Karen Parkinson is the Professional Practice Leader – Nursing and a Public Health Nurse at Toronto Public Health.  She has worked in public health for over 18 years in a variety of programs in Child Health and Development.  In addition, she has several years of experience as a Health Informatics PHN supporting nurses and other users of a community health information system.

She joined RNAO as a student and over the years has been a member of different interest groups.  Her passion is in community health nursing and therefore she has been a long-standing member of CHNIG.

Karen completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Ryerson University.  She is currently pursuing a Master of Nursing from Athabasca University.  Karen is certified in Community Health Nursing with the Canadian Nurses Association.  She coordinates a certification study group twice yearly for nurses from both within her health unit and other health units as well as home health nurses.

Contact Professional Nursing Practice Director (Public Health) at PublicHealthPractice@CHNIG.org

Poonam comes from a diverse background in public health with experience in Family Health, Child Health, Communicable Diseases and most currently in Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, as a supervisor in the Oral Health Program.  Poonam is also a part of the expert panel for the RNAO new best practice guideline for Oral Health.  Her other passion for community health nursing is centered in women’s health and to this day she is a child birthing, newborn and breastfeeding educator.

Poonam has been actively involved in the RNAO and on the Peel Chapter executive team with many leadership positions since 2007.  Poonam graduated from the University of New Brunswick/Humber College Collaborative Nursing Program with a Bachelor of Nursing degree.  She is the past-president of the Nursing Students of Ontario – RNAO Interest Group.  In 2013, she was recognized for her work with nursing students through the RNAO Provincial Leadership Award in Student Mentorship.  Poonam has a Masters in Nursing from Ryerson University.

Poonam is excited to be a part of the CHING Board of Directors team as the OPHA Liaison.

Contact the OPHA (Member-at-Large) Director at OPHA@CHNIG.org

Gabriela (Gabi) graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2013 from the York University Collaborative Program with Georgian College. Gabi realized her passion for community and public health practice during her consolidation with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit in her final year of school. It was here that she fully realized the capacity and skills public health nurses hold and their immense influence on community health.

Since graduating, Gabi has worked as a home health nurse for Direct Support Care Agency for over two years, a Care Coordinator for the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN, as well as a workplace wellness nurse for The Health Team.  Gabi is working towards her career goal of becoming a Public Health Nurse and plans on obtaining CNA certification as a Community Health Nurse as well as a Masters degree in the near future. Gabi has reapplied to extend her role on the CHNIG Board for another two years and she is looking forward to working with such a dedicated team and supporting CHNs in their practice.

Contact the Website Director at Website@CHNIG.org

Daniela holds a Master’s of Science in Global Health Management with a focus on Indigenous Health Equity.  She has a keen interest in cross-cultural learning and has worked with Indigenous and refugee populations.  Daniela has helped develop health programs both locally and abroad with Indigenous communities from Six Nations and Panajachel, Guatemala.  She received the 2014 Health Equity Fellowship working with the Crossroads Clinic on improving healthcare services for refugees.  Daniela’s commitment to social justice and advocacy have led her to pursue nursing school, bring trauma-informed care to the forefront and promote harm reduction principles.  She is a current committee member for the Indigenous Health Conference hosted by U of T and the Imagine Clinic in Performance & Quality Improvement.  As a life long dancer, Daniela is passionate about the benefits of movement, and has been immersed in learning dances that originate from Latin America. 

Contact the Student Representative at Student@CHNIG.org

Contact the Student Representative at Student@CHNIG.org

Lindsey completed her Master of Public Health at the University of Toronto and her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the University of British Columbia.  Lindsey’s professional career has focused on addressing health inequities and strengthening health systems in Canada and around the world.  She brings years of project management, program coordination and research experience to nursing.  Lindsey is excited to embark on a nursing career in community health, supporting the primary care needs of marginalized populations while working to mitigate systemic barriers to access and continuity of care.  She is particularly interested in strengthening the intersections between primary, community and acute care in Ontario.  In her spare time Lindsey loves to draw, craft and dance.

Contact the Student Representative at Student@CHNIG.org