President
Jennifer Mador
Jennifer Mador has been a Nurse Practitioner for over 10 years with clinical experiences ranging from rural health, emergency care, inpatient family medicine and family practice. She has practiced across Canada in the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta. She has been a part of the NPAA board of directors since 2021 working predominantly on the independent practice initiative through her roles as Director of Rural Primary Care and Vice President.
She is also a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University completing an MBA and DNP combined degree. It is through these studies that she hopes to bring modern leadership skills and business acumen to the role of NPAA president while incorporating her previous clinical experiences.
She is passionate about the pivotal role of Nurse Practitioners within the healthcare landscape and recognizes these benefits have yet to be realized within the province of Alberta. She will strive to maintain the momentum created by her predecessors in working towards strong NP representation, improved patient access and quality of care in Alberta.
Treasurer
Lindsay Thomas
Lindsay is a Nurse Practitioner working in Edmonton in In-patient Geriatric Psychiatry at Villa Caritas, This role allows her to address the complex medical needs of patients, provide mentorship and education to promote best practice and quality improvement.
Lindsay chaired the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) in collaboration with Canadian Gerontological Nurses Associations (CGNA) Choosing Wisely list, Gerontolgical nursing: 6 things nurses and patients should question. Lindsay was the Treasurer for Alberta Gerontological Nursing Association (AGNA) from 2017-2019. Lindsay is the current national treasurer for CGNA. Lindsay volunteered for the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta (NPAA) for conference planning from 2017-2020. Lindsay also works as sessional instructor for Macewan University in the Gerontological Nursing certificate program since 2016.
Lindsay graduated from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta) with Baccalaureate in Science in Nursing in 2006, then continued to complete her Masters of Nursing in Advance Practice with specialization in Geriatrics in 2013.
Prior to working at Villa Caritas, Lindsay worked as a Nurse Practitioner in Facility & supportive living for 9 years in Edmonton.
Outside of work Lindsay enjoys spending time with her family and friends, getting outdoors, and travelling.
Secretary
Mary Obstfeld
I came to nursing as a second career, leaving graphic design for the wonderful world of nursing when I entered into the BScN program in 2004. As an RN, I had experience working in ICU and ER in Grande Prairie, travel nursing in northern Alberta and Yukon, and Gastroenterology in Grande Prairie. Entering into the NP program was a natural progression for me that fed my desire to increase my knowledge in nursing and to become a primary care provider.
After graduating from the University of Alberta MN, NP program in 2016, I worked at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake as a primary care Nurse Practitioner with a great team of physicians, physicians’ assistants, nurses, medical techs, and others who gave insight to what a great primary care team can be. My desire to provide primary care in underserved populations led me to Cold Lake First Nations Health Centre that had a great team of nurses who were providing wonderful care, however, the community was severely lacking in primary care services. I have worked for the last three years with the Cold Lake First Nations health team transitioning the health centre from a nursing station to a full primary care clinic with wrap-around services in the community that continue to grow and improve to meet the needs of the community.
As a student representative, I got my first introduction to NP advocacy and the importance of the NPAA as a voice for NPs. Although I did not continue in an NPAA role, I continued to advocate for NPs while discussing with MLAs and anyone else who would listen about red tape that kept us from doing our jobs including completing driver’s medicals and other forms. We have made small gains, however more work needs to be done. This is a very important time to ensure that the public is informed about NPs and the work we do to improve healthcare. We need to ensure policy makers continue to include NPs in future healthcare decisions and NPs receive the best support possible through a strong association. I believe now is a very important time to step forward to be part of the NPAA and the future of NPs everywhere.
Director of Education
Dr. Mohamed El-Hussein
Dr. El-Hussein is a Ph.D. prepared NP who has been working in academia for the past 20 years. He is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, in the Faculty of Health, Community and Education at MRU where he has taught for the past decade. He’s also an adjunct Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary.
Dr. El-Hussein has published over 35 articles in a variety of national and international nursing journals and always has research projects on the go. Dr. El-Hussein’s impact on nursing education in Canada is reflected in his contributions to the science of nursing education through publications, grants, presentations and through other knowledge dissemination activities. Mohamed’s research program focuses on clinical reasoning in nursing practice and the utilization of innovative teaching strategies to enhance critical thinking among nurses. To stay current in clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) Dr. El-Hussein continues to hold a casual position as an NP in the division of Cardiology at the Rockyview General Hospital
As a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and academic Dr. El Hussein sees himself as a Knowledge broker who has the knowledge and expertise to facilitate bridging the gap between research and practice to improve outcomes for patients and keep his students up to date. Because he remains clinically active, Dr. El Hussein’s research is grounded in the day-to-day issues pertaining to patients and relevant to the students. As a researcher immersed in a clinical setting Dr. El Hussein is in an excellent position to identify what research questions matter to the patient, to the nursing students, and to the profession. He is in a prime position to interpret and apply research findings in a practical and useful way.
