Meet this year’s winners and runners-up
We’re thrilled to share the incredible honourees of the 2020 Quality Awards! While there were many projects that made a difference in BC’s health care system over the year, these 16 winners and runners-up are shining examples of the dedication, leadership and passion that drive health care improvement. The achievements of these individuals and teams have touched thousands, making a significant impact in the lives of the patients and families of BC.
Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up! Learn about them below and follow the links to read full profiles of their work.
Excellence in Quality: Staying Healthy
This award celebrates a project that prevented injury, illness or disability.
WINNER
The Provincial Overdose Mobile Response Team
Health Emergency Management BC
The Provincial Overdose Mobile Response Team provides 24/7 short-term crisis intervention and psychosocial support to first responders, frontline workers and people with lived and/or living experience who are impacted by the provincial overdose public health emergency.
Click here to learn more about their work!
RUNNER-UP
A Collaborative Approach to Improving Medication Safety in Acute Care
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital optimized barcode scanning technology during bedside administration of medication, improving patient safety and reducing errors.
Click here to learn more about their work!
Excellence in Quality: Getting Better
This award celebrates a project that improved care for acute illness or injury.
WINNER
Aboriginal/Indigenous Health Improvement Committees
Northern Health
Aboriginal/Indigenous Health Improvement Committees have helped build a collaborative work environment between Northern Health staff, Indigenous communities, the First Nations Health Authority and Indigenous organizations.
Click here to learn more about their work!
RUNNER-UP
Investigating Over-Infusion Pumps to Keep Patients Safe
Vancouver Coastal Health & Lower Mainland Biomedical Engineering
When it was discovered that infusion pumps had unintentionally delivered medication to patients, individuals within Vancouver Coastal Health leapt into action to diagnose what was happening so they could keep patients safe – locally and around the world.
Click here to learn more about their work!
Excellence in Quality: Living with Illness
This award celebrates a project that improved care and support for chronic illness and/or injury.
WINNER
The Impact of Long QT Syndrome on First Nations People of Northern BC
University of British Columbia & Gitxsan Health Society
A research partnership between UBC’s Community Genetics Research Program and the Gitxsan Health Society is identifying people predisposed to a rare genetic condition and helping them receive appropriate and effective care.
Click here to learn more about their work!
RUNNER-UP
Tele-Kidney Care for Patients in Northern BC
Northern Health
Northern Health’s kidney care team has successfully implemented a suite of telehealth service improvements to expand access to best-practice, specialized, team-based kidney care in rural and remote communities in northern BC.
Click here to learn more about their work!
Excellence in Quality: Coping with End of Life
This award celebrates a project that improved planning, care or support for life-limiting illness and/or bereavement.
WINNER
Whole Community Palliative Rounds
Interior Health
This initiative fosters high-quality palliative and end-of-life care for Interior Health’s largely rural population by supporting collaboration among an extended circle of health care providers both within and external to Interior Health.
Click here to learn more about their work!
RUNNER-UP
Wishing Well in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
BC Children’s Hospital
When young patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at BC Children’s Hospital require end-of-life care, staff go above and beyond to grant personalized wishes that help bring peace and create meaning for patients and their families during their final days together.
Click here to learn more about their work!
Quality Culture Trailblazer
This award celebrates someone who helped to advance and create a culture that helped their team or organization thrive. They fostered teamwork and open communication, and they engaged with staff to innovate and challenge the status quo in pursuit of high-quality care. They created an environment of cultural safety and humility, psychological safety and trust.
WINNER
Lisa Stewart
Clinical Quality and Safety Director, Vancouver Coastal Health
Lisa Stewart has led a movement within Vancouver Coastal Health to embed quality improvement into everyday practice and celebrate the amazing work of staff who make a difference.
Click here to learn more about Lisa’s work!
RUNNER-UP
Josh Douglas
Infectious Disease Physician, Vancouver Coastal Health
Josh Douglas created new services for patients requiring treatment for infections and developed a novel model for delivering quality improvement to smaller hospitals, while engaging physicians in antimicrobial stewardship.
Click here to learn more about Josh’s work!
Everyday Champion
This award celebrates someone who showed a passion and commitment for improving quality of care that was outside of their formal role to lead positive change. They saw a need for improvement and committed to action, leading by example and inspiring others.
WINNER
Jeff Harries
Family Physician, South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice
Jeff Harries is a family physician working tirelessly to increase awareness of new medical treatment options for alcohol use disorder.
Click here to learn more about Jeff’s work!
RUNNER-UP
Paul Irving
Student, British Columbia Institute of Technology
Motivated by his lived experience, Paul Irving has spent over seven years working on mental health promotion projects supporting children, youth and families in BC.
Click here to learn more about Paul’s work!
The Doug Cochrane Leadership in Quality Award
This award celebrates someone who made an inspirational, significant and sustained contribution to improving the quality of health care in British Columbia. These contributions may have been made in the fields of health policy, care design, innovation or academia, and brought to patients at the point of care by cultivating skill development, implementing improvement initiatives or providing respectful and compassionate care for those in need.
WINNER
Kim Dixon
Regional Manager and FAMILIES Peer Specialist, BC Schizophrenia Society
Kim Dixon has changed the way mental health care is addressed in northern BC by creating innovative peer support initiatives for families whose loved ones experience mental illness and addiction.
Click here to learn more about Kim’s work!
RUNNER-UP
Bruce Forster
Professor and Head, Department of Radiology, and Academic Director, Office of Education Innovation, UBC Faculty of Medicine
Bruce Forster leads the way for quality improvement and education in BC’s radiology community, not only by launching innovative peer review systems but by changing the culture of reporting and reviewing medical imaging errors.
Click here to learn more about Bruce’s work!
Leadership in Advancing the Patient Voice
This award celebrates a patient, caregiver or family member who made an outstanding contribution to patient engagement in BC’s health care system. They took the lead to inspire and support other patients, caregivers, family members and health care organizations to partner in pursuit of better care.
WINNER
Betty Murray
Patient and Family Partner, Providence Health Care, and Patient Partner, Patient Voices Network
With her feisty personality and zest for life, Betty Murray has helped shape a culture of person- and family-centred care across Providence Health Care and beyond, and prepared many other patient partners to meaningfully participate in engagement opportunities that improve health care in BC.
Click here to learn more about Betty’s work!
RUNNER-UP
Wendy Alston
Patient Partner, Patient Voices Network
After the heartbreaking experience of her mother’s journey with prolonged delirium, Wendy Alston decided to improve the way delirium patients and their families are treated, and in doing so has changed the culture of patient engagement at Eagle Ridge Hospital.
