Leadership
BC Children’s Hospital is led by a dedicated team of executives who have oversight for the day-to-day operations and clinical leadership of the hospital.
Our executive team
Sarah Bell, Chief Operating Officer
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Sarah Bell has been the chief operating officer of BC Children’s Hospital since 2019. Previously she held successive leadership roles across various program areas including pediatrics, mental health and professional practice.
Sarah completed her diploma in general nursing in 1994 and began her nursing career at St. Paul’s Hospital. She has a baccalaureate degree in English and classical studies from Western University, a masters degree in business administration from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia and a certificate in mental health law from the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.
Sarah is a practising member of the BC College of Nursing Professionals and is a member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. Currently, Sarah is the vice chair of the board of Children’s Healthcare Canada, serves on the board of the Active Aging Society as secretary, and is a member of the British Columbia Institute of Technology INSPIRE Campaign Cabinet.
Sarah is committed to making BC Children’s Hospital an inclusive, diverse and welcoming place to work, and is passionate about the implementation of trauma-informed care.
Ruth Appanah, Executive Director, Inter-Campus Operations
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Ruth Appanah is the executive director of inter-campus operations for BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre. Ruth began her career working in laboratories at the UK Medical Research Council and the Medical Genetics Department at the University of British Columbia. She has both master of science and master of business administration degrees.
Ruth has held a number of operations leadership roles across academia and health care. She served as an operations coordinator at BC Cancer’s Genome Sciences Centre for six years. Following this, she spent seven years at Simon Fraser University (SFU) as an operations manager and was later promoted to director of operations, safety and facilities; and director of strategic planning and analysis. She helped lead the SFU Faculty of Science through the pandemic, and paved the way for researchers and lab students to return to campus and carry on their important work. She helped submit the business case for the medical school at SFU, which is expected to have its first intake of students in the fall of 2026.
Ruth is inspired by health-care workers and their commitment to making a difference in the lives of patients and families. Ruth likes to paint and has recently taken up glassblowing. She is a relationship builder and plans to bring her experience in research and health-care to inter-campus operations to enhance the hospital campus. Ruth believes in empowering staff and physicians to continue to elevate BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre as world-class facilities.