Director of Membership
Christiane Eitzenberger
Christiane Eitzenberger commenced her nursing career in 2007 upon graduation from the University of Lethbridge with a Bachelor of Nursing Degree. She gained valuable experience in a southern Alberta semi-rural primary care clinic, and quickly recognized the importance and value that Nurse Practitioners bring to the Health Care System; Christiane subsequently obtained her Master of Nursing Degree as a Nurse Practitioner (Family All Ages) through Athabasca University in 2015. She presently continues her work at the Bigelow Fowler Clinics in Lethbridge as part of the Chinook Primary Care Network, providing primary care to Albertans with a specialization in diabetes and obesity care.
Christiane additionally holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from the University of Liechtenstein, and the sum of her education and experiences suit her well to advocate for the Nurse Practitioner role in Alberta.
In her free time, she can be found travelling, mountain biking or simply enjoying a walk with her dog in the Lethbridge coulees.
Directors at Large
Ashley Devenney – Edmonton, AB
As a member of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta (NPAA) for many years, I strongly advocated for our representation at all organizational levels and was a student representative for Athasbasca University with the NPAA in the past. For the past four years, I have worked in primary care, focusing on addiction care, and I am part of a large multidisciplinary team that provides care to Edmonton’s most vulnerable folks in the inner city. In 2022, I spoke to an international audience in Sweden advocating for the role of nurses in the treatment of patients who have opioid use disorder and was also a speaker at the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine on the same topic.
In putting my name forward for a Director at Large position for Mental Health and Addictions, I can offer strong communication skills, enjoy public speaking, and am committed to building solid inter-professional relationships. I graduated from the University of Alberta in 2004 and completed the NP Program at Athabasca University in 2017. Presently, I am a Doctorate of Nursing Practice student at Aspen University. I have a background as a Critical Care Nurse in the Canadian Armed Forces and have also worked in primary care in both rural and urban areas. I am interested in becoming a Director at Large because I believe that NPs in Alberta will continue the momentum of positive change and ensure that healthcare in our province is genuinely inclusive and responsive to the needs of patients and people in our communities.
Daris Klemmer MN, NP, FAA, FNP-C, ENP-C, GNC (c) – Edmonton AB
I am Daris Klemmer a family all ages NP with additional US certifications as FNP-C, and ENP-C, plus a CAN certification in geriatrics. I have been in the nursing field since 1990 and a NP since 2006. I currently work for Alberta Health Services (AHS) in Edmonton, AB.I have spent most of my career in acute care. I have been a pioneer in many acute care NP roles and am considered a national expert in NP roles in ED.
I am a passionate NP with extensive experience in acute care as a NP working family medicine at GNH, supportive living, facility living and for the last ten years in ED and ambulatory clinics. I have an in-depth understanding of the acute care NP role given my zone and varied NP roles throughout my career.
NPs are the fastest growing profession in Canada and are an invaluable member of any health care team. I would like to see NPs in acute care have more roles as attending providers, team leaders, increasing opportunities to provide tier 1 level medical coverage, opportunities to cover ED shifts in Eds that are having to close due to lack of coverage (either as a contractor or AHS/Covenant employee), opportunities to be the attending for their primary care patients that get admitted to acute care in rural communities to start and eventually urban centres.
The government needs to fund acute care roles for NPs with their own specific program funding for all NPs in both covenant and AHS. As providers NPs need NP designated funding instead of roles being funded from leftover nursing or allied health budgets. This would hopefully provide stability of NP roles and increase the number of NPs in acute care.
NPs also need appropriate clinical governance in acute care. Current acute care reporting structures do not reflect the clinical governance needed for a provider role given the clinical competencies of NPs and level of NP training and education.
As the director at large for acute care I would work to accomplish the above and move the NP role forward in the acute care setting. If given the opportunity I would be honored to serve the NP community, specifically acute care, in Alberta.
Lucie Lapierre – Calgary, AB
I am a family all-ages nurse practitioner. I completed my Master of Nursing Nurse Practitioner in Alberta and Ontario and my undergraduate nursing degrees in Quebec and British Columbia. I have worked in primary/community care as an RN and NP for sixteen years, most of them in Alberta in remote and rural settings. I currently practice in community pediatrics in Calgary and as a locum NP for DSL in Fort McMurray.
