REACH Team

Dr Karl Stobbe practiced and taught rural family medicine in Beamsville for over 20 years.  January 1st 2018 Dr. Stobbe accepted the role of McMaster Family Medicine Post Graduate Niagara Site Director.  Previously he served as Rural Program Director in McMaster’s Department of Family Medicine, and developed a rural stream of training for Family Medicine Residents. He led the Expansion Planning Team for the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University, developing McMaster medical campuses in Waterloo and Niagara regions. He served as the Regional Assistant Dean of the Niagara Campus and recently stepped down from that position after 10 years.  

His interests include: ensuring access to healthcare for marginalized populations, improving the quality of healthcare, and improving the functioning of our healthcare system.

Nationally, he was president of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada from 2008-2010. 

Internationally, Dr. Stobbe currently leads projects in Nepal, Philippines and Peru.   

While working for the Hotel Dieu Hospital in the Niagara Clinical Teaching and Research Centre Fran was recruited by the Niagara Health System for the implementation and coordination of the McMaster Surgical Clinical Teaching Program. She was subsequently appointed as the first Program Administrator of the McMaster Niagara Regional Campus.  Fran retired from the Niagara Health System/McMaster University after more than thirty years of service. She continues to volunteer in the Niagara Community currently focusing her efforts on the REACH Niagara Program and Hospice Niagara.

I started my professional career as a Clinical Dietitian at a Children’s Hospital in St John’s Newfoundland.  Following that, I moved back to Ontario to pursue what would become a Doctorate in Applied Human Nutrition. Once finished, I began a research position with the Cardiac Surgeons at St. Michael’s Hospital where I studied how nutrition could impact the functioning of the heart. I became an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and opened a research laboratory. I mentored many Masters students as well as medical students who required a community research experience.  I was able to develop some strong collaborations and successfully obtained funding from both the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. I did find myself missing my nutrition roots and after six years took an education position at St. Michael’s which involved managing the dietetic internship training program and continuing with my research endeavors. I had the opportunity to teach at both the University of Toronto and Ryerson University in their Nutrition Programs. I decided that I wanted to make a career change after about 12 years at St. Michael’s Hospital. I completed a Masters of Health Science in Health Administration at the University of Toronto. Once completed I looked for an opportunity to use my new skills. I landed at the Garden City Family Health Team as Executive Director.  In April of 2017 we merged with the Niagara on the Lake Family Health Team to become the Niagara North Family Health Team. On a more personal note, I have two teenaged sons and enjoy fishing, hiking and cooking with my husband. 

Carolyn (she/her/hers) has worked in various health care planning, leadership, and quality improvement roles over the past decade. She has held positions from leading primary care engagement initiatives on behalf of Niagara Region Public Health to championing the Health Links model of care in collaboration with system partners. She had the opportunity to lead a primary care and interprofessional team with a local Community Health Centre which sparked her passion in advancing health equity for marginalized populations. Most recently, Carolyn supported an Ontario Health Team in advancing their integrated model of care by leveraging digital health tools to enhance clinical pathways with a focus on equitable care. Carolyn is a firm believer in staying connected to the community where she volunteers with Positive Living’s Board of Directors. Carolyn has a Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences from Brock University and a postgraduate certificate in Human Resources from York University.