Nursing and Physician Assistant
Physician Assistants, Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses who provide primary care in your family physician’s clinic.
Nursing Overview
Our primary care nurses consist of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) who provide primary care in your family physician’s clinic within the North York Family Health Team.
The nurses work closely with your physicians, as well as the North York Family Health Team’s other allied health (dieticians, social workers, pharmacists and chiropodist), to collaborate on your care.
Primary care nursing is focused on providing patient and family centered care that is evidence-based and follows applicable Clinical Practice Guidelines. This includes:
Preventive Health Screening and Counselling
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Chronic disease management for diabetes and congestive heart failure
- Cancer screening (cervical, breast and colon)
- Smoking cessation
- Healthy lifestyle (diet and exercise)
- Mental health
- Cognitive function
- Immunizations
- Osteoporosis
- Falls risk
- Medication and allergy review
- Well baby/child counselling
- Care coordination: referral to NYFHT services, or information on community resources
Episodic Encounters
- Triage
- Diagnostic test result review and counselling
- Wound care, staple/suture removal
- UTI assessment
- Ear syringing
- TB skin tests
Physician Assistant Overview
Physician Assistants are highly skilled health professionals who support physicians and allied health team members by providing evidence-based care to patients in many different settings.
Within NYFHT Physician Assistants support patients by working in a shared care model with physicians, and allied health team members providing quality primary care focusing on chronic disease management, episodic and preventative care.
Some examples of tasks include
- Providing chronic disease visits for diabetes, and blood pressure management
- Providing same day or next day episodic visits for urinary tract infections, respiratory illnesses, and dermatological issues
- Conducting physical exams for both episodic and preventative care visits
- Ordering, and interpreting investigations such as imaging and blood work to investigate a patient concern
- Delivering vaccinations
- Prescribing a limited number of medications in conjunction with a physician or through medical directives
- Providing post discharge hospital stay follow up
Program Team
Ale Heddon
Registered Nurse (RN)
Ariella Loiterman
Registered Nurse (RN)
Assaf Goldberg
Registered Nurse (RN)
Barbara Dindial
Registered Nurse (RN)
Chris Damaso
Registered Nurse (RN)
Christy Starway
Registered Nurse (RN)
Dianne Adair
Registered Nurse (RN)
Elizabeth Stewart
Registered Nurse (RN)
Emily Law
Registered Nurse (RN)
Erika North
Physician Assistant (PA)
Jennifer Ballesteros
Registered Practical Nurse (RPN)
Joanne Yu
Registered Nurse (RN)
Kate Carey
Registered Nurse (RN)
Kelsee Stephenson
Registered Nurse (RN)
Lana Rusinek
Registered Nurse (RN)
Lindsay Manning
Registered Nurse (RN)
Patricia Antonini
Registered Nurse (RN)
Pooja Jain
Registered Nurse (RN)
Rebecca Lee
Registered Nurse (RN)
Rhyfany Fernandez
Registered Practical Nurse (RPN)
Salima Nensi
Registered Nurse (RN)
Shagana Danah
Registered Nurse (RN)
Shelly Manza
Registered Nurse (RN)
Stacie Bantin
Registered Nurse (RN)
Victory Ononokpono
Registered Nurse (RN)