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.
Heather Parker
Heather has worked in healthcare in Durham Region as a pharmacist for over 40 years until her retirement in 2019.
Working directly with the public in the retail pharmacy setting Heather enjoyed being a trusted healthcare provider to her clients, managing the challenges inherent to delivering quality healthcare services to the diverse demographic that comprises Durham Region.
In 2008 Heather changed to the hospital pharmacy sector becoming Manager of Pharmacy Services at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in 2009. This role provided a deeper awareness of the complexities of providing healthcare services to the vulnerable populations served by Ontario Shores; both inpatient and outpatient including communities beyond Durham Region where inequities in mental health care are often pronounced.
In addition to her career in healthcare Heather was a caregiver for her mother throughout her mother’s ten-year journey with dementia. Reflecting on that journey it was apparent her background in healthcare was an advantage when navigating the services required for her mother’s care and safety. As a result she has become an advocate for services for the elderly to become more straightforward to access, easier to navigate and have transparent co-ordination.
Heather’s experience as a frontline healthcare provider, a patient and a caregiver to a family member has given her a solid understanding of the multitude of transitions and initiatives currently underway in Ontario’s healthcare landscape. During her tenure as Pharmacy Manager at Ontario Shores the organization undertook several major information technology (IT) projects to convert patient records from paper-based charts to a fully integrated electronic health record. Involvement in these projects at Ontario Shores has informed her interest in representing the PFCPAC at the OHT Data Governance and Digital Health Committee.
Heather brings a unique perspective and voice to the role of advisor on the Patient, Family, Care Partner Advisory Council: an understanding of and experience with meeting the healthcare needs of a diverse population in Durham Region, an appreciation for the opportunity to learn about creative solutionfocused work to better utilize provincial healthcare resources and a solid grasp of and support for digital healthcare solutions.
Other areas of interest for Heather include kayaking, knitting, amateur musical pursuits and playing with her five grandchildren
Sandra Martino
Sandra Martino is the Health Care Clinical Consultant for the Community Networks of Specialized Care – Central East (CNSC-CE), a regional resource serving Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Pine Ridge, and the Durham Region in partnership with CLH Developmental Support Services. The CNSC-CE supports improved access to coordinated equitable health care for people with developmental disabilities.
In her role, Sandra represents the CNSC-CE by providing clinical consultation, education, and system navigation to individuals, families, service providers, and health care teams, with the goal of strengthening care coordination and health outcomes.
As part of the CNSC’s mandate, Sandra contributes to the facilitation of Healthy Relationship groups across the Central East region. Sandra supports education initiatives that promote safety, effective communication, personal boundaries, and the development of meaningful relationships for people with developmental disabilities.
Sandra is also involved in the development and delivery of primary care education and workshops throughout the region. These initiatives focus on developmental disability–informed primary care, chronic disease management, health promotion, and practical strategies to enhance collaboration among primary care providers, community partners, caregivers, and support teams.
Denyse Newton
For more than three decades, Denyse Newton has been a passionate advocate for people living with developmental disabilities and their families, championing equitable access to healthcare, meaningful inclusion, and opportunities to live full and connected lives. As the parent of an adult son with a developmental disability, her advocacy has been shaped by lived experience and a steadfast belief that every person deserves healthcare that recognizes and responds to their unique needs
Throughout her volunteer service, Denyse has worked to advance the voices of people with developmental disabilities and their families through Board leadership roles. Currently, Denyse is a Board of Director’s member with a local Community Living organization as well as a provincial agency providing education to care partners and supporters of individuals with developmental disabilities. She has seen firsthand the barriers many individuals and care partners continue to face when navigating the healthcare system and believes that lasting change can only be achieved by listening to those with lived experience. It is this conviction that inspired her to join the Durham Ontario Health Team Patient, Family and Care Partner Advisory Committee, where she is committed to influencing a more inclusive, accessible, and person-centred healthcare system for all.
Professionally, Denyse brings more than 25 years of executive leadership across Durham Region’s healthcare and social service sectors. She retired after nine years as Chief Executive Officer of the Alzheimer Society Durham Region, where she led significant organizational growth, strengthened partnerships across the healthcare system, and championed integrated, person-centred dementia care. Her experience as a care partner to a parent living with Alzheimer’s disease further deepened her understanding of the challenges families face and the importance of coordinated, compassionate care.
Denyse’s unique combination of lived experience, volunteer leadership, and executive health and social care leadership enables her to bridge the perspectives of patients, families, and care partners to the Durham OHT PFCPAC table. She believes meaningful healthcare transformation begins by listening to those who rely on the system every day and is committed to ensuring that their voices help shape a more equitable, inclusive, and responsive future for healthcare in Durham Region.
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.
