Mission

Driven by the belief that care and outcomes can be better, Strive Health strives to improve the quality of healthcare via the application of evidence-based principles and processes of a continuous quality improvement model in health systems management. ​Strive believes that by uncovering, understanding and addressing root causes of care gaps collaboratively with healthcare partners, health outcomes can be improved.

Meet the Team

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Joanna Nemis-White, BSc, PMP (she/her)
Principal & Founder

Joanna has worked collaboratively in the healthcare industry across Canada since 1990. For the past 26 years, she has developed and supported continuous quality improvement partnership projects aimed at enhancing patient care and outcomes, with numerous and diverse healthcare partners in both the public, non-profit and private sectors. Since 2010, Strive Health has been supporting and collaborating with Nova Scotia Health, the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, non-profit and private-sector clients. Recent example initiatives include environmental and jurisdictional scans, literature reviews, meeting facilitation and succinct report writing.

As a leader in project and quality improvement, Joanna holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI)®. With over 32 years of healthcare experience, Joanna possess not only PMBoK ‘theoretical knowledge’, but practical real-world expertise, including understanding the challenges of ‘project sustainability’.  Joanna is certified in change management in accordance with Prosci® methodologies and tools, having extensive practical experience supporting stakeholders during the change processes. Additionally, she has completed Group Facilitation Methods (Technology of Participation, ToP methods and tools), Understanding Stigma, Mental Health First Aid and HITS (Health Informatics Training System), Level 1 Education Courses. Joanna is a current member of the Nova Scotia PMI Chapter (volunteer) and the Canadian Evaluation Society (past CES-NS treasurer, C2019 volunteer and member-at-large).

View Joanna's CV

Strive Health Collaborators

Terry Montague

Terrence Montague, CM, CD, MD (he/him)
CareNet Health Management Consulting

Formerly Professor of Medicine at the Universities of Alberta and Montreal and Vice-President of Merck Frosst Canada, Terry founded the Clinical Quality Improvement Network, the partnership / measurement template for subsequent benchmark disease management projects like ICONS (Improving Cardiovascular Outcomes in Nova Scotia) and TEAM (Towards Excellence in Asthma Management).

Terry is the author of “Patients First: Closing the Health Care Gap in Canada” and “Patient Health Management for Dummies”.  He provides consulting and educational services (strategic and tactical planning, knowledge translation, writing, publishing, networking and communication) in the fields of disease management, team-based care and patient safety, with a vision to achieving the best health for the most people at the best cost. Terry has collaborated with Strive Health since inception and has been a colleague and mentor to Joanna for the past 26 years.

In 2016, Dr. Montague was appointed into the Order of Canada for his contributions to the management of cardiovascular disease and to the advancement of patient health management.

Ellen headshot

Dr. Ellen Crumley, MLIS, PhD (she/her)
Consultant

Dr. Ellen T. Crumley holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Management and Organization from the University of Alberta and the Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University. She has over two decades of multi-disciplinary healthcare experience as a researcher, consultant, professor, librarian, and volunteer. Ellen has worked in academia, health authorities, non-profits and medical communications companies in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec and Nova Scotia. She specializes in interviews, focus groups and ethnography (participant observations) to explore the lived experiences of professionals, families, and patients in international, national and local contexts. In addition to grant- and report-writing, Ellen has extensive experience in expert searching, environmental scans, literature & systematic reviews, as well as family and patient guides.

Dr. Crumley is Affiliate Scientist with Nova Scotia Health, an Associate Scientist with the Maritime Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit and a Scientist with Lab2Market Health. With Nova Scotia Health, she is a researcher on the Medical Assistance in Dying Advisory Committee and an engaged citizen on: NS Health Fast Feedback Team, and Surgery Strategic Network. Dr. Crumley is also a Board member and communications lead for the Twin Oaks/Birches Health Care Charitable Foundation.

View Ellen's CV

Other collaborators include Custom Analytica (Patty Montague, MSc (Epid.) Principal), Move Live Learn LLC (Amanda Stanec, PhD) and a wide range of subject matter experts.