Association des Diététistes de soins Primaires
Blending the science of nutrition with the art of food.
Professionnels enfusion de la science de la nutrition et de l’art de l’alimentation.
ABOUT the PCDA
WELCOME! The Primary Care Dietitians' Association (PCDA) officially launched in April of 2020 to support and advocate for registered dietitians working in primary care across Canada. We started as the Family Health Team Registered Dietitian Network in 2006 and have grown over the years to now include dietitians working in various primary care and outpatient settings, private practice and aboriginal health access centres. As a group of dietitians, we are here to support one another in our practice and share our knowledge base to enhance best practice within primary care.
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Benefits of PCDA membership:
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Access to patient resources, EMR tools and standardized tool kits.
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Advocate for primary care dietitians, both provincially and federally.
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Support and advance our profession and leadership within the primary care environment.
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Continuing education through webinars and KTEs provided free to all members.
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Peer support through PCDA's listserv.
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Access to Nutrition Care Manual.
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Recognition of dietitians working in primary care.
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Discounted rate for annual PCDA conference.
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Interest Groups; e.g. Virtual Practice, Critical Care, Northern Regional Group, Dietetics Student Support, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, etc.
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Development of regional strategies to improve patient care and access to primary care dietitians.
VISION:
Primary care dietitians are the leaders in equitable and inclusive medical nutrition therapy for our communities and clients..
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MISSION STATEMENT:
Encouraging primary care dietitians to become highly skilled in providing equitable and inclusive medical nutrition therapy, disease prevention and health promotion through collaboration, education and mentorship. We advocate for access, capacity and integration of dietitians within comprehensive primary care.
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VALUES:
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Evidence Based Practice
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Interprofessional HealthCare
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Collaboration & Sharing
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Continuous Learning & Improvement
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Transparency
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Diversity, Equity &Inclusion
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Mentorship and Preceptorship
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30+
Years of Experience
233
Professional Members
62
Student Members
7
Provinces Represented
BOARD of DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT - LAURIE MICHAEL
Laurie (she/her) is from Charlottetown, PEI and is an RD and Project Coordinator at UPEI's Health Research Network. She has been working as an RD since 2008 after completing the Northern Ontario Dietetic Internship program, following a Bachelor of Nutritional Sciences at UPEI. She also completed Ryerson's Food Security Certificate (2012) and a Masters in Public Health from Lakehead University (2019). Laurie has been privileged to work in a variety of practice settings in Ontario, Nova Scotia and PEI; including a family health team (FHT); inpatient/outpatient; clinical long-term care; convalescent care; clinical outpatient prenatal, postpartum and pediatrics. As a proud, mixed-race, third-generation Lebanese-Canadian, she is an active member of PEI's Livable Income Working Group, PCDA's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, and established an EDI Committee within her current role at UPEI. Laurie enjoys pursuing her passions for cooking, photography, travel, reading, visiting Island beaches, seeing family & friends, and exploring astronomy. Most of all, she loves spending time with her husband and their two adorable boys.
VICE PRESIDENT - TAMEIKA SHAW
Tameika Shaw is the Manager of Primary Care Services with TAIBU Community Health Centre in Scarborough, Ontario. Over the last 12 years, Tameika has practiced as a community dietitian providing counselling on a wide range of diet-related conditions, planning and delivering programs, and working with various community agencies to address food insecurity. Leveraging the skills and knowledge gained in this role, she has made a seamless transition to health leadership with continued focus on improving health outcomes of the individual and community and is often described as approachable and humble while being effective in leadership and project management. In her current role, Tameika has co-led clinic initiatives that aim to improve patient access to care, build capacity and foster external partnerships. In addition to her primary job functions, she is the clinical lead in the Centre’s pandemic and COVID-19 response; including testing and vaccine initiatives. Tameika obtained her Bachelor of Applied Science in Nutrition and Food at Ryerson University and holds a graduate degree in Health Sciences from the University of Toronto. In addition to the PCDA, she is a member of the College of Dietitians of Ontario and the Community Health Centre Dietitian Action Group.
