Marathon

Joanne Berube

Marathon Family Health Team Director, Joanne Berube, arrived in Marathon on March 30th, 1999 from Hamilton, Ontario. Originally, she intended to stay for two years, but after meeting her future husband Ray Berube five months later, she has been happy to call Marathon “home” ever since.
As the MFHT Director, Joanne has the overall responsibility of organizing and managing the Marathon Family Health Team in accordance with established policy structure. She works with all MFHT providers to assist in the implementation of specific programs and services as outlined in her five-year business plan to the Ministry of Health.
Joanne states, “developing the family health team model within the existing practice has been very challenging but also quite rewarding. I have been given a tremendous opportunity to work alongside some very dedicated health professionals committed to improving the delivery of healthcare services to our community, and I am very thankful to be doing something that I love”.
Outside of work, most weekends are spent assisting Ray in the kitchen to help create special dinners for friends, listening to the band practice, and pouring lots of love and attention on her two dogs and four cats!

Dr. Peter Cunniffe

Dr. Peter Cunniffe has been a part of the Marathon Family Health Team for six years, having first come here as a resident physician, and now as a permanent part of the team.
The Aylmer, Ontario native is not only a physician, providing medical care to patients, but is also the current Chief of Staff at Wilson Memorial Hospital. Pete also likes to refer to himself as an “enabler, delegator, and chief troublemaker for the billing staff.”
Pete has a keen interest in the health and well-being of Marathon’s adolescent population and as such, is an active participant in Marathon Family Health Team’s “Doctor in the School” program at Marathon High School. He also provides obstetrical services to the community, and can often be seen participating in any number of sporting activities throughout Marathon.
With the help of other members of the team, Pete is also developing a Smoking Cessation program.
If you were to ask Pete what he likes best about working at MFHT, he would cheekily reply “Pizza at the meetings.”

Dr. Mary Wilson

Born in Scotland and raised in High Prairie, Alberta, Dr. Mary Wilson has been a physician with Marathon Family Health Team since August 1999
As a family physician, she is involved in direct patient care and program development, liaising with the Registered Nurses and the Registered Practical Nurses for policy and service development. As a mother of three, Mary also appreciates the collaborative nature of Marathon Family Health Team and the ability to balance her personal and professional lives. When not at MFHT, Mary enjoys spending time with her family, world travel, reading, cross country skiing, kayaking, camping, and swimming. The best thing about working at MFHT, according to Mary is the atmosphere and the team attitude that everyone displays.

Dr. Sarah Newbery

Hazelton, B.C. native, Dr. Sarah Newbery is in her 10th year as a physician at Marathon Family Health Team.

During her time as a physician at MFHT, Sarah has worked on some of the administrative and program development aspects of MFHT as a member of the Board of Directors. In addition to these office duties, Sarah has worked on hospital inpatient, emergency, and obstetrical duties.

Sarah has taken a special interest in obstetrics and chemotherapy services at Wilson Memorial General Hospital, as well as helping the MFHT Nursing Committee develop their current and future services.

“The opportunity to work with good people who are helping to create a healthier community is the best thing” about working at Marathon Family Health Team, according to Sarah.

Dr. Barb Zelek

Dr. Barb Zelek has been a physician at Marathon Family Health Team for approximately five years. Although she was raised in Toronto, she has fallen in love with the many beautiful, wilderness places around Marathon.

As well as the clinical and obstetrical services that she provides to the community, Barb is also the Learner Co-ordinator for the Northern Ontario Medical School, and is responsible for assisting medical students in reaching their goal of a career in medicine by not only providing formal teaching, but by also arranging clinical time at MFHT for them to gain some hands on experience.

Outside the clinic, Barb can be found spending time with the “ZeLake” (husband Ray Lake, and their children Molly and Kayo), playing volleyball, kayaking and cross country skiing. Barb is also known for her various artistic talents; namely beading, jewelry making and knitting.

Barb takes a great deal of pride in MFHT’s ‘innovative and progressive’ approach to medicine and attempts to live out the philosophy of balancing work, home and community.

Dr. Eliseo Orrantia

Dr. Eliseo “Eli” Orrantia is in his 11th year as a Physician at Marathon Family Health Team. While he considers Marathon his home, he was born in Sudbury, Ontario.

As a physician at MFHT, Eli has helped develop various patient programs in conjunction with the Registered Nurses such as a hypertension program and a new INR/Warfarin monitoring program.

Eli’s personal interests are not just limited to the world of medicine, although describing himself as a “generalist”, he does admit to being interested in every aspect of medicine through the life cycle.

When not at work, Eli can be found spending time with his family, playing volleyball, kayaking, fishing, cycling, and waiting for snow so he can indulge in some cross-country skiing.

When asked what the best thing about working at the Marathon Family Health Team was, Eli simply replied, “The people.”

Dr. Nancy Fitch

Dr. Nancy Fitch comes to Marathon Family Health Team from the heart of Muskoka, Bracebridge, Ontario.

In her seventh year as an Associate Physician at MFHT, Nancy is dedicated to being present in off-site patient appointments and providing great care. She is also known for making the best coffee in the office, messing up the office’s feng shui, and no matter what the issue may be in meetings, she will always try to come up with the most peaceful resolution (sometimes at the hands of promoting a low-carb snack or two.)

Nancy provides pre-natal and obstetrical services, and has recently begun administering trigger point injections to patients with chronic myofascial pain. In addition to these duties, she is also a strong advocate for excellent mental health services in Marathon as a member of MFHT’s social work committee.

Nancy’s favourite things about working at Marathon Family Health Team are working as a group and the feng shui of her office area.

Dr. Scott Wilson

Burlington, Ontario native Dr. Scott Wilson has been a family physician at Marathon Family Health Team for the last eight years.

During his time here, Scott has done a combination of both clinical and administrative work, with his clinical work encompassing not just Marathon Family Health Team and Wilson Memorial General Hospital, but the Pic River First Nations Health Centre as well, where he provided off-site care to members of the community who perhaps were unable to make the trip into Marathon to see him.

Scott also has many interests outside the clinic including providing cardiac stress testing at WMGH, medical informatics, and is an avid cross-country skier and triathlete. He is also helping MFHT move into the digital age by working diligently on an eventual change to electronic medical records.

To Scott, the best thing about MFHT is that he is able to work with a multidisciplinary team with the prospect of expansion of the health care services that we provide to the community.