How CNA alumna Charlene Brophy is changing the face of healthcare
When Charlene Brophy packed her bags and left the small Irish Loop community of Fermeuse at 17, she was more than a little a little nervous. But what her 17-year-old self couldn’t have known is that first step would eventually lead her to the helm of an international telemedicine company, connecting patients to care across the globe.
In 1981, she was bound for St. John’s to attend the Nursing Assistant program at what was then the College of Trades and Technology, now College of the North Atlantic (CNA).
“I remember coming to St. John’s and living in a boarding house and sharing a room with another individual who I didn’t know, and just feeling a little bit overwhelmed by leaving home for the first time” she recalls. “But, I remember also being at the school and the instructors and the staff and the faculty in general. They just made it feel like I was at home… I just remember feeling welcomed and feeling supported and never feeling like it was too much, or I was overwhelmed or nobody cared.”
That sense of belonging — and the foundation she built through CNA’s Certified Nursing Assistant program — would set Brophy on a path that would eventually change the way healthcare is delivered around the world.
Today, as President and CEO of Fonemed, Charlene leads one of the world’s most innovative telemedicine companies, headquartered in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Her company provides virtual healthcare services throughout Canada, the United States, and in countries as far-reaching as Singapore, Haiti, Venezuela, and the Philippines.
In recognition of her visionary leadership and transformative impact on healthcare, Charlene has been named the recipient of College of the North Atlantic’s Acclaim Award for Innovation — an honour she describes as both humbling and deeply personal.
“This recognition, this acknowledgement, and this award is important because it acknowledges the work that the college itself has done in laying the foundation for me, and for all of us to succeed,” she says. “It’s important to acknowledge those who have succeeded and who are breaking some of the barriers down for leaders who are trying to emerge. It’s important because if we don’t celebrate the achievements of those that begin their, their career and had the foundation at the college, then how will others know (what’s possible)?”
From nursing aide to industry leader
Charlene’s healthcare journey began in the most hands-on way imaginable — as a young nursing assistant at Hoyle’s Home, a seniors’ residence in St. John’s. It was there she learned the value of compassion, connection, and efficiency.
“I had chosen the right path, and I had found a career I loved, because I’m very much a people person, and when you get the opportunity to care for people and to earn a living caring for people and making a difference in their life, then it felt natural and right, right from the beginning,” she says.
“So that’s how I began my career. I guess if I look back now, even early on, there were opportunities that at the time I didn’t think about, but I always remember thinking about and saying, ‘We can do this better. We can do this more efficiently.’”
She didn’t realize it at the time, but that’s where her innovative streak began. Those early lessons in empathy and problem-solving have never left her. They evolved into a philosophy that drives Fonemed today: that healthcare should be both personal and accessible — no matter where you live.
A global vision, rooted at home
Fonemed’s story is a testament to Charlene’s belief that world-class innovation can grow from Newfoundland and Labrador soil.
As the company expanded across the U.S. and internationally, she made a deliberate decision to relocate its corporate headquarters to St. John’s — a move that some might have seen as bold, but for her, it was instinctive.
“It was important to me that I celebrate and recognize the province that supported me throughout my career journey. I had the ability to bring people and move positions from anywhere in the world to this province and I chose to do that,” she says.
“I chose to do that, not because it was easier for me and I didn’t have to spend as much time in the air, I chose to do that because there were people in this province and surrounding areas that not only had the ability to do the work, but they became so invested in the work we were doing and so dedicated to making sure that what we were doing here to support the international operation. It was a decision that was particularly easy because of the quality of the talent that’s available right here in our communities.”
That homegrown talent has helped Fonemed thrive. From St. John’s, Charlene’s team supports clients across continents, offering everything from 24/7 nurse triage to advanced remote monitoring technology — all designed to help patients access care wherever they are.
Innovation born from need
Long before telemedicine became a buzzword, Fonemed was quietly revolutionizing the concept. Charlene recalls one of the company’s earliest breakthroughs: a struggling rural hospital in Oregon, unable to stay open overnight due to a shortage of physicians. She proposed using nurses in Newfoundland to triage patients remotely, calling in a doctor only when necessary.
“They took a chance on us in within the initial pilot, and gosh, it worked. It worked in a really, really big way. It worked so well that it became the basis of how we grew everything we did.”
Today, Fonemed’s innovations include cutting-edge health pods — digital booths that allow patients in remote areas to connect instantly with healthcare providers. Using biometric tools like digital stethoscopes and high-resolution cameras, practitioners can listen to heart and lung sounds or even examine a child’s ear for infection in real time.
“To diagnose and treat and assess so thoroughly at home in a way they were never allowed to do so before – it’s very cool with all the technology developments. It really is a game changer. It’s changing the face of healthcare in such a big way.”
Leading with heart
Despite Fonemed’s technological sophistication, Charlene insists the company’s success rests on something far more human: its people.
“Our success has always been driven because of the great people that are within the walls of this company. And I never for a moment, ever forget how fortunate I am to have been able to surround myself with those people.”
She fosters that culture by encouraging her team to challenge ideas and think differently.
“I think as a company leader, any company can foster innovation in their team simply by listening to them because everybody has different ideas and I love how diverse we are as a company, and not just racially diverse, but diverse in ages and genders and so on,” she says.
“By embracing all of the experience all of these people bring to our organization and listening to their ideas on how we’re doing something today and how maybe we could possibly do something a little differently. That’s how we’re all innovative because you know, I’m only successful if all of the people around me are successful, and they’re successful because they’re the real talent.
Giving Back
For Charlene, success is measured not just in growth or global reach, but in community impact. She takes pride in providing meaningful employment in Newfoundland and Labrador and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of women entrepreneurs through her involvement with the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE).
“This is where I’m from and so my DNA is all about community and looking after our own,” she says simply. “I think all of us as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians all feel that. Even though we’ve had great success as a company and I’m so proud of the work that our team has done, what I’m most proud of is the opportunities for employment and meaningful employment that we’re providing here in the province. Giving back to community has been important to me because community is what allowed me to grow. I think if we all never forget where we came from, then we’ll never forget what responsibility we have to give back.”
The power of purpose
When asked what advice she’d offer to young people starting their careers, Charlene’s response is immediate — and heartfelt.
“Lead with purpose and to be open, to listen to people,” she says.
Her voice softens. “If you find something you love, something that feels right, you go home at the end of the day and feel that ‘I did something good for somebody else’ – whether it’s a patient in healthcare or whether it’s an employee, or whether it’s a coworker in your company.”
She believes leading with purpose will be her biggest legacy.
“If you lead with purpose because there is a reason for behaving the way you behave or doing the work you do and being kind the way you need to be kind and so on, then the legacy of all of them will be my greatest achievement – not anything that I’ve ever done. It’s the difference they’re going to make for future generations. I think that’s the most important thing for all of us.”
For Charlene, that sense of purpose has carried her from a small-town nursing assistant to the leader of a global healthcare company. And through it all, she’s remained true to her roots — proof that sometimes, innovation doesn’t mean leaving home. It means bringing the world to your doorstep.
