Physicians and Health Professionals

Dr. Bob Menzies

Dr. Menzies, or “Dr Bob” as he is often referred to, was born and raised in Morden, Manitoba. In 1976 he graduated with an MD from the University of Manitoba. He then returned to Morden where he began to practice Family Medicine, following in the footsteps of both his father and his grandfather, becoming the third generation of Menzies to be physicians in Morden. He has been an active member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and was one of the ten “Family Physicians of the Year” for Canada in 2002. His hobbies include woodworking, canoeing and running after his three lovely daughters.

Why Morden?

Dr. Bob has practiced in Morden since 1979 and has raised his three daughters there. Because he was raised in Morden and had family in the area, it seemed a natural choice to move “back home”. Not to mention that, as already stated, he would be able to join the practice with his father and continue the tradition of Menzies doctors in Morden (Dr. Bob’s Great Grandfather Godkin homesteaded 6.5 miles northwest of Morden in 1870, Grandfather Menzies came to Morden in 1920). Along with its familial advantages, Morden has also been a safe and friendly community that has offered Bob and his family the opportunities of schooling (both French and English), swimming, camping, sports, music, arts and more. All in all, Morden is home and it is a privilege to belong to this community.

Dr. Leanne Nause

Dr. Leanne Nause, born and raised in Manitoba, also completed her medical training here. In 2003, she graduated from the University of Manitoba and then completed the Rural Family Medicine residency through the Parkland Unit (based in Dauphin, MB). Her busy practice incorporates much of the variety that rural family medicine has to offer, including: pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics, and emergency. After starting practice in Morden, she completed additional training in EKG interpretation and cesarean sections.

Why Morden?

I have lived in several areas of Manitoba while I was growing up and Morden was one of my favorites. It is a beautiful town with surrounding country terrain including a lake to swim in and hills to bike on. There are many activities to enjoy including cross-country skiing, hockey, golf, yoga and triathlon. The medicine is challenging, but the support from colleagues is excellent and the hospital is one of the newest and most beautiful in the province. It is a great place to be.

Dr. David Martens

David Martens grew up in Altona. He graduated from the faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba and completed his family medicine residency through the University of BC in Victoria. He returned to the University of Manitoba for additional training in anesthesia.

David enjoys, cycling, golf, talking about cars, and spending time with his wife, Lorissa, and two sons, Max (age 4) and Luca (age 1).

Why Morden?

David planned on returning to a rural setting early in medical school. The appeal of a contributing to a rural community like the one he grew up in plus the excellent medical facilities made Morden a very attractive choice. Being close to family and friends added to the appeal of Morden.

Dr. Kevin Earl

Kevin Earl was born and grew up in Morden Manitoba. After graduation High School from Morden Collegiate he moved to Winnipeg where he took his Bachelor's of Science Degree and attended Medical School. In 2004 he married Jennifer Martens also from Morden and together they now have an 19 month old named Ava. Kevin just completed his Family Medicine training in a rural program based out of Dauphin Manitoba. He really enjoyed his experience in the Parkland and is looking forward to returning to his home town to start practicing Family Medicine. In his free time he enjoys to camp with his family, play music, mountain bike and take part in the Morden Triathlon. He is very grateful for all of the support from family, friends and the community while he has completed his medical training.

Dr. Kevin Convery

I was born in Magherafelt, County Derry, Northern Ireland in the 70's. My parents immigrated to Canada in 1978, and luckily, they brought me along. I was raised in Winnipeg and completed my high school education at Sisler High School in the city's north end. With the encouragement of Jaques Burquier (one of my favourite teachers), I continued with post secondary studies at Le College Universitaire de Saint-Boniface. This choice led to my application to study medicine in Ottawa in their French program. I completed my M.D. in 2005 and chose Family Practice as my specialty. I studied rural family medicine in Thunder Bay and completed a third year of training in anesthesiology. I then moved to Morden in 2008, where I began my wonderful practice at the Agassiz Medical Centre/Boundary Trails Health Centre. My decision to practice in a rural community was largely influenced by the time I spent working with Ken Parker and Jim Ross in Portage la Prairie when I was a new medical student. I am forever grateful to them and to my sister Michelle who was a nurse in Portage at that time and helped me to set up that experience.

