faced with the disease. Cancer having played a major role in my life story, I’m extremely sensitive to the well-being of patients, who often find themselves vulnerable and with few tools and resources. Today, I’m pleased to contribute to the progress made by the Quebec Cancer Foundation by sitting on its Board of directors,” stated Mr. Provencher.
A former municipal councilman who also served as mayor of Rouyn-Noranda from 2009 to 2017, Mr. Provencher is no stranger to the notion of community involvement. He has sat on several Boards, among them the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ), the Abitibi-Témiscamingue emergency call center, the Secretariat to the Cree Nation Abitibi-Témiscamingue Economic Alliances (SCNATEA), the Abitibi-Témiscamingue health communication center and the Rouyn-Noranda local development center (CLD).
“Not only does Mario Provencher bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our Board, but he’s a man of action, a man of conviction and a good man. His role as a patient partner is an important one, perfectly aligned with the Foundation’s vision, which focuses on enhancing its impact through new strategies that will allow for expanding the reach of its measures and benefits throughout the healthcare network and to Quebecers across the province,” concluded Dr. Sauthier, Chairman of the Board of directors of the Foundation.
