In early March, the Town of Niverville announced that they assembled a new board, Niverville Health Care Services Inc. (NHCSI), to assume operational control of the Open Health clinic in Niverville under a social enterprise model. They also hired a business manager to oversee operations. Her name is Kristen Fyfe, and we’d like to introduce you to her.

Fyfe has previous certification and experience in athletic and massage therapy, as well as a Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences. She has worked as a health management specialist in a multidisciplinary clinic that included a variety of health professionals, including a physiatrist and psychologist.

In her previous management experience, she was responsible for planning, budgeting, and managing long-term rehabilitation programs for individuals recovering from illness or injury. The position also included coordination with case managers and third-party insurers in order to advocate for optimal patient care while remaining fiscally responsible.

Fyfe is also local. Having grown up nearby, she has been a resident of Niverville for about ten years. She and her husband have two daughters.

“I grew up in a nearby community and spent most of my life in a rural setting,” says Fyfe. “My husband and I… have loved living here, but especially so since having our children. We have met so many other families and have a whole new experience in the community.”

One of the first tasks given to Fyfe as business manager is to deliver a complete review of the current operation of Open Health, including drafting the 2020 operational budget, creating job descriptions, working on initial clinician recruitment contacts, and sitting down with key stakeholders within and outside the clinic environment.

The clinic currently employs a few part-time physicians, one full-time physician, and two nurse practitioners. Other professionals who work out of the clinic’s space are employed directly by Southern Health—a primary care nurse, dietitian, speech therapist, chronic disease nurse, public health nurses, and mental health workers, among others.

To remain viable, Open Health will need to hire more clinicians to fill short- and long-term positions.

NHCSI is also looking to fill vacancies on its board, which so far includes Mayor Myron Dyck, founding physician Dr. Chris Burnett, and Councillor Nathan Dueck. The board is looking to appoint a representative from the Niverville Chamber of Commerce and one member at large from the community.

“The board is still working towards being finalized,” says Niverville CAO Eric King. “Currently the Chamber of Commerce is reviewing and will provide us an update in March. Currently the board is populated by council until the community members are brought up to speed.”

The town is looking for Fyfe to get a handle on the current operating environment, and from there improve the patient experience and financial operations of the clinic while developing a long-term growth strategy to fill the clinic and meet the needs of patients.

“I am highly motivated to be a part of the clinic, as I know the history of the Burnetts starting it so many years ago and the growth it has already had,” Fyfe says. “They have been so important for this community, so I only hope to live up to and exceed their expectations—and not only keep the clinic open but be a part of it prospering for years to come. I have been warmly welcomed by the clinicians and staff at Open Health. There is a great team there right now. I look forward to working with them.”

Fyfe has been well received in her new role, but she admits that the sudden arrival of COVID-19 has meant she is attempting to learn a business while dealing with intense external stressors from the current health environment. This has made a challenging situation much more so.

When asked if COVID-19 would change any of the most pressing tasks, such as hiring new physicians, Fyfe says, “The plan never changes—our goal is to look after our patients, to serve them. The needs and reasons will ebb and flow… Yes, we will still focus time on growing the social enterprise and hope to have an announcement in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, our current clinicians are available to meet the needs of our current patients.” 

A new innovation—new to the whole province, not just to Open Health—is the introduction of virtual doctor visits. These will be available to residents in Niverville and the surrounding area starting March 19 using teleconferencing.

“For the patients who already had appointments scheduled, they will be contacted about the change to a virtual visit,” says Fyfe. “We ask for patience as we navigate in this new reality and our hope is to be able to serve a larger patient pool in the region shortly.”

Fyfe values communication and is determined to learn about each of her team members’ strengths.

“I think open communication is so important,” she adds. “I consider myself to be a good listener and I am able to take an individual’s ideas and concerns and implement those into positive changes.”