Brenda is a Registered Nurse and a member of College of Nurses of Ontario. She has been working as a Diabetes Educator for 14 years with Scarborough Academic Family Health Team, educating patients and their families about how to best manage their diabetes, she works collaboratively with their family doctors and other members of the Interdisciplinary Health Team, to develop the best treatment plan, educate them on nutrition and medications, and promote positive lifestyle choices.

Certification in Solution Focused Counseling. Provide brief counseling and lead psycho-educational groups on issues pertaining to mental health such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral group) for Anxiety and Depression. Trained in Solution Focused Counseling, CBT, Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Therapy. Believe in utilizing client strengths to help achieve positive client outcomes.

Denise is a Registered Social Worker who takes a client centered approach. She has over 10 years experience providing therapy to individuals and groups. She has training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, Solution Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Therapy and Trauma Informed Therapy.

Elena is one of our front-desk receptionists, and has been with the SAFHT since 2010. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce with a major in Accounting.

She is responsible for coordinating the booking, cancelling and rescheduling of patient appointments, for the Allied Health professionals she is responsible for. Elena enjoys what she does and is a great team player.

An experienced, organized Administrative Professional who joined the SAFHT in 2012. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts, a Diplôme de Langue from the Alliance Française, and a Professional Secretarial Diploma. I am also a member of the Human Resources Professional Association.

My strong administrative skill set, in terms of office administration, time management, attention to detail, organization and planning is what has made me successful in my past roles, and still continues to make me successful in this role.

Primarily functioning out of the Administrative Office, I work closely with the Executive Director in making sure that all the routine administrative and operational deadlines are met in a timely manner. My role also includes support to all our team members as and when requested. Keeping in mind my notion of “No Job is too Big or too Small for me to accomplish”, I enjoy taking on all kinds of different tasks, with one goal in mind, and that is to ensure efficient operations at all times.

My work experience, along with my excellent creative, written and verbal communication skills, continue to sustain the passion I have for my role as the Administrative Assistant at the SAFHT.

Grace is one of our front-desk receptionists and has been with the SAFHT since 2009. She is a polite, and professional team player located at our SAFHT Victoria Park location.

Grace has a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, from the St Paul University, Manila Philippines, and a Diploma in Medical Office Administration & Business Studies from Humber College, Toronto ON.

Initially as the only receptionist, Grace was solely responsible for for the booking administration of 9 Allied Health professionals - 5 Social Workers, a Dietitian, a Diabetes Educator, a Pharmacist and a Chiropodist who were all located at the SAFHT offices at Victoria Health Centre.

Prior to joining the SAFHT Grace has worked as a Medical Office Assistant for an OB/GYN for six and a half years .

Greg has worked in the Mental Health and Addictions field for over 40 years in various settings such as Hospitals, Child and Youth Services, Community Crisis Teams, Addiction Services, and Mental Health Agencies. He has professional training and certification in the areas of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Therapy, Brief Solution Focused, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Grief and Bereavement, Psychosocial Rehabilitation, Concurrent Disorders and Additions, Acupuncture Detoxification, Opioid Dependence and Smoking Cessation.

I have been working with the Scarborough Academic Family Health Team since 2013. I am currently working as a Chronic Disease Management Nurse and a Quit Smoking Coach. I value teaching clients to self manage their pre-diabetic condition, so they can delay or postpone a diabetic diagnosis. I also help our patients to self-manage their diabetic condition, and to quit smoking to have better quality of life.

Jacky Fu completed his undergraduate studies at Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree. He later pursued his healthcare career and enrolled in the Chiropody program at the Michener Institute of Education at UHN and received his Advanced Graduated Diploma in Chiropody. Jacky’s ultimate goal is helping his patients to be mobile and pain free. He has a strong interest in a variety of fields such as biomechanics, rheumatology and sports medicine.

Kaushi started working with the Scarborough Academic Family Health Team since 2023. I worked in the Mental Health sector and developmental service sector in various settings. I coordinate services and support for home bound patients. Kaushi has a degree in Health Service Management degree from Athabasca University.

Kristin Labuca is based at our Sheppard/ Kennedy location. She has been working with the Scarborough Academic Family Health Team since 2014. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology.

Leahanne is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s Degree in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Guelph and specialized training health literacy, motivational interviewing and coaching to support behaviour change. She has over 10 years experience as a dietitian working in a variety of primary care settings with children, youth and adults. Leahanne provides individual nutrition counseling, and nutrition group programs to clients.

I have been working with SAFHT since 2006. I started working from application and development of the team, recruiting doctors to join the team. Have a vast experience in both Hospital and Primary care setting. Helped in migrating the whole team from paper-based practice into Electronic-based. I love the concept of a Family Health team, the collaboration of different allied health professionals and doctors for a wraparound patient care.

Lucy Pinheiro is a Registered Nurse who has lived and worked her whole life in Scarborough and takes pride in serving the community she lives in. She has been nursing for over 30 years and has been with SAFHT since 2009. Her passion for nursing has her collaborating with many of her Interdisciplinary Health Professional colleagues delivering SAFHT’s programs such as DM Conversation Maps, the Sleep Workshop, Dietitian lead programs and the Smoking Cessation through CAMH.