SECRETARY / TREASURER - CHRISTINA TRAN
Christina Tran has been a registered dietitian since 2013. After completing her undergraduate degree from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) and her masters at the University of Toronto, Christina spent some time working in public health at Nutrition Connections (formerly The Nutrition Resource Centre). In 2015 Christina joined Sherbourne Health where she focuses primarily on newcomers through individual counselling, capacity building, community engagement, and more. Having studied and worked in downtown Toronto for many years, Christina has become very passionate about the city's coffee and croissant scene. Outside of work you can find her exploring different trails with her dog.
DIRECTOR - SONIA FILICE
Sonia has been working as a Registered Dietitian in Primary Care in Windsor, Ontario since 2016 when she completed the Coordinated Program in Dietetics as well as her Master's Degree in Nutrition & Food Science at Wayne State University. She is a former recipient of the Barb Manilla Award of Excellence and an award-winning recipe creator. She creates many of her own recipes to share with patients at her FHT that focus on sustainable and economical ingredients while blending the science of nutrition with the art of food.
DIRECTOR - YIJING (CATHERINE) CAI
Yijing (Catherine) Cai has been a Registered Dietitian since 2018. She has experience working in Primary Care and Long-Term Care settings. She enjoys the diversity in Primary Care and is currently an RD at the Crosstown Family Health Team. She grew up in China and is a self-proclaimed, adventurous foodie. She enjoys exploring new areas, learning new cultures, and trying different cuisines in her spare time with her friends and family.
DIRECTOR - RAWAN ALJBOUR
Rawan is an Internationally educated professional dietitian, who has been providing nutrition services for over 15 years. She graduated from the University of Jordan in 2007 and worked in the Middle East for almost 7 years. In 2015, Rawan moved to Canada with a dream to become an RD. She attended the Internationally Educated Professional in Nutrition (IEPN) Program in 2017 at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) to achieve her Canadian registration allowing her to practice in Canada, and has been working as a Primary Care dietitian ever since. As a member of the PCDA's Board of Directors, Rawan hopes to improve cultural dietetic practices by providing education and enlightening dietitians about Middle eastern cultural foods and traditions. Rawan enjoys hiking in nature, photography, traveling, and trying new foods. She also enjoys cooking and sharing her Middle eastern recipes on her Instagram Account.
DIRECTOR - ASHLEY LYONS
Ashley completed a Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at the University of Western Ontario, followed by her Masters of Applied Nutrition and dietetic internship at the University of Guelph. She has worked as a Registered Dietitian since 2010 and has experience working in long term care and chronic disease management. She is a Certified Diabetes Educator and enjoys helping people reach their diabetes management goals through healthy eating and lifestyle interventions. In addition to her work as a Registered Dietitian, Ashley has held various management positions and has a passion for helping others learn and develop to their full potential. When she is not working, Ashley enjoys running, hiking, camping and spending time with her family and friends.
DIRECTOR - MELISSA ARSENAULT
Melissa is from a small Acadian French community in PEI. She has been working as a dietitian since 2014. Melissa has been fortunate to gain dietetic experiences in a variety of settings such as inpatients/outpatient, long term care, palliative care, prenatal and postnatal, pediatrics and home care. She is currently working in an ambulatory setting with diabetes and chronic disease management. Melissa is also a board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2021. She is a board member of a family resource centre servings 6 Francophones region in PEI. During her spare time, she enjoys cooking/baking and spending time outside being active. She mostly enjoys the PEI summers, where she gets to spend her time at the cottage with her children.
STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - KRISTEN GARLAND
Kristen has held various managerial positions throughout her 20-year corporate career with experience in leadership, strategy, public relations, marketing and communications. She has dedicated the last fifteen years to advocacy work, partnering with global organizations like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and Diabetes Canada, represented The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre as the Chair of their Parent Advisory Council and Outreach & Engagement Committee. After her daughter’s diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in 2013, Kristen returned to school to achieve her Masters of Applied Nutrition from the University of Guelph. She has since been working in primary care and private practice as a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator.
