Karen Fisher

Karen Fisher completed her Bachelor of Physical Education in 1994 and her Bachelor of Health Science in Physiotherapy Therapy in 1997, both at McMaster University. After graduating she participated in a collaborative research project on the ways that youth culture (female culture) operated in the prevention programme environment of a youth recreation/drop-in centre that was located in a low-income district.This work was part of a larger project funded by the Arts Research Board at McMaster University. It resulted in a paper, "Multiple Identities in a Marginalized Culture: Female Youth in an "Inner-City" Recreation/Drop-In Centre" is in print (2001) in the "Journal of Sport and Social Issues". After the completion of this project Karen worked as a clinician, and clinic manager within nursing homes and privately funded clinics.

Karen is currently in her final year of her M.Sc. in rehabilitation science at the University of Toronto. Her thesis focuses primarily on identifying and reviewing all policies that pertain to Schedule 5 OHIP physiotherapy services for seniors in LTC facilities in Ontario. This research will be employ interest group theory to explore the evolution of public funding for physiotherapy services to seniors in LTC facilities and to explain why this issue rose to prominence on the policy agenda in 2005.

Ms. Fisher was involved in the following M-THAC project as an M-THAC fellow:

• Public Access to Health Services for the Frail Elderly in Long Term Care: A case study for Physiotherapy in Ontario

Contact Information:
Email: karenfisher@sympatico.ca