Spotlight: Nicole Levack, practice facilitator in Eastern Zone

Nicole Levack traded hard hats for hospital halls, carving an unconventional path from road construction to healthcare leadership. After 20 years on the job site, she hit reset and earned a diploma, gained frontline experience and stepped into a team lead role before landing in practice support where she now helps clinical teams work smarter together. Nicole’s path to becoming a practice facilitator is anything but traditional. For two decades, she worked in road construction before deciding it was time for a change.

Seeking stability beyond seasonal work, she went back to school to earn her medical office administration diploma. From there, she worked across several hospital units, gained experience in primary care and eventually moved into a leadership role as a team lead. When the opportunity arose to join the Primary Health Care and Chronic Disease Management Practice Support team, she knew it was the right next step.

Based in Sydney, Nicole describes her role simply as helping teams work better together. “I support efficiencies, problem solving and collaboration,” she says. “That can mean anything from smoothing out primary health care workflows to helping providers and administrative staff transition into using the EMR (electronic medical record).”

For Nicole, the draw of this work is the people. She loves helping others find solutions that make their day-to-day tasks run more smoothly, which ultimately helps patients too. “When admin and providers can focus on what they do best, patients benefit from timelier access to care and a smoother experience navigating the system.”

The “quick wins” are her favourite part of the job; small changes that can make a big difference right away. She recalls working with another practice facilitator in Cheticamp to design a visit template as the clinic transitioned from paper to digital charting. “We built a template that fit their needs and ensured everything was captured during the visit. It meant less room for error and a much easier process for both the providers and the patients.”

What people might not realize about her role is that it isn’t just about data and efficiency. “It starts with building relationships and trust,” she explains. “That’s the foundation for any change we help support.”

Photo of Nicole Levack, practice facilitator in Eastern Zone, who supports primary health care teams in Sydney and beyond to improve workflows and patient care.

Practice Facilitators are part of the Primary Health Care and Chronic Disease Management Practice Support team. For more information about Practice Support, visit PHCQuality.ca.