Presented by the healthexpertstips Association of British Columbia (HEABC), the awards recognize British Columbians who are providing outstanding care and support. Awards are given in 11 categories to projects improving delivery through innovative and collaborative approaches and to people making a positive impact and inspiring those around them.
“BC’s medical professionals – including support staff – genuinely care about delivering quality care to British Columbians,” said Michael McMillan, HEABC’s President and CEO. “The BCHC Awards are an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the individual and team contributions made by these individuals.”
New this year – Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care
Named in honour of Dianna Mah-Jones, this award is for a team or project that makes use of leading practices to improve care for patients, residents or clients by focusing on the needs of the person rather than the needs of the system or service. Dianna Mah-Jones, an occupational therapist at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, was tragically killed, along with her husband Richard Jones, just three months after being named Provincial HC Hero at the 2017 awards. Our hope is that this ward will help to keep her memory and legacy alive by recognizing others who strive to deliver care that is respectful of the needs, values and preferences of individuals.
2018 Gold Apple winners
Provincial HC Hero & HC Hero – Provincial Health Services Authority
Glenn Braithwaite – District Supervisor, Emergency Coordinator, BCEHS
Glenn Jay Braithwaite is a Paramedic and District Supervisor at BC Ambulance Service, recognized for providing exceptional emergency response and for his clinical leadership abilities. He’s received several professional accolades for his heroic actions, and his outstanding commitment to patients, colleagues and the broader community.
Provincial HC Hero & HC Hero – Island Health
Dr. Ramm Hering – Physician Lead, Primary Care Substance Use, Island Health
By passionately and effectively advocating for improved services for patients dealing with substance use and addiction, Dr. Hering has inspired his colleagues to work together to develop new programs and create an efficient, client-centred system of addiction services.
HC Hero – Affiliate
Dr. David Agulnik- Emergency Physician, St. Paul’s Hospital
HC Hero – Fraser Health
Mits Miyata – Pharmacy Manager, Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services
HC Hero – Interior Health
Lynda Martyn – Registered Speech-Language Pathologist, Coordinator Kelowna Cleft Lip/Palate Clinic
HC Hero – Northern Health
Debbie Strang – Health Services Administrator, Quesnel
HC Hero – Provincial Health Services Authority
Dr. Faisal Khosa – Associate Professor, Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital
Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care
International Seating Symposium – Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, Provincial Health Services Authority
The International Seating Symposium has created an international forum that fosters an exchange of ideas and a network of consumers, rehabilitation therapists, physicians, designers, and manufacturers of positioning and mobility equipment. This has inspired improvements in rehabilitation equipment and technology that have improved mobility, comfort and quality of life for people with disabilities.
Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care
Residential Care for Me: Megamorphosis – Seniors Care and Palliative Services, Providence
The goal of Residential Care for Me: Megamorphosis is to change the residential care culture from an institutional to a social model of care, and improve quality of life for residents by rapidly testing and implementing changes that focus on emotional connections, allow residents to direct each moment, and create the feeling of home.
Top Innovation
SNIFF: C. Difficile Canine Scent Detection Program – Vancouver Coastal Health
An innovative and dedicated team of people and a growing roster of pups known as the C. Difficile Scent Detection Program is pioneering a cost-effective method to improve and enhance C. Difficile surveillance and improve infection control and prevention practices.
Workplace Health Innovation
VGH Emergency Department Healthy Workplace Initiative – Vancouver Coastal Health
Vancouver General Hospital’s emergency department formed a multi-disciplinary team with the goal of working together to improve workplace health and safety, leading to an improved working climate where staff report feeling engaged and better able to provide the type of quality care that emergency patients deserve.
Collaborative Solutions
Improving Indigenous Cancer Journeys: A Road Map – BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, BC Cancer (Provincial Health Services Authority), First Nations Health Authority, Métis Nation BC
The Indigenous Cancer Strategy is a collaborative strategy that will improve indigenous cancer outcomes by addressing all steps of the cancer journey, from prevention and treatment, through to survivorship and end-of-life care.
This year’s Awards of Merit recipients are:
Dianna Mah-Jones Award of Excellence in Person-Centred Care
• Resources and Needs Review – Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, Island Health
Top Innovation
• Symphony QuickCall – Workforce Management Solutions, Provincial Health Services Authority
• Fall-unteers: A Volunteer-Based Falls Prevention Strategy in Residential Care – Holy Family Hospital Residential Care, Providence
Workplace Health Innovation
• Reducing Workplace Injuries through Leading Practices – Menno Place
Collaborative Solutions
• Regional Strategy for Reducing Ambulance Turnaround Times – BC Emergency Health Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Fraser Health
• Vancouver Shared Care Team – Doctors of BC, Providence, Vancouver Coastal Health
Since the awards launched in 2007, more than 200 Gold Apples and Awards of Merit have been awarded to health employees who are improving BC’s healthcare system and patient care.
The 2018 BCHC Awards are generously supported by Great-West Life, Healthcare Benefit Trust, and Pacific Blue Cross.
Visit BCHealthCareAwards.ca,to learn more about the 2018 awards winners.
The Health Employers Association of British Columbia (HEABC) is the accredited bargaining agent for most publicly funded health employers in the province, representing denominational, proprietary and affiliate health employers, as well as the province’s six health authorities. HEABC coordinates the labour relations interests of 250 publicly funded healthcare employers and negotiates five major provincial agreements covering more than 120,000 unionized employees.
