Dr. David Conn, MB, FRCPC

Vice President of Education 

Dr. David Conn is the Vice-President of Education and inaugural Director of the Centre for Education & Knowledge Exchange at Baycrest. He is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. He is founding Co-Chair of the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health and Chair of the Coalition’s National Guidelines Project. He is a Past President of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry.

His academic interests include nursing home psychiatry, telepsychiatry, guideline development and knowledge translation. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 publications and is the co-editor of three textbooks including “Practical Psychiatry in the Long-Term Care Home: A Handbook for Staff”. He received the 2005 Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry Award for Outstanding Contributions to Geriatric Psychiatry in Canada and a Distinguished Service Award (Congress Host Country) from the International Psychogeriatric Association in 2009. He has also received the Ivan Silver Award for Excellence in Continuing Mental Health Education and the Henry Durost Award for Excellence in Creative Professional Activity from the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. In 2010 he was co-recipient of the CIHR Institute of Aging Betty Havens Award for Knowledge Translation in Aging.

He is a Past President of the Canadian Academy of Geriatric Psychiatry and is currently a Board member of the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA). He co-chairs the IPA Shared Interest Forum on Mental Health Services in Long-Term Care Homes.


Dr. Sid Feldman, MD, CCFP, FCFP

Community Family Physician

Dr. Sid Feldman is a community family physician working with the North York Family Health Team and a long-term care physician/medical director of the Jewish Home for the Aged at Baycrest Health Sciences. He also serves as Chief, Department of Family and Community Medicine at Baycrest and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto. He holds a Certificate of Added Competence in Care of the Elderly from the CFPC and serves as the Ontario representative on the CFPC Health Care of the Elderly Program Committee.


Dr. Andrea Moser, MD, MSc, CCFP, FCFP, COE

Family Physician

Dr. Andrea Moser is a family physician with a focus practice in care of the elderly. Her clinical practice is in long term care and house-calls for frail seniors at Baycrest. She is an Assistant Professor in the DFCM, University of Toronto, Associate Medical Director, Apotex Nursing Home at Baycrest, and the Toronto Central LHIN Regional Quality Table Lead. She is past chair of the OMA section of LTC and Care of the Elderly and is past president of Ontario Long Term Care physicians. With an interest in continuing professional development Dr Moser is co-developer of the Ontario Long Term Care Clinicians Medical Director Curriculum and is a facilitator for dementia behavioural workshops and palliative care LEAP education.


 

Dr. James Chau, MD, CCFP, FCFP

Care of the Elderly/Family Physician & Assistant Professor, Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)

Dr. James Chau, is a Care of the Elderly/Family Physician and Assistant Professor with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM). Dr. Chau serviced the city Elliot Lake and neighbouring communities between 2003 and 2012 before moving to Sudbury to join Dr. Jo-Anne Clarke and her team at the North East Specialized Geriatric Centre. He currently provides regional specialized geriatric consultation for older adults in various communities throughout the North East via outreach clinics and telemedicine.

Since 2012, Dr. Chau has dedicated time and clinical expertise to the implementation and evolution of the North East Behavioural Supports Ontario (NE BSO) as the Regional Physician Lead.


Valerie Scarfone, BA

Executive Director of North East Specialized Geriatric Centre 

Since 2013 Valerie Scarfone has been the Executive Director of North East Specialized Geriatric Centre, a program sponsored by Health Sciences North – HSN.

Valerie Scarfone has worked as a Senior Consultant with the North East Local Health Integration Network. Prior to this, she was the Chief Executive Officer of ICAN (Independence Centre and Network).

Valerie Scarfone has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Laurentian University and a Human Resources Certificate from Queen’s University. Valerie is a new member of the Canadian College of Health Care leaders. Currently Valerie is enrolled in the Master of Arts Leadership program.

Throughout the past twenty-five years, Valerie Scarfone has served on many boards of directors and has gained vast knowledge on board governance. She has served on the United Way/Centraide Sudbury Board of Directors. In the past, she served on founding boards of local and provincial organizations and was that provincial appointee to the Algoma Health Unit Board.

Currently Valerie is serving on the Sudbury Nurse Practitioners Clinic Board of Directors.


