Welcome to Rural Hospice Day

Michael Ungar, Ph.D., is a Family Therapist and Professor of Social Work at Dalhousie

University where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community

Resilience. His research on resilience around the world and across cultures has made him the

number one ranked Social Work scholar in the world, with numerous educational institutions,

government agencies, not-for-profits and businesses relying on his research and clinical work to

guide their approaches to nurturing child, family, organizational and community wellbeing under

stress. He the author of 18 books for mental health professionals, educators, caregivers and

employers, including his most recent works The Limits of Resilience: When to Persevere, When

to Change, and When to Quit, a book for individuals and organizations under stress, and Change

Your World: The Science of Resilience and the True Path to Success, a book about our emerging

understanding of resilience as more than individual grit. As well as having received numerous

awards for his work, including the Canadian Association of Social Workers National

Distinguished Service Award and being named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Dr.

Ungar also maintains a blog, Nurturing Resilience, which can be read on Psychology Today’s

website.

Dr. Monica Bishop earned her M.D. and residency certification at Western University, working as

a family physician and in medical education before focusing her practice exclusively on palliative

and end-of life care 12 years ago.

“Dr. B” has been working at Hospice Renfrew and at RVH since 2017, when she moved to the

area from London, Ontario, bringing her compassion, expert skills and warm personality to the

position.

She enjoys spending supportive time with both her patients and their families, striving to help

them better understand the many changes they are seeing and experiencing, hopefully

lessening some of their fears.

Her earlier international work has provided a keen understanding and sensitivity toward different

cultures, backgrounds and customs as they pertain to end-of-life.

“We hear about the term “a good death”. Often this is exactly what can happen when people

are comfortable and at peace, surrounded by their loved ones. This intimate experience can be

heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.”

 Dylaina Wood, RN, CHPCN(C), began her journey in palliative care in the late 1980s, providing compassionate care for HIV/AIDS patients. Through this work, she developed a profound commitment to supporting life through to its natural end, with a focus on enhancing the quality of that life. This dedication continues to inspire her approach with clients and families, centering on understanding what they define as a 'good life and death' and how she can help support them in what that means to them. Dylaina currently serves as the Clinical Director of Madawaska Valley Hospice Palliative Care, where she leads with empathy, expertise, and a commitment to patient-centered care. 

Monica is the Chair of Compassionate Ottawa, an organization working to strengthen the capacity of individuals, families and communities to care for each other in times of serious illness and loss.   Monica brings years of experience in strengthening community capacity to her role. She was CEO of Community Foundations of Canada for 18 years, served as an advisor and mentor to organizations and leaders in the community sector across Canada and in many countries around the world, and remains an active volunteer in Ottawa. Monica has often been recognized for her accomplishments, including her appointment to the Order of Canada in 2013. She will speak to the ability of Compassionate Communities to engage ordinary people in thinking about living well, caring for each other during times of serious illness and loss.

Dr. Katie Forfar grew up in Markham, joined the Army, bartended, went to four universities but the first one didn’t count, and finally settled in Pembroke with a Renfrew boy. She has two children and an awful cat. She misses having the spare time to make stained glass.  She desperately gardens.  She is a Family Doctor and likes providing Primary Care out of Beachburg but loves providing Palliative Care across Renfrew County. She began offering Medical Assistance in Dying in 2020 and around that time also began to work more closely with the Renfrew County Community Paramedic Response Unit. They eventually crowned her “Medical Director for Palliative Care, “ a title for which she feels unworthy being only a backwoods family generalist physician with an interest in Palliative Care.  If you are more qualified, please let her know.  She recently became the ‘go-to’ doctor for the Marianhill hospice in Pembroke.  

 Jenny is a Registered Psychotherapist and the Grief & Bereavement Counsellor at Hospice Renfrew where she accompanies residents, their loved ones and members of the community through the dying and grieving process, including those choosing or touched by MAiD. Through this work, she’s been wondering, exploring, and learning more about the psychosocial needs of MAiD recipients and their families as well as the ways grief can look similar or different after an assisted death. When she’s not at work, Jenny can be found chasing after her endlessly energetic 3-year-old son, spending time outside, taking on (and then abandoning) new crafts, or trying to grow veggies with her husband at their home in Eganville. 

 Max has been a nurse for 47 years, with the last 22 years dedicated to community work specializing in Palliative Care. Since the introduction of MAID legislation, Max has supported up to 76 cases, providing compassionate guidance and care. Max will be part of the MAiD Panel, where he will share his experiences and answer questions. 

Erin McCabe is a Registered Nurse working as a Palliative Care

Consultant for 15 years with the Regional Palliative Consultation

Team. Operating primarily in rural Renfrew County, she supports

health care professionals in both community and acute care settings.

Now part-time as a Palliative Clinical Coach, Erin is fortunate to

continue her passion for empowering health care professionals to build

their competence in the rewarding yet complex field of palliative care.

Her professional interests focus on fostering true teamwork to deliver

the highest quality of care. Outside of work, Erin enjoys an active

lifestyle with her partner and their three children.

 Melissa Hill is a registered nurse with 25 years of caring in home and community care settings. She has been a member of the Beth Donovan Hospice team since 2019 and in August was seconded to the Palliative Clinical Coach role with Ontario Health East. She is eager to provide mentorship, coaching and education in the East Region and provincially to support palliative care capacity building across sectors. Melissa will be working with community organizations to implement the Model of Care to improve Palliative care in Ontario which is part of the Palliative Care Health Services Delivery Framework.