2025 BC Quality Awards Celebrate the People Improving Health Care Across the Province

VANCOUVER – People throughout British Columbia have safer, better quality health care thanks to the work of the 2025 BC Quality Award winners and runners up, presented by Health Quality BC (HQBC).  

HQBC, previously called the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council, established the BC Quality Awards in 2009 as an annual celebration of the people and projects that improve the quality of care in BC.

“The BC Quality Awards winners and finalists are finding solutions to health-care challenges facing communities across B.C.,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “They’re reducing hospitalizations, supporting safer pregnancies, delivering care during climate-related emergencies, and much more. Our government is committed to ensuring that everyone in our province has access to high-quality care when they need it most. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of HQBC’s Quality Awards – we’re proud of your outstanding work.”

The BC Quality Award winners are awarded a $2,500 sponsorship to help support and disseminate learning from their projects or to support ongoing learning and development. The winners of the five Excellence in Quality awards are also invited to present their project at the Quality Forum, HQBC’s annual conference that brings together BC’s health care community to share and discuss how to improve quality across the continuum of care.

“Each year, I am truly inspired by the dedication shown in the nominations for the BC Quality Awards,” said Christina Krause, CEO of Health Quality BC. “This year is no exception, and I encourage communities across BC to celebrate the exceptional individuals and initiatives that are enhancing the quality of care. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists – BC is fortunate to have you!”

For the last 17 years, Health Quality BC has been dedicated to improving the quality of health care across British Columbia. It supports the development and implementation of evidence-based practices and strategies to promote and inform a provincially coordinated, patient-centred approach to quality. By collaborating with people and teams across the health system, HQBC’s work leads to better health care for people in BC.

A key factor to influence system-wide change is the ability to spread innovations and new ideas. HQBC leads learning programs, provincial collaboratives, the BC Quality Awards and many other activities to share improvement ideas across the province.

“It fills me with great joy and pride to be part of Health Quality BC,” said Devin Harris, Chair of HQBC. “One of the most fulfilling aspects of this role is connecting with remarkable individuals like those celebrated through the BC Quality Awards. The honorees have a tremendous impact; they transform lives and inspire us all to strive for continuous improvement. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists!”

BACKGROUNDER

BC Quality Award Winners and Runners Up

Excellence in Quality: Optimizing the Early Years

Winner: BC Women’s Hospital Allergy Clinic Team
BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre  

The BC Women’s Hospital Allergy Clinic Team is Canada’s first dedicated centre for testing and removing penicillin allergies in pregnant individuals, significantly improving outcomes for both patients and newborns. Since its inception, the clinic has helped 800 patients, reducing unnecessary medical interventions and complications related to postpartum infections and caesarean wounds. The initiative’s success has established penicillin allergy delabelling as a standard of care, leading to cost savings for the health care system and inspiring similar programs across Canada, with plans to expand access province-wide.

Runner up: Early Motor Screening Program (for early cerebral palsy detection in BC)
Provincial Health Services Authority
Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services and Perinatal Services BC worked together to implement new newborn screening protocols for three additional treatable conditions under accelerated timelines and an expanded testing program. Since this new protocol was introduced, 16 infants have been identified and received a clinical intervention because of these additional screening tests.

Excellence in Quality: Strengthening Health & Wellness

Winner: Inter- and Intra-Health Authority Relocation Working Group
Health Emergency Management BC

The “Inter- and Intra-Health Authority Relocation Toolkit” is a pioneering initiative that strengthens health services during climate-related emergencies, particularly in the context of evacuations from long-term care, assisted living, and independent living facilities. Developed through collaboration between multiple health organizations, the toolkit prioritizes patient-centred, culturally safe care, ensuring the unique needs of residents, especially from Indigenous communities, are met during evacuations. Its successful implementation during the 2023 wildfire season, evacuating approximately 850 residents, demonstrated its profound impact on maintaining continuity of care and minimizing trauma, setting a new standard for emergency management in health care.

Runner Up: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Skills Training Spread Initiative
Shared Care Committee, Joint Collaborative Committees and UBC Continuing Professional Development

The Shared Care Committee has partnered with UBC Continuing Professional Development and Mind Space to deliver a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Skills program for both physicians and primary care patients experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and depression. The program offers group sessions, either in-person or virtually, focusing on CBT techniques, mindfulness, and emotional regulation to support mental well-being. It provides accessible, evidence-based support for both patients and physicians, helping to prevent mental health issues from escalating and creating a supportive community for practitioners.

