Rear-Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often regar ...
Rebecca Patterson,
OMM MSM CD CHE (born June 15, 1965) is a Canadian
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
from
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
. She was appointed to the
Senate of Canada
The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The Senate is modelled after the ...
on November 21, 2022, on the advice of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since ...
.
On January 12, 2023, Patterson joined the
Canadian Senators Group
The Canadian Senators Group (french: Groupe des sénateurs canadiens) is a parliamentary group of senators in the Senate of Canada founded on November 4, 2019, by eight senators from the Independent Senators Group, two from the Conservative Part ...
.
Career
Patterson is a registered nurse and a retired
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
in the
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). She is the first person with a military nursing background to ever lead at the rank of Flag (General) Officer in Canada.
Patterson enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces as a critical care Nursing Officer in 1989 under the Direct Entry Officer plan and held various leadership roles within the CAF. She obtained her Diploma in Nursing in 1987 fo
Niagara College Canadaand BScN / PCNP certificate from the
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottaw ...
in 1997 (Summa Cum Laude). After an occupational transfer to Health Services Operations Officer in 1998, she went on to qualify as a Certified Health Executive with th
Canadian College of Health Leaders
Patterson worked in many different domains of healthcare which include the provision of direct patient care, delivery and leading CAF medical education and training, overseeing and directing national level medical planning in support of CAF missions at home and abroad and leading a large CAF primary care health centre. In 2012, she assumed the position as Commander of 1 Health Services Group and was responsible for the provision of healthcare to CAF personnel in the west and north of Canada. In 2016, she was appointed as the Deputy Commander,
Canadian Forces Health Services Group
The Canadian Forces Health Services Group (CF H Svcs Gp) is a formation of the Canadian Forces within the Military Personnel Command. It includes personnel from both the Royal Canadian Medical Service and the Royal Canadian Dental Corps, fulfills ...
and was subsequently appointed to her current position as Director General Canadian Armed Forces Strategic Response Team- Sexual Misconduct, in 2018.
Patterson has had the privilege of serving with the CAF on overseas missions and has deployed as a member of Op SCALPEL with 1 Canadian Field Hospital during the Persian Gulf Conflict in 1991 (Saudi Arabia), Op DELIVERANCE in support of the Canadian Airborne Regiment in 1993 (Somalia), and Op ATTENTION with the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan (Kabul) 2011-2012, where she was responsible for leading a multinational team tasked to assist the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police to re-establish their medical education and training system.
Recognition and awards
In February 2014, she was recognized for her work in Afghanistan and was awarded the
Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada and was recently inducted as an Officer in the
Order of Military Merit in 2018. She is also the recipient of numerous other honours and awards, including the Governor General’s
Meritorious Service Medal, the Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in Health Sciences for Ontario College Graduates, and the Niagara College Canada Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2021, Patterson was inducted as an Honorary Fellow of the
Royal Canadian Geographic Society for her contributions to aid seniors in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and to help women overcome barriers.
Volunteer work
She is a founder and director o
Soldiers Helping Soldiers an organization that helps veterans who are experiencing or at risk of
homelessness
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
.
Personal life
Patterson is married with two children.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Rebecca
Living people
1957 births
Royal Canadian Navy officers
21st-century Canadian politicians
Canadian senators from Ontario
Independent Canadian senators
Canadian Senators Group
Women members of the Senate of Canada
Officers of the Order of Military Merit (Canada)