From bedside nurse to trusted nursing leader, Anna Lacanilao has dedicated her career to supporting patients and colleagues at HSC
At the heart of Manitoba’s hospital stands Anna Lacanilao, a quiet pillar of strength and compassion. For 18 years, she has been a steady presence for patients at Health Sciences Centre (HSC), providing care and support when they’ve needed it most.
“This place is home,” she says. “We’re a team, a family. Our doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and support staff…we’re all working together every day to provide the best care possible for our patients.”
Born in the Philippines, Lacanilao moved to Canada when she turned 18. After several years of study, she graduated from the University of Manitoba as a Registered Nurse in 2007. She quickly began her practicum and clinicals at HSC and never left.
Today, she works as a Clinical Resource Nurse (CRN) on HSC’s GH3, a high-volume, post-surgical unit for oncology, general surgery, and urology patients. In her role as a CRN, she focuses on patient flow within the unit, ensuring proper post-operative care, paving the way for patients to be discharged, and supporting her team of nurses.
“I make sure that our patients are well cared for and that the 30 beds we have in our unit are being properly utilized. And then, of course, I support my team of nurses here. I joke that I am the IT person for the nursing unit,” she laughs. “You need something? We’re out of something? You come to me. I will make it happen.”
For Lacanilao, nursing was a calling and a career she has never wavered from. And while the rewards are many, so are the challenges. She says the hardest days came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was devastating. We had to move our unit, adapt overnight, and suddenly we were caring for the sickest of the sick,” she says. “Some days, I was pronouncing three or more deaths. It was relentless.”
The temporary move to a new unit—meant to last just a few weeks—stretched into eight months. Her team, like so many others, pushed through heartbreak, fear, and exhaustion, while never letting their compassion falter.
Five years on, the memories remain vivid—and so do the lessons.
“That experience taught us what we’re truly capable of,” she says. “We became stronger, more resilient. We learned that even in the darkest moments, we could find our way through.”
Lacanilao’s dedication to Manitoba’s health care system doesn’t end when her shift does. She’s also a proud donor to the HSC Foundation.
“When I donate to the HSC Foundation, I know where my donation is going. I see the impact it has on equipment, training, on patient care,” says Lacanilao. “It’s not just helping one person. It’s lifting the whole community. To me, it is about giving back and paying it forward. I hope others will be inspired to do the same.”
As we celebrate the nurses who give so much of themselves every day, Lacanilao’s story is a reminder of the heart behind the care.
To honour a nurse at HSC this National Nursing Week, please make a tribute gift to the HSC Foundation today at hscfoundation.mb.ca or call 204-515-5612 or 1-800-679-8493 (toll-free).
Read the rest of our National Nursing Week 2025 stories here.
By Jen Golletz
