Biographies of People with Lived Experiences

Thank you to the following individuals (in alphabetical order) who contributed to this module by sharing their expertise and lived experiences of collaborative team-based care.

Sarah Beckman (she/her), RN, MSN-NE, BScAg, is a nursing instructor and the interprofessional education lead for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Medicine Hat College. Given her extensive background in acute care nursing as a bedside nurse, clinical nurse educator, and nursing unit manager, her areas of interest include acute care nursing, leadership, and collaborative care. To maintain a connection to the reality of Alberta’s health system, Sarah continues to work casually as a Registered Nurse on a medical unit, drawing on these experiences to assist student learning. 

Sandra Biesheuvel (she/her), BSc, RRT, CTE. As a registered respiratory therapist for 30 years, Sandra has worked to her full scope of practice with patients of all ages in community, long term care, primary care, and acute care in both rural and urban settings. For over a decade, Sandra has been teaching in the only Bachelor’s entry to practice respiratory therapy education program in Canada at the University of Manitoba, where she shares her passion for expanding the profession in primary care settings. Her interest in simulation in RT education and interprofessional education have provided her with many opportunities to collaborate across various health professions.

Miriam Brown (she/her), RM, MSc(C), has worked as a midwife in Manitoba since 2009. During her career, she has practiced in both rural and urban settings in all levels of facilities, from small community hospitals to tertiary level facilities. Miriam also enjoys supporting clients who have chosen to birth outside of a hospital, attending hundreds of home and birth centre births during her career. Miriam is a fierce advocate for reproductive rights and choices for all people and a champion of person-centred care. She is an action orientated researcher and clinician with a focus on reconciliation through hands-on culturally safe and compassionate primary healthcare.

Mandy Buss (she/her), MD, CCFP, is Metis from the Red River Settlement in Manitoba and was born and raised in Manitoba.  She did her Residency in the Northern Remote Family Medicine program and spent the first five years of practice working in First Nations Communities in Northern Manitoba.  She currently works as a family physician at Northern Connections Medical Center in Winnipeg Manitoba with the University of Manitoba Northern Remote Family medicine program. Dr. Buss is the current President of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada, sits on the executive committee for the National Consortium for Indigenous Medical Education, and is on the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Indigenous Health Committee.

Ming-Ka Chan (she/her), MD, MHPE, FRCPC. As a pediatric clinician educator, Ming-Ka has focused on supporting learners, faculty, alumni and staff through work in leadership education, social and climate justice. She has worked as a hospitalist, emergency physician, and consulting pediatrician on Treaty 1 Territory (Winnipeg) and more recently as a consulting pediatrician for Jordan’s Principle on Treaty 5 Territory (Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation). An uninvited guest on Turtle Island who immigrated at the age of seven years via Hong Kong/China, she considers her positionality and works to apply a social justice lens to her work as a clinician, educator, researcher, leader and coach at local, national, and international levels.

Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents (DERCA) provides team-based specialized evidence-based care, education, support, advocacy, and research for children and youth living with diabetes in Manitoba.

Moni Fricke (she/her) PhD, MSc, BMR (PT). Over her extensive career in physiotherapy, Moni has worked in tertiary care, primary health care, community health and on-reserve in northern Manitoba, and in higher education. Moni’s critical reflection of her own positionality as an uninvited guest on Turtle Island has been strongly influenced by her past clinical, administrative, and scholarly work in remote Indigenous communities in northern Canada. She attributes her appreciation for collaborative teamwork on the remarkable individuals and communities she has had the honour of working with over her career. Her passion for collaboration is reflected in her on-going engagement and leadership with the University of Manitoba Office of Interprofessional Collaboration; the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC, https://cihc-cpis.com/); the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada  (AFMC)-IPE Network; and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in the revisions to the collaborator role in the CanMEDS framework 2026.

Beverly G, patient partner, has been actively involved as a patient partner for many years through her involvement on several hospital-based committees, as a Director on a national Board focused on interprofessional education and collaboration, teaching students from a variety of health professions and organizations across Canada about her lived experiences, facilitating interprofessional education sessions, and as a health mentor to students. Professionally, Beverly worked in the maternal-child health system in both clinical and administrative roles for 36 years before retiring in 2024.

