Ruta Valaitis, RN, PhD

After joining McMaster University in 1987 as a Part-time Lecturer in the School of Nursing, Ruta is presently an Associate Professor in the School and the Dorothy C. Hall Chair in Primary Health Care Nursing and Deputy Director, PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center on Primary Health Care Nursing and Health Human Resources.

Ruta has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor, a Master of Health Science from McMaster University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto. Her primary interests are in primary health care nursing, public health nursing, e- health and e-learning.

In addition to leading this program of research,Ruta is also the Ontario Academic Lead on a 5 year program of research (Renewing Public Health Systems – RePHS), which is led by Dr. Marjorie MacDonald (University of Victoria) and Dr. Trevor Hancock (British Columbia Ministry of Health).

Using a complexity theory lens, this program of research explores the implementation of renewed public health policies in Ontario (Ontario Public Health Standards 2008) and British Columbia (Core Public Health Functions Framework).