Gordon Peckham, MSM, CD, MHS, RN, CHE
Gordon joined the Canadian Forces in 1995 under a National Defense scholarship and completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree at Dalhousie University in 1999. Upon graduation he was posted to the hospital at Canadian Forces Bases Halifax. In Halifax, Gordon worked in various roles including Medical-Surgical Inpatients, Operations and Training, Immunization, and trained with the Disaster Assistance Response Team. He completed his critical care course at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Halifax and worked in Intensive Care as well as the Emergency Department. During his posting to Halifax, Gordon deployed to Bosnia as part of the Advanced Surgical Centre team and was deployed to Sunnybrook during the SARS outbreak in 2003.
In 2004 Gordon moved to the Canadian Forces Trauma Training Centre in Vancouver where he was employed in a variety of roles including education, clinical work, research, and management. In 2006 he deployed as a critical care nurse to Kandahar, Afghanistan as part of the Multinational Medical Team at the trauma hospital.
In 2007, Gordon was posted to Defense Research and Development Canada in Toronto where he managed Consult Services and participated in various research programs. During his time in Toronto, he worked as a critical care nurse at Sunnybrook’s Critical Care Unit and was involved in civilian-military educational programs. He deployed for a second time to the Kandahar trauma hospital in 2008
Upon his return from Afghanistan, Gordon was posted to Ottawa where he was employed as a senior staff officer in several roles at the Canadian Forces Health Services Group Headquarters including Specialty Services, Performance Measurement, and Health Services Interoperability. From Ottawa, he deployed to Haiti as a member of the Field Hospital in response to the earthquake in January 2010. In addition, he was a member of the initial development cadre for the Mobile Surgical Resuscitation Team in support of Canadian Special Operations.
During his time in Ottawa, he completed his Master of Health Studies Leadership from Athabasca University and the Canadian Health Care Executive certification from the Canadian College of Health Leaders. In July of 2012 he was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the Health Services Centre at Canada’s largest Air Force Base, located in Trenton, Ontario. In July of 2015 Colonel Peckham assumed command of Canadian Forces Health Services Centre (Pacific) in Victoria, British Columbia. During his time in Victoria he completed a fellowship in the Executive Training Program with the Canadian Foundation for Health Improvements and the Joint Command and Staff Program with the Canadian Forces College. During his free time in British Columbia, he volunteered as Ski Patrol at Whistler Blackcomb.
After retirement from the Canadian Forces in 2020, Gordon and his wife Lori moved back to Nova Scotia. He joined Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC) in 2023 after his most recent experience as the Senior Director of Operations for the development and implementation of Nova Scotia Health’s Care Coordination Centre (C3), enhancing patient access and system efficiency. Prior to C3, as the NSH Director of Operations for Central Zone and Dartmouth General Hospital, he led improvements in patient flow and care capacity through effective operational planning and management. He is currently the Vice President, Operations for EMC.
Gordon and Lori have an energetic Labradoodle named Oscar that keeps them busy, and they enjoy an active lifestyle of sports, cooking, travelling, and spending time with family.