Council

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• Dr. Cheri Nijssen-Jordan (2012 President)

  Dr. Cheri Nijssen-Jordan graduated from medical school at the University of Saskatchewan in 1981. She worked as a family physician in Canada and as a district medical officer in Lesotho Africa before returning to Halifax (Nova Scotia) in 1989 to complete her paediatric residency and, subsequently, a subspecialty in paediatric emergency medicine.

  In 1993, Dr. Nijssen-Jordan became Director of the Emergency Department at the Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) in Calgary and Division Head of Paediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Calgary (U of C).

  After completing her Executive MBA at the U of C in 2004, Dr. Nijssen-Jordan began to look for different physician leadership roles spanning full system issues. She completed a Diploma in Tropical Medicine in Lima, Peru in 2006 and took a sabbatical leave from the University and the health region to become Medical Director for Lifeline Malawi - establishing a new outreach program in Malawi that included a base clinic with nine outreach sites.

  In 2007 and 2008, Dr. Nijssen-Jordan provided medical administrative support for the Northern Lights Health Region in Alberta (Fort McMurray) as Vice President of Medical Affairs, where significant resource challenges for both medical personnel and infrastructure related to area growth for oil sands development in the region. She returned to Calgary when Pandemic H1N1 2009 arrived and was appointed Pandemic Clinical Operations Lead, a position she held until January 2010. In July 2010, she was appointed to her current role in AHS as the Senior Medical Lead for Improving Access and Wait Times.

  Throughout her administrative career in Alberta, she has maintained her clinical paediatric practice at the ACH as a staff physician in the emergency department. Dr. Nijssen-Jordan is also a transport physician, does surgical assists and participates in the specialty locum program for regional sites. She was the Chair of the Board for Canadian MedicAlert Foundation (until May 2011), and will complete her term as Past Chair in 2012. On an intermittent basis, she continues to work in international volunteer health positions for service and teaching.

  Her interest in serving on Council relates to her focus on continuous quality improvement, patient-centred care, patient safety and assisting physicians in maintaining their clinical competence and constructive collaboration in Alberta's healthcare system.

  Dr. Nijssen-Jordan is married to Peter Nijssen, who is currently working with Doctors Without Borders as a water and sanitation consultant and logistician. They have 4 children – Anthony 24, Kathryn 22, Marta 18 and Leah 10, all of whom share their parents’ passion for international volunteer work.

• Dr. Randall Sargent (2012 Vice President)

  Dr. Randall Sargent has practised family medicine in the Calgary Health Zone since 1990 with an interest in the care of patients with chronic diagnoses. 

  Dr. Sargent received his medical degree from the University of Calgary in 1988, and his CCFP in 1990. He holds a Master of Science in zoology, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. He has an interest in the analysis of moral dilemmas and served as a member of the Provincial Health Ethics Board of Directors (2000-2007).

  As an Associate Clinical Teaching Faculty Member with the University of Calgary Department of Family Medicine, he is an active member of the SAPCREN research group.

  Dr. Sargent has taught communication and integrated medical skills. He has an interest in the continuing medical education of foreign-trained physicians. Before practising medicine, he taught in the College system and conducted biology research.

  His interest in the College stems from a general interest in the healthcare system of Alberta and the complex issues that society must resolve. He appreciates the important role of physicians and the obligations the role brings. This is his second term as CPSA councillor (2005-2006) and first year as a member of the executive.

  Dr. Sargent feels an obligation to understand the care needs of the Alberta public and the needs of healthcare providers in order to support a fair system of access and care.

• Linda Spencer (2012 Member at Large)

  

  Linda Spencer obtained her Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of Calgary. Her areas of specialization in her studies and in her practice are Community Organization, Management and Policy. She began her career in Lethbridge, but she has lived and worked in Calgary since 1989.

  Linda has focused a large part of her career on community-level practice issues related to health and social policy. She spent many years employed in the charitable sector and she particularly cherishes the work that she accomplished with The Kidney Foundation of Canada. During her time with the Kidney Foundation, one area of focus was working towards improved local and provincial hospital systems to support organ donation. Another significant accomplishment was the development and implementation of an employment support model for people with kidney disease and other chronic illnesses. In her current employment with The City of Calgary, Linda manages the overall governance function for a variety of civic partner (non-profit organizations) relationships.

  Linda continues to be active in public service initiatives. For several years, Ms. Spencer served as the public member of the Alberta Health/Alberta Medical Association’s Physician Resource Planning Committee. Most recently, Linda was the public member of the College’s Physician Performance Committee. She is also involved with committee work at the United Way of Calgary.

  Linda enjoys life and all that it brings with her husband and 21 year old daughter.

• Janet Blayone

  No profile or photo available.

• Dr. Ann Crabtree

  No profile or photo available.

• Dr. Tom Feasby

  Dean - Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary

  No profile or photo available.

• Dr. Louis Francescutti

  Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti received his combined MD / PhD from the University of Alberta. He then went on to complete post-graduate studies including a Master of Public Health and a residency in preventive medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Community Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. He is also a member of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and holds an honorary fellowship in the American College of Physicians.
  
  Dr. Francescutti has chaired numerous committees and task forces that deal with public health and injury prevention and has given thousands of interviews and presentations on this topic. He currently works as an emergency physician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and as a professor at the University of Alberta School of Public Health.
  
  More recently, Dr. Francescutti was named the 41st President of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) in 2010.
  
  His interest in serving on Council is to help ensure all Albertans have access to quality, timely care when they need it. He strongly believes the health care system needs realistic standards of care and far greater accountability of service providers.

• Dr. James Harder

  

  Born in Southern Alberta, Dr. James Harder received his medical degree from the University of Alberta in 1974. Following graduation, he studied Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Calgary before completing two years of a Pediatric Orthopedic Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto in 1980.

