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Kelly Foss

Dr. Danielle O’Keefe is the new acting Vice Dean, Education and Faculty Affairs in the Faculty of Medicine, effective Oct. 1.

Dr. O’Keefe is a family physician who joined the Discipline of Family Medicine as Assistant Professor in 2011. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018. Dr. O’Keefe completed both her undergraduate medical degree (2005) and family medicine residency (2007) at ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ. While a faculty member, Dr. O’Keefe also completed a Master’s Degree in Medicine in Clinical Epidemiology.

From January 2012-July 2020, Dr. O’Keefe was the Family Medicine Residency Training Program Director. In this role, she was responsible for the largest residency training program at ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ. Significant program changes that occurred during this time included the implementation of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s (CFPC) Triple C Competency Based Curriculum and the creation of residency training streams. 

In July 2020, Dr. O’Keefe assumed the position of Chair of the Discipline of Family Medicine. Dr. O’Keefe has been responsible for 30 full-time faculty members, 26 non-academic staff and just under 500 part-time faculty members. The role oversees three Academic Family Medicine Clinics; the Primary Health Care Research Unit, including the Centre for Rural Health Studies and the 6for6 Faculty Development Program; family medicine faculty development and undergraduate and postgraduate family medicine education.

She is involved with a number of initiatives focused on supporting medical education. Dr. O’Keefe is also a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Physician Recruitment and Retention Strategy Committee, attends Premier’s Table meetings on community care, is chair of Family Care Team Meetings and chaired the Family Medicine Expansion Proposal Working Group.

Dr. O’Keefe has been involved with numerous committees related to the creation of a joint medical degree with University of Prince Edward Island. In her new role as vice dean, she will continue to be involved in this important project.

From 2021-2023, she was a member of ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ University’s Senate. Dr. O’Keefe is also a board member of the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the College of Family Physicians and of the Family Practice Renewal Committee.

Nationally, Dr. O’Keefe is on the Executive Committee for the Association of Canadian Chairs of Family Medicine and in 2013, joined the CFPC’s Residency Accreditation Committee. She has completed multiple accreditation visits of Family Medicine Residency Training Programs and Postgraduate Medical Education Offices across the country.

Dr. O’Keefe completed both the Physician Leadership and Management Program and the Advanced Physician Leadership and Management Program through the Office of Professional and Educational Development and the Gardiner Centre.