Atikokan Family Health Team Staff

Executive Director

Karen Lusignan

AFHT Executive Director

Karen Lusignan is the Executive Director for the Family Health Team. Karen was born and raised mostly in Atikokan and moved to Thunder Bay in 2002 to complete her BScN from Lakehead University in 2006. After graduation Karen went on to do a Leadership and Management Training Development Program from York University in 2012, and Leadership Thunder Bay in 2014. Prior to moving back to Atikokan in 2015 Karen spent eight years working at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care developing and managing their Community and Personal Support Services Program. In her position, Lusignan oversaw 17 staff delivering a wide range of programs to people of all ages. Karen is pleased with the growth the Family Health Team has shown-both in terms of programming and its acceptance within the community – and looks forward to enhancing that.

Administrative Professionals

Brianna Coulson

Program Assistant

Brianna is the full-time Program Assistant at the Family Health Team.

Shannon Strom

Clerical Assistant

Shannon is the full-time Clerical Assistant at the Family Health Team.

Shelby Mackey

Administrative Assistant

Shelby is the full-time Administrative Assistant at the Family Health Team.

Integrated Health Professionals

Lisa Campbell

Registered Nurse

Lisa Campbell has been a Registered Nurse with us since 2009. She received her education from Confederation College. She worked in the acute care sector for 9 years before joining the family health team. Lisa manages our smoking cessation program, our telederm program, our chronic disease self management program and our immunization program.

Kristin St. Pierre

Registered Nurse

Born and raised in Atikokan, Kristin completed her BScN from Lakehead University in 2011. She then started working at the Atikokan General Hospital in the emergency department and acute care for the next two years.

After those two years, Kristin decided to move to the rural community of Westlock, Alberta where her spouse was employed, hoping to gain more experience and skills in her career. There she worked at the Westlock Healthcare Centre, a primary stroke centre, where she gained further experience with emergency, surgical orthopaedics, and obstetrics. In this position, Kristin acted as Charge Nurse on a 30 bed acute floor, while collaborating with a diverse group of health care providers.

In 2015, after having their first child Isaac, home was calling. By May 2016 Kristin and her spouse Andrew (who now works for Tramin as a Red Seal Journeyman Welder) finally made the move back home where they can raise their family. Since then they haven’t been happier and look forward to the many opportunities their promising careers hold.

Jackie King

Registered Practical Nurse

Jackie King has been with our team since 2013. She has been an RPN for over 19 years working in home care, acute care and long-term care. She has her Wound Care Certification and manages our Hypertension Program. She also acts as a liaison between the physicians and the patients.

Ashley McEvoy

Registered Practical Nurse

Ashley McEvoy has been with our team since 2008. She completed her RPN Diploma in 2007 from Confederation College and worked briefly in acute care before joining our team. Ashley manages our INR program and acts as a liaison between the physicians and the patients.

Kristi Withrow

Nurse Practitioner

Kristi is our full-time Nurse Practitioner at the Family Health Team. Kristi is a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, graduate from the Athabasca University Masters of Nursing: Advanced Nursing Practice Program in 2014. Her education trained her to provide holistic, comprehensive and effective care to patients of all ages.

Kristi has 16 years of nursing experience, with a focus on public health, health promotion, disease prevention, infectious disease and women and children’s health.

Kristi is looking forward to providing health services to the community of Atikokan, in collaboration with her colleagues and community partners, to work with patients to achieve optimum health.

Laura Hendren

Nurse Practitioner

Laura is a graduate of the Primary Healthcare Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Toronto. She has spent the past five years working as an emergency nurse in Toronto and has received special training in mental health, bariatrics, chronic kidney disease, and pediatrics. As much as she enjoyed the fast-paced environment of emergency medicine, She has discovered her true passion is in building supportive relationships with patients to help them achieve their long-term health goals. Laura looks forward to working collaboratively with the other members of the Atikokan Family Health Team, dedicating herself to the health issues most important to the community.

Alan Poelman

Mental Health Worker

Alan Poelman has recently started the position of Mental Health Worker within our team. He has completed a BScN at Laurentian University and a HBSW at Algoma University, and is currently registered as a Social Worker through OCSWSSW. Prior to working with our team, Alan has been employed as a Children’s Mental Health Therapist and Family Services Worker. He is now managing our mental health programs, which include one on one sessions and group sessions within the community.

Glenys Vanstone

Pharmacist

Glenys Vanstone is a clinical pharmacist who works for Northwest Telepharmacy Solutions from whom we have contracted services since 2014. Glenys completed her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Manitoba in 1990 and has 27 years of experience in hospital, homecare and family health teams. Glenys provides medication reviews and reconciliation, drug information and supportive coverage for INR service and smoking cessation program. Glenys provides services to family health team patients remotely via telephone or videoconference.

Samantha Holmgren

Registered Dietitian

Samantha Holmgren has been a Registered Dietitian with us since July 2013. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan. Samantha came to Atikokan after completing her 8 month dietetic internship based out of Regina, Saskatchewan. She sees clients one on one for various health concerns to discuss how food and lifestyle can help improve their health outcomes and quality of life. She also holds classes and groups like the diabetes self management program and Healthy You.