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NOSM University holds first Board of Governors meeting

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Transition board affirms mission, vision and values

NOSM University held a transition board of governors meeting on April 5, 2022—its first since becoming an independent university.

The NOSM University Transition Board of Governors was confirmed, comprised of 16 members who reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of Northern Ontario, including Indigenous, Francophone, and rural and remote communities. Mrs. Joy Warkentin is confirmed as Chair of the transition Board of Governors and Mr. Mark Hurst as Vice-Chair. The transition board is in place until April 1, 2023.

Mrs. Warkentin is passionate about leadership and service. She was educated first as a nurse and then as an educator, holding a degree in sociology and a Master of Education in curriculum development. Mrs. Warkentin taught nursing, became Chair of Health Sciences and then Associate Dean Academic at Confederation College. After relocating to London, Ontario, she was the Senior Vice President at Fanshawe College from 2000 to 2009. Mrs. Warkentin has received many awards and accolades for her dedicated contributions.

Mr. Hurst is Past President and CEO North Bay Regional Health Care. Beginning his post-secondary education at Glendon College at York University, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history and a minor in French. Mr. Hurst later earned a post-graduate diploma in hospital administration from the University of Toronto. Mr. Hurst played a significant leadership role in the merger of North Bay Civic Hospital and St. Joseph’s General Hospital in 1995, and became President and CEO of the newly consolidated North Bay General Hospital at that time.

The first order of business as a new Board of Governors was to ratify the NOSM University By-law No. 1 and reaffirm NOSM University’s mission, vision and values which remain as defined in the strategic plan, The NOSM Challenge 2025. The financial statements for January 31, 2022 as presented by the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee were approved.

“This was a meeting that will certainly be marked in our history,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, President, Vice-Chancellor, Dean and CEO of NOSM University. “The energy was electric as we moved through many important items that will kick start this new chapter. Our mission to improve the health of Northern Ontarians by being socially accountable in our education and research programs and advocating for health equity is as important as ever.”

Dr. Verma reported on the progress made in 2021, which is closely tied to the work underway to achieve the outcomes of its strategic plan.

More information about the NOSM University Board of Governors can be found on the NOSM University website.

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About NOSM University

NOSM University is Canada’s first independent medical university and one of the greatest education and physician workforce strategy success stories of Northern Ontario. More than just a medical university, it was purpose built to address the health needs of the region. While advocating for equitable access to care, the university contributes to the economic development of Northern Ontario. NOSM University relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities. With a focus on diversity, inclusion and advocacy, NOSM University is an award-winning, socially accountable organization renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research.

 

Facts about NOSM University: 

  • NOSM University has produced 780 MDs, 55 of whom self-identify as Indigenous, and 165 of whom self-identify as Francophone. In addition, 692 residents have completed NOSM programs. More than half of these health practitioners have stayed in Northern Ontario.
  • Now that the legislation is proclaimed in force, NOSM University will form a new Board of Governors and a Senate.
  • NOSM University has partnerships and collaborations with more than 500 organizations, 90+ communities, and more than 1,800 clinical, human and medical sciences faculty dispersed across all of Northern Ontario.
  • NOSM University is the first medical university in Canada with a dedicated Centre for Social Accountability.
  • NOSM University is a signatory to the Okanagan Charter, an international charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges.
Homepage News, Indigenous Stories, Media Releases

Wasaya Airways supports NOSM students’ menstrual product drive for  Fort Severn First Nation

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People in rural and remote Northern Ontario communities can expect to pay double the price for the same menstrual products found in larger cities in Ontario—it’s even higher for remote fly-in First Nations communities where a box of tampons can range from $16 to $45, forcing people to choose between menstrual products and groceries.

Ashley Perreault and Lucie Ménard, medical students at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), organized a sustainable menstrual product drive for the fly-in community of Fort Severn First Nation—the most northern community in Ontario. In March 2021, they set a goal to raise $4,000 to cover the costs of the menstrual products. They quickly surpassed that goal with a successful GoFundMe campaign that raised a total of $6,180.

“The media interest in our work helped raise awareness with generous donations from community members across Northern Ontario, as well as NOSM’s Equity and Inclusion and Global Health student committees,” says Lucie.

Wasaya Airways has generously committed to covering all the shipping costs and will be delivering the products to the fly-in community. There will be menstrual kits available for every single menstruator in the community.

“Wasaya Airway’s donation is exactly the kind of community partnership required to make this student leadership effort a success,” says Dr. Sarita Verma, Dean, President and CEO of NOSM. “I’m continually impressed with the advocacy efforts of our medical students. These individuals are demonstrating the positive impact they will have on Northern communities as future physicians.”

“NOSM has an important relationship with Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario, who provide students with invaluable learning opportunities throughout their time in medical school,” Ashley says. “As students who are dedicated to addressing the priority health concerns of the people and communities of Northern Ontario, we were focused on relieving the financial burden on those who menstruate in Fort Severn.”

Support for the community was identified by Sam Senecal, NOSM’s Indigenous Affairs Community Coordinator, who is responsible for arranging all aspects of learner placements in Indigenous communities. The students consulted with Fort Severn’s Health Director to determine which reusable products would be the most appropriate for the community and reusable cloth pads were chosen.

The funds raised were used to create 125 menstrual kits which included: five reusable pads that were purchased at a discount from Lady Crimson Cloth Emporium in Sudbury; a waterproof wet bag discounted from Colibri Canada; a container of Oxi-All; a stain stick donated from The Old Soul Soap Company; and, instructions on how to wash the pads. Bleed the North donated 566 tampons and 196 single-use pads.

