Co Board Chair: Deana Ruddell M.Sc.N, Nurse Practitioner
Deana is a Nurse Practitioner currently working in a Primary Care setting. Prior to returning to school in 2002, she worked in a leadership role within the retail sector. Which included; strategic planning, budget development, analysis, achieving business objectives, staff guidance/management and optimizing revenues. In 2002 Deana relocated her family to Peterborough, Ontario to attend Trent/Fleming School of Nursing. During this time she developed an interest in the Role of the Nurse Practitioner, . While working full-time in the Peterborough Emergency Department she entered the Masters in Science in Nursing and NP program at York University in 2008. Upon completion of the program in 2011 Deana began working as a Nurse Practitioner in a primary care setting, in addition to working part time as an instructor at Trent Fleming School of Nursing, and participation in the creation of the Patient Navigator program for ONLearn . Deana has served on several boards including: Executive member of Canadian Parents for French – Peterborough Chapter 2002-2004, Executive Member RNAO – KPR-Victoria Chapter 2008-2015 and 360 Degree NPLC Board of Directors 2019-2023.
Co Board Chair: Susan Scott, ABC, BAA Journalism
Susan began her career as a journalist and worked for a number of media outlets followed by more than 20 years as a communications specialist. With a degree in journalism from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) and achievement of the Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation from the International Association of Business Communicators, Susan’s communications and fundraising experience includes work in healthcare, post-secondary education and the legal aid sector. Her healthcare work won awards from IABC and the Health Care Public Relations Association of Canada.
Susan also owned and operated her own communications consulting business and taught communications courses at Seneca and Centennial Colleges and UOIT (now Ontario Tech).
She lived in Peterborough earlier in her career and moved to the Durham Region for further work opportunities before moving back to Peterborough with her husband to retire in 2017. Susan continues part-time communications consulting work, is a past volunteer board member for the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough and continues to volunteer her time with Kawartha Land Trust and New Canadians Centre.
Director: Sandra Burnside
Director: Nicole Capalbo
Director: Joan Conrad, BA, MSW
Joan is a retired Social Work professional, having worked in the community for over thirty years, in child welfare. Beginning in Lindsay as a frontline worker and completing her career as a Senior Manager and consultant with the provincial government on policy, regulations, and system integration.
Joan has been a long time and active member of the Peterborough community, raising her two daughters here while participating in various volunteer and board engagement roles. Most recently, she decided to turn her professional skills to the health sector as a volunteer with a patient focus.
She has been a Board Member for Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) and the Research Ethics Board. Joan has always prioritized great patient care and brought that perspective to many projects.
Joan brought her experience with osteoarthritis as a “Lived Experience” member of the Health Quality Ontario (HQO) Osteoarthritis Quality Standards Committee, advocating for province-wide process and system improvements. She is also a Patient Advisor for Cancer Care Ontario- Ontario Health.
She has also been an advisor for UHN on their development of the Pride in Patient Engagement Research (PiPER) community of practice research approach. For the past seven years, she has also had the opportunity to participate in the accreditation of health care organizations across Canada as a Patient Surveyor.
Joan’s passion for great health care is demonstrated in her commitment to continuous learning, community-based health care delivery and maintaining a focus on bringing the patient voice to every discussion.
Director: Natalie Dinh
Natalie is currently a Master of Management student at Trent University. With a background in Finance, also a Bachelor in Biotechnology. Natalie has recently joined the 360 Degree NPLC Board, and will be on the Finance committee.
Director: Conor Elverson
Director: Melinda Gilmour, RN, BScN, CCHN (C)
With over two decades of dedicated service in nursing, Melinda Jayne is a seasoned healthcare professional known for her experience and passion for community-focused care. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) and certification as a Community Health Nurse (CCHN), Melinda Jayne has demonstrated excellence across various nursing environments including labor and delivery, palliative care, surgical nursing, visit nursing, and primary care.
Currently, Melinda serves as the Director of Clinical Services at the Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes Community Health Centre. In this role, she oversees the delivery of comprehensive healthcare services, ensuring high standards of patient care and accessibility for all community members.
Melinda Jayne’s commitment to outreach nursing and serving vulnerable populations shines through her work. Her dedication to providing low-barrier healthcare reflects her deep understanding of the challenges faced by underserved communities. Past experience as a Faculty Advisor for Trent University’s Community Nursing practicum, she played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of nurses, guiding students through hands-on learning experiences and fostering a strong foundation in community health.
Throughout her career, Melinda Jayne has been a staunch advocate for innovative and compassionate care, blending her clinical expertise with a heartfelt commitment to improving the lives of those she serves.
Director: Jill Henderson, RN, MN.
Jill is a Registered Nurse with a Master’s degree in Nursing and a deep commitment to advancing healthcare education and practice. She serves as a Professor and Program Coordinator for the Practical Nursing program at Fleming College, where she supports the development of future nurses through both teaching and leadership. Jill has worked across a variety of healthcare settings and brings a strong passion for community health and palliative care to her work. Her research focuses on therapeutic nursing relationships and resilience-building among healthcare professionals, with the goal of fostering compassionate, sustainable care environments. Jill is also a volunteer member with the Trent University Animal Care Committee, supporting safe, ethical care of animals for teaching and research.
Director: Margaret Keatings
Margaret has had an extensive Clinical and Leadership career in nursing, assuming senior positions at The Hospital for Sick Children, Hamilton Health Sciences, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the University Health Network. She has had academic appointments at the University of Toronto, McMaster University and Ryerson University. In 2012 Margaret retired from the position of Chief, Inter-professional Practice and Chief Nurse Executive at SickKids. Until 2019 she continued to be a Senior Advisor at SickKids International. She has engaged in international outreach in the Middle East (Qater and the UAE), Ghana, Zambia, the Dominican Republic and China.
Margaret has led many innovative strategies included those related to Nursing Care-Delivery Models, Patient and Family-Centred Care, Inter-professional Practice, Palliative Care, Quality, Patient Safety, and Healthy Work Environments. She served for eight years as a member of the Office of the Chief Coroner’s Patient Safety Review Committee and co-chaired the RNAO panel which created the Best Practice Guideline “Prevention and Management of Violence in the Workplace”. At SickKids, she secured funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada to establish the “New Immigrant Support Network”. One outcome of this initiative was the development of education programs and tools to address diversity, equity and improve cultural competence and safety. These were shared with health care organizations provincially and nationally.
Margaret participates, as a family member on a number of funded peer-reviewed research projects at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute at The University Health Network,(UHN). These projects focus on older adults and the frail elderly. She is currently the family representative on EnCoar (Enhancing the Care of the Older Adult) a research team at the KITE Research Institute at UHN. Current research includes the evaluation of the role of Nurse Practitioners in long-term-care settings. Also, at UHN she is a member of the team, promoting the engagement of patients and families in research, “Pride in Patient Engagement in Research”, (PIPER), and at McMaster University, a member of the “Partner Working Group”, advisory to the research team engaged in the program, “Strengthening a Palliative Approach to Long-Term Care”, SPA-LTC.
In June 2017 she was appointed as a Board Member at PRHC and invited to chair the Quality Committee of the Board. She retired from this position in June of 2021. She is currently also a member of the Board of Hospice Peterborough.
Margaret has engaged in extensive research and has many publications.
She was the co-author of five editions of the textbook “Ethical and Legal Issues in Canadian Nursing”. The 5th edition was published in December 2023.
Director: Brendan Sova
