Excellence Award Recipients Announced
Cancer Care Nova Scotia announced today, June 23, the recipients of its inaugural Excellence Awards in leadership, innovation, patient care and pioneer excellence.
The awards were presented at the 10th anniversary celebration of Cancer Care Nova Scotia held at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. The awards, which will be presented annually, acknowledge the work and commitment of many people who have helped the organization further cancer prevention, treatment, and care for Nova Scotia cancer patients and their families.
"With more than 40 compelling nominations to consider, our job to select the one worthy individual or team that most exemplified each award was not easy," said Patrick Flinn, chair of the selection committee, Cancer Care Nova Scotia Excellence Awards. "Indeed all nominees are worthy of recognition. However, based on the strength of the nomination package and a customized evaluation tool, we were able to make thoughtful decisions."
The award recipients are Joan Hamilton, a clinical nurse specialist with the Capital Health Cancer Care program; the leadership team, Cape Breton District Health Authority; Dr. Gerry Farrell, medical director, palliative care, Pictou County Health Authority; and the interdisciplinary thyroid clinic team, Capital Health.
The Pioneer Excellence Award was presented to Ms. Hamilton, a seasoned health professional with more than 25 years experience of working with cancer patients and their families. She has made significant contributions to the cancer field through clinical practice, teaching, research, and mentoring nurses and other health professionals. Her specialty lies in supporting parents and caregivers in discussing serious illness with children. In the early 1990s, in response to repeated requests from health providers and parents for counselling in this area, Ms. Hamilton wrote the book, When a Parent is Sick: Helping Parents Explain Serious Illness to Children. At that time, there were no practical guides for parents or health providers on this topic. Ms. Hamilton is considered a pioneer in this field and her book is used extensively throughout Canada and around the world.
The Leadership Excellence Award was presented to the Cape Breton District Health Authority leadership team. In 2001, in recognition of the strong connection between cancer prevention and healthy public policy, the team, under the leadership of John Malcom, lobbied municipal government for policy changes involving smoke free public places. As a result, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality adopted a 100 per cent smoke-free public places bylaw in spring 2001. Similar municipal smoking bylaws followed in both Victoria and Inverness counties in 2002. The leadership team and the districts' community health boards also encouraged the provincial government to adopt the Nova Scotia Smoke-Free Places Act in 2003. Since then, they have been supportive of strengthening the legislation, which has evolved to include banning retail power walls, advertising smoking products, and prohibiting smoking in a vehicle with children under the age of 18.
The Innovation Excellence Award was presented to Dr. Gerry Farrell, a family doctor and medical director of palliative care for the Pictou County Health Authority. As a family doctor for many years, Dr. Farrell always had an interest in palliative care. He created an interdisciplinary palliative care team that has served as a model of care for the province. In 2006, after two years of planning, building awareness, and raising funds, Dr. Farrell and his team officially opened a specially designed, dedicated palliative care unit at the Aberdeen Hospital, the only unit of its kind in the province. In addition to his work in palliative care, Dr. Farrell works closely with cancer specialists to support them in the care they provide during satellite oncology visits.
The Excellence in Patient Care Award was presented to the interdisciplinary thyroid cancer clinic team. The team, under the direction of Dr. Ali Imran, an endocrinologist, and Dr. Mal Rajaraman, a radiation oncologist, developed a 'one-stop shopping' thyroid cancer clinic. Operating one day a week from the VG Site of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, the clinic has streamlined patient care for both newly diagnosed patients and those requiring follow up. Following surgery, thyroid cancer patients are referred to the clinic through a single referral point and are assessed by endocrinology, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine specialists. They also receive necessary patient education and an appointment time for radioactive iodine therapy. A follow-up appointment is scheduled for three and six months following this procedure to make any necessary adjustments in treatment. One patient wrote that the creation of the clinic has made an incredible difference in their experience as a patient. They receive clear and timely communication about upcoming tests and appointments and if they are having any issues related to their thyroid, they know they can call a main number and receive assistance. They feel valued as a patient and as a person.
"It is a privilege and an honour to work with the talented, dedicated and passionate team of people who are part of Nova Scotia's cancer care system," said Theresa Marie Underhill, chief operating officer, Cancer Care Nova Scotia. "Congratulations and special thanks to the award recipients, nominees, and all who work with us to continually enhance and improve the cancer care system for Nova Scotia cancer patients and their families."
Cancer Care Nova Scotia, a provincial program of the Department of Health, was created to facilitate quality cancer prevention and care for all Nova Scotians. Through Cancer Patient Navigation, health professional education, and standards and guideline development, Cancer Care Nova Scotia supports health professionals in providing patients with high quality care. Its work with other organizations raises awareness about the importance of healthy lifestyles to reduce cancer risk, and its screening programs educate Nova Scotians about healthy lifestyles and available testing like Pap tests for cervical cancer and the FIT kit for colorectal cancer. The goal is to find cancer earlier and treat it better.