Our People
Interim Executive Director and Regional Parish Nurse Coordinator: Karen Marks
Karen Marks, a registered nurse, currently acts as Ontario Regional Parish Nurse Coordinator and Interim Executive Director for InterChurch Health Ministries Canada (ICHM). Karen participated in the Parish Nurse Pilot Project initiated by ICHM which began in the fall of 1995, and served as a Parish Nurse for twelve years. Karen holds an Honours BA in Sociology from Trent University. Her Honours Thesis is titled, “An Exploratory Study of the Patterns and Processes in Parish Nursing Ministry.” Karen has also earned a Masters of Theological Studies from Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. Karen served on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association for Parish Nursing Ministry from 2004 to 2008 including three years as Chair. Karen has also completed the Spiritual Direction Training Program at Mt. Carmel Spiritual Centre in Niagara Falls in association with the Haden Institute and has trained as a labyrinth facilitator with Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress.
Presentations
Paper Presentations:
Concurrent session at the 2009 Vision and Reality Conference of the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario, “Parish Nursing Ministry and TT: Creating Healing Teams in Churches.” Toronto, Ontario
Concurrent session, “Calling , Courage, Challenge: Gifts of the Parish Nurse Advocate.” 22nd Annual Westberg Parish Nurse Symposium, September 2008, St. Louis, MO, presented by the International Parish Nurse Resource Center.
Posters:
“ICHM Canada Parish Nurse Ministry to Seniors Captured in DIARY Notes.” Presented at the Westberg Symposium (International Parish Nurse Resource Center), St. Louis, MI, September 2010,
“A Congregational Development Model of Parish Nursing Ministry: Fostering Healthy Communities Through Christ’s Healing Minsitry.” Canadian Association for Parish Nursing Ministry, AGM and Conference, May 2008, Ingersoll, Ontario.
Contact
Karen Marks can be reached via email at: karen@ichm.ca