About Us

Charlene Brophy

President/CEO

Charlene Brophy is President and CEO of Fonemed, an international tele-medicine company, offering a patient-centered platform that incorporates technology and disease-specific algorithms as well as tele-medicine support and remote bio-metric monitoring to over 2300 client groups and 25 million individuals globally. Charlene has brought her hands-on knowledge of our health care system into developing countries and communities which otherwise would not have access to medical care. Today, Fonemed has close on 300 employees, the majority of which are in NL supporting their Canadian, US and international operations.

Charlene has been recognized by multiple organizations for her success in the business community. She describes herself as a passionate and tenacious innovator. She was awarded Newfoundland and Labrador’s Organization of Women Entrepreneur’s (NLOWE) Entrepreneurial Excellence Award in November,2020. She has been the recipient of four Business Excellence Awards from The St. John’s Board of Trade. She was awarded the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Innovator of the Year by Atlantic Business Magazine in 2017 and recognized in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 as one of the Top 50 CEO’s in Atlantic Canada. In May of 2021 Charlene was inducted into the Business Excellence Hall of Fame by Atlantic Business Magazine.

In addition to her business commitments, Charlene has a profound sense of community. She supports various local charities through her hands-on approach and is also an active board member for several non-profit organizations. Charlene is a proud Newfoundlander and although spent a great deal of time traveling outside the province prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, she remains very proud to call NL home and to give back to her home province by growing the company locally.

Jennifer Penney

Vice President of Operations

Jennifer is Fonemed’s Vice-President of Operations. She is passionate about advancing healthcare to deliver better outcomes to patients and improving the access to timely and relevant healthcare services. Prior to taking on this leadership role, Jennifer served as the Director of Human Resources at Fonemed for almost a decade, overseeing the Human Resources Team and HR strategy ensuring that Fonemed’s employees were skilled, compassionate, diverse, and engaged to practice and deliver on Fonemed’s values and mission each day. She is naturally inclined to fuse overall business strategy with the people who deliver it.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Memorial University, is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources, a Senior Certified Human Resources Professional, and a strategic thinking executive who is driven by results and continuous improvement.
Jennifer’s unique experience and passion for continuous improvement, results, quality, customer service, technology, empathy, and people are what makes her a true leader across Fonemed’s operations, corporate services, and sales teams.

In the past, she has served as a Board Director and Chief Staffing Officer for the Charted Professionals in Human Resources of Newfoundland and Labrador. She has worked in industries such as public broadcasting, technology, and both private and public healthcare organizations. The industry that always brought passion to her work was healthcare and when she joined Fonemed it was the perfect marriage of advancing healthcare by utilizing technology and people.

Jennifer believes that her work and her family are part of what makes her a whole person and focuses on work/life integration while spending time with her husband, Leslie, young son, Lincoln, and their dog, Lily. Jennifer serves on the Heart and Stroke NL Board of Directors. When she was 11 years old, she witnessed her grandmother having a stroke. She then became a young door to door canvasser for Heart & Stroke and believed from an early age that awareness, knowledge.

Michael Weaver, M.D., FACEP, CDM

Medical Director (US)

Dr. Weaver is a member and Medical Director of FONEMED. He is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and was the Medical Director for St. Luke’s Hospital Level I Trauma Emergency Services in Kansas City for 17 years. In addition to emergency care, he is the Medical Director of the hospital’s Clinical Forensic Care Program (caring for Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Elderly and Child Abuse) and VP of Clinical Diversity. He lectures and teaches extensively on healthcare topics and is a Clinical Professor in Emergency Medicine at the University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine. He is currently a member of the Missouri Board of Health and Health Literacy Missouri and is currently on the Board of Directors at St. Luke’s Hospital. Dr. Weaver is one of 57 Cultural Competency Fellows, designated by the American Hospital Association and Health Research Educational Trust and was accepted into the first Disparities Leadership Program sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital.

Chris Patey, M.D., CCFP, FCFP, FRRMS

Medical Director (CA)

Dr. Patey joined Fonemed in December 2018. He is a Family Physician practicing emergency medicine and an Assistant Professor at Memorial University’s School of Medicine.

A graduate of Harriot High School in St. Anthony, NL, he obtained a Bachelor of Science from Mount Allision University, graduated Medical School at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed his Family Medicine Residency at McMaster Family Medicine North in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He is a Fellow of the College Family Physicians of Canada, and a Fellow in Rural and Remote Medicine.

Dr. Patey describes himself as engaged, enthusiastic and driven. His favorite past-times are packrafting hidden Labrador rivers, fly fishing, cross-country skate skiing, woodworking, and stand-up paddle boarding. He also supports the Carbonear Institute for Rural Research and Innovation by the SEA (CIRRIS).

