Our Community

Mywell Health is a social purpose project whose diverse community generously donates their time and expertise including their personal experiences living with chronic health conditions or assisting those facing health challenges. Our community represents a range of professionals across many sectors including healthcare, communications, technology, education, and law. As we evolve, Mywell Health relies on our community members for valuable input and feedback. We actively seek engagement from individuals possessing applicable knowledge, expertise, and/or  lived experiences to help us foster a collaborative environment that enriches our collective understanding and network. If you are interested in joining this collaboration – please contact us at mywellhealthinc@gmail.com

Our People

Mary Paone (Retired Nurse, MScN, Founder of Mywell Health)

Mary, the founder Mywell Health Inc., initiated this project after retiring from a pediatric nursing career that spanned 30 years.  As an educator and clinical nurse specialist, she developed educational tools, resources, and policies to support youth, young adults, and parents at both the provincial and national levels. The foundational work aimed to raise awareness of the questions that need to be explored at different life stages and the existing resources and services available to assist them. The goal is to connect individuals (of all ages) through learning tools to existing educational materials, programs, and services that best suit their personal needs. With a strong belief in collaborative creation, Mary envisions bringing together people with lived experiences to create strategies and tools that are useful and accessible to all. Her hope is that the Mywell Health planners and resource kits will enhance health literacy and assist individuals in navigating health and other systems to lead their ‘best lives’.

Christina Paone (Educator & Web-Creator of Mywell Health)

Christina is an entrepreneur and educator who brings her expertise in branding, website, and app UI design to the Mywell Health community. She has provided the creative design for the health planners and website. She has witnessed the impact of chronic illnesses and disabilities on youth and seniors and wants to provide a medium to encourage self-advocacy and choice. As owner of Paone Creative https://paonecreative.com/, she hopes that Mywell Health Inc. will provide an accessible, intuitive, and inspiring solution to help people learn about, explore, and navigate their health and lifestyle options.

Helen Carkner (Writer)

Helen Carkner’s decades-long career was largely focused on corporate communications, issues management and media relations, first in housing and later in health care. Most relevant to her connection with the Mywell Health Community is her healthcare communications experience, which began in 1993 when she joined the Fraser-Burrard Hospital Society (FBHS), a precursor to Fraser Health Authority. Helen continued to serve in a communications leadership role as BC’s health care landscape evolved, offering her the opportunity to support the communications and issues management needs of those involved in all aspects of health care in Fraser Health, including acute care, continuing care, public health, mental health, and addictions. She retired in 2008 as Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs with Fraser Health. Helen has an abiding respect for the commitment and skills of those working across a vast and increasingly complex health care system; their dedication to patients, residents, clients, and their families inspires her still. She believes that clear, concise information, effectively shared so it leads to concrete action, is key to achieving and maintaining good health at any age. Helen is proud to support Mywell Health, a stellar example of that level of communication excellence.

Dr. Nikhil Dewan (MB BCh BAO, BHsc)

Nikhil is a second-year family medicine resident at the University of British Columbia (UBC). With a multifaceted focus on general family practice, emergency medicine, and dermatology, Nikhil exhibits a passion for providing comprehensive care to individuals and families across diverse healthcare needs. Driven by a deep-seated commitment to improving healthcare accessibility and promoting family well-being, Nikhil actively seeks avenues to expand access to healthcare information and services. Nikhil firmly believes that empowering patients with knowledge and support is paramount to fostering healthier communities. As a healthcare professional early in their career journey, Nikhil aspires to optimize patient care by leveraging cutting-edge resources and technologies. Recognizing the potential of platforms like MyWell Health, Nikhil envisions harnessing such resources to provide optimal care and support to their patients. With a blend of clinical expertise, empathy, and a forward-thinking approach, Nikhil embodies the ethos of compassionate healthcare delivery, poised to make meaningful contributions to the field of family medicine and beyond.

Lydia Drasic (BSN, MBA)

Lydia’s career in Public and Population Health encompassed a wide range of areas ranging from public health nursing to executive-level operational and strategic leadership at regional and provincial health levels. She received an Honorary Lifetime Membership from the Canadian Public Health Association for her contribution to public health. Lydia also served as a board member of various non-profit organizations such as the United Way of the Lower Mainland (including service as Board Chair), BC Recreations and Parks Association and the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society. Lydia’s personal experience of trying to, and helping others to, navigate our fragmented health care system has impressed upon her the importance of clear communications and rigorous record-keeping during that navigation process. Lydia believes that Mywell Health will be welcomed as a resource to support individuals not only in making their health, financial and legal choices, but also in keeping clear, concise records to help ensure that information is readily accessible to family, friends and care providers.

