Celebrating the People & Projects Improving Care in BC
It’s time to announce the winners and runners-up of our 2021 BC Quality Awards, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate their incredible efforts to improve quality of care!
There were many projects that made a difference in BC’s health care system over the past year, and these 17 winners and runners-up are shining examples of the dedication, leadership and passion that drive health care improvement. Their achievements have touched thousands of patients and families across out province.
We’re thrilled to put the spotlight on their efforts and recognize the people and initiatives who stood out to our judging panel as winners and runners-up in our nine award categories.
Harsh Hundal
Executive Medical Director, Physician Engagement & Resource Planning, Interior Health
In 2017, Interior Health had the lowest physician satisfaction scores of any health authority in BC. To address that crisis, Harsh Hundal started by building relationships, empowering leaders and cultivating a culture of trust — a strategy that has more than doubled physician satisfaction.
Stephanie Rhone
Senior Medical Director, Gyne & Sexual Health, Specialized Programs, Medical Genetics, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
The gynecologic and reproductive care needs of women and people are often poorly met by the health care system. Through her work at BC Women’s Hospital, Stephanie Rhone has created new models for providing better care for these patients, addressing their physical and emotional needs.
Michelle Peltier
Patient & Family Engagement Advisor, BC Women’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
After her daughter was born preterm, Michelle Peltier became an advocate for person-centred support at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.
Christine Wallsworth
Patient Partner, Providence Health Care, Vancouver Coastal Health, Patient Voices Network
Christine Wallsworth’s late husband had dementia, and she often saw that his voice was ignored. That drove her to become an advocate for patients and influence major policy changes at Providence Health Care and other organizations.
Paul Winston
Physiatrist, Island Health
Patients with spasticity — a disabling condition where muscles are involuntarily contracted — often hit a plateau with conventional treatments. Paul Winston has made it his life’s mission to help those patients live better, by developing novel treatments and sharing them with providers around the world.
Tiffany Wong
Pediatric Allergist, BC Children’s Hospital
10 out of every 100 people think they have an allergy to penicillin, but only one of those 10 people is right about that. Pediatric allergist Tiffany Wong is tackling this global issue through innovation, outreach and education — starting with her work at BC Children’s Hospital.
Beverley Pomeroy
Patient Engagement Specialist, BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre
When Beverley Pomeroy joined the BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre team just one month before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they immediately identified a lack of resources to support researchers engaging with patient partners who’ve experienced trauma – and then set out to change that.
Glenn McRae
Executive Director, Quality and Patient Safety, Interior Health
Glenn McRae knew there was an opportunity to improve Interior Health’s person- and family-centred care culture. He tackled the issue head-on by giving patient and public partners a voice.
Appetite to Play
Child Health BC
After hearing concerns about children’s decreasing physical activity levels, fruit and vegetable intake and increasing screen time, Child Health BC, in collaboration with provincial partners (Sport for Life, YMCA of Greater Vancouver, Childhood Obesity Foundation and the Ministry of Health) launched Appetite to Play to enable children to make healthy choices that will benefit them later in life.
The Provincial Perinatal Substance Use Project
BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
The Provincial Perinatal Substance Use Project is transforming perinatal services across the province to become more compassionate, trauma-informed and culturally safe for pregnant and parenting women and people who are using substances.
Spirit of Healthy Kids
Northern Health, Prince George Cougars and Spirit of the North Health Care Foundation
The Spirit of Healthy Kids program focuses on elementary schools as a place to nurture a lifetime of healthier habits, connecting students with positive role models who encourage them to take care of their bodies, minds and communities.
Coyote’s Food Medicines
First Nations Health Authority, Doctors of BC, Interior Health
When the First Nations Health Authority realized that many Indigenous patients were being prescribed large numbers of medications, they knew patients and doctors needed help talking about medication management in a safe, supportive way. So they used traditional storytelling to create Coyote’s Food Medicines, a unique resource designed to empower patients and educate providers.
Getting to the Right Place: Implementation of Triage & Transportation Guidelines in Fraser Health
BC Emergency Health Services, Trauma Services BC
Patients with severe injuries have better outcomes when they are treated at a designated trauma hospital — but sometimes they are transported to local emergency departments that are less equipped to care for them. BC Emergency Health Services led a collaborative with Trauma Services BC in Fraser Health which ensures patients are brought to the right place for their trauma care, the first time.
Situation Critical: Improving Patient Safety for High-Risk Cardiac Patients Undergoing Non-Cardiac Procedures
Cardiac Sciences Team, BC Children’s Hospital
After realizing that gaps in coordination of care were leading to critical safety events for children with cardiac conditions during non-cardiac surgery, an interdisciplinary team at BC Children’s Hospital sprung into action. Together, they developed a protocol that has brought the number of critical safety events down to zero, ensuring safer care for their vulnerable young patients.
Total Contact Casting for Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Island Health
In Nanaimo, a treatment for diabetic foot ulcers is improving patients’ quality of life, decreasing wait times and preventing amputations.
Nanaimo Kidney Condo: Your Way Home
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
Patients on Central or North Vancouver Island who are eligible for in-home dialysis require six or more weeks of training in Nanaimo. But they often live in rural areas and face barriers to accessing this training, leading a dedicated team at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital to open “The Nanaimo Kidney Condo.”
Improving Support for Families Experiencing Perinatal Loss
Population Health Promotion, BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
Working closely with bereaved parents and clinicians, the Population Health Promotion team at BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre has developed resources for families coping with perinatal loss that are accurate, appropriate, sensitive and accessible.