My dream would be to practice alongside nurse practitioners in primary care, which is why I am applying for an NPAA board position. I wish to work with the NPAA to educate the population and our medical colleagues on the role and scope of nurse practitioners. A broad public education campaign around the variety of roles and benefits of NPs is an initiative I hope to create. I want to work towards eliminating legislative barriers to autonomous practice such as restrictions with AISH applications and insurance companies. I also plan to continue the effort towards an equitable reimbursement model for primary care to allow nurse practitioners broader access to publicly funded career opportunities in Alberta. Alberta’s healthcare restructuring is an opportunity to make our value known and better utilized within the upcoming four pillars of care.
As board experience, I previously held a position on a provincial consumer-led advocacy board (MCAN) to help midwives obtain and improve their current funding model. I have also chaired a Wood Buffalo board advocating for midwifery care in Fort McMurray which now has practicing midwives. I previously volunteered in a mother-led breastfeeding support group now part of AHS’s first designated BFI community health centre. I hope to bring my motivation, passion for NPs, past board experience and advocacy understanding to the NPAA.
Linda Wonitoway-Raw
I am interested in becoming a Director at Large, specifically Director at Large for Addictions and Mental Health. I graduated from the UofA Family/All Ages Masters NP stream in 2009 and immediately after graduating, I was extremely fortunate to begin working as an NP full-time. I worked at Westgrove Medical from 2009-2020. This family medicine clinic supported me to practice to my fullest scope within primary care. I also worked at the Westview Women’s Health Clinic from 2008-2019. This clinic is operated by the Westview Primary Care Network (WVPCN) and provides access for women without a primary care provider, or are hesitant to get screening done by male providers, to see a female provider for all aspects of women’s health. This clinic is now operationalized by an NP.
It is important to note that as an NP, I have always been an independent contractor with the WVPCN, thus I have a lot of experience in negotiating my own contract for NP services and I am eager and optimistic about the funding changes for NPs.
I currently service the community of Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nations and have a primary care clinic at the Health Center. I began working there one afternoon a week in 2009 and increased my time to four days per week in 2019. I have a particular interest in working with clients with mental health and addictions diagnoses. I have taken additional training to increase my knowledge and skills to effectively diagnose and treat mental health and addictions. Upon request, I could provide a list of these courses. I provide Opiate Agonist Treatment (OAT) to community patients and have done extensive education within the community I work to advance patients, families, and Chief & Counsel’s understanding of harm reduction. My work with mental health and addictions patients has allowed me to participate in various working groups to develop guidelines for those afflicted with Methamphetamine Use Disorder and ADHD and polysubstance use disorder. I am currently a part of the Edmonton Zones PCN Mental Health & Addictions working group. I am also a part of the Westview PCN Mental Health working group. I also work with the ECHO (Extension for Community Outcomes) to provide Hepatitis C treatment for clients within primary care.
One of my strongest assets to bring to a Director role, as the province embarks on restructuring, is my knowledge of the gaps in service delivery for mental health and addictions clients and the barriers that these patients and families often encounter when navigating these pathways. I have extensive knowledge of the application process for patients trying to apply to detox and residential treatment centres; both provincially and NNADAP funded treatment centres. I have worked with Albertans across the racial, cultural, and economic spectrum that rely on mental health and addictions services and I know the barriers that people encounter when accessing provincially and privately funded services. I know the socioeconomic determinants of health that contribute to the lack of transitional services many clients face that correlate to poor recovery outcomes. I have worked extensively with provincial income support services and have also been advocating for changes in legislation for NPs to complete AISH medicals as stable income is needed for a path to recovery. I love being an advocate! I write many letters to MPs, MLAs, Senators, and local politicians and have met with MPs, MLAs and local politicians and senior policy advisors to voice the need for improvements in health care and NPs practice. My work on the Nation has provided me the privilege to link Indigenous community stakeholders with the Alberta Government (GovA) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) to collaborate on capital projects to provide sustainable Long Term Care services to this Nation, and we are currently collaborating on providing increased addictions services in this community. I consider NPs to be the voice for vulnerable patients that lack the ability to access stakeholders who form policies that are meant to provide equity and equality for all Albertans.
Finally, the reason I would like to be considered as a Director at Large for Mental Health and Addictions for the NPAA is because I wholeheartedly believe NPs are an eager and essential piece of the restructuring puzzle the government envisions that can address the primary care provider crisis. I am excited for the future of NP practice and view this change in health care restructuring a real benefit for NPs because of the expertise we have.