The position of Local Officer of Reproductive and Sexual Health at NOSM is an elected position with a one-year term. Both Ashley and Lucie hope future students will continue this initiative and ongoing advocacy and education about health inequities experienced by Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario.

Background

The NOSM medical students’ menstrual product drive started in 2017 for the communities of Attawapiskat and Fort Albany First Nations. The first drive received generous support from grocery stores in Sudbury and donations from the NOSM community. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a renewed online fundraising effort to provide a sustainable solution for Fort Severn, with a focus on reusable products.

Evidence suggests that non-reusable menstrual products contribute to climate change with over 200 billion menstrual products being dumped into landfills every year. Chemicals in pads have been found to cause groundwater pollution, loss of soil fertility, and are hazardous to human and environmental health.

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About Wasaya Airways
Operating since 1989, Wasaya Airways, in partnership with Exchange Income Corporation, is comprised of ownership by 12 First Nations: Bearskin Lake; Fort Severn; Kasabonika Lake; Keewaywin; Kingfisher Lake; Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug; Muskrat Dam; Nibinamik; Pikangikum; Sandy Lake; Wapekeka; and Wunnumin Lake.

About the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is an award-winning socially accountable medical school renowned for its innovative model of distributed, community-engaged education and research. With a focus on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy for health equity, NOSM relies on the commitment and expertise of the peoples and communities of Northern Ontario to educate health-care professionals to practise in Indigenous, Francophone, rural, remote and underserved communities. NOSM’s graduates, faculty, learners and staff are changemakers who lead health-system transformation in Northern Ontario. The School is a recipient of the Charles Boelen International Social Accountability Award from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and the prestigious ASPIRE award, which recognize international excellence in social accountability and medical education.

For further information, please contact: news@nosm.ca

Addressing the Gaps, Alumni Stories, In the Spotlight, Indigenous Stories

Helping close the gap on psychiatry shortages

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Dr. Zoe Michano-Furlotte, NOSM alumna (MD 2016, BScN Lakehead University), completed her fourth year of residency in psychiatry in Thunder Bay and is entering her fifth and final year. Zoe is a member of Biigtigong Nishnaabeg and is from the town of Caramat, which is now part of the community of Greenstone.

“I’m hoping to work at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and provide outreach care with regional Indigenous communities to work together to improve access and mental health services,” says Zoe.

“I have a bigger dream to expand my practice to specialize in Indigenous mental health and women’s perinatal and postnatal mental health, with a focus on intergenerational trauma,” she explains.

Zoe recently completed an elective through the Women’s College at Mount Sinai with the prenatal program. She says being able to complete her residency at NOSM is the main reason she was able to advance her career.

“I’m very family-oriented and it is very important to me that I could complete my residency at home here in Northern Ontario at NOSM,” she says. “It is important to me that I can be here for my nephews and niece. I am close to my parents, my sister and my grandmothers. My supportive fiancé and family are huge factors for me to be successful in my residency program.”

She says NOSM residency is unique because it is flexible and her preceptors made her feel part of a family. Zoe is close to the program director and site director, describing them as very supportive. “I don’t think this is the experience in larger psychiatry programs in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario.”

As an MD alumna, what stands out most to Zoe about the NOSM MD program were the experiences in Indigenous communities. “That’s something we’re working on in the psychiatry residency program—developing an Indigenous stream for psychiatry collaboration with the University of Toronto and McMaster University,” says Zoe.

The challenge now is the lack of psychiatrists across all of Northern Ontario and the critically long wait lists for care.

“Sadly, we don’t have enough psychiatrists in Thunder Bay. That begs the question, how can we offer outreach psychiatry care to rural and remote communities when we cannot provide enough mental health services in our tertiary centres? Also, to access residency electives in rural communities we must have enough staff psychiatrists to support teaching,” Zoe says. “I have optimism that this will change in the future as many new psychiatrists have stayed to practise at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.”

Her dream is to be part of filling the gap in care, addressing change and advocating for more psychiatrists in Northern Ontario who plan to stay in the North to deliver care. “My ultimate goal is to be able to go to communities and bring care to them.”

She highlights significant improvements that have been made by health partners, including St. Joseph’s Care Group in Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre who have actively recruited more psychiatrists in recent years. However, Zoe says with the increasing demand coupled with the pandemic, there is a need for the province to ramp up increased funding and psychiatric care. There is also room to grow out-patient services for specific programs including renal, cancer and maternal care, and specifically for outreach to patients in rural, remote communities.

“What’s exciting is that I know a lot of the junior psychiatry residents are planning to stay here, so that’s wonderful. It’s a sign that there is more to come and opportunities through effective therapeutic alliances. However, critical issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. For example, the disproportionate rates of suicidal ideation and suicide in Indigenous populations, which are five to seven times higher than the general population.”

Zoe says the key is to offer proper access to care by improving relationships that acknowledge the violence of colonization and residential school intergenerational trauma, which have led to high rates of mental illness.

“Identifying the impact colonization and residential school had on my family, drives me to want to learn more, support one another and makes me really want to help. This work is very meaningful in my life. I definitely have a willingness to do more research, make those connections and meet with people to ask them what the community needs, then try to advocate with them,” says Zoe.

“Medicine has been a decade of my life’s work but it doesn’t feel like it. Learning and growing is part of my goal. My elective with Dr. Diane Whitney [outgoing Psychiatry Program Director at NOSM] was a turning point for me, and it’s important to do what you’re passionate about. I’m just so lucky that I found psychiatry.”