Excellence in Quality: Returning to Health & Wellness

Winner: Bridging Care Program
Island Health  

The Bridging Care Program offers an alternative to hospitalization for individuals with acute psychiatric challenges in Greater Victoria, providing intensive day programs with personalized care. In its first year, 135 clients successfully completed the program, showing improvements in mental health and wellness, and reducing inpatient admissions. Due to its success, plans are underway to expand the program with a virtual model to reach a broader population.

Runner Up: The Independence Model (TIM)
Providence Health Care

The Independence Model (TIM) at St. Paul’s Hospital focuses on preventing functional decline in patients during acute care by preserving key abilities like walking, eating, and personal care. Rehabilitation Assistants play a central role, providing tailored interventions to maintain patients’ physical and cognitive functions, allowing quicker recoveries and safer hospital stays. TIM enhances patient outcomes by fostering collaboration among health care teams, engaging patients and families, and reducing unnecessary referrals, while also addressing staffing challenges in rehabilitation services.

Excellence in Quality: Living with Illness or Disability

Winner: Cowichan Health and Care Plan ‘Adapting a COPD model of care to meet the needs of a community’
Island Health

The Cowichan Valley has one of the highest rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in BC. One of the first initiatives the Cowichan Health and Care Plan launched was a program to better support patients and health care providers to manage COPD and reduce hospitalizations in the region. Since its implementation, the COPD outreach program has supported more than 750 clients to manage their condition, resulting in fewer hospital visits, improved self-management, and enhanced quality of life for participants.

Runner Up: Remote Symptom Monitoring for Patients Starting IV Chemotherapy at Richmond Hospital (RESPONSe)

Vancouver Coastal Health

The RESPONSe program at Richmond Hospital improves cancer treatment by integrating a digital remote symptom monitoring (RSM) system and a dedicated Symptom Management Nurse (SMN) to track patient-reported outcomes, enhancing communication and reducing symptom burden. Since its launch in January 2024, the program has successfully enrolled 67 patients, with high satisfaction rates and a decrease in emergency visits and hospital admissions, particularly for symptoms like nausea and dehydration. The program’s success highlights the potential of digital RSMs in cancer care, with ongoing improvements based on patient and clinician feedback, making it a significant advancement in patient-centred care.

Excellence in Quality: Coping with Transition from Life

Winner: Palliative Care Assess, See, Treat andRefer Pathway
BC Emergency Health Services

The Paramedics & Palliative Care Project, developed by BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) in 2019, produced the ASTaR (Assess, See, Treat and Refer) Palliative Clinical Pathway. The pathway integrates a patient-centred approach to end-of-life care that prioritizes treatment at home over hospital transport. This initiative focuses on symptom management, psychosocial support, and collaboration with community care teams, ensuring comfort and quality of life for palliative patients. By formalizing processes and equipping paramedics with new tools, the pathway has improved care delivery, respected patient wishes, and reduced strain on emergency services.

Runner Up: Palliative Specialty Nurse in the Emergency Department
Vancouver Coastal Health

As the population ages and becomes increasingly medically complex, many patients in their last months of life are presenting to emergency departments (ED), often in the final stages of serious illness. A quality improvement project at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) embedded a Palliative Clinical Nurse Specialist in the ED to proactively identify patients with palliative care needs, facilitating goals-of-care conversations and connecting patients to appropriate supports. From May to December 2023, the CNS helped prevent 22 acute admissions, saving an estimated $680,000, while improving patient-centred care and reducing ED stays. Based on this success, the project was expanded in December 2023 with a full-time Transitions Palliative Care Resource Nurse, with ongoing data collection and support from VGH Palliative Care, ED leadership and community teams.

Achievement in Sustainable Health Care

Winner: The Critical Air Project
Island Health

Climate change poses a significant challenge to health care, with inhalers contributing notably to greenhouse gas emissions. Through the Critical Air Project, Valeria Stoynova and Celia Culley have implemented innovative policy and operational strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of inhaler use while maintaining high-quality patient care. Their work serves as a model for sustainable health care practices, inspiring efforts nationwide to address climate impacts in health care systems.

