BOARD AND COMMITTEES
Board Nominations for 2023-2024 are now closed.
The Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA) Board of Directors is comprised of nine physiotherapist member volunteers elected by the membership.
As the governing body of the Association, the Board is responsible for setting policies and strategic directions, determining the budget, and hiring the Chief Executive Officer to implement the Association’s programs.
OPA’s 16 geographic Districts help to ensure the Board can access the unique perspective of local issues and professional concerns of members. In addition to the Districts, OPA has numerous committees and task forces working with the Board and staff to achieve our mission and vision. The Association’s organizational structure is open, transparent, flexible, and above all, participatory to ensure the profession is engaged in the health care policies and programs that affect current practice and future opportunities.
You can reach the Board through the President at president@opa.on.ca or contact OPA staff.
THE FACES BEHIND THE FUTURE OF
PHYSIOTHERAPY
OUR BOARD
Oren works as a Clinical Manager for the Marketed Services Program at Hamilton Health Sciences. He is a CPA-certified Clinical Specialist in Oncology. He brings to the OPA Board experience from the national association as a previous Chair of the Oncology Division, Executive member of the Acupuncture Division and a Director on the CPA Board. As a manager and physiotherapist in a large teaching hospital, Oren hopes to educate physiotherapy staff on how contributing to OPA can help enhance our profession and patient care.
OREN CHEIFETZPresident
Courtney is VHA Home HealthCare’s VP, Strategic Solutions and Partnerships implementing strategic initiatives advancing integrated care delivery systems. A past OPA Board Director (2016 – 2020), Courtney is OPA’s President-Elect for 2023. With clinical and leadership experience between the USA and Canada, he champions the role of home care in system transformation. A graduate of U of T’s PT Department, Courtney has also completed an orthopaedic residency with the Ola Grimsby Institute and the EXTRA program with HEC.
COURTNEY BEANPresident-Elect
Magda joined the Board in 2022. Magda is based out of Hamilton and is in the role of Manager and Professional Practice Leader for Physiotherapy at a large hospital. Magda is passionate about patient centered care, advocacy for the profession, teaching, as well as quality improvement. She brings 16 years of experience from the hospital sector in both the frontline and leadership roles.
MAGDA MCCAUGHAN Secretary
Charlotte Anderson is the Founder of ALPHA Health Services and 360 Concussion Care. She works to bridge the gap between private and public healthcare in Ontario- to foster collaboration between practitioners along a patients continuum of care. She earned her PhD from the University of Toronto, and her subsequent research has been in concussion clinical care and Ontario health systems research. Charlotte practices clinically in Toronto and is an adjunct lecturer at U of T.
CHARLOTTE ANDERSON
Katie works as a Senior Program Lead with Healthcare Excellence Canada. Her previous clinical experience has mainly been in the public sector in small, rural or Indigenous communities in Ontario. She is passionate about the role of physiotherapists in the healthcare system and about the need to improve access to our services. Her work in the physiotherapy community focuses on supporting the development of cultural humility, so our clients can experience a culturally safe environment when receiving care.
KATIE GASPARELLI
Adiilah is a passionate healthcare leader with a commitment to the physiotherapy profession and community. She works in the long-term care sector and private practice, with past experience in primary care. Adiilah is eager to make a difference in healthcare and is excited to serve on the Board. She believes that being a Board member will help her advocate and create a more integrated, and connected healthcare system for Ontarians with timely access to physiotherapy.
ADIILAH HEENAYE SUMSER
Annette has held clinical and leadership roles in varied settings including acute care, rehabilitation hospitals, home and community care, private sector and at one of Ontario’s LHINs. In her fourth year on the Board, she continues to advocate for equitable access to quality physiotherapy, relevant health policy, funding and system issues, and for physiotherapists to be recognized as essential and adding value in making “Ontarians stronger and healthier”. We commit to hearing the voices of those in Black, Indigenous and racialized communities and to take action in addressing racism at all levels moving forward.
ANNETTE MARCUZZI
Susan brings over 20 years of experience in direct patient care, strategic planning, and implementing LEAN for healthcare. She has worked in remote communities along the Coast of James Bay and in urban centres, and implemented complex regional and province-wide programs to improve care. Areas of expertise include musculoskeletal care, development of team-based models of care to address health system challenges, and development of advanced practice roles. She maintains a clinical practice.
SUSAN ROBARTS
As a PT clinician, educator and leader with over 30 years of experience in the public sector, Anna Marie has advocated for and mentored many peers, teams and students in professional practice, quality improvement, change management, advocacy, team functioning, and career development. Moving into the second year as Board Director, she is deeply committed to advancing access to care, maximizing scope of practice and asserting the value of physiotherapy within our health system through an equity lens for all Ontarians.
ANNA MARIE SNEATH
View All
PAST PRESIDENTS
-
2020 – 2022
P. GARDINER MILLAR
-
2018 – 2020
A. MACDONALD
-
2016 – 2018
W. SMITH
-
2014 – 2016
S. PATTON
-
2012 – 2014
A. SMART
COMMITTEES
COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD
These committees contribute directly to the Board’s activities and responsibilities.
- Awards
- The Awards Committee recommends policies and processes related to our formal member recognition program. In reviewing and recommending nominees for annual awards they recognize and promote leadership and the contribution of our volunteers.
-
Finance
- The Finance Committee regularly reviews financial statements and policies of the Association. They advise the Board on issues related to the finances and budget of the Association.
-
Governance
- The Governance Committee is responsible for Board Development, nominations, leadership development, and advising the Board on governance related policies, bylaws and processes.
-
LIAISON NETWORKS
- The Liaison Networks allow physiotherapists to share information, questions, and emerging issues with their respective advisory committees and with other PTs working in their sector. They are a key connection between the work of the advisory committees, OPA Board of Directors and staff, and the front lines of care.
-
Join the Hospital Liaison Network (HLN)
Find out more about the HLN Roles & Expectations
-
Join the Home Care Liaison Network (HCLN)
Find out more about the HCLN Roles & Expectations
Contact Gonxhe Kastrati, Policy Analyst, Policy, Practice & Member Services if you are interested in joining a Liaison Network.
Working Committees & Advisory Groups
These committees and advisory groups bring the expertise of our members to support the Board and OPA staff in the development and implementation of strategic initiatives for the Association
-
Private Practice Advisory
- The Private Practice Advisory Committee advise the staff and Board of Directors on issues and matters related to the provision of physiotherapy services in the private practice sector.
-
Primary Care Advisory
- The Primary Care Advisory Committee advises and assists in activities that promote quality physiotherapy
services within primary care organizations and works to support members in these practice settings. -
Home Care Advisory
- The Home Care Advisory Committee brings the perspective of our members who work in home care to staff and the Board in order to promote quality physiotherapy services in the Home Care Sector. They work with the Home Care Liaison Network to monitor environmental trends and support OPA’s strategic directions.
-
Hospital Advisory
- The Hospital Advisory Committee advances the interests and concerns of our members in the hospital sector and advises on issues relevant to hospital-based physiotherapy services. They work with the support of the Hospital Liaison Network to gather and share information about emerging trends and issues and support members practicing in hospitals.
Contact Gonxhe Kastrati, Policy Analyst, Policy, Practice & Member Services if you are interested in joining a Committee.
-
Education
- The Education Committee acts as a resource to and advises the OPA staff on matters relating to Professional Development Education and Educational Programming of OPA’s annual conference, InterACTION, in order to provide OPA members with meaningful and relevant learning opportunities.
- The OPA also works with the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) and the Ontario members of the National Students’ Assembly on matters related to these two groups of our membership.
