St. Joseph's Care Group

Team Biographies

The research team is headed by the Director of Research and the Manager of Learning, Research and Professional Practice. In addition there are four full-time, permanent positions, including a Research Statistician, an RAI-MH Coordinator, a Research Services Coordinator and a Research Coordinator. The work our research department is further complimented by a number of individuals recruited for specific projects.

Michel Bédard
Director of Research

Dr. Bédard is the Director of Research at St. Joseph's Care Group and is also a member of the SJCG Research Ethics Board. He is the holder of a Canada Research Chair in Aging and Health (since 2003) and an Associate Professor in the Master of Public Health Program at Lakehead University. He holds an appointment with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and is the Director of the Interdisciplinary Research Program on Safe Driving at Lakehead University.

Michel completed his Doctorate (Ph.D. ) in Health Studies and Gerontology at the University of Waterloo. The author or co-author of more than 90 peer-reviewed articles, Michel's main research focus is on aging, with a particular interest regarding automobile driving, family caregiving, and mental illness. His work on driving was the basis of a Premier's Research Excellence Award (PREA) he received in 2002 from the Province of Ontario and the R K Dewar Medical Research Award, he received in 2003. His work on family caregiving resulted in a research award from the International Psychogeriatrics Association in 1997.

Sacha Dubois
Research Statistician

Sacha Dubois is the Research Statistician for St. Joseph's Care Group. Sacha has approximately 15 years worth of experience in health research methodology, data management, and analysis. As the Research Statistician, Sacha applies specialized knowledge of both research methodology and advanced statistical principles to research, analysis, and educational activities.

His research interests are varied and recently have included medication usage and driver safety, health services need and delivery, and methodological and statistical issues. Recently, he completed his Master of Public Health degree at Lakehead University. Sacha has published in the fields of Public and Mental Health, Cancer Care, and Geriatrics.

Carrie Gibbons
Research Coordinator

Carrie Gibbons works as the Research Coordinator at St. Joseph's Care Group. In this position, Carrie coordinates various research projects from conception through to publication of results including preparing grant submissions, liaising with researchers, supporting data management and output and facilitating research dissemination.

Her research interests include mental health issues, the stigma associated with mental illness and the need and use of mental health services. At present Carrie is also a student in the Master of Public Health Program at Lakehead University.

Kelly Morris
Research Services Coordinator

Kelly Morris is the Research Services Coordinator for St. Joseph's Care Group. These responsibilities include overseeing the research administration for SJCG and representing the organization on various collaborative research ethics initiatives within Thunder Bay. Kelly is a member of the St. Joseph's Care Group Research Ethics Board.

Currently, Kelly is a part-time candidate in the Master's of Science program in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, specializing in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University. In preparation for her Master's program, Kelly pursued continuing education through credit and non-credit courses in the areas of: ethics of research on human subjects, introductory and advanced statistics, qualitative and quantitative research methodology, program evaluation, research design and computer programming.

To date, Kelly has contributed to 6 refereed journal articles and 20 peer-reviewed presentations at national and international conferences. As a research team member, Kelly has contributed to the submission of research grants and has fulfilled the role as project coordinator on a variety of successful grants.

Therese Lim
RAI-MH Coordinator

Therese Lim is the Resident Assessment Instrument-Mental Health (RAI-MH) Coordinator for both St Joseph's Care Group and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre . She is the Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS) Site Coordinator and the primary OMHRS software support contact for both facilities. Additionally, she is the OMHRS Data Submission contact for SJCG. As a research team member, Therese has participated in the coordination of mental health projects involving interRAI instruments.

Interspersed in her clinical role as a Registered Nurse, Therese participated actively in the implementation of electronic documentation and the electronic medical record at both St Joseph's Care Group and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Her previous experience includes participation in the 1996 study utilizing the MDS-2 and RUG III methodology to assess care needs of Chronic/ALC/Rehab patients in Thunder Bay and several years' participation in the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Levels of Care Classification process.

Therese holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Lakehead University. She has received her second certification in Gerontological Nursing GNC (C) through the Canadian Nurses Association. July 2006 marked the close of her two and a half year term as President of the Lakehead Chapter of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.

Geri Vainionpaa
Manager - Learning, Research & Professional Practice

Geri Vainionpaa is the Manager-Learning, Research & Professional Practice. Geri provides management support to the Research Department. She has a clinical background as a physiotherapist and has a Bachelor of Science, Physical Therapy from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Arts in Management from the College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota. She is a member of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.

Geri has 28 years experience in health care in clinical and management roles and is also a Past-President of the Ontario Physiotherapy Association. Geri is a strong supporter of practice-based research, with clinical questions developed and investigated by front-line clinicians. She served on the Practice-Based Research Advisory Committee for Health Sciences North, Thunder Bay and provided internal support for clinicians participating in practice-based research initiatives through this program.

 

-- Updated: September 17, 2009 --