Runner Up: Sustainable Medication Use Collaborative – Fraser Health
Fraser Health

Gigi Wong, Aaron Tejani, and the Fraser Health Medication Use Evaluation team are focused on reducing pharmaceutical waste in inpatient hospitals by reusing returned medications instead of incinerating them. Their pilot project, which tested a new model for sorting unused medications, showed significant financial savings and reduced waste. This initiative aligns with sustainability goals by cutting down on environmental impacts and emissions and has the potential to be expanded across multiple health authorities in the region.

Leadership in Co-Designing Health Quality with Communities

Winner: Cowichan Indigenous Connection Team
Island Health  

The Cowichan District Hospital Replacement Project Nuts’a’maat Alliance, Island Health and the Cowichan Valley Primary Care Network have been working with local Indigenous communities to foster trust between leaders and communities while advancing culturally safe designs, programs and care that feels welcoming and inclusive to all. Through two Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection grants, the Cowichan Indigenous Connection Team has led to the creation of an Indigenous Advisory Council, the development of culturally safe care tools, and the integration of Indigenous art and design elements into the new hospital. Ongoing co-design with the communities has fostered trust, built leadership, and enhanced health services, focusing on cultural safety, anti-Indigenous racism, and improving care for all.

Runner Up: Interior Health Indigenous Engagement Team (Nation Health Advocates)
Interior Health

The Indigenous Engagement team at Interior Health has co-created Nation-based Health Care Advocate positions with First Nations and Métis communities, fostering collaborative engagement and shared accountability between Interior Health and the Nations. The advocates play a key role in improving health care access, addressing systemic issues and creating culturally safe services, while also developing Nation-specific Health and Wellness Plans in partnership with Indigenous communities.

Doug Cochrane Leadership in Quality Award

Winner: Linda Dempster
Ministry of Health  

Linda Dempster has demonstrated compassionate leadership in BC’s health care system for over 38 years, championing initiatives that improve quality and patient-centred care. Her work includes launching infection control programs, leading the development of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, implementing frameworks like Releasing Time to Care and What Matters to Me, and co-founding Canada’s first hospital-embedded canine detection program for clostridium difficile infections. In recognition of her contributions, she has been awarded the Doug Cochrane Leadership in Quality Award, which honours leaders who reflect the passion Dr. Cochrane had for compassion-led health care. Much like Doug, Linda’s passion and unwavering commitment to quality care and a positive patient experience are hallmarks of the legacies she will leave.

Runner Up: Joanna Harrison
Interior Health

Joanna Harrison is a Certified Health Executive with 20 years of leadership experience in health system strategic planning and clinical informatics. As Executive Director of Clinical Informatics and Digital Health at Interior Health, she leads initiatives to improve person-centred care through technology and data-driven systems. Joanna’s transformative leadership, especially during the pandemic, has contributed significantly to seniors’ care services, mental health support, and reducing social isolation, with a focus on innovation, technology, and improving care quality in British Columbia.

Leadership in Advancing the Patient Voice

Winner: Greg Hemminger
Patient Voice

Greg Hemminger is a dedicated individual whose impact on the substance use care system can be felt across the province. As the Lower Mainland regional coordinator for the Tailgate Toolkit Program, Greg has expanded harm reduction outreach to tradespeople by engaging directly with workers at construction sites, boxing gyms, and treatment centres, providing vital resources and education. Through his work, Greg has helped establish pathways for harm reduction and recovery support while encouraging clinical teams to prioritize equitable and compassionate care. Known for his humility, positivity, and dedication to systemic improvement, Greg’s efforts continue to drive meaningful advancements in health care and amplify the value of including the patient perspective in system-wide initiatives.

Runner Up: Kristi Coldwell
Patient Voice

Kristi Coldwell is a passionate advocate for patient engagement, ensuring that the voices of patients with lived experiences are integrated into health care improvements. She leads initiatives in Patient-Oriented Research, supports training programs for Patient Family Partners, and chairs advisory groups to embed patient engagement in research and health care governance. Through her own heart transplant experience, Kristi inspires others and has made a significant impact in shaping patient-centred health care across BC.