Recipient of the 2020 CASE MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Maureen Palmer

Nominated For: CASE MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Maureen Palmer is honoured to be nominated for this award!

Maureen is a Nurse Rehabilitation Consultant/ Case Manager and owner of Palmer & Associates Rehabilitation Inc. She has over 25 years of Nursing, Case Management, Education and Leadership experience. Maureen graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences; Nursing from Charles Stuart University, Australia and maintains specialty Certification with the American Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. She has worked with clients with Acquired Brain Injury and complex injuries, along with skilled multidisciplinary teams across a spectrum of health care including as; Critical Care Teacher in the Intensive Care Units at The Toronto Hospital; guest lecturer at George Brown College and Ryerson; clinical nursing in Montreal and across GTA Hospitals and Rehabilitation Centers in trauma, neurosurgery, intensive care; and Rehabilitation Case Management.

Maureen feels fortunate that her experience in a caring profession has provided her the opportunity to build a foundation of medical knowledge, critical thinking and astute assessment skills that have allowed her to excel in her role as a Nurse Case Manager and as a trusted resource to her clients, teams, legal and insurance representatives.

She is passionate about understanding the impact of the injury on her client’s lives and the subtle and complex medical and rehabilitation support needs, in order to help clients successfully reach their potential and achieve their goals. For Maureen, it is a privilege to advocate for and collaborate with clients, families and rehabilitation colleagues in the journey through recovery and living with ABI. She continues to be inspired by her client’s resilience and determination despite adversity, the diverse and creative expertise of her fellow team members and strives to foster a compassionate person-driven team approach that offers hope, optimism, empowerment and the opportunity to help clients define their identity, personally meaningful life activities and maximize their quality of life.

Advocating for her clients and her commitment to quality public and private ABI rehabilitation extends to volunteering her time to promote ABI education and evidenced-informed services. She is appreciative of the opportunity to have presented at webinars and conferences; and participated on committees and initiatives, to speak to colleagues, stakeholders and survivors about the impact of policies on healthcare and access to quality rehabilitation. She has been a member of the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF) ABI Research Committee, an International Guideline Panel Member for the ONF Guidelines for Diagnosing and Managing Pediatric Concussion 2014, RNAO representative on the Rehabilitation Council of Ontario, and Past President of the Ontario Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. Maureen is delighted to now serve on the Board of the Ontario Rehab Alliance.

Maureen would like to extend her genuine appreciation and gratitude to her rehabilitation peers, OBIA and PIA Law for recognizing her with this nomination. Maureen is proud to have a played a small part in an industry with so many experts, in positively impacting the lives of many individuals living with ABI, SCI and complex injuries.