PCFC Advisory Council

You are here: / / PCFC Advisory Council

Patient/Client and Family/Caregivers (PCFC) are representatives with lived experience from different stages of life and health sectors. Together, they strategically inform the work of the NOHT-ÉSON’s Planning Table in decision-making, representing the voices of interested and affected parties.

PCFC representatives are leaders and champions, both internally and externally, for the good of Niagara residents accessing services within our health care and social services system. They represent a variety of subject matter expertise, professions, lived experience, and administrative perspectives and represent our priority populations, including members from our Indigenous and Francophone communities.

Ruth Stranges – PCFC Co-Lead

Ruth is a lifelong resident and champion of the Niagara Region. She is passionate about advocating for older adults in our health system, especially those whose first language is not English or French.

Ruth was born in Italy and came to Canada with her parents at three. Throughout her personal and professional life, she has had a passion for the Niagara Region, advocating for all the great things it brings to residents.

After her retirement as a business leader in the insurance sector, Ruth wanted to give back and contribute to the continuous improvement of health care in Niagara.

As a PCFC representative, she looks forward to continuing to add value to that very cause.

Dominic Ventresca – PCFC Co-Lead

Dominic is a life-long resident of Niagara, and has had lived experience as a patient, and family caregiver, including to an elderly mother both in her home and later in a long-term care home.

He is serving on the Age-Friendly Niagara Council Board of Directors. This is volunteer-led group that is implementing a community-driven Niagara-wide aging strategy and action plan, that includes aging in place and health and wellbeing outcomes.

Dominic previously served on the Board of Directors of the former Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN).

Prior to this, he was the Director of Seniors Services for the Regional Municipality of Niagara where he was responsible for overseeing the management of eight long-term care homes, ten adult day programs and numerous other community programs.

During his career, he served on many community and provincial organizations including the Board of Directors of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors (OANHSS) and the Ontario Gerontology Association (OGA).

Dominic hopes that his combination of personal experience with the health care system and career experience in health care will be helpful to the PCFC Advisory Council and related NOHT-ÉSON working groups.

Jori Warren

Jori is a St. Catharines resident and a devoted, proactive advocate for a better health care system. She is a retired autoworker who became a caregiver to a husband with early on-set dementia at 53 and also had her aging mother living with her.

Her and her husband became champions for Alzheimer’s Society of Niagara Region, advocating for better health system planning at the provincial level, meeting with local members of provincial Parliament to discuss issues facing those living with dementia and their caregivers. They also helped launch the collaborative between police and medic alert to improve information sharing for lost dementia patients, and Living Well as a caregiver with Alzheimer’s Society of Niagara Region and Hospice Niagara.

Jori was invited to be a member of the former Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network Family Advisory Committee and moved to the NOHT-ÉSON’s Planning Table at its inception in 2019.

Jori is interested in ensuring patients with dementia obtain early detection and adequate support for themselves and their caregivers at home and in long-term care. She is now also partnering with all members of health sectors to ensure all Niagara voices are heard and listened to, so together health care will improve for all of Niagara.

Patricia MacLaren

I am retired after being a registered nurse for 40 years. My youngest son is autistic. As a single mom, I learned to navigate the system to enable my son to reach adulthood and function in our society. He is now living in a Community Living home here in Fort Erie. He works a part-time job in our community and is an avid artist.

While my son was living at home with my family, my mother developed Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. As her primary caregiver, I managed her household as well as mine until she could no longer live alone. In her confusion, she became “fearful” of my autistic son and could not tolerate living in my home with him. The difficult decision was made to move her to an assistive living situation. My mom passed away in 2008 after she developed colon cancer.

As a proud Indigenous senior, I bring my experience as a caregiver to both my son and mother to the Planning Table and my experiences as both a hospital nurse and community visiting RN.

Jim Prescott

Jim is a dedicated health advocate and stroke survivor in Niagara. After experiencing a stroke with minimal personal challenges, he recognized the diverse and life-changing impact it has on individuals and their families. With gratitude, he has dedicated himself to supporting others through advocacy, education, and volunteer work.

As a Patient Advisor at Hotel Dieu Shaver Hospital and a Patient Advisor on the Planning Table of the Niagara Ontario Health Team – Équipe Santé Ontario Niagara (NOHT-ÉSON), Jim helps shape patient-centered care. He is also an active member of the Survivors of Stroke (SOS) Niagara, providing support to fellow patients and advocating for improved stroke care.

His commitment to patient engagement led to his involvement in research, including a recently published study with Professor Maureen Markle-Reid of McMaster University, where he was recognized as a co-author. Most recently, Jim participated in a video project for ConnectMyHealth, collaborating with Hamilton Health Sciences, Ontario Health, and the NOHT-ÉSON to promote a free digital health solution that provides patients with an online, single access channel to view their health records from participating hospitals in Southwestern Ontario.

Through his advocacy and volunteer work, Jim continues to make ongoing meaningful impact in the stroke recovery community.

Lisa Ceroni

Lisa spent her teenage years in the Niagara region, her early adult life in the beautiful landscapes of Alberta and British Columbia, before coming back to Ontario, first residing in Toronto and then returning to St. Catharines in 2021. Lisa’s formal education was completed in Ontario and Alberta, culminating in the completion of a Master of Science degree and a Master of Public Health degree. Between these two degrees and currently, Lisa works in the clinical research field supporting pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on their drug and device development programs and leading employee learning and development in the Medical Affairs team.

Being innately curious and with a love of learning, Lisa was drawn to the Master of Public Health program. Through that experience Lisa’s understanding of the factors that affect health and wellbeing expanded and since then she has devoted time to supporting, advocating, and championing health equity and initiatives that address the social determinants of health.

While Lisa has not yet had to be a caregiver, she has experienced a challenging health journey when it comes to her own mental health struggles. Lisa understands the complexity of mental health illness and how this adds to the burden of disease, and the limitations in public understanding, stigmatization, and proper provision of care. Lisa is also a Patient Partner on the Niagara Health Engagement Network and a volunteer with Bridges Niagara Immigrant and Refugee Services.

Lisa is excited to be on the PCFC Advisory Council to support health care optimization in the Niagara region and where she can draw on her values of empathy, equity, diversity, inclusion, respect, collaboration, empowerment, and sustainability.

Headshot of Lisa Ceroni

Cathy Neil

Bio and photo coming soon.

Chrissy Sadowski

Bio and photo coming soon.

Jennifer Dockstader

Bio and photo coming soon.

Moises Vasquez

Bio and photo coming soon.

Land Acknowledgment

We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, is within the lands protected by the “Dish with One Spoon” wampum agreement and is directly adjacent to the Haldimand Treaty territory.

Today, this land continues to be the home of many Indigenous Peoples. Acknowledging ensures we reflect on our past and what changes can be made going forward to further the reconciliation process, and it reminds us that the great standard of living that we enjoy in Niagara is directly related to the resources and friendships of the Indigenous Peoples who make up this community.

Wampum Belt

Stay Connected

Sign up to receive NOHT-ÉSON updates, learn about upcoming events and recent news.

Niagara Ontario Health Team

Équipe Santé Ontario Niagara

Updates

Stay Connected

Sign up to receive NOHT-ÉSON updates, learn about upcoming events and recent news.

Sign Up

Follow us on Facebook