Faith Boutcher, RN, MSc, EXTRA Fellow

Director of Academic Education and IPE

Faith Boutcher is the Director of Academic Education and IPE, in the Baycrest Centre for Education and Knowledge Exchange in Aging. She received her undergraduate degree in nursing from Memorial University of Newfoundland (1987) and Masters of Science, with a specialty in psychiatric/mental health nursing, from the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto (1992). She is also a Fellow of the EXTRA program with the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (2008). Faith is an experienced advanced practice nurse and has held administrative positions in professional practice, research & education. She holds appointments with the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto and the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University. Her clinical expertise and scholarly activity is in the areas of knowledge translation, interprofessional education and care and professional practice. She is currently completing her PhD in Health Services Research, Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, at the University of Toronto.


Lisa Sokoloff, MS, CCC-SLP, Reg. CASLPO

Manager, Training & Simulation

Lisa is the Manager, Training & Simulation at Baycrest’s Centre for Education and Knowledge Exchange in Aging. She received her undergraduate degree in Speech Pathology at the University of Western Ontario (1987) and her Master of Science (Speech Pathology) degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1989). She is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario. Lisa has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist with adults and geriatrics since 1989. She has published and presented internationally in the areas of speech pathology, swallowing disorders and education. Lisa has Lecturer status in the Department of Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto and also teaches at Humber College in the OTA/PTA program. Prior to this role, Lisa held a dual role as Manager & Professional Practice Chief, Speech Pathology and Specialist, International Relations and Interprofessional Education at Baycrest.

Shaen Gingrich, PT, BHSc(Hon), MPT

Geriatric Knowledge Translator 

Shaen is the Geriatric Knowledge Translator at the North East Specialized Geriatric Centre. She completed her undergraduate Honours Degree in Health Sciences (2002) and her Masters Degree in Physiotherapy (2004) at the University of Western Ontario. After graduation, Shaen worked in private practice in London Ontario before returning to her home town of Sudbury, Ontario. Upon her return, Shaen practiced in multiple settings including private practice, retirement homes, and long term care. This is when her passion for geriatrics was ignited and in November of 2009 Shaen accepted a position as the Physiotherapist at the North East Specialized Geriatric Centre. She is a passionate and dedicated clinician who developed and led the Frail to Fit Falls Prevention Program. She is also the Vice Chair of the Regional Stay On Your Feet Falls Prevention Network. Shaen’s positive energy and love of teaching has helped to shape the face of geriatrics in North Eastern Ontario.

Aysha Bandali, NP-PHC, BScN, MN, GNC(C)
Aysha Bandali is an Advanced Practice Leader – Nurse Practitioner on the Integrated Community Care Team (ICCT ) as well as the OTN Clinical Lead. She received her undergraduate degree in Nursing from Ryerson University (2005) and  a Masters of Nursing, Specializing in the Care of the Elderly, from the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto (2008). She has also obtained a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate (NP-PHC) from Ryerson University (2011) as well as successfully maintains a specialization in Gerontology Nursing from the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). Aysha is an experienced advanced practice nurse and has held both clinical and administrative roles in professional practice, research and education. She holds an Adjunct Lecturer Appointment with the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto. Her clinical expertise are in the area of home based primary care. Her current research focus is on palliative and virtual care among older adults.

Tonya Mahar, BSc, MISt
ECHO Care of the Elderly Libarian
Tonya Mahar is Manager of Library Services at Baycrest Health Sciences and supports Project ECHO with weekly research and resources. She currently serves on the Management Committee of the Health Science Information Consortium of Toronto.  Tonya received a Bachelor of Sciences from York University and a Master of Information Studies from the University of Toronto.  She has been a Librarian for over a decade and never tires of helping others to improve their search skills.

Salma Shaikh, BMBS, BSc(Hon)
Project Assistant for Project ECHO Care of the Elderly
Salma is the Project Assistant for ECHO Care of the Elderly at Baycrest’s Centre for Education and Knowledge Exchange in Aging. She is a recent medical graduate from the University of Limerick (2017) with a keen interest in family medicine. She also holds an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Western University (2011).

ALUMNI TEAM MEMBERS 

Dr. Gary Naglie, MD, FRCPC, FGSA

Professor in the Department of Medicine

Dr. Gary Naglie is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation at the University of Toronto, and he holds the George, Margaret and Gary Hunt Family Chair in Geriatric Medicine. He is Vice President of Medical Services and Chief of Staff, and Chief of the Department of Medicine at Baycrest Health Sciences. He is a scientist at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute of the University Health Network. His current major research focus is on driving issues in older adults.


Diana Markova, MSc

 Diana was the Project Coordinator for ECHO Care of the Elderly at Baycrest’s Centre for Education and Knowledge Exchange in Aging. She holds a BSc in International Relations and Psychology from the University of Toronto and an MSc in Neuroscience from Maastricht University.