Our Team

Lindsey Jones has served as the Manager of Hospice Services at Nipissing Serenity Hospice since January 2022.  As the Manager of Hospice Services, Lindsey provides leadership to the Care Team staff in the day-to-day operations of Nipissing Serenity Hospice and plays an integral role in terms of planning and policy development, quality assurance, strategy, and growth.  Additionally, she oversees referral and placement of new admissions, liaising with our physicians, as well as our health care community partners.  She strives to increase community awareness of hospice care as an option for those diagnosed with a life limiting illness through community outreach and advocacy and routinely works alongside educational institutions to provide meaningful student placements at Nipissing Serenity Hospice.  As Manager of Hospice Services, Lindsey strives to meet the goals of care for both our residents and families through the provision of individualized approaches and dignified care.

Lindsey holds a Bachelor's Degree from Nipissing University and is also a graduate of Canadore College as a Registered Social Service Worker. She has extensive experience in the provision of therapeutic supports as it pertains to an individual’s unique needs, taking into account ones lived experience and psychosocial needs in the development of a comprehensive care plan.  She has completed courses in Death, Dying, and Spirituality as well as Palliative Care training for Front-line workers in Indigenous Communities.  She is committed to ensuring that individuals have access to quality, dignified care at end-of-life and passionately advocates for equitable access to hospice care. Lindsey and the care team at Nipissing Serenity Hospice is committed to ensuring our compassionate approach is extended to all residents, families, and friends that are journeying alongside their loved ones.  She takes immense pride in the team she leads at Nipissing Serenity Hospice and is a firm believer that when you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.  It is both an honor and a privilege to support our community in their most vulnerable days and she is committed to ensuring that the hospice continues to meet the expectations of our residents and families for years to come.

Lindsey is also the proud mother to two incredible daughters and has a supportive husband who entertains her endless accumulation of literature that pertains to death and dying. In her limited free time, she can be found in her kayak on Lake Nosbonsing, enjoying the company of friends and family around a campfire, or capturing the sunrise in the early morning hours from the waters edge.

Sandra Carriere has served as the Clinical Care Lead at Nipissing Serenity Hospice since September 2022.  This role allows her to work alongside the care team to support them and deliver the best possible care to our residents. Additionally, she facilitates the referral and placement of new admissions, liaising with our physicians, as well as our health care community partners. Prior to joining the team at the Nipissing Serenity Hospice, Sandra was employed by the North Bay Regional Health Centre for several decades in a variety of roles.

 

Sandra is a graduate from Canadore College as a Registered Nurse. She has been a lifelong learner participating in numerous educational programs including courses, certifications and training pertaining to Grief and Bereavement and Palliative care.

 

She is mother to two adult sons and is the grandmother of six. In her free time, when not travelling with her husband, she can be found in the company of family and friends or in the outdoors running, biking, or enjoying a book on her back deck.

Kaitlynn Wilkinson brings a strong clinical background to her role as Clinical Care Palliative Coach, drawing on experience in critical care, emergency nursing, and hospice care. A registered nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Nipissing University, Kaitlynn previously worked as a bedside RN at Nipissing Serenity Hospice, where she provided compassionate, person-centered care to individuals and families navigating end-of-life experiences.

Kaitlynn believes it is a true privilege to care for people during their dying journey—an experience as unique and profound as birth. This philosophy guides her approach to palliative care, emphasizing dignity, empathy, and connection in every interaction.

In addition to her coaching role, Kaitlynn instructs nursing students at Nipissing University. She values education as a foundation for excellent, compassionate care, and sees teaching as an opportunity to inspire future nurses to approach both acute care and palliative work with both clinical competence and emotional sensitivity.

In her current role, Kaitlynn collaborates with community healthcare teams to strengthen primary-level palliative care competencies across the region of Nipissing. She offers clinical consultation, facilitates coaching and education sessions, and supports system-level initiatives to improve access to high-quality palliative services. Her dual background in acute care and hospice uniquely positions her to bridge hospital and community-based care, ensuring a seamless, dignified experience for patients and families.

Outside of work, Kaitlynn enjoys travelling, hiking local trails with her dog, and painting as a creative outlet and source of reflection.

