NOSM Francophone Reference Group Celebrates New Chair and Strategic Plan

It is with great excitement that the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) announces the appointment of Monique Rocheleau as Chair of the Francophone Reference Group (FRG). Rocheleau, Assistant Executive Director for the Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario—the Francophone planning entity for health-care services in Northern Ontario—has been a member of NOSM’s Francophone Reference Group since 2014.

The Francophone Reference Group serves as a resource for the medical school in the fulfilment of its social accountability mandate as it relates to Francophone health education and research. Reporting to the Dean, the FRG provides advice relating to the School’s initiatives, including research, administration, and academic issues in the promotion of excellence in higher learning and accommodation of Francophone culture.

“Monique Rocheleau has an extensive professional and personal background, relating to both the Francophone communities and health-care services,” says Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue, NOSM’s Director of Francophone Affairs. She is a proud citizen of Northern Ontario and a supporter of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine since its inception. Mrs. Rocheleau has already begun to lead the Francophone Reference Group, and we look forward to achieving the objectives set by our members and our community.”

“It is a pleasure for me to be involved with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and the Francophone Reference Group,” says Monique Rocheleau, Chair of NOSM’s Francophone Reference Group. “The work that is being done by the group and the Francophone Affairs Unit is vital for the Northern communities and ensures a better understanding of our realities by NOSM’s learners, faculty, and staff. I also want to recognize the accomplishments and work done by my predecessor, without whom the elaboration of our strategic plan would not have been possible.”

Rocheleau succeeds Jacqueline Gauthier, who was Chair of the Francophone Reference Group from 2010 to 2017 and led the strategic planning process. The FRG’s 2017-2020 strategic plan, recently adopted and presented at the FRG’s last meeting, aims to achieve four objectives:

• Enrich NOSM’s academic programs to promote high quality health care in French for minority Francophone communities in Northern Ontario, including rural and remote communities;
• Strengthen NOSM’s capacity to conduct unparalleled research to study the health-care needs of Francophones living in Northern Ontario;
• Establish within NOSM, a culture and learning environment which contributes to the development and improvement of French-speaking faculty, staff and students; and,
• Strategically mobilize the health-care community, partners and other collaborators to strengthen their relationship with the Francophone community and increase the French-language resources available to its members.

The FRG is composed of the following members: Monique Rocheleau (Chair – Sudbury), Claudette Gleeson (Vice-Chair – Thunder Bay), Dr. Paul Miron (Timmins), France Dallaire (Kapuskasing), Michel Mayer (Noëlville), Dr. Richard Claveau (Hearst), Pierre Plamondon (Sudbury), Shyanne Fournier (Thunder Bay), Dr. Nicole Ranger (Hearst), Sylvie Chouinard (Sudbury), Élodie Grunerud (Thunder Bay), Nicole Riva (Thunder Bay), Dr. David Lesbarrères, (Sudbury), Line Michaud (Sudbury), Michelle Thibeault (Sudbury), Dr. Meghan Cusack (Sudbury), et Dr. Frédéric Sarrazin (Thunder Bay).

NOSM’s newest class of medical students includes 14 Francophone students, which constitutes 22 percent of the overall students admitted in September 2017.

The next Francophone Reference Group meeting is scheduled for November 2017.