Ruby Grymonpre, BSc(Pharm), PharmD, FCSHP. Currently retired, for over 40 years Ruby was a professor in the College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba with particular expertise and interest in Geriatric Pharmacy and interprofessional education. Her clinical practice and research engaged older adults and their families/care providers in the community, hospital and long term care settings to optimize medication use and improve health outcomes. Ruby was a founding member and more recently elected an honorary director of the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC, https://cihc-cpis.com/), as well as InterprofessionalResearch.Global (https://interprofessionalresearch.global/).

Jillian Horton, MD, MA, FRCPC, is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Manitoba. In her 20 years as a medical educator, she has won numerous awards, including the AFMC Gold Award for her leadership in bringing more compassion to medical training and patient care. Dr. Horton has completed additional training in physician health at the University of Rochester and Stanford University. Her writing about medicine and medical culture appears regularly in such publications as the Los Angeles Times, the Globe and Mail, and she is the author of the award-winning national bestseller, We Are All Perfectly Fine: A Memoir of Love, Medicine and Healing, which is currently being adapted as a television series.

Darlene Hubley (she/her), MScCH, BScOT, OT Reg,  has practiced in pediatrics rehabilitation for over 20 years.  She is the Interprofessional Education Leader at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and lecturer in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto.

Deveren Klepka (she/her), BSW, is the Transition Coordinator at the Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents (DER-CA). She has a social work background and has been in her position since 2023.  As transition coordinator she primarily focuses on a 16 to 19 year old age range to aid and support those transitioning from pediatric to adult care.

Dean Lising (he/him), MHSc BScPT BSc, is the Integration Lead, Collaborative Healthcare & Education, at CACHE, University of Toronto (UT). He has appointments as an Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy (PT), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, UT and Education Investigator 2, The Institute for Education Research, University Health Network (UHN). Dean has led interprofessional (IP) teams in professional practice, redevelopment, management roles. As Director, BOOST! and Co-Lead, VITAL programs at CACHE, Dean supports IP teams in communication/conflict, role clarity, psychological safety, well-being and virtual care. Dean’s research interests include regulated and collaborative learning, interprofessional competencies, quality improvement, student-led environments and simulation. He is also studying as a PhD Student in Health Professions Education Research at Wilson Centre, Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, UT. He continues to work as a PT in inpatient, outpatient and community settings.

Sara Martin(she/her), RN, BN, spent the beginning of her career as a bedside nurse.  She worked many years on the children’s oncology inpatient ward and recently made the switch to be a nurse educator with the Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents (DER-CA). Her experiences in and out of the hospital setting have driven her passion to help families thrive in tough situations.

Susanna McLeod (she/her), BRS, CVA, is the Patient Engagement Consultant with Shared Health Manitoba.  Susanna has over 29 years of experience in volunteer and community engagement across the healthcare system including long term care, acute care and community health. In her current role, she engages patients, families and the public who share their lived experiences and provide their input and perspectives to help improve the healthcare system.

Kateryna Metersky (she/her), RN, PhD. Over the course of her nursing career, Kateryna has worked in acute care, nursing education, and research across academic and clinical settings. Her work is deeply informed by her commitment to person- and family-centered care, interprofessional collaboration, and equity-oriented practice. Kateryna’s reflection on her own positionality—both as a nurse and a patient—has been shaped by her lived experience navigating the healthcare system, as well as her scholarly and professional engagement with marginalized populations in urban and institutional contexts.

Rebecca Mueller (she/her), MSc, PA-C, has spent her clinical career in palliative medicine supporting end-of-life care for patients across urban and rural Ontario and Manitoba. Throughout this time, she has been dedicated to advancing the educational standards of physician assistants in Canada spearheading curriculum renewal, program expansion, and securing student funding initiatives.

Jodene Neufeld (she/her), MOT, BMR(OT). Over Jodene’s career in occupational therapy, she has worked in a variety of collaborative team settings including community health, primary care, schools in northern Manitoba, and in higher education. Jodene’s interest in interprofessional team functioning has grown through experiences with teams in a variety of sectors and critical reflection on what helps a team function well.

Peter Nickerson, MD, FRCPC, FCAHS, is Vice-Provost (Health Sciences), Dean, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences,  Dean, Max Rady College of Medicine and Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Immunology at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Nickerson is a clinical nephrologist at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre and a medical consultant at the Transplant Immunology Laboratory with Shared Health. Internationally renowned in his field, he directs a research program focused on mechanisms underlying transplant rejection, non-invasive techniques for diagnosing kidney transplant rejection, and health system design to improve access to transplants and outcomes for patients.

