Patient Partners
Ron is a caregiver advocate, community leader, and innovator whose work focuses on aging, caregiving, technology, and patient engagement. His perspective is grounded in lived experience after many years supporting and caring for both of his aging parents, including his father who lived with Alzheimer’s disease for over a decade and his mother who lived with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Ron is the past co-chair of AGE-WELL NCE’s Older Adults and Caregiver Advisory Committee, Canada’s national network focused on technology and aging. He also contributes as a Patient Voice Advisor with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), helping ensure patient and caregiver perspectives are reflected in health system conversations, policy discussions, research, and innovation.
He regularly serves as an advisor, mentor, and collaborator with organizations and research teams across Canada, including Healthcare Excellence Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Alzheimer and dementia organizations, and healthcare innovators, helping strengthen engagement with aging adults, caregivers, and communities.
Ron is also the founder of WeCanBe.ca, a national engagement platform connecting aging adults, caregivers, researchers, innovators, and community organizations with opportunities to participate in research, innovation, and community initiatives related to aging and caregiving in Canada.
A frequent speaker at universities, colleges, and national conferences, including programs in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, and aging studies, Ron helps students and researchers better understand meaningful engagement with patients, caregivers, and communities.
His contributions to caregiving and care innovation have received national recognition, including the Ontario Caregiver Organization’s Janet Beed Impact Award and the Vickie Cammack Trailblazer Award from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, both received in 2025.
Earlier in his career, Ron was Founder and Executive Director of a Youth Career and Employment Centre that served over 30,000 young people, immigrants, and career seekers in the Toronto area. Ron can be found at www.rb33.com/ron, on LinkedIn @RonBeleno, or through his Linktree at linktr.ee/ronbeleno.
Lois Letcher, M.Ed.
Originally from the Maritimes, Lois has demonstrated a strong commitment to higher education through two decades of post-secondary leadership. As an award-winning practitioner, her passion for initiatives promoting equitable access has significantly shaped her life and perspective. In her role as Assistant Dean of Students, Lois was involved in qualitative research projects and participated in several university committees focused on student success, academic policy, and community engagement.
Lois's journey in healthcare advocacy is deeply personal. After retiring early, she became the primary caregiver for her husband, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and Lewy Body dementia. This experience opened the door to patient advocacy and community engagement through speaking engagements, fundraising for healthcare, and supporting those providing care. Her husband’s passing strengthened her resolve, leading her to pursue a second master’s degree, a stepping stone towards her dream of doctoral studies in thanatology.
Lois is a passionate advocate for innovative research and best practices. Her unwavering commitment to inclusion and accessibility drives her mission to be part of diverse initiatives in rural Ontario healthcare. Serving as a Patient Partner with the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine at Western University has been very rewarding. Lois looks forward to continuing to advocate, encourage, and support patient-centered healthcare initiatives and research that will further impact the future of Ontario healthcare.
Sandra MacKenzie, MScN
Sandra is a retired Public Health Nurse with 32 years experience in Public and Community Health. Her philosophy of practice was based on honouring the primacy of the patient and their family. For seven years she worked as the Public Health Nurse at a Teaching Family Medical Centre affiliated with Western University. Using an interdisciplinary team approach to practice, the team provided excellent Primary Health Care to patients and their families.
This experience also focused on the education of medical students and Family Practice Residents. The interdisciplinary approach to patient care provided an excellent teaching and learning opportunity for the residents, medical students and staff. She was involved in Primary Health Care Research and her practice was informed by the transfer of evidence based knowledge into practice.
She also worked as a Clinical instructor in the School of Nursing at Western University. Her teaching focused on the importance of the health care professional's role in developing a relational practice with the patient and their family.
The experience at the Medical Centre and her management experience at the Middlesex London Health Unit provided a strong foundation for her current involvement as a Patient Partner with the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine at Western University.
She worked in Ethiopia during the 1985 famine. The Camp was created in response to the famine and had a feeding center, small hospital and large outpatient department, all under tents! This opportunity allowed her to reflect on the importance of providing health care policy, planning and service delivery at the population, group and individual level in the wider context of the community's reality
On a personal note, for the past 7 years I was the primary caregiver for my husband. With great courage, he lived with Advanced Macular Degeneration, a colostomy and dementia. His diseases naturally affected our family and my role as his wife and caregiver. There were many lessons learned. Although this was a stressful time, there were many opportunities for us to develop an even more loving relationship. The importance of the Family Physician and other medical and community services was an invaluable support to help us live independently in our home. Our experience and lessons learned will be an asset to my role as a Patient Partner in the TUTOR PHC Program.
