Algoma Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic Announce Board of Directors

SooNews Staff for SooNews.ca
Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 9:18AM

The Board of Directors for the Algoma Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic had its inaugural meeting on September 10th, 2009, and it has been meeting consistently since. It is composed of 9 community based volunteers with various experiences and expertise.



"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to recognize and thank the members of the steering committee that diligently managed the initial stages of this project: Karen Scott, Karen Barban, Dr. Bob Maloney, Dr. Janet MacLeod, Fran Rose and Mary Ellen Luukkonen. Their work and dedication gave our Board the tools it needed for a great start," said Debbie Graystone, President of the Board of Directors.



The Board of Directors is aware of and sensitive to the primary care needs within the community and is committed to work as efficiently as possible to ensure that the Nurse Practitioner clinic is open to the public without any unnecessary delay.



"We have identified and secured the physical space at Sault College where the clinic will be located. We now have to determine what leasehold improvements are necessary to turn the space into a clinic and tender for a contractor to make those improvements. The College has been a great partner," said Christian Provenzano, Vice President of the Board of Directors.



Until the Board of Directors has a concrete idea of when the clinic will be ready for operation it will not be compiling or maintaining a waiting list of those in need of or interested in service. Considering where it is at in its development process, the Board of Directors does not expect the clinic will be open and providing service until late 2010.



"The Board recognizes the importance of adding primary health care capacity to our community. We are hopeful that this initiative will effectively assist in addressing some of the need for primary care service," added Dr. John Robertson.



The Board of Directors intends on working hard to moving this project along with as little delay as possible and will keep the community apprised of its development.



The Directors are:



Debbie Graystone (President) – Debbie was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie. She has been a registered nurse at Sault Area Hospital since 1986. As staff nurse, patient care coordinator and manager she has participated on and provided leadership for many committees within the hospital setting. After completing her Bachelor's Degree of Science in Nursing, Debbie completed her education with her Certification as a Registered Nurse Extended Class/Nurse Practitioner. She is currently employed as a nurse practitioner in the Fast-Track Unit of Emergency Department at Sault Area Hospital.



Christian Provenzano (Vice President) – Christian is a resident of Sault Ste. Marie and a lawyer at Provenzano Law Professional Corporation. Christian received his honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo and his LLB from Dalhousie Law School.



Richard Peters (Treasurer) – Rich is a resident of Sault Ste. Marie and the Vice-President Finance and Administration at Sault College. He has previously worked at Essar Steel Algoma Inc., Tembec and KPMG. Rich is also a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator.



Mary Tasz (Secretary) – Mary is a resident of Sault Ste. Marie and a Director of Rehabilitation Services for North East Community Care Access Centre. Mary has her Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Child and Youth Administration.

Jane Breckenridge (Director at Large) – Jane is a resident of Sault Ste. Marie. Jane has been employed with the Algoma District School Board as a Human Resources Officer since 2003. Jane has served on a number of community boards providing her expertise in human resources.

Julie Briglio (Director at Large) – Julie is a nurse practitioner. She has a bachelor of science in nursing from Lake Superior State University and a RN (EC) from Laurentian University. Julie has significant experience in health care having worked at the Sault Area Hospital (1987-1999), War Memorial Hospital (1995-1998) and having instructed at both Sault College and Lake Superior State University.



Jane Ovens (Director at Large) – Jane has recently returned to Sault Ste. Marie after a 25 year career in health care administration in both California and Florida. She has experience in and a thorough understanding of health care financing.



Dr. John Robertson (Director at Large) – Dr. Robertson received his primary and secondary school education in Sault Ste. Marie, followed by medical studies and specialty training in Toronto and Vancouver. He has served the community as a consultant in Internal Medicine with a sub-specialty interest in respiratory diseases, and currently is a member of the local palliative care physician group.



Jane Sippell (Director at Large) – Jane is a resident of Sault Ste. Marie and a registered nurse who has over 25 years of clinical and management experience in the area of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Jane brings an expertise in health system planning, evidence based practise and client centered care.

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