Dr Dewey Evans, PhD

Dewey has had a long-standing career as a quality improvement specialist in both tertiary and primary health care in BC. His many roles have included health care consultant, medical administrator, quality improvement expert, policy analyst, medical manager, educator, and researcher. More recently, Dewey worked as a project lead focused on improving the transfer of medical summaries for complex patients between tertiary care centers and their family practitioners. Currently semi-retired, he volunteers pro bono at BC Children’s Hospital and with the UBC Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network. Dewey enjoys an active lifestyle, traveling with his wife, and staying connected with friends. He brings extensive knowledge in quality improvement, research, and evaluation to the Mywell Health project. Passionate about health literacy, navigation, and helping others, Dewey is committed to making a positive impact on health care.

Barb Fitzsimmons (Nursing Leader, BSN, MSN)

Barbara Fitzsimmons retired in 2020 as Chief Operating Officer for B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS). Prior to that, she spent more than 30 years at B.C. Children’s Hospital, first as a registered nurse in paediatric oncology, then in administrative roles with increasing responsibilities until 2012, when she was appointed its Senior Vice President. Barb has served in a variety of board roles and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of British Columbia’s School of Nursing. In 2015, she transitioned to BCEHS where she took on the role of COO in 2017. Since retirement she has taken on volunteer roles with Meals on Wheels, Evergreen Campus of Care, dog rescue organizations, and Elderdog Canada. Barb has shared her personal experience in accessing and setting up resources for her family. She believes Mywell Health provides a virtual navigator to services, available to everyone as needed.

Mary Lou Gazeley

Mary Lou has had an illustrious communications career, working with big brands and small companies across many sectors in both corporate and non-profit worlds and running her own company https://gazeleyandgazeley.com/ . Her public relations, writing, consulting, and facilitation expertise and her ability to help organizations tell their stories is a real bonus for the Mywell Health team. Mary Lou believes Mywell Health has an amazing story to tell, one that unfolds in chapters that will change people’s lives as they become armed with the knowledge and resources to navigate their and their loved one’s changing health care needs. She knows it will make a difference in guiding health care planning in her own multi-generational family.

Ralph Hildebrand (LLB, BA)

As former in-house legal counsel for the City of Surrey and Metro Vancouver and currently practicing in the area of municipal law with Lidstone & Co., Ralph brings a wealth of legal expertise to the Mywell Heath team. His personal experiences with chronic medical conditions prompted Ralph to become involved in the project, providing key legal advice and direction.

Trish Hunt (RN, BSN, MScN)

Trish is a semi-retired health care leader in BC. She is currently co-chair of the BC Patient Care Quality Review Board.  Her past positions over the last 40 years in health care include: Executive Director with the First Nations Health Authority; Senior director—Population and Public Health with Provincial Health Services Authority; Director—Patient Care Quality, Safety, and Risk Management with BC Cancer; Director of Client Relations and Risk Management, and Director Community Health Services/Public Health with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. Trish was formerly a director for the BC Lower Mainland Chapter of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. Trish is an active volunteer with the Canadian Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation focusing on mental health needs for children and youth with type 1 diabetes. She also advocates for families struggling with addictions who are seeking support and treatment options. She brings her wealth of experience to Mywell Health Inc. as an advocate for access to health care information and services, promoting support to families, and facilitating connections between learning opportunities to well-established provincial resources.

 Maureen Johnson (Retired Nurse)

Maureen transitioned from her career as a public health nurse to become a floral designer, master gardener, homemaker, and family caregiver. She has personal experience caring for a senior with complex health needs (physical and mental health) and knows the importance of compassion, respect, and humour in navigating life. For most of her life, she has been involved in community-based care. She understands the nuances of the health care system in BC, including its strengths and limitations. As a family caregiver, she deals daily with the emotional and physical needs of her mother, while balancing a personal life and communicating with siblings. She has navigated accessing assisted living, decision documents such as a DNR, MOST, and a representation agreement. With this lived experience, she has been invaluable in providing direction and resources to the development of the Mywell Health planner and resource kit for seniors. She is a firm believer in health promotion and disease prevention and knows that Mywell Health will help facilitate these principles.