Why Morden?

My wife and were faced with a very difficult choice when we returned to Manitoba in 2008. We could have worked just about anywhere in the province that had a need for a GP Anesthesiologist. After many site visits we agreed to move to Morden We have been very happy with this decision. We love golfing, cycling, hockey, cross country skiing, curling, and many of the other sporting and recreational opportunities available in this part of the province. We feel this is a great place to raise children and at this point we have two wonderful daughters who we hope will love this community as much as we do. We have made many friends and are sure to meet more as we grow old in this town. We are also grateful for Morden's proximity to Winnipeg. We are close enough that grandparents can easily visit, and just far enough away that they have to call before they come! Lastly, Morden (and Winkler) provide a ton of experienced colleagues who have been invaluable to a new doctor starting out in a rural environment. I love my balanced practice of family medicine, anesthesia and emergency medicine. Most of all, I LOVE the balance of great work life and great family life that my practice and this community allow me to enjoy. Je t'aime Sara, Alison et Sinead!

Dr. Carol Holmes

Dr Holmes was born in Montreal, Quebec but grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She graduated from the Faculty of Medicine University of Manitoba in 1981 and then did a rotating internship in Winnipeg. After that she worked 3 years as an Emergency Officer at Grace Hospital. She did some locums for family doctors at the Grace Hospital and decided Family Medicine was the place for her. She did one year in the St Boniface Family Practice program and obtained her CCFP in 1986. She moved to Morden with her husband Brian Duff in July 1987 and started practicing in September 1987. She has three children, Michael , Graham and Jennifer. She enjoys hiking, photography and traveling.
She is currently the Continuing Medical Education coordinator for physician education in Central Region. She is also involved with the Parent Advisory Council at Morden Collegiate.

Why Morden?

I wanted a practice that offered variety and had a big enough group of physicians to allow support and time off. In my family practice training my last rotation was in rural family practice in Morden Manitoba. The physicians were a close knit group and invited us to join their practice. We looked at other towns in Ontario but decided we wanted to be close to family in Winnipeg. Morden had an excellent hospital with emergency services, excellent radiology services, ultrasound, rehab services and obstetric services. This allowed us to have an interesting practice. Morden also has been a great place to raise a family with good schools and activities for kids.

Dr. Jeanelle Braun

Dr. Jeanelle Braun was born and raised in Winkler, Manitoba. She attended the University of Manitoba for her undergraduate and medical degrees and finished her residency training in Chilliwack,BC. She returned to work in Manitoba because of a return for work contract and spent 5 years in Carman, Manitoba. She never left because she met her husband in Carman, but did decide to move to Morden to continue her practice at the beautiful Agassiz Medical Clinic and Boundary Trails Health Centre. Her family medicine practice is a mix of obstetrical care and deliveries, pediatrics and general medicine.

Why Morden?

Dr Braun grew up in Winkler and knows the area well. When her husband and her were deciding where to go next after Carman, Morden seemed the obvious choice- close to family and friends and with great outdoor amenities. After recently delivering their first son at BTHC, she knew absolutely that choosing to work at BTHC and the Agassiz Medical Centre, with its great mix of supportive colleagues and dedicated staff, was the right choice. “I cannot imagine a better place.”

Dr. Juliette Tohme

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Darcy Beer

Dr. Darcy Beer grew up near Morden. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Nursing in 1996. He spent the next several years nursing in remote health centres throughout Northern Manitoba and Nunavut. He completed medical school in 2003 and trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Alberta, completing his training in the summer of 2008. He now works as a staff physician at the Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, and the St Boniface General Hospital in Winnipeg, and at the Agassiz Medical Clinic in Morden. He is an assistant professor of Medicine at the University of Manitoba.

He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter in the outdoors. He skis, rock and mountain climbs, rides bikes, and just about anything else outside.

Why Morden?

I think it is truly important to provide services to families in their home communities, helping them to have easier access to care typically only available in larger centres. I also enjoy getting out of the city and giving something back to the community where I grew up. Morden is a great community.

Dr. Brian Duff

Bio coming soon.