Kevin Hillier

Chief Information Officer

Kevin is a leading IT strategist and Fonemed’s Chief Information Officer. He has over 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors and across multiple industries. As CIO, Kevin oversees all IT operations and strategic planning for information and communications technology. He is responsible for planning and developing all administrative and clinical information systems including Fonemed’s flagship Health Management Platform.

Kevin’s career successes stem from building strong relationships and remaining focused on enabling business change through the strategic application of information and technology supports. His leadership experience ideally positions him to work collaboratively and responsively with stakeholders in support of information systems that ultimately serve the patients and families who depend on Fonemed.
Kevin is also a musician and singer and enjoys the outdoors. He spends his spare time entertaining friends and family around the campfire. Kevin describes himself as results-oriented, versatile, and passionate.

Karen Todhunter

Vice President, Clinical Development

Karen Todhunter is our Vice President of Clinical Development. After spending over a year leading our telehealth team in Ontario as Vice President of Telehealth, we are delighted to welcome her back to Fonemed in her new role. Karen began her journey with Fonemed 23 years ago as a nurse providing telehealth services and has progressively ascended through every clinical position to reach management. Her collaboration with the technical team on software design and clinical program development has been pivotal in evolving Fonemed from its modest beginnings into the international success it enjoys today.

In her role as VP of Clinical Development, Karen plays an essential role in collaborating with our technology and sales teams. Her vast experience in clinical management will be crucial for our ongoing software enhancement project as we launch an advanced virtual care platform with enhanced clinical and patient functionalities. Additionally, Karen will work closely with the Sales and Customer Success teams to explore new and promising opportunities for Fonemed across Canada, the U.S., and internationally.

Neil Coombs

Vice President, People & Culture

Neil is Fonemed’s Director of Human Resources and newest member of the management team. He comes to us with more than 20 years of experience in private and public sector organizations. Prior to joining us he was a Partner and Principal HR Consultant at Higher Talent Inc.

A highly committed HR professional, Neil is the past Chair of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources – Newfoundland and Labrador (CPHRNL) and was the first person from Newfoundland and Labrador to Chair CPHR Canada, representing more than 27,000 Canadian HR professionals. In that role, he also sat on the Board of Directors of the North American Human Resources Management Association (NAHRMA). Neil graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. He is a CPHR and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Neil is an active volunteer in the community. He is currently on the board of directors of TechNL and Habitat for Humanity Newfoundland and Labrador. He is also the President of the Trinity Placentia Minor Hockey Association and a volunteer hockey coach.

Valda Duke

Vice President of Virtual Care

Valda is our new Vice President of Virtual Care leading our growing NP primary and urgent care programs.  Valda joined the Fonemed team in 2021 first as Nurse Practitioner Team Lead and then becoming the Director of Virtual Care in January 2023. She has been instrumental in setting the strategic direction for our NP program stemming from her extensive clinical experience as a Nurse Practitioner and a Nurse Educator.

Her new role as VP of Virtual Care, she is responsible for oversight of the Virtual Care NP Programs. Valda is a critical member of the team working to roll out our virtual digital front door to include an increasing roster of clinicians offering more health care options to our clients and their patients.

Kimberley Legge

Director of Client & Clinical Services

Kim is Fonemed’s Director of Client and Clinical Services, Canadian Operations. She began her Fonemed career as a RN Counsellor in 2009, working on the phone lines. In 2011, she became a team leader and in 2013 she stepped into the Director role. In this role, Kim oversees call center activities, ensures clinical concerns are investigated, provides clinical support to staff, and liaises with medical practitioners and the Department of Health.

Kim graduated from Western Memorial School of Nursing 38 years go as a Registered Nurse and is nearing the completion of her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She has an extensive background in clinical nursing through working in almost every area of the acute care setting, including the ER, ICU, pediatrics, medicine, and surgery. She also worked as a RN with Canadian Blood Services, as well as an Occupational Health Nurse for Corner Brook Pulp & Paper. She loves her present job with Fonemed – the team she works with, the support and encouragement she receives, and the positivity in the workplace. She says her work is valued, her voice is heard, and Fonemed is the best company that she has ever worked for.

Kim is a Member of the Board of Director’s for the John Howard Society and a Council Member of College of Registered Nurses of NL Council (CRNNL). She describes herself as friendly, fun-loving, and compassionate. She is an avid reader, enjoys puzzles, and plays guitar, keyboards, and sings. Kim lives near Pasadena on the west coast of NL with her husband, Jason. They have three adult sons: Adam, Joshua, and Aaron

Todd Foote

Director of Sales & Marketing

Todd is Fonemed’s Director of Sales & Marketing. He has over 20 years’ experience in sales leadership and account management, enhancing client solutions throughout North America and Internationally. As the Director of Sales and Marketing, Todd oversees the sales and marketing processes for Fonemed and is the main point of contact for key corporate accounts.

