Brett McGarry/NNSL photo
Naturopathic physician Nicole Redvers, the founder of Yellowknife's Gaia Integrative Clinic, has left Yellowknife for a new venture in the United States.
Redvers has taken a position as an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota in the Department of Family and Community Medicine with the Indians Into Medicine program.
Starting in the fall of 2020, she will be helping to develop the first ever PhD in Indigenous health.
photo courtesy of Gaia Clinic.
The Indians Into Medicine program is designed to help Indigenous students who aspire to be health professionals.
"I am very happy to see UND take the leadership on this and will be working alongside other Indigenous doctors to bring the degree program to fruition," stated Redvers in an email. "It is also sad but not too surprising to think that we are in 2019 and no universities have developed this type of scholarly stream before ... I am happy to be a part of the first launch with the hope to see trickle down effects to other universities."
Although Redvers is moving to North Dakota, she will continue her research and project work in the North to maintain her position on the board of the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, she said.
She has left the Gaia Integrative Clinic, a wellness clinic which she started in her basement in 2010. It will now be operated by chiropractor Michael Bokor.
"To see how it has grown and developed over the years to ensure Northerners have an option in health care was a large goal of mine from the start," she stated.
Bokor, who has been working at the clinic as a chiropractor for five years, officially took over as manager of operations and owner in December of 2018.
"Nicole has moved form Yellowknife, and we wish her the best," stated Bokor in an email.
"I can't promise that she will be back at the clinic, but she has a spot whenever she wants it and we continue to be in touch,” he continued. “For now, her role at the clinic has stepped into an advisory role and she continues to act as a sounding board moving forward."
Since taking over, Bokor has been making changes at the clinic. It will soon be offering more services and might soon be rebranded with new name and logo.
"In the new few weeks, our visual identity, name and website will be changing," he stated. "Some changes have already occurred, if you had been in in the past seven month, we have expanded our waiting room, started painting and opened space for a retail store."
According to its website, the Yellowknife clinic offers naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, chiropractic services, massage therapy, individual and family counselling, child and youth therapy, hypnotherapy, Maya abdominal therapy and homeopathy.