Susan has a diverse background in public health with experience in immunizations, infectious diseases, chronic diseases, and reproductive and child health programs.  She currently teaches at the undergraduate level for the Ryerson, Centennial, George Brown Collaborative Nursing Program and the University of New Brunswick/Humber College Collaborative Nursing Program.

She has been involved on the Board of the Community Health Nurses’ Initiatives Group (CHNIG) since 2010.  She was previously a Co-Lead of the Research, Education, and Professional Development Committee, as well as the Communications Officer on both CHNIG and the Community Health Nurses of Canada (CHNC).

Susan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) degree from McMaster University and holds a Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) degree from D’Youville College.  She is also certified in Community Health Nursing with the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and acts as a mentor to help nurses prepare for the exam and complete their continuous learning hours.

Her professional interests include immunizations, breastfeeding, vulnerable/at-risk populations, implementation of evidence-informed practice, community health nursing, and innovative teaching-learning strategies.

Susan is looking forward to continuing her involvement on CHNIG as the President!

Contact the President at President@CHNIG.org

Suzana has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s in nursing. She is also a certified in Community Health Nursing with the Canadian Nurses Association. She worked in the community as a visiting nurse at VON (Victoria Order of Nurses). Then, she achieved a Certificate of Clinical Research Associate (CCRA) from Michener Institute and works as a Clinical Research coordinator since 2012 first at St. Michaels Hospital and since 2015 at UHN (University Health Network). She worked in research for a few years in the cardiology field and is currently in endocrinology with focus on diabetes and obesity. She developed various skills over the years and has a commitment to health promotion. She is very involved in the community in many aspects with the new-comers, especially immigrants from South America, developing ways to accommodate them in Canada in the best and healthy way. 

She showed her interest to help and be involved with the Community Health Nurses’ Initiative Group (CHNIG) for a while, and in 2019 she accepted the position to be a treasurer of the Board of the Community Health Nurses’ Initiatives Group (CHNIG). She holds an enthusiastic attitude and is willing to collaborate in a positive and responsible way.

Contact the Treasurer Director at Treasurer@CHNIG.org

Kerrianne brings her knowledge as a patient, previous family caregiver, and a Public Health Nurse to this role. She has practiced as a Registered Nurse for over 14 years and is certified in Community Health Nursing through the Canadian Nurses Association.

She has a nursing diploma from Durham College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Ryerson University, and a Master of Nursing degree (with Teaching Focus) from Athabasca University. Her nursing experience includes both hospital (Medicine and Telemetry) and public health nursing (Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Chronic Disease Prevention, and Substance Use Prevention). Kerrianne recently gained experience with Trent University as a marker for their Critical Perspectives on Aging course. She is currently employed as a Public Health Nurse working in School Health and Youth Engagement, and is a Youth Engagement Coordinator for the Regional Municipality of Durham.

Kerrianne currently volunteers as a workplace liaison for the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, a Patient and Family Experience Advisor for Lakeridge Health, and a Patient and Family Advisory Committee member for the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). In addition, she volunteers with the Program Advisory Committee for Practical Nursing, Personal Support Worker and Critical Care at Durham College, is a mentor for the Canadian Public Health Association, a Bargaining Unit Representative for ONA Local 51, Association Management Committee and a mentee in the Community Health Nurses Leadership Mentoring Program. Kerrianne has held previous volunteer roles at Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre, and as a nursing preceptor assisting various post-secondary institutions. Kerrianne is a Whitby resident, and has resided there for the last 14 years.

Contact the OPHA Director at OPHA@CHNIG.org

Janet Leung is a new graduate nurse from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program at York University in October 2019. She received a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Occupational and Public Health with a major in Public Health and Safety from Ryerson University.

She is passionate in caring and supporting individuals and diverse communities to promote health and well-being, and to enhance health protection and safety. She strives to improve the health of vulnerable populations with the aim of advancing health access and equity.

She collaborated with her clinical practicum team and community stakeholders to conduct thorough assessments and develop an accepted proposal to support LGBTQ2+ individuals (residents and staff) at a long-term care organization. She and her team presented Strengthening Community Ties: Supporting LGBTQ2+ Client Centred Care for Older Adults, including strategies to support and protect LGBTQ2+ staff in the workplace, at the National Community Health Nursing Conference: Caring, Connecting and Leading for a Healthy Canada in June 2018, Regina, SK. As a member of the Community Health Nurses of Canada (CHNC), she collaborated with the LGBTQ2+ workgroup to develop a policy brief to inform the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA) report, The Health of LGBTQIA2 Communities in Canada.

Recently, she completed her consolidation at the Toronto Public Health Communicable Diseases Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Program.

Contact the Communications Officer – Website & Social Media at Communications@CHNIG.org

Shannon Kemp is a 4^th year nursing student at Ontario Tech University (OTU) and one of our Student Representatives on the Board of Directors. Shannon is dedicated to community and mental health nursing, with a passion for public health promotion and upstream prevention. She is a Registered Massage Therapist (for over 14 years) and Recipient of OTU’s 2020 Undergraduate Research Award for her project Connections & Possibilities: Homelessness, Addictions and Mental Health in Rural Communities. She advocates for historically marginalized populations and community outreach (volunteering with the Aids Committee of Durham Region, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Oshawa’s Coldest Night of the Year and Durham Region’s In and Out of the Crisis (IOTC) Emergency Shelter. Shannon is dedicated to the provision of the SDOH and believes in the cultivation of cohesive communities through capacity building and Asset Based Community Development. She hopes to dedicate her time in office to connecting fellow students with peers and community outreach.

“The nurses of tomorrow share a collective voice that is incredibly powerful. We are ideally situated to empathize and understand the social and healthcare needs of our community. Let’s grow a cohort of future nurses that prioritize social and political engagement; innovation; collaboration; and population health initiatives.”

For more information, please contact Student@CHNIG.org