Collette Birmingham

Director of Navigation Services

Collette is our new Director of Navigation Services. Collette has been with Fonemed for almost 5 years now and brought many years of customer service and call center experience when she started with us as a Health Service Specialist in 2018. She moved into the role of Contact Center Manager in 2020 and was able to lead our teams of Health Care Navigators and Team Leaders through the tremendous growth and change that we have experienced in the last three years.

Tammi Downs

Manager of Client & Clinical Services

Tammi is Fonemed’s Manager of Client and Clinical Services. In this role, she provides leadership, support and supervision to all Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Team Leaders and Nurse Counselors by motivating and encouraging each individual to pursue and achieve outstanding clinical and operational service. She is responsible and accountable for continual quality improvement of Fonemed’s triage and health information programs. Tammi works closely with the CQI Team to maintain and evaluate a formal Quality Assurance program that will ensure a safe, high-quality triage and health information service is delivered, and ensuring URAC standards are being followed in daily operations.

Tammi has been with Fonemed for six years and prior to that worked for a large hospital system as an Emergency Room RN and eventually transitioned into telehealth with them. She graduated from Florida Southwestern State College in 1989 with a Degree in Nursing. While working in the Emergency Department, she obtained the ACLS designation (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support) and NALS designation (Neonatal Advanced Life Support). Tammi was a preceptor for new RN graduates both for the hospital system and Florida Gulf Coast University. Obtaining the CHPN (Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse) was one of her most proud achievements.

Describing herself in three words, Tammi says she is outgoing, sweet, and honest. Her favorite pastimes are boating, swimming, and travel. Tammi also loves to decorate. She will look through magazines to find pictures of a room that she likes and then recreates the room. Tammi enjoys spending time with family and friends at a park or in her backyard with a fire. She wanted to be a hair stylist growing up and to this day she practices on her family and friends. She is passionate about helping troubled children and stray animals. She volunteered as a Big Sister in the Big Brother Big Sister organization, and she foster strays.

Andre Myers

Manager of Business Development & Branding

As the Manager of Business Development & Branding for Fonemed, Andre Myers is instrumental in propelling our company’s growth and visibility in the competitive healthcare market. Tasked with managing our Request for Proposal (RFP) process, Andre ensures that Fonemed capitalizes on every viable opportunity, meticulously overseeing proposal submissions with an eye for detail and strategic alignment with our core objectives. His leadership extends to the crafting and evolution of Fonemed’s brand identity, spearheading the management of all social media channels to engage with our audience and amplify our presence across the digital landscape.

Andre’s role is pivotal in forging new business avenues for Fonemed, skillfully navigating proposal development, enhancing stakeholder relations, and driving the brand’s promotion through a spectrum of marketing activities. His approach is deeply rooted in a comprehensive understanding of both the private and public sectors, enriched by a robust educational foundation from Memorial University, complemented by specializations in public administration, public relations, and digital and social media.

Bringing over 17 years of experience in business development and marketing, Andre’s expertise is not confined to these domains alone. His previous tenure as an analyst within the healthcare sector for a health authority imbues him with a nuanced perspective of the healthcare landscape, blending analytical acumen with strategic foresight. This unique blend of skills and experience positions Andre as a key architect of Fonemed’s business strategy, driving innovation and growth while fostering meaningful connections within the industry and beyond.

Additionally, Andre’s commitment to community and professional development is evident through his volunteer roles, including serving as Vice Chair at Food First NL and as a Newcomer Business Advisor with Task Force NL. His leadership skills are further demonstrated through more than decade long tenure in municipal politics as a Mayor and provincial municipal director.

Andre’s continuous pursuit of professional development is demonstrated through recent certifications in Generative AI and Leadership Development Training, among others, showcasing his dedication to staying at the forefront of industry trends and skills.

Andre Myers is not just a professional in his field; he is a visionary leader whose multifaceted skills and experiences make him a valuable asset to the Fonemed Team.

Michael Garnier

IT Service Delivery Manager

Michael is the IT Service Delivery Manager for Fonemed. In this role, he manages our IT Team, ensuring service standards are met on our help desk, coaching, and educating team members on proper IT practices. He leads the development of new IT procedures, oversees IT operations, and works with internal & external clients to see work orders through. He plays a key role in retaining customer satisfaction.
Michael graduated from the College of the North Atlantic (CNA) in 2019 with a Diploma in Computer Systems and Networking. He was the first CNA Valedictorian to come from this program.

Michael is an accomplished athlete with interests in BMX bikes, skateboarding and mountain biking. Michael has won several BMX competitions in his home province of Newfoundland and Labrador between 2012 and 2016. He is also a musician – a one man band so to speak. He plays guitar, drums, bass and sings. He describes himself as enterprising, resilient, and resourceful.