  Dr. Harder began his practice in Pediatric Orthopedics, at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. His interest in the area of limb deficiency led him to be active in the Association of Children’s Prosthetic Orthotic clinics and to participate in the U of C’s Department of Kinesiology spinal deformity research.

  Dr. Harder has also been active in an administrative capacity with the Regional Medical Advisory Board of the Calgary Health Authority and as a clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary since 1993. In addition to his new role as Councillor, Dr. Harder is a member of the Alberta Medical Association’s Representative Forum and serves on the AMA’s Committee for Financial Audit.

  He and his wife, Dr. Joyce Harder, have been married for 38 years and have four children.

• Dr. Stan Houston

  Like many Albertans, Dr. Houston originated in Saskatchewan, receiving a medical degree in 1975. He has had training in Family Medicine, tropical medicine, Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases (ID) and currently practices ID at the University of Alberta Hospital and General Medicine at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Special interests include tropical medicine and HIV. He has practised in an aboriginal community in Northern Saskatchewan, and for over six years in Africa. He has been heavily involved in local community health-related programs such as Streetworks and the new refugee clinic.

  Amongst his bedside and classroom teaching activities, he gives a course in the School of Public Health and acts as faculty liaison with St. Paul Alberta for the exciting new integrated community clerk ship program.

  Outside interests include recreational running, improving his Spanish, keeping track of the hectic lives of his wife (a school principal) and two young adult kids, and observing the roller coaster course of provincial politics!

  Having worked in a one party state in Africa and observing the stresses created by health system restructuring in Alberta, he is particularly sensitive to the importance of an independent role for physicians in speaking for the rights and needs of patients and communities.

• Dr. Mike Kalisiak

  No profile or photo available.

• Cathy MacDonald

  New public councillor Cathy MacDonald is currently the Vice President of PCML Consulting Inc., a position she has held since 2009.

  She holds an MBA and Applied Management diploma from Athabasca University and received a Certified Fund Raising Designation.

  Throughout her career, Cathy has held a variety of executive roles, specializing in technology management, executive sales and the non-profit sector.

  In the past 14 years, Cathy has also been actively involved in the health care field.

  As the CEO of the Wood Buffalo YMCA, she was responsible for operations and ensuring high quality health and fitness programs were in place for families in the Fort McMurray area. Cathy also spent four years working as a senior administrator in the region and five years as a board member with the Northern Lights Health Authority.
   
  In addition to her corporate and health care activities, Cathy also works with local community organizations and boards, including a role as Chair for the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation’s Governance Committee.
  Her most recent accomplishment is a fundraising campaign for the Royal Alex where 37 individuals, including Cathy and several physicians, travelled to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

  More than one million dollars was raised to be used for a new orthopedic centre on the Royal Alex campus.

  As a public member on College Council, Cathy brings expertise in board governance, human resources, operational finance and stakeholder relations, including government relations.

• Dr. Carl Nohr

  Dr. Nohr graduated from McGill University in 1978, trained in General Surgery and Transplantation, and received a PhD in 1989. As an academic surgeon at McGill University, he worked in clinical programs, teaching, research and administration, as the Director of Transplantation, and Director of the McGill Core Surgery Training Program. He received an award for Excellence in Teaching, authored or co-authored 47 publications, and served on hospital and University committees, including Ethics, Informatics, Admissions, Resident Promotions, and Post-Graduate Education.

  In 1995, he moved to Medicine Hat, where he operates a private office with a full time clinical practice in General Surgery. He has served as Regional Chief of Surgery, President of the Regional Medical Staff Association, on Alberta Medical Association committees, and on a Subcommittee of the College’s Physician Achievement Review (PAR) Program. He has completed the full cycle of the Physician Manager Institute courses of the Canadian Medical Association.

  His desire is to contribute to change management as it relates to health legislation and College policy, particularly from the perspective of physician health and engagement. His core values are integrity, effectiveness and fairness. His background has provided an understanding of front line medical work, and a level of empathy with physicians in both academic and private practice.

• Dr. Maeve O'Beirne

  No profile or photo available.

• Dr. James Stone

  Dr. James Stone was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but grew up mainly in Ottawa, Ontario.

  He holds undergraduate degrees in Physical and Health Education, Biology and Medicine from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario in addition to a Master’s of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and a Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Physiology.

  Dr. Stone completed Royal College clinical fellowships in both Internal Medicine and Cardiology and is currently a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Calgary and Director of Research at the Cardiac Wellness Institute in Calgary.

  He is also the Chair of the guidelines section for C-CHANGE and the Chairperson and Editor-in-Chief of the first, second, and third editions of the CACR Canadian Guidelines for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.

  Dr. Stone is a member of numerous other national and international guidelines committees as well as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention.

  He is a Past President of the Canadian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation, a former Deputy Secretary General of the World Council on Cardiac Rehabilitation for the World Heart Federation, a member of the governing Council of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, and the current Section President of Cardiology for the Alberta Medical Association.

  His research interests include development and implementation strategies for clinical practice guidelines, cardiovascular disease event risk stratification, the noninvasive diagnosis of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, exercise vascular biology, cardiac conditions in athletes, and cardiovascular disease prevention and cardiac rehabilitation.

  Dr. Stone ran for College Council to provide input from a primarily clinical practitioner, with strong ties to the research and clinical practice guidelines communities.

  His interests outside medicine include anything and everything related to his family, music, athletics, and oenology.

• Dr. Monica Wickland-Weller

  No profile or photo available.

• Dr. Verna Yiu

  Interim dean - Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta

  No profile or photo available.