Lillian Cozac joined the NSH Team, as the Volunteer and Support Coordinator, in April of 2023.  She is responsible for coordinating, administering, documenting, and maintaining an effective and comprehensive Hospice Volunteer Program, which includes recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and supporting our incredible team of volunteers. She coordinates end of life supports for our Residents as well as grief and bereavement services for their loved ones. Additionally, she plans and implements programming and outreach in the community. The most rewarding part of her role, is the privilege of making our Residents’ end of life wishes come true- whether it be one last rock & roll concert, birthday or anniversary party, family meal, trivia night, or dance performance.

 

Lillian graduated from the Recreation Therapy program at Canadore College in 2011, and went on to work in long term care, in North Bay, for over a decade. During this time she was involved in planning and implementing Recreation Therapy programming and special events for Residents, and also went on to gain experience in Volunteer Coordination as well as Clinical Administration. The best part of her experience in LTC was definitely connecting with and supporting the Residents, and their families in their journey. She has received education and training in grief supports, as well as individualized programming in palliative care. Lillian is passionate about supporting people at end of life, and she is dedicated to her career here at Nipissing Serenity Hospice.

 

Lillian is a small town northern girl, who grew up in Englehart, Ontario.  She moved to North Bay when she was 18, and established her roots and now shares her life with her two beautiful dogs. Lillian enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, camping, reading, and knitting. She is passionate about health and fitness and living life to the fullest. 

Madeleine is a Registered Social Service Worker with a degree in Gerontology and more than 30 years of experience supporting individuals and families through life's most challenging transitions. Her career has focused on palliative care, dementia care, caregiving, and grief support, helping people navigate loss with compassion, knowledge, and hope.

For 10 years, Madeleine served as Client Services Coordinator at Warmhearts Palliative Caregivers, where she assessed the needs of individuals receiving palliative care and connected them with trained volunteers for compassionate support. She also worked for seven years as an Enhanced Care Clinician with the Alzheimer Society of Sudbury, Manitoulin, North Bay and District, providing caregiver support and educational programs in partnership with Mount Sinai Health Centre.

As a trained Grief Recovery Specialist and Good Grief Support Group Facilitator, Madeleine is passionate about educating, encouraging, and empowering people on their unique grief journey. Her presentations combine professional expertise with warmth, authenticity, and practical strategies that inspire healing and resilience.

Madeleine believes that while we cannot always choose what happens in life, we can choose how we respond. Her mission as a Grief and Bereavement Counsellor is to help others find hope, strength, and purpose as they navigate their grief and move forward with their lives.

Teri-Lyn is the Child Life Specialist at Nipissing Serenity Hospice. Teri-Lyn works with children, youth, and their parents/caregivers as they manage and navigate grief and loss both internally at hospice and externally within the community. Teri-Lyn is currently developing programs within the North Bay and area to promote grief literacy, increase social emotional learning and teach healthy coping skills. Psychoeducation programming will be available to community partners to promote grief literacy, expand circle of care and connection point for professionals working with children and youth experiencing grief. 

Teri-Lyn is a Registered Social Worker and recent graduate of the Honours Bachelor of Social Work program from Nipissing University and holds diplomas in Developmental Service Work and Early Childhood Education. Teri-Lyn previously worked in childcare and school settings during her 10-year career as a Registered Early Childhood Educator before continuing her education in Social Services and Social Work after the pandemic. Teri-Lyn is an avid social justice advocate and anti-oppressive practitioner. She promotes and advocates for the best care for all individuals and holds a special space in her heart for individuals and families that navigate the systems around intellectual developmental disabilities and children's mental health. Teri-Lyn offers person-centered, family-centered and strengths-based approaches with the goal to develop and establish meaningful rapports with clients and their families.

Teri-Lyn is a born local from the Nipissing/East Parry Sound region and resides in North Bay and area. She is a busy mother to three wonderful children and supported profoundly by her husband and extended family. She enjoys spending her time with her family with fun activities such as traveling and camping as well as adventuring through her love of fantasy reading. When she is not engaged in activities Teri-Lyn volunteers as a peer facilitator supporting parents and caregivers through Parents and Caregivers for Mental Health (PCMH) promoting a safe space to connect with other families navigating various systems and promoting advocacy for children/youth and their families needing mental health supports.

Bernadette joined the team in August of 2020. As the Fund Development Coordinator, she is responsible for generating revenue for the Hospice. Bernadette likes to network within the community to build partnerships and educate people on the hospice’s needs. She handles sponsorships, marketing, event planning, communications, grant writing, and donor relations. Among other things, Bernadette is instrumental in our major fundraising events, including our annual Hike for Hospice, Escape to the Tropics & Drive-in movie. She also acts as a liaison for third-party events, such as the Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie campaign, Cobs Bread’s Doughraiser, golf tournaments, community bake sales, etc.