Ivy Oandasan (she/her), MD, CCFP, MHSc, FCFP. For over 30 years, Ivy has devoted her career as a family physician, a scholar focused on health professions education with key foci in family medicine education and interprofessional education, and as a leader influencing health system reform with an emphasis on primary care through the advancement of training and policy changes to advance team-based care locally, nationally and internationally. As a person of color, of Filipino descent, born in Canada, with parents who immigrated to Canada in the 1960s, their experience of racism and discrimination, and her own lived experiences of being “othered” have influenced her actions to embed equity and inclusion in her practice, scholarship and leadership activities.

Cheryl Olfert, RN, MN, has worked as a nurse and nurse practitioner in urban, rural, and northern Manitoba, as well as around the world. Her experience includes critical, primary care, and now focuses on addiction care. Her experiences have developed a passion for providing collaborative care to those facing complex challenges and determinants of health. Cheryl, in her roles teaching and as the Director of the Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Manitoba, is committed to the teaching and learning of nurses transitioning into the nurse practitioner role to provide holistic care.

Oyin Otubusen (she/her), PhD(C), MPT, BPharm, is a physiotherapist, healthcare leader, and emerging critical researcher. Her career path is deeply influenced by the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes collectivism over individualism. This foundational perspective shapes her commitment to collaborative and community-oriented leadership and research practices.

Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinics provide team-based drop-in services for adults (18+) looking to get help with substance use and addictions. This includes people who want to try medical assistance to reduce or stop their substance use. RAAM clinics are also for people who may have substance-related health issues, such as hepatitis, pancreatitis, or infections, among others. See https://sharedhealthmb.ca/services/mental-health/mha-services/raam-clinic/.

Lindsay Sawatsky (she/her), RD, CDE, has worked for over 10 years as a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents (DER-CA) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is passionate about supporting families who have a child living with diabetes. Lindsay loves going to diabetes camp as medical staff, travelling up north to see patients in their home communities for their diabetes care, and the team collaboration that comes along with pediatric diabetes care.

Amrinderbir Singh (he/him/his), DDS, MPH, is an Assistant Professor, Dental Public Health, Director of Academic Program and Director of Community Outreach at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Dentistry. He is also the current President of Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry (CAPHD). He joined USask after working for four years in Northern Saskatchewan in different capacities as Director of Primary Health Care with Saskatchewan Health Authority and Regional Inter-sectoral Coordinator with Northern Human Services Partnership. With extensive experience working with Northern Saskatchewan communities, Dr. Singh’s role at USask is to explore opportunities for innovation to extend service and care to priority populations outside of cities. Dr. Singh has spent his career developing and executing a comprehensive, integrated and community based holistic health model.

Lanette Siragusa (she/her), RN, MN, has served within the healthcare system for over 30 years as a registered nurse in clinical, research, education and administrative roles.  As Vice Dean Education with the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, she is an avid supporter of interprofessional practice.

Vicki Verge (she/her), MSW, RSW, is a proud social worker. For over 30 years, Vicki has worked in health and social services in various leadership roles.  Her work in tertiary care, primary health care, community health, and in her current roles in regulation and field education have helped her appreciate the value of teamwork. Vicki believes that collaborative interprofessional teams have the capacity to improve services, support our service participants and their community, reduce risks and help all professionals be successful in their work.

Amanda Wolfe (she/her), BScPharm, ACPR, RPh, works as part of an interprofessional palliative care team as a clinical pharmacist and is an assistant clinical professor for the pharmacy program at the University of Ottawa. She also has many years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in oncology. She participates in various research projects and plays an active role as a preceptor and mentor to residents and students in pharmacy and medicine.

Kathy Yerex (she/her), RDH, BSc, is Red River Métis, born and raised on Treaty 1 Territory, with paternal roots in Treaty 4 Territory and European ancestry on both sides of her family. She is a full-time associate professor at the School of Dental Hygiene, Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. In the early stages of her research career, Kathy has diverse interests aimed at improving oral health outcomes, whether directly through patient care or indirectly through student education. Her current research focuses on the oral microbiome and its relation to oral diseases, the oral health of Canadian Indigenous children, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.