Dr. Ana Teresa Armas

I was born in Cuba. I received my education at the Highest Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana, one of the oldest schools of America. I am very proud of the teachers and the experience gained during that time. I graduated in 2000 as a Medical Doctor. I followed this with 2 years Family Medicine Residency in Cuba. In The Fall of 2002 I immigrated to Canada with my husband Joel. At first we settled in Toronto, where I started the long process of obtaining the permission to practice Medicine in Canada again with the support and love of Joel. I obtained the License to practice Family Medicine in Manitoba in spring 2004, and moved to Morden to settle my practice. During this time, I have enjoyed tremendously my practice, my colleagues, and my patients. This place offers me the ideal of Family Medicine, able to follow my own patient in the clinic, in hospital, deliveries, holding their hands and helping their relatives with the grief... Enjoying with them the greatness of life: birth, growth, and with every crisis in between. I don’t think I could have chosen any other place better than this! I feel very fortunate and rewarded in life.

My husband and I have since completed our family with our 2 gracious daughters Cosette and Camille. We feel Morden is safe and offers a nourishing environment for them. Lots of cultural and sports activities to enroll them in, and closed enough to Winnipeg for other entertainment and shopping pastimes.

In my free time, I enjoy... wait a minute, what free time am I talking about?? It gets down to work and family time, which I enjoy and love most!!

Dr. Enok (Ockie) Persson

Dr. Persson was born in Durban, South Africa and spent his childhood in rural areas. He graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with his medical degree in 1989. In 1991 he came to Canada for a year to do various locums in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. He returned to South Africa in 1992 where he worked in family practice. In 1995 he completed post graduate training in Occupational Health and worked in the industrial sector on a part time basis for 5 years. He and his family then moved to Morden, where he has been practicing as a Family Physician ever since. He is Chief of Staff at Boundary Trails Health Centre and serves on the Executive Council at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Why Morden?

Morden has been our home since 2000, where we have had the privilege of raising our two children in the safety of rural life. As a family we enjoy the extensive cultural exposure which has provided many musical opportunities. We also enjoy the Canadian outdoors with its array of summer and winter activities.

Dr. Nivin Azer

Dr. Nivin Azer is a Family physician practicing at Agassiz Medical Centre in Morden, Manitoba. Nivin graduated from Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University on 1981 and was awarded a Palliative Care Management scholarship at the University of Southern California hospitals. She received her training at The Cairo University Hospital. Dr. Azer completed her Master and Doctorate degrees of Pain Management and ICU at the National Cancer Institute of Cairo where she practiced from 1984 as a resident until 2004 as a professor.

Dr. Azer practiced family medicine in her private practice in Giza for more than 25 years. Canada called and Dr. Azer moved to Manitoba. After completing her licensing requirements, she joined the practice in Morden. She is a member of the American Medical Association, International Society of pain management, Egyptian medical Syndicate, and Manitoba Medical Association. Dr. Azer joined the YMCA as an active member where she did a lot of social volunteering.

Dr. Azer resides in Morden with her husband, daughter, and son. She enjoys her involvement with her family's many activities and at St. Mark Church in Winnipeg.

Dr. John Jackson

Dr. Jackson was born in 1946 and grew up in South Africa. He speaks English, Afrikaans, High German and a smattering of Nguni. Dr Jackson initially trained and worked as an Electrical Engineer/Technician he then completed MBChB and training at Pretoria University in 1984. He subsequently worked in General Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology.  He completed an MSc (Med) in Child and Maternal health at University of Witwatersrand in 1997.

Why Morden?

Dr Jackson came to Morden from Port Elizabeth in 2001.  Morden was the first place that gave me work in Canada. When asked “Why stay?” Dr. Jackson replies “It’s a great place to live, that’s why!”. We have a great team at Boundary Trails Health Centre from maintenance staff to health care professionals. The community is great and I live in the country with a quarter section as my backyard, including 30 acres of forest, run some sheep, walk my 5 dogs and occasionally mow the lawn (not the 160 acres). Dr Jackson has 4 children, one in England, one on planet Earth and two in Canada.

Dr. Adri Botha

Dr Botha was born in South Africa . She graduated from the University of Pretoria with a medical degree in 1989. She practiced medicine in South Africa , working in hospitals and in private practice until 2001. She then moved to Morden, Manitoba, Canada. After arriving in Canada she completed her Canadian qualifications to practice medicine in Canada. She has practiced medicine in Morden since 2001.

