News release

Call for Nominations for Excellence Awards

Cancer Care Nova Scotia

Cancer Care Nova Scotia is calling for nominations for its 2011 Excellence Awards.

The awards were created to spotlight the dedication and accomplishments of those who work to enhance and improve cancer prevention and care for Nova Scotia patients and families.

"I have first-hand knowledge of the many dedicated and highly talented people who make up our cancer system," said Archie MacEachern, cancer survivor, Cancer Care Nova Scotia board member and chair of the 2011 Excellence Awards Committee. "The Excellence Awards were developed to acknowledge the many individuals and teams who work tirelessly to make cancer services in our province the very best they can be.

"I encourage all who either work within the system, or who have been impacted by cancer in any way, to consider nominating someone who they believe has made a difference."

Awards will be presented in three categories: Leadership Excellence, Innovation Excellence and Excellence in Patient Care. For the leadership and innovation awards, individual or group nominations will be considered, including, volunteers, activists, health professionals, health administrators and researchers. The Excellence in Patient Care Award is limited to a health professional or team who provide direct patient care.

Nomination information and details about qualifications for the awards are available at www.cancercare.ns.ca/awards or by calling 1-866-599-2267. The nomination deadline is April 29.

Cancer Care Nova Scotia's Excellence Awards were introduced in 2009 to mark the organization's 10th anniversary.

Cancer Care Nova Scotia, a provincial program of the Department of Health and Wellness, was created in 1998 to facilitate quality cancer prevention and care for all Nova Scotians. Through standards and guideline development, health professional education, and Cancer Patient Navigation, Cancer Care Nova Scotia supports health professionals in providing patients with high quality care. Its work with organizations raises awareness about the importance of healthy lifestyles to reduce cancer risk, and its screening programs educate Nova Scotians about available testing like Pap tests for cervical cancer and the FIT kit for colon cancer. The goal is to find cancer earlier and treat it better.