Khirsty Macarthur (RN, MSN, Executive Coach CPCC)

Khirsty is a retired pediatric nurse, whose 35-year career involved educating nurses, serving as a health mentor and life coach. Living with a chronic health condition since her youth, she has learned the skills of self-compassion and resiliency and wants to share them with others. She is passionate about non-for-profit organizations supporting women in crisis and has held several advisory positions. She has participated since the inception of Mywell Health Inc. and believes this work will help those who feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or afraid to build courage, confidence and resiliency when navigating the health care system.

Mary-Jane Mehlenbacher (Businesswoman, Entrepreneur)

Mary-Jane spent her entire career involved in business and sales, including the last 13 years as Founder and CEO of the Canadian-based software company, Fiitfu CRM Solutions Inc. Her passion is providing people with the systems they need. In the past few years, recent changes have created difficult decisions in caring for her aging parents. Now as a personal trainer, she is inspired by people, especially seniors, who are proactive with their health and lifestyle. She is happy to be a part of the Mywell Health team, sharing her real-life experiences and contributing her expertise to the useability of the site. 

Connor Paone (MBA, Executive Coach CPCC)

Connor is a professional strategy coach, consultant, and business owner https://www.olastrategy.com/ with a specialization in social and environmental impact. His core passion in life and work is to have rich experiences and to create abundance. He is living with a chronic health condition and has learned to advocate for himself within the health care system but recognizes that others may not have the support and access to information and services that they need to make informed decisions. He has seen first-hand in his work with Indigenous communities in rural settings how marginalization, barriers and lack of access hinders choices. Connor contributes to the Mywell Health team to further his life’s goals of supporting social enterprises and creating wellness, self-governance, and social impacts. 

Catherine Richardson (Patient Advisor)

Catherine has spent her entire adult life managing her chronic health conditions and navigating the healthcare system. She is actively involved as a ‘patient partner’ locally, provincially, and nationally in the areas of patient experience, patient safety and quality improvement. Her lived experience, and hence her lived expertise, is invaluable to those working to improve the healthcare system. Her goal is to use her lived expertise to make accessing and managing healthcare an easier and safer experience for other people. She believes that MyWell Health Inc. will provide the foundation to help people learn how to advocate for themselves.

Dave Robens (M.OT, Transformational Coach) 

Dave has been an occupational therapist since 2007, working in acquired brain injury, community care, and then in specialized programs to help seniors stay in their homes rather than having to move into facilities or admitted to hospitals. He not only worked with thousands of clients during those 10 years of practice, but he also spent 14 years caring for his own father after a severe stroke. He specializes in building deep connections, and understanding the patterns that are preventing people from maximizing their function in their lived environments both on a physical and psychological level.

While working with palliative clients, Dave witnessed a stubbornness and loneliness that was prevalent in that population and saw an opportunity to help prevent those attitudes from becoming as pervasive in future generations. He developed three years’ worth of curriculum for a course that assists people in opening their minds up to possibilities, that helps people recognize their blind spots, and shift their mindsets toward an optimistic future. With this experience, Dave’s current work as a transformational coach focuses on individual personal mental wellness using choice as a powerful tool in thought. http://daverobens.com/. Dave has always believed in the capacity of individuals. He sees Mywell Health Inc. as an incredible tool for individual empowerment through information and resource acquisition and pursuit.

Susan Schroeder (BSc, Chemistry; BEd)

Susan is a retired educator, curriculum developer, web developer, and technical writer/researcher.  She eagerly joined this community because she saw value in what Mywell Health Inc. offers to those either experiencing health challenges or caring for others with chronic health conditions. She believes these tools have the potential to help people make necessary plans based on informed decisions using credible health information.

Georgia Stewart BSc Student, UVIC

Georgia is a Kinesiology BSc student at the University of Victoria and joins us as the youngest member of the Mywell Health community, leveraging not only her ongoing education in the fields of health and human movement, but her own experience with chronic illness and injury. Passionate about health care accessibility and transparency, she believes that Mywell Health is the perfect bridge to connect patients of all ages with quality care, empowering them with the ability to make informed decisions about their own health and well-being.