Working in Unity to Benefit Newcomers
Senior Leaders
Patricia Mahecha- Executive Director, Spanish
Phone: 604-356-4360 Email: PatriciaMahecha@rootshealthcare.org
Dr Hala Ahmed - Medical Lead, Primary Healthcare Provider, Arabic
Phone: 604 498-3565 Fax: 604 498-3566 Email:Contact@rootshealthcare.org
Roots CHC Multidisciplinary Healthcare Team
Contact Team:
Phone: 604 498-3565 Fax: 604 498-3566 Email: Contact@rootshealthcare.org
Charles Au- Clinical Pharmacist
Doug Peat – Cultural Knowledge Broker 672-200-8940 dougpeat@rootshealthcare.org
Farhat Khowaja- Nurse, Nurse, Punjabi, Gujrati, Hindi, Sindhi, Urdo
Hana Hamdoun - Cross Cultural Health Broker, Arabic HanaHamdoun@rootshealthcare.org
Harwinder Walia - Nurse, Punjabi, Gujrati, Hindi, Urdo
Dr Iram Yunus - Primary Healthcare Provider
Katherine Hughes - Nurse Practitioner , Primary Healthcare Provider
Khulood Al-Yasiri - Medical Office Assistant, Arabic
Mariana Mansour- Medical Office Assistant, Arabic, Assyrian
Dr Maryam Ashour - Primary Healthcare Provider, Arabic
Dr Meriam Said - Primary Healthcare Provider, Arabic Tigrinya
Primavera Yanez - Cross Cultural Health Broker, Spanish PrimaveraYanez@rootshealthcare.org
Saida Ahmadi - Cross Cultural Health Broker, Dari/Persian, Pashto SaidaAhmadi@rootshealthcare.org
Sukhman Chahal - Social Worker/Counsellor, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdo 604- 498-3565 Ext 1010 SukhmanChahal@rootshealthcare.org
Board of Directors
Dr. Majid Hussain - Board Chair, Roots CHC Co-Founder
Dr. Majid Hussain is deeply committed to treating marginalized and vulnerable patient populations. As highly respected Family, Urgent Care, and a Global Health physician. Dr. Hussain practices in Canada while extending his humanitarian efforts worldwide.
Dr. Hussain held Clinical Faculty positions at UBC and Dalhousie University within their Departments of Family Practice. He is a Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Ambassador and serves on the Board of Directors for the Muslim Medical Association of Canada.
Dr. Anthony Fong - Board Secretary
Dr. Anthony Fong is an emergency physician and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia with specializations in journalism, disaster medicine and refugee health.
He has previously worked with refugees at the Bridge Clinic and has deployed to disaster settings in Honduras, Poland and Ukraine, where he treated populations of refugees and internally displaced peoples.
Sitawa Joyce Ywaya, CPA, CMA - Board Member
Sitawa is an highly experienced professional accountant (CPA) in both Kenya and Canada. She has worked in different roles in different industries. Currently she holds the role of a Chief Financial Officer in a Not-for-profit organization.
Sitawa is also actively involved in her Kenyan community and serves on The Benevolent Committee Board of the Kenyans In British Columbia.
Azim Dahya, CPA - Board Member
Azim is a project manager (BSc, PMP), trainer and a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) at AAD Consultants Inc. He is a leader, trainer, mentor and advisor to the staff, volunteers and management of corporations and nonprofit organizations.
In 2010, he founded the Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society and volunteers as a Director in several boards including Vantage Point, the Mennonite Museum Society, and the Richmond City Centre Community Association.
Patricia Mahecha - Executive Director- Adhoc Board Member
Patricia brings over twenty years of experience in the community health, public health leadership, and program development to Roots Community Health Centre.
Trained as a Physician, Epidemiologist, and Health Administrator, and Public Health Professional, she has committed her career to promoting, designing and implementing equitable, culturally-centred, and trauma-informed healthcare for marginalized and underserved communities.
As Executive Director, Patricia brings strong vision and a tender heart, helping Roots CHC grow as a trusted place of welcome where newcomers and families are seen, respected, and deeply cared for
Dr. Hala Ahmed - Medical Lead, Co-Founder, Adhoc Board Member
Dr. Hala Ahmed is a dedicated family doctor focused on women’s health, refugee health, and pediatrics. She serves on the Refugee Health Working Group, and is a very active volunteer in Surrey’s Muslim community.
She brings a wealth of knowledge to her role, having served as Lead Physician at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre, on the Board of the Surrey North Delta Division of Family Practice.
Realizing refugees have medical needs, but also social needs, financial, and other aspects of their life that required immediate attention, she was part of the group that launched Roots CHC.
Read Roots Community Health Centre 2023/24 Annual Report
Current Partners
Surrey-North Delta Division of Family Practice
We work with the Division to engage our Primary Care community and coordinate services.
Diverscity Community Resources Society
We are collaborating with Diversity to provide counselling expertise at Roots.
Multi-Agency Partnership of BC (MAP)
We proudly partner with MAP to communicate and coordinate services available for refugee claimants.
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
A diverse, inclusive, and multi-service agency that assists people in all stages of theirlives in Canada. We coordinate and collaborate on care and health education for newcomers to Surrey.
Options Community Services
We collaborate on shared goals and services for vulnerable people in our community.
Muslim Food Bank & Community Services
We partner with the ASPIRE program to provide skilled Social Work services to patients.
Fraser Health New Canadian Clinic
Together, we help to transition new Canadians into community-based primary care.
British Columbia Association of Community Health Centres
BC’s Community Health Centre Association is a great resource for collaboration and learning.
Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST)
We collaborate with VAST’s refugee mental health experts on team training and counselling referrals.
Be our next Partner!
Do you work with or know of an organization we should partner with to provide more and better services?
We’d love to hear from you - contact us.