Our Patient Family and Care Partners
The Durham Ontario Health Team (OHT) Regional Patient, Family and Care Partner Advisory Council (PFCPAC) works in collaboration with the Durham OHT’s partners to ensure that engagement and co-design with patients, families and care partners are embedded into all Durham OHT activities. The goal of the PFCPAC is to improve the systems that support Durham Region residents including health and social care.
Meet our Patient Family and Care Partner Advisors (PFCPAC)
Michael Abramczuk
Michael’s healthcare experience was formalized by a decade of assisting staff at Lakeridge Health with their IT and capital equipment needs and the accreditation review. As well, Michael made occasional presentations to the Development Committee of the Board and the Ministry of Health to help in the realization of today’s Cancer Centre in Oshawa.
Michael has significant family and care partner experience with persons requiring mental health supports, persons living with dementia, cancer diagnosis and treatment, and assisting frail elderly. And as a past Board member of Durham Mental Health Services he participated in helping many in the community who are/were experiencing similar challenges. As a member of the PFCPAC, Michael’s priority is improved wayfinding of the healthcare system through one connected system. Michael is a professional accountant, married with two wonderful adult children, and he has a passion for travel.
Manon Lemonde
Manon Lemonde is an associate professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University (branding name for the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa since July 2003. Prior to joining UOIT, she was an associate professor at the School of Nursing, Laurentian University in Sudbury where she was extensively involved in the delivery of the francophone baccalaureate program in nursing since 1987.
She received her BScN, MScN and her PhD in biomedical sciences from the Université of Montréal. Her dissertation is titled: Quality of Life of Patients with Advanced Stages of Lung Cancer. She has many publications and presentations related to symptoms management in cancer patients, diabetes, and social support. Since her arrival at UOIT, she has been involved in projects for new grad, late career nurses, preceptor/mentor programs, health care services for French speaking seniors, cultural competence, chronic diseases management, human health resources planning in terms of recruitment, retention and work environment, program evaluation and knowledge transfer and utilization. Manon has developed a strong commitment to university community partnerships exemplified by her work with agencies such as Durham Region Health Department and Lakeridge Health. As part of her service commitment, Manon has been involved with the Francophone Table of Durham Region and was member of the Advisory Committee on Seniors Services and Long-Term Care of the City of Toronto for six years. She also held the Chair position of the Entite 4 for 3 years. These are some of her involvements in the community and Her community work targets the exploration of health promotion, prevention programs, access to health care for minority groups.
Bette Hodgins
Bette Hodgins has worked in the health care sector for many years, in both the acute and community sectors. Throughout this time she has enjoyed the challenges of front-line physiotherapy to executive management, healthcare consulting and most recently, start-up operations project management for Oak Ridges Hospice.
Bette has also had the opportunity to serve as a Founding member of North House Shelter, and as Board Chair of the Scugog Memorial Public Library, led the development and expansion of the new library.
She was also the essential caregiver for her mother until her passing in 2022. Caring for her mother gave Bette a deep appreciation for the needs of the frail elderly, and the necessity for providing a voice for those who can no longer advocate for themselves. This became even more apparent after her mother fractured her hip in 2021, leaving her reliant on the strength, compassion and good will of others for her day-to-day quality of life.
Our healthcare system is an oxymoron that has evolved from illness care, rather than health care. It is a system that is not a system; it is a series of organizational pigeonholes that inadvertently segregate the body from the mind and spirit. However the Durham OHT has a vision of creating an integrated system that overcomes historic hurdles and supports a seamless path to well-being. Along with the other members of the PFCP Advisory Council and the whole Durham OHT, Bette wants to participate in the realization of this vision where patients, families and care partners are equal voices at the planning table.
Percy D’Souza
Husband. Father. Son. Brother. Friend. Maverick.
An ardent advocate for the marginalized and mental health-challenged among us.
Ex-severe, treatment-resistant, psychotic depressive now passionately living in the moment.
Certified Peer Supporter, Project Management Professional (PMP), MBA (Ivey) with over ten years of healthcare sales and marketing experience in market-leading organizations – Pfizer, Baxter, GE Healthcare, Abbott Labs.
Presently leading GraceWins Peer Support, a maverick not-for-profit mental health peer support social enterprise whose purpose is to alleviate the suffering of those who struggle with mental health challenges, enable them to overcome these challenges, realize their unique potential and live their lives to the fullest.
Urica Parris
Dr. Urica Parris has well over 40 years of nursing experience in public health, primary, acute, and long-term care. Urica also has experience at the executive leadership level. She has worked in the United Kingdom, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.
Retired in 2017 as a registered nurse, Urica is proud to share her knowledge of the healthcare system.
Urica lived experience as a patient, a patient care partner, as well as her perspective as a committed patient care partner enable her to contribute to the emerging vision of our community.
At Lakeridge Health, Urica participates actively as a volunteer Patient & Family Advisor, in addition to being a care partner on many Rehabilitations Care Alliance working groups.
Andrea Belanger
Andrea Belanger is a Durham Region resident with a passion for family advocacy and patient engagement. Having spent a lot of time in hospital as a child and most recently as an adult heart patient, Andrea has lived experience as a patient as well as advocating for her child who was born with a rare genetic diagnosis. Being rare can be isolating and Andrea’s search for support led her to build family networks within the community; and ultimately to a new career in Family Engagement.
Andrea lives in Clarington with her husband and 2 children. A program manager at Grandview Children’s Centre in Oshawa, Andrea enjoys working with families to be true partners in their child’s care team. Andrea enjoys giving back to her community and supporting change at a systems level. In addition to her role on the Durham OHT PFCPAC, she is a pending Board member of the Campbell Children’s School Board of Trustees and an alternate member of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board’s Special Education Advisory Committee.
The Role of the Durham OHT Primary Care Advisory Council
The Durham Ontario Health Team (OHT) is comprised of partners representing the full continuum of care which includes patient/client, family, and care partner representation. These partners range from health and social services to local municipalities and beyond, with an interest and commitment to designing and delivering an integrated health and social care system for residents of Durham region. Ensuring primary care is at the core of the OHT requires a dedicated Primary Care Advisory Council with primary care providers.
The Durham OHT Primary Care Advisory Council (PCAC) is responsible for developing recommendations to improve the integration of primary care into the Durham OHT, access to care, integration between services, and resources for patients and providers.
