2017 UBC Health Award Recipients

Congratulations to the outstanding students, faculty, community partners, health educators and professionals receiving the 2017 UBC Health Awards. All award recipients were honoured and presented with their awards at the annual UBC Health Awards Reception in February 2018.

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John H. V. Gilbert Interprofessional Scholarship

Established through an endowment by family, friends and colleagues of Dr. John H.V. Gilbert, this scholarship recognizes an outstanding student in the final year of a UBC health or human services degree program who combines academic excellence and demonstrated student leadership in interprofessional education for collaborative patient-centred practice.

Anna Balsevich, fourth year student in the Bachelor of Social Work program (UBC Faculty of Arts), receives the 2017 John H.V. Gilbert Interprofessional Scholarship for her exemplary commitment and leadership in interprofessional activities involving vulnerable populations.

Professor Jessie Gordon MacCarthy Memorial Scholarship

Established through an endowment in memory of the late Jessie Gordon MacCarthy, long-term contributor to the development of the Health Sciences at UBC, this scholarship recognizes an outstanding student in the final year of any pre-licensure health science program who best combines academic excellence, demonstrated interest and leadership in the field of community health.

Minnie Yu-Ching Teng, second year student in the Master of Occupational Therapy program (UBC Faculty of Medicine), receives the 2017 Professor Jessie Gordon MacCarthy Memorial Scholarship for her outstanding commitment and leadership in community projects assisting the elderly and people with disabilities.

ImpactBC Scholarships in Health Care Research and Development

Established in 2016 through an endowment by ImpactBC, these scholarships recognize outstanding students in a UBC health discipline who have completed a research or development project focusing on patient/client involvement in health care decision-making or in health professional education.

Five medical students are the proud recipients of the ImpactBC Scholarships in 2017.

Ian Yu Yang Miao, fourth year student in the MD undergraduate program (UBC Faculty of Medicine) receives the ImpactBC Scholarship in Health Care Research and Development for his summer research project at BC Children’s Hospital focused on the usability and feasibility testing of a smartphone health application designed to aid parents in the management of children’s post-operative pain.

Team members Daphne Lu, Marina Parapini, Karla Rebullar and Jeffery Tong, all fourth year students in the MD undergraduate program (UBC Faculty of Medicine), each receive the ImpactBC Scholarship in Health Care Research and Development for their team project on evaluating the refugee experience with using interpretation services in the primary care setting in British Columbia.

John F. McCreary Prize for Interprofessional Teamwork

In honour of Dr. John McCreary, the first Coordinator of Health Sciences at UBC, the McCreary Prize was established to recognize and promote interprofessional teamwork in the health and human service professions. The award is intended to draw attention to Dr. McCreary’s vision of interprofessional collaboration in clinical work and education and the value of a team approach in meeting the health needs of British Columbians. The first McCreary Prize was awarded in 1994.

The RICHER (Responsive, Intersectoral-Interdisciplinary, Child-Community, Health, Education and Research) Social Pediatrics Initiative of BC Children’s Hospital is the winner of the 2017 John F. McCreary Prize for Interprofessional Teamwork.

Led by Dr. Judith Lynam, Professor in the UBC School of Nursing, and Dr. Christine Loock, Associate Professor in the UBC Department of Pediatrics, RICHER is an interprofessional and intersectoral clinical practice initiative introduced to complement, enrich and extend existing clinical services along the continuum, from prevention to specialized supports for children in Vancouver’s inner city. Comprised of various interdisciplinary health care providers, researchers, and community partners (including UBC, the Provincial Health Services Authority, BC regional health authorities, nurses, family physicians, specialists, among others), the program has built evidence-based services for the socially and economically marginalized individuals and families in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Clinicians and community partners are guided by a commitment to fostering equitable access to a range of care in order to achieve equitable outcomes for some of the province’s most disadvantaged children.

John McNeill Excellence in Health Research Mentorship Award

This prestigious award, in honour of Dean Emeritus John McNeill who joined the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1971, recognizes faculty members at any stage in their academic career, in any of UBC’s health-related disciplines, who have formally been identified as mentors and who exemplify a deep commitment to fostering the professional and personal development of faculty colleagues, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows, in the early stages of their academic career.

Dr. Colleen Varcoe, Professor in the UBC School of Nursing, is the proud winner of the 2017 John McNeill Excellence in Health Research Mentorship Award for her remarkable accomplishments in health research mentorship and the impact on her mentees. Dr. Varcoe’s track record of support for graduate and post-doctoral trainees, active consultations with health authorities and international health organizations, and educational leadership in innovative program development illustrate her invaluable achievements in mentorship.

Read more about Dr. Colleen Varcoe

R. Paul Kerston Community Educator Award

Named after long-time community educator, R. Paul Kerston, this annual award was established in 2014 to honour outstanding community educators who have made a difference to student learning at UBC.

Chris Hofley, community educator, receives the 2017 R. Paul Kerston Community Educator Award for his invaluable contributions to health education and learning at UBC. A long-time partner of several important initiatives to bring the patient’s voice into health professional education, Chris has had many roles at UBC – as a Health Mentor, panelist, co-author and steering committee member. Chris is an exceptional mentor, expanding student learning beyond traditional professional boundaries, and giving students new insights about disability, accessibility and social inclusion.

Read more about Chris Hofley

Award for Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Interprofessional Professional Development

This award honours an outstanding individual or health care team that promotes professional development in the areas of collaborative teaching among different health care professionals and/or collaborative patient-centred practice to support excellence in the delivery of patient-centred care.

Dr. Leandra Best, Clinical Professor and Senior Associate Dean in the UBC Faculty of Dentistry, receives the 2017 Award for Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Interprofessional Professional Development for her long-standing commitment to and accomplishments in interprofessional development. A champion in advancing interprofessional collaborations, Dr. Best’s unique and innovative contributions have had significant impact on interprofessional education in the Faculty of Dentistry and beyond.

Practice Education Award

This award honours an individual or health care team that provides outstanding interprofessional collaborative patient-centred education in the practice setting for pre-entry to practice-level students.

The PRISM (Prince Rupert Interprofessional Student-Led Model) Clinic Team receives the 2017 Practice Education Award for its creative and innovative model of delivery of service in an interprofessional setting. In partnership with Northern Health and the UBC Department of Physical Therapy, the PRISM Clinic was established in a rural remote setting in northern BC. The clinic accepts students from Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences from BC and across Canada, and implements strategies to provide creative and innovative learning to students who learn with and from other disciplines while delivering care in an under-serviced region.