Dr. Debra Boyce
Family Doctor
I have practiced Family Medicine and Obstetrics since 1990. I live with my husband and 2 teens here in Peterborough. I hold an honours degree in Human Biology and Biomedical Science (Guelph), Medical Doctorate (Toronto), and a fellowship in Family Medicine (Ottawa). My additional interests include safer medical care and health care systems. While I did a full family practice for over 15 years, I now focus on the care of women and newborns. PIPC has been a dream for me for many years and I was very happy to have the opportunity to plan this clinic when the Family Health Teams were created in Ontario. We have a terrific team and all share a strong passion for this area of medicine and the wellbeing of mothers and babies.
Dr. Claire Kenny-Scherber
Family Doctor
I am very excited to be joining the great team at Partners in Pregnancy clinic! I grew up in Waterloo, Ontario and then completed my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Guelph in 2006. Following that I completed medical school and Family Medicine residency at McMaster University in 2011. During this time I discovered my passion for maternity care so I completed 4 extra months of training in obstetrics. I started out my career in Hamilton working at the Maternity Centre of Hamilton in 2011 doing Family Medicine Obstetrics. At this time I also worked in the ER, student health, a downtown community health centre, and did some Global Health.
In 2014 I gave birth to my son Ollie in Hamilton. Through this experience I discovered another area of interest: breastfeeding. In 2015 I completed the Breastfeeding Program at Mohawk College and did clinical training in Breastfeeding and tongue-tie release at the Jack Newman Breastfeeding Clinic in Toronto. I hope that these experiences will be helpful to the mothers and babies at PIPC.
Outside of medicine, I have many loves including traveling, hanging out with my husband, son, and dog, biking, running, swimming, tending to my veggie garden, and competing in triathlons. I am very excited about moving to Peterborough and joining the amazing team at PIPC!
Dr. Jessi Dobyns
Family Doctor
I am originally from the United States, and came to Canada in 1999 to attend Lester Pearson United World College. I moved to Peterborough in 2001, and completed my B.A. (Honours) at Trent University in 2004. I then worked as a teaching assistant in International Development Studies at Trent, and spent four years working in small-scale farming and local food security projects. I went on to McMaster Medical School, graduating in 2011, and returned to Peterborough for Family Medicine residency through Queens University, after which I did additional training in obstetrics.
It was here in Peterborough that my interest in obstetrics turned into a love of comprehensive maternity care. I was inspired by Partners in Pregnancy's wonderful model, and by the dedication and skill of the whole team. I'm honoured to join this clinic, and share a passion for providing supportive patient-centred care during this life-changing time for people. Having an inclusive practice is an important value of mine- I am LGBTQ-friendly and want people from all walks of life to feel welcomed and supported. I also work part-time in a family medicine practice, and am busy at home with my young son, who grows even faster than the weeds in my vegetable garden.
Dr. Mabel Mak
Family Doctor
I am originally from Edmonton, Alberta, and after three years of undergraduate studies in Pharmacology, I was accepted for early admission to Medical School at the University of Alberta. I completed my Medical Degree and Family Medicine Residency there in 1999 and 2001 respectively. Since graduating, I have strived to include Maternity and Paediatric Care as part of my day to day practice while working in low risk maternity clinics and my own Family Practice. Our family moved to Peterborough in the Fall of 2008, and I have been very excited and pleased to join the Partner's In Pregnancy Clinic. I also have a part time practice in Family Medicine at the Medical Centre where I see patients of all ages. It is always thrilling to deliver a newborn! However, to have the opportunity to care for the rest of the family including parents,siblings and even grandparents is really quite a privilege that I cherish. As a mother of two young boys I can empathize with the challenge that parents face of finding balance between a career, home life, and preserving a bit of their individual identity when a newborn arrives. I hope that our enthusiastic team approach will give our patients and their families a good solid start!
Dr. Meredith Winning
Family Doctor
I am very happy to be a part of the Partners in Pregnancy Clinic team. To introduce myself a little, I started off academic life as an arts student studying drama and psychology at Queen's University. After a year of travel, work and self reflection I found myself drawn to medicine. I went back to school to study basic science for one year and due to my strong interest in obstetrics worked as an office assistant in a midwifery office for a year prior to starting medical school at the University of Toronto in 2007. I then completed my family medicine residency at McMaster University in 2013 and went on to do an additional 6 months of training in women's health and obstetrics. Along with my passion for women's health, I am interested in sexual health, mental health & addictions, aboriginal health and palliative care. I am excited to have started my career in Peterborough and also work at the Public Health Sexual Health Clinic and at Trent University's Student Health Clinic. I have many loves outside of medicine including playing outdoors, sharing food, making music, yoga and meditation. I thoroughly enjoy providing care with the wonderful interdisciplinary team here at PIPC.
Dr. Joan Himann
Lead Family Doctor
I am the Lead Physician for PIPC. This title comes with the responsibility for ensuring the smooth running of the clinic, establishing practice guidelines, giving final approval for the content developed by the staff at PIPC, and assisting the staff at PIPC in meeting the goals of the 2013 strategic plan. I am also a hands on physician for one day a week at the clinic and carry a full Family Practice office on the second floor of the Turnbull Building. I was involved in the planning of this clinic as a Family Health Team and seeing the exceptional care we are able to offer our clients makes all the hard work worthwhile!
Dr. Barbara Gow
Family Doctor
I was born and raised right here in Peterborough. After high school (TASS) I moved to London Ontario where I completed Medical School at the University of Western Ontario in 1982. During my residency in Family Medicine at Queen's University, I realized that my true passion was obstetrics. Because of this I trained an extra 5 months in Obstetrics and Pediatrics. I worked in a full family practice in Kingston for 2 years and then decided to limit my practice to Obstetrics when I moved back to Peterborough. Since 1987 I have been privileged to help thousands of women deliver their babies. With the opening of PIPC, I now share the care of pregnant women with this fantastic team. As a team we can offer much better care than I could as an individual. We all share a commitment to support women and families as they experience one of the most significant events in their lives.
Dr. Michelle Vilcini
Family Doctor
I went to McMaster University and graduated with a Bachelors of Arts and Science in 1986. I then went to medical school at McMaster as well. I did my Family Practice Residency in Thunder Bay, as part of a new rural northern Ontario initiative, from 1991-1993. It was in Northern Ontario that I discovered a passion for obstetrics, and knew that it would be an important part of my life as a family physician.
I started medical practice in Sault Ste. Marie in 1993 and was married in 1995. I worked at a community health centre, which was one of a kind in Ontario at the time, and very similar in structure to the Family Health Teams we have in Peterborough now. I greatly enjoyed my work there, and was able to do lots of obstetrics, but the night call (essentially on call all the time) was very onerous.
Our first son was born in 1997, and his birth helped us decide to move. We wanted to live in a small central Ontario city close to the countryside , that could provide lots of opportunities for him, and a stable call group situation for me. Peterborough fit the bill, and we have been here since 1999.
I have a full-time family practice at the Medical Centre in Peterborough, and I also work with the wonderful team at the Partners in Pregnancy Clinic.
My husband, 2 sons, dog, and I live near Bridgenorth, but are often found on soccer fields or at “the barn”, riding and enjoying our horses. We love the quality of life here, and working at the Partners in Pregnancy Clinic allows me to enjoy both my work life and my home life. It is a great feeling knowing our obstetrical patients are in competent and caring hands at all times.