Naz is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Worker and Social Service Workers with over 14 years of experience working in the Social Work field, she earned her Master of Social Work from University of Windsor.

In her practice, Naz approaches care from a person-centered, strength-based, trauma-informed, and intersectional approaches to provide inclusive supports environment that fosters healthy exploration of challenges and barriers. She incorporates various evidence-based treatment modalities to meet the unique needs of each of her clients, providing quality mental health care has been guiding principle in her work as a social worker. Naz provides service in both English and Farsi.

Nicholas Joachimides is a Registered Nurse with over 22 years of experience in Healthcare. Nicholas started his career right here in Scarborough, working in Acute Pediatrics at Scarborough General, he then went to work more than 20 years at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, working in various roles in frontline care to leadership. Nicholas holds two Master's Degrees one from Western University (Wound Healing) and one from the University of Toronto (Quality Improvement).

Nitin Aryal is a Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner and she is working with Scarborough Academic Family Health Team since 2018. Nitin has worked in many areas of nursing; ranging from critical care settings, general medicine, and community nursing. Nitin also holds a Certified Diabetes Educator certificate. Nitin always strives to improve the quality of life of her patients, and she envisions creating a safe and healthy community.

Rebeca began working with SAFHT since 2017. She is responsible for greeting patients, answering phones calls, and providing administrative support to healthcare providers onsite/remotely. She has 9 years of experience as a receptionist and holds a Diploma in Medical Office Administration from George Brown College.

Rose has worked as a Registered Nurse with SAFHT since 2009. She is working as a CDM nurse, focusing mainly on Diabetes, Hypertension, and Dyslipidemia. Her teaching focuses on the power of lifestyle changes to assist in reversing, and not simply managing the disease. She offers patients general suggestions on improving diet, healthy eating specifically, a whole food-plant based diet, and physical activity.

Sayanthene is a Chiropodist with the Scarborough Academic Family Health Team since 2014. She completed her undergraduate degree in Human Biology from the University of Toronto. She received her Advanced Graduate Diploma in Chiropody at the Michener Institute in Toronto.

Sharona is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She has specialized training in mindful eating, diabetes and weight management. She received her undergraduate degree in Food and Nutrition and Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario. She also has a master’s degree from the University of Guelph and York University. She has over 10 years' experience as a dietitian working collaboratively in a primary care setting where she provides individual counselling and group programs on a variety of topics such as cholesterol management, healthy eating, irritable bowel syndrome and picky eating.

Sherry is a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator. She provides individual nutrition counseling, and nutrition group programs (i.e. Taste and Learn and Heart Health Program) to clients. Sherry also works in conjunction with SAFHT’s Chronic Disease Management and Mental Health Program in facilitating health promotion and disease prevention.

I am a Registered Social Worker with a Master of Social Work, working with SAFHT since 2013 . I provide individual counselling and facilitate educational groups and workshops. My clinical experience is in helping people with anxiety , depression , grief , stress and burn outs, life transitions, self-esteem issues and care giver stress . I am trained in evidence-based practices like CBT and other modalities that help people to improve their mental health and promote continued growth and wellbeing .

Sylwia joined Scarbrough Academic Family Health Team in 2015. She has a varied background in emergency, critical care, outpost and community nursing. Sylwia’s passionate about helping others live their best life and transition with grace and dignity into their final years. Sylwia will walk alongside you, providing guidance and options to help you navigate the healthcare system and live your best life.

Wilwena Mungalchety is a Registered Nurse, BScN since 1993. She worked in Toronto, Canada and several countries as an RN in fast-paced hospital set up, managing acute and chronic diseases for decades. She received her Graduate Certificate as a Diabetes Educator at The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences in 2011. She has specialized training for Facilitating Behavior Change through American Association of Diabetes Educators in 2012. She has been working with the Scarborough Academic Family Health Team for over 10 years. Along with chronic disease prevention, she has a passion for education and counselling. She supports patients with Diabetes, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, and Renal Diseases to gain the skills and knowledge needed to manage their chronic disease. In reviewing diet, lifestyle, oral medication and insulin, and laboratory reports with patients, she strives to empower patients in their self-management journey to reach their goals. She enjoys facilitating both one-on-one and group Diabetes Conversation Map sessions. She is a member of the College of Nurses in Ontario and the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Wylene is a Registered Nurse with SAFHT for over 10 years. She currently assists with primary care and manages chronic disease focusing on diabetes and hypertension. Her goal is to educate patients with the knowledge and confidence to successfully achieve better health outcomes. She values the importance of ongoing support for patients to better manage their condition and help navigate through collaboration with the team. She truly believes that ‘nurses are the ❤️ heart of healthcare.’

A polite, friendly and extremely capable receptionist with a Diploma in Medical Office Administration. I joined the SAFHT Team in 2017, and prior to that, I have worked for 14 years at the CNIB. I enjoy communicating with the patients both face-to-face and on the phone to schedule, rebook and cancel appointments. Collaborating with the team is also very important to me.