Lauren Clark, President & CEO
Lauren Clark grew up in Sarnia, ON and now calls Ottawa home. Lauren has always been passionate about grief, bereavement and end of life care and was fortunate to have met a special individual through her work that helped charter the course for the last seven years.
Lauren has been volunteering with Bridge C-14 since its launch in November 2017 and took over the organization as President & CEO in June 2019. Lauren's professional role is that of a Social Worker at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH). She holds a permanent position in the Medicine Department at the Civic Campus and was a member of the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Team at TOH and with the Champlain Regional MAiD Network until 2021.
Lauren holds a Social Service Worker diploma from Lambton College, a certificate in Dementia Studies from Lakehead University, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work from Carleton University. She is a registered Member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) and the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW).
Lauren was named as one of the OASW Inspirational Leaders for 2019 for her work with MAiD, and has spoken at local, provincial, national and international conferences. She has also been a guest instructor for the NICE Advanced Practice Gerontological Social Work course for health professionals working in the Sinai Health System, the NICE Learning Series on Aging, and with Wilfrid Laurier University's Death, Dying and Bereavement Certificate Program. Additionally, Lauren the primary instructor for the Bridge C-14 Educational Series.
Lauren is most proud of her role, though, as wife to a very supportive husband, adoring mama to 2 young children, and fur-mama to 2 cats and a puppy.
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Lauren Clark, President & CEO Bridge C-14
Jan Ditchfield, Founder and Board Chair of Bridge C-14
Motivated by a deeply personal and heartbreaking journey with a loved one seeking medically-assisted death, Jan Ditchfield founded Bridge C-14 in 2017. She is driven by passion to change the landscape of compassion in our country.
As an award-winning Disability and Human Rights Advocate, she has been honoured for her work as a Rick Hansen Difference medalist, as well as the Celebration of People Awards, and was named one of the top Amazing People in Canada’s National Capital Region. Her work has been featured in a breath of publications such as The National Post, The Globe & Mail and The New York Times.
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Jan Ditchfield, Founder and Board Chair of Bridge C-14