Why Morden?

When my family was looking for a place to work in Canada we were, from the onset, drawn to Morden by the friendly people we spoke to when we where in the process of making this important decision. Morden is a wonderful place to raise children, with excellent schools and activities.

Dr. Howard Zacharias - Consultant in Geriatric Medicine

I graduated with a medical degree from the University of Manitoba in 1971. After working in Zambia in a mission hospital for a few years and family practice in Winkler for 5 years, I did graduate work in geriatric medicine in Manitoba. This was followed by receiving a fellowship to London, England where I worked as senior registrar and honorary lecturer in Geriatric Medicine at St. George’s Medical School. I returned to Manitoba as an assistant professor in the department of medicine and after a few years of working at Health Science Centre, returned to my country roots, working as a consultant in geriatric medicine in southern Manitoba for 15 years. I was invited by the government of Prince Edward Island to start the first geriatric program there and worked for 6 years as the provincial geriatrician of Prince Edward Island. I then returned to southern Manitoba again as regional consultant in geriatric medicine.

Other responsibilites include serving on the Health Canada Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and being a member of the Gerontologic Advisory Council of Veterans Affairs Canada. I have academic appointments in the departments of Medicine and Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba.

Why Morden?

In spite of growing up in urban Winnipeg, my wife and I prefer the ambiance of small town living. Morden has excellent schools, attractive environment and is a safe family oriented community. Importantly there is excellent collegiality in the physician community, a state of the art secondary referral hospital and plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities like cross-country skiing which I enjoy. Morden is a strongly religious community which is also attractive to my family.

Dr. Hany Mansour

Bio coming soon.

Aimee Cadieux - Dietitian

Aimée Cadieux is a registered dietitian who joined Agassiz Medical Center in October 2007. The position was created with special funding from the Physician Integrated Network (PIN) project, which allows patients to receive nutrition counseling free-of-charge with a referral from their doctor. Aimee is a member of the College of Dietitians of Manitoba and Dietitians of Canada. After achieving her bachelor’s degree in Human Nutritional Sciences from the University of Manitoba, she went on to successfully complete her dietetic internship. Aimee spends most of her day counseling individuals in weight management, heart healthy eating and managing diabetes.

Why Morden?

Morden is a beautiful place to work and is truly a great town. I grew up in a small town in Southern Manitoba, but was living in the city for several years. Today, I am thrilled to be working in such a friendly and welcoming community. Working at the Agassiz Medical Centre allows me to connect with a great team of talented physicians, nurses and staff.

Dr. Amanda Bergman

Amanda was born and raised in Morden. After high school, she headed to Winnipeg, first for a Bachelor's degree at the University of Winnipeg then a Masters degree and Medical school at the University of Manitoba. She then headed to Northwestern Ontario to complete a rurally-based Family Medicine program based out of Thunder Bay as well as a year of extra training in anesthesia.

For fun, she likes trying new foods, reading, watching movies, swimming, and playing ultimate frisbee. She is thankful for all the support she has received throughout her education and is looking forward to coming home.

Respiratory Team - RANA

RANA's Goal: To develop a collaborative proactive integrated interdisciplinary team in a primary care setting with family practitioners, the RHA and associated health care providers in the clinic, community and the province. Our team will provide a chronic disease management approach to chronic respiratory diseases such as Asthma, COPD and Sleep breathing disorders.

We will provide a proactive management style whether in the initial consult stage, follow-up or during or after an exacerbation of the above conditions utilizing with recommendations based on evidence based treatment, best practice and the most recent CTS guidelines. The aim is to improve our patients' clinical and quality of life status (decrease absenteeism, increase ADL) and decrease urgent health carrel utilization (urgent care visits, ER and hospitalizations visits).

Secondary to the above is research on this type of model and its outcomes; can it then become a sustainable mode based on outcomes and performance than can be implemented in other jurisdictions.

Betty and Rob both are Nationally certified asthma educators and COPD educators. The success of the program is solely based on participation and cooperation of the team at Agassiz Medical Clinic and both look forward to working with Agassiz's team in helping you.