 

Bernadette is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism program at Humber College in Toronto. She also has a certificate in Digital Media Design. While Toronto is her hometown, she’s also had the privilege to live in the Middle East and Europe. She moved to North Bay in 2008. 

 

Bernadette has had a long and diverse career in communications, sales, marketing, event management and hospitality. Prior to the joining the hospice, she worked for various organizations like OLG, Toronto Board of Trade, MS Society, Métis Nation of Ontario and Northeastern Ontario Tourism.

 

Bernadette loves to cook, travel, dance, listen to live music, entertain and be outdoors. She says she loves her job and the good work that is done at Nipissing Serenity Hospice, but her biggest accomplishment is being a Mom.

Olivia Parker has been working in the hospice since the front doors were still made of plywood, in late 2019, then as the Administrative Assistant. As the Office Coordinator & Executive Assistant, Olivia provides administrative support in all areas of the hospice, from the kitchen to the care team. Olivia is the first point of contact when calling, mailing, and emailing the hospice, and she is often the first face people see when they come in. Olivia is primarily responsible for donation management and tax receipting, human resources, inventory management, minute-taking, direct fundraising support, and social media management.

 

Olivia was born and raised in North Bay, having attended French elementary and high schools. Olivia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences (BHSc) with a Specialization in Health Studies from the University of Western Ontario, primarily focused Health Promotion and French translation. After her degree, Olivia returned home to North Bay to obtain a postgraduate Certificate in Health Care Administration from Canadore College and complete additional coursework in Sociology at Nipissing University. Olivia has previously worked within the Senior Transportation program for the Red Cross and in shipping and receiving/inventory management.

 

Throughout the capital campaign and construction process of the brand-new Nipissing Serenity Hospice, Olivia kept seeing hospice and palliative care as an intriguing field worth learning more about. As a part of the original hire group for the hospice before opening, Olivia has had so many unique experiences with the organization, including starting operations, successful fundraising events, resident parties, celebrations of life, COVID lockdowns, and so much more. Olivia continues to be a huge advocate for access to palliative care and grief and bereavement services in our area. “What I enjoy most about working at the hospice is the special attention and care given to not only the residents, but also their loved ones. Despite not personally providing direct care to our residents, I am able to provide support to their loved ones, whether it be brewing a fresh pot of coffee or actively listening to them when they need it most.”

 

Olivia is very involved in the local West Ferris Ringette Association, having been involved for over 25 years. She is currently involved as a player, referee, coach, and trainer for minor officials and previously served on the Board of Directors as Sponsorship Director, Communications Director and Community Liaison. When not at the arena, Olivia enjoys spending her time at the cottage with family.

Bruce is responsible for monitoring, maintaining and documenting service of all the Hospice’s mechanical systems. In addition to conducting monthly Fire Alarm training, he also must ensure the staff and fire safety equipment pass an annual Fire Department certification. He provides support to the clinical and administrative staff with general building maintenance. Bruce also does a wonderful job keeping the exterior Hospice property looking great. You will often see him tending to the flower gardens, fruit trees, and lawns to keep them beautiful for our residents, their family, and friends. 

 

Bruce has a lifetime of experience with general maintenance, as well as building maintenance systems. He grew up on the family dairy farm, became very adept with construction equipment operation, had a 20-year career with Bell Canada and 12 years co-managing a large resort operation in Huntsville. Throughout this journey, he managed to fit in a four-year experience engineering and building Fiber optic networks in the Philippines.

 

Having seen and experienced how some people live in the world outside of Canada, Bruce will never forget how privileged we all are in either our family lives, work environment or country. Bruce also never expected, at the twilight of his work career, to work in this beautiful Hospice or work surrounded with such caring and wonderful people.

At Nipissing Serenity Hospice, we are proud to have a compassionate and dedicated team of care team staff, palliative physicians and palliative trained Compassionate Care volunteers. Our physicians and care team work collaboratively with other multidisciplinary professionals and volunteers to care for our residents, 24 hours a day.

Our Care Team is comprised of Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs), Personal Support Workers (PSWs), Physicians, Compassionate Care Volunteers, a Spiritual Support Companion and a Medical Director. Our team aims to foster a supportive environment for our residents and their families. We are dedicated to ensuring the provision of individualized and person-centered care which respects and values the each resident's right to dignity when it comes to their end of life experience.