Photo caption: Nicole Oegema, Providence Care Experience Partner.
If you ever get the chance to meet Providence Care Experience Partner Nicole Oegema, it won’t take you long to notice her glass-half-full outlook on life.
At just 26 years old, and with two children under the age of three, Nicole underwent spinal cord surgery to remove a tumour that had wrapped itself around her spine. The surgery left her with limited mobility, marking the beginning of a 13-year journey filled with multiple surgeries and numerous stays at both St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital (before Providence Care Hospital) and, Providence Transitional Care Centre (PTCC). Rather than dwell on the unfairness of her circumstances, Nicole has chosen to channel her experience into purpose, supporting others as an Experience Partner at Providence Care.
“This organization got me healthy and I’m able to live my life in such a fulfilled way now, I wanted to give back,” explains Nicole. “At the same time, our health care system is very broken, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the brokenness. I’ve also seen the amazing things that can be done. I want to be a part of making our health care system better.”
Providence Care created the Experience Partner program to ensure the voices of patients, clients, residents and their care
partners help shape high-quality care. Experience Partners are volunteers who collaborate with staff and leadership, offering feedback on policies, programs and practices to ensure the voices of patients, clients, residents and families are reflected in the design and delivery of services.
“The same way we want a pharmacist sitting at a medication meeting, we need the voice of the people we serve at decision-making tables when topics about their care and services are being spoken about,” explains former Providence Care Feedback and Experience Specialist, Jamie Watson. “Our patients, clients, residents and their care partners are the subject matter experts, and we need to defer to them to gain their necessary perspective.”
Nicole has spent the last two years volunteering as a Providence Care Experience Partner, with a special interest in PTCC, as well as the power of mindful movement in recovery with Providence Care’s Recovery College.
“I just started conducting patient orientations over at PTCC, which is so cool, because I get to go in and talk to people and tell them everything I know about the program and what recovery looks like. I’m also hoping to start coffee groups there, to bring people out of their rooms and let them know they’re not alone. I also sit on committees like the Performance and Quality Assurance Committee for the Board of Directors.”
Through her committee involvement, it led to a meeting with former federal health minister Jane Philpott — now chair of Ontario’s new Primary Care Action Team.
Nicole is optimistic about the future of health care with Philpott helping to lead change. Drawing on her personal experiences, she’s eager to contribute to shaping a system that focuses more on proactive, continuous care rather than reactive treatment.
“It’s a fight of advocacy and I hope to be part of the change,” she explains. “If people are choosing wellness, they should have access to resources, programs and therapies to keep them out of hospitals and help them on their journey.”
Nicole admits it’s an ironic way to say it, but she considers herself fortunate in needing three surgeries in the last two years because it gave her access to inpatient physiotherapy.
“I had many days of frustration in rehabilitation and then I was introduced to the therapy pool. It’s where I took my first steps and what allows me to keep moving my body. General access to therapies like pool therapy is what I’ll keep advocating for.”
Nicole has relied on determination, focus, and the power of positivity to carry her through life’s toughest moments. She believes everything happens for a reason — and even if she had the chance, she wouldn’t trade her journey for an easier one. Her lived experience has shaped her purpose: to help others and be part of meaningful change in the health care system.
“It's going to take everyone working together to change the system,” says Jamie. “We can't do it alone, and Nicole can't do it alone. That's why she's a partner—an Experience Partner. We're asking people to use their experience, partner with us, and help change the system for the better.”
“Every day might not be a good day, but there’s always something good in every day, and just by finding that good, it creates more good,” says Nicole.
Providence Care is always looking for more people to join the Experience Partner program. If you or a loved one has been a patient, client, or resident with Providence Care in the last five years, we would love you to lend your voice and apply to the program. Learn more.