Honoring the dedicated members of the hospice palliative care community

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the following 2012 awards:

Balfour Mount Champion Award – Dr. Michael Downing

Dr. Michael Downing has been in the palliative care field for over 30 years.  Dr. Downing currently serves as Director of the Research and Development office at Victoria Hospice, which was formed in 2007 to provide support and coordination for providing research.  Over the years Dr. Downing has served in several capacities, including: Clinical Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Cancer Agency, as well as Palliative Medicine Consultant, BC Cancer Agency.  Dr. Downing has served on a number of national and provincial committees and is the founding President of the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association.

Dr. Downing was born in Guelph, Ontario and currently lives in Victoria, BC with his wife Terry, who is a palliative care nurse.  Michael has 5 children and 8 grandchildren. 

Award of Excellence – Pat Porterfield, RN, MSN, CHPCN

Pat Porterfield, RN, MSN, CHPCN has just retired as the Regional Leader, Palliative Care, for Vancouver Coastal Health.  Prior to this regional role, Pat was the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care at Vancouver General Hospital; this role included consultation to all members of the inter-professional team, direct care for patients and families within the VGH Palliative Care Program, education of hospital staff and students, research and evaluation.  Prior to this position at VGH, Pat worked as a Palliative Care Nurse Coordinator at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario (1986-1990) and was involved in the development of the Lions Gate Hospital Palliative Care Program (1981-1986). Pat is known for her wonderful smile and can-do attitude as well as an excellent clinician and leader.

Media Award

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) is proud to present the 2012 Media Award jointly to the Globe and Mail and Lisa Priest. They were both selected as individual recipients of this award in recognition of the several excellent articles written on hospice palliative care throughout 2011-2012. Their articles encouraged Canadians to advocate for better access to quality hospice palliative care and start conversations with their loved ones about their preferences at the end of life.  On behalf of the hospice palliative care community we would like to thank Lisa Priest and the Globe and Mail for raising the awareness of this issue among Canadians.

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

A new commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60^th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

The CHPCA was chosen to be a partner organization by the Governor General of Canada and has elected to award the following individuals for their outstanding commitment to the advancement of hospice palliative care in Canada:

History of the CHPCA Awards

Each year the CHPCA recognizes outstanding individuals or organizations that promote and/or advance hospice palliative care in Canada. These awards highlight the exemplary efforts of individuals, companies and/or organizations who demonstrate a personal and/or professional commitment to hospice palliative care in Canada.  All awards will be presented during the CHPCA’s Annual General Meeting, Thursday October 11^th at the Palais des Congrès, Montreal, Quebec, at 5:40pm.

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