RPAP is growing to serve you better. To meet the demand for attraction and retention support for all rural allied health professions, we have added Kim Fleming, Lara Harries, and Colleen Lindholm, experienced rural attraction, retention and community capacity building specialists, to the RPAP team. Along with Paul Childs and Rebekah Seidel, our newly-expanded consultant team will help rural communities build capacity to sustain their rural health care, and will ensure their issues are being heard at the highest levels.
Join us in welcoming Colleen, Lara, and Kim to the RPAP team, read more about them below. Consultants will be reaching out committees and community contacts in the coming weeks, in the meantime if you have any questions, feel free to drop us a line at recruitmentconsultants@rpap.ab.ca.
Kim Fleming – North Zone (East)
Kim Flemings` career has expanded over thirty-one (31) years in healthcare, working the majority of that time with Alberta Health Services (AHS). Opportunities included working in different areas of health with over eleven (11) years in recruitment and retention of physicians. In 2001-2006, Kim was seconded to Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network to be part of the team in the creation of the first stand-alone PCN in Alberta. In the last six (6) years of working with AHS, Kim had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with many of the rural communities in the North Zone.
Along with many years of experience, Kim also has a Human Resource Management certificate, Registered Professional Recruiter (RPR) as well as numerous leadership and facilitation courses.
Kim has worked with RPAP as a partner (stakeholder) for many years and is now looking forward to being part of the RPAP team. Opportunities to work closely with the rural communities in Alberta as well as reconnecting with the Northeast rural that Kim had the pleasure of being part of previously is an honour!
Lara Harries – South Zone
Lara Harries has dedicated 19 years of her career to physician recruitment, first operating as an independent recruiter and then moving into the public sector. Her diverse background has given her the opportunity to work and live in different countries, adapt to different cultures and obtain a sound knowledge of cultural diversity, cultural integration and global business ethics.
Lara’s firsthand experience as the wife of an International Medical Grad, immigrating to Canada as newlyweds from South Africa in 1990, has resulted in her living across rural Canada, from Newfoundland to Manitoba and then finally settling in Alberta in 2000. Lara’s experience and understanding of the dynamics involved when families and healthcare professionals relocate from abroad has been a tremendous benefit to her career.
Lara furthered her knowledge and experience in 2012 when she joined AHS-Central Zone Medical Affairs as the Senior Physician Recruiter. She successfully completed her certification with APRC (Association of Professional Recruiters of Canada) and she is a standing member of CASPR (Canadian Association of Staff Physician Recruiter). Lara most recently completed her diploma and holds her certification as a certified Canadian Immigration Consultant.
Lara has a passion for people and she appreciates the importance of quality healthcare to those that she works with. Lara is looking forward to her next challenge with RPAP to further her passions.
Colleen Lindholm – Central Zone (East)
Passionate, goal driven, and motivated to make a difference — those are the words that best describe Colleen Lindholm, one of the newest team members for the Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan.
Born and raised on a farm in Central Alberta, Colleen brings an extensive understanding and appreciation of rural Alberta with 20 + years of building and engaging community capacity, project management and communications planning. With a formal education in Public Relations, during her career she has put her professional skills to work with her own Consulting Business, Community Engagement Coordination with the Canadian Cancer Society, Communications and Development Management with the Camrose Association for Community Living and most recently the Camrose Primary Care Network as the Communications Lead.
Her commitment to community is also showcased through years of extensive volunteer involvement throughout the community. Outside of work, Colleen enjoys spending time with her friends and family – but most of all with her three kids ages 15, 19 & 21. She has spent countless (and priceless) hours at hockey rinks, horse barns, music recitals and baseball diamonds, with many of her travel adventures cheering one of her kids on from the sidelines. She enjoys camping, travelling and running, and has recently taken up CrossFit. She is also well known for her love of animals, which include two cats and her constant companion Jasper.