Awards

CHITTA/COACH gala celebrates IT excellence

The 2006 Canadian Health Informatics Awards Gala, held last month in Toronto, honoured individuals, teams and companies who have made an outstanding contribution to the healthcare system through the use of IT.

The Gala, co-hosted by CHITTA (the Canadian Healthcare Information Technology Trade Association) and COACH: Canada’s Health Informatics Association, was held at the storied Arcadian Court, a grand art deco meeting hall that originally opened in 1929 and was the site of the Toronto Symphony’s first radio broadcasts.

With former University Health Network CEO Tom Closson (pictured) as Master of Ceremonies, the Gala recognized leaders and innovators in the use of computerized systems to improve the health of Canadians.

Award winners of both the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) and the Canadian Society of Telehealth (CST) were also acknowledged.


CHITTA Award Recipients

Company of the Year Award
Xwave, a Bell Aliant Company; Saint John, N.B., Paula Hatty, Consultant, Services Manager.

Healthcare Transformation Award
Orion Health, Edmonton, Michael Craig, Vice President of Sales.

Project Implementation Team of the Year Award
Sierra Systems, Victoria, B.C., Stewart Grey, Health Sector Partner.

Corporate Citizenship Award
(Sponsored by Healthcare Information Management & Communication Canada)

Multinational Corporations
Cerner Canada, Aurora, Ont., Jim Shave, President.

Major Canadian Corporations
Sierra Systems, Victoria, B.C., Bill Thomson, Executive Vice President.

Small To Medium Size Enterprises
Procura, Victoria, B.C., Warren Brown, President.


COACH Award Recipients

Leadership in the Field of Health Informatics Award
Sarah Kramer, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Cancer Care Ontario.

Emerging Leader in Health Informatics
(Presented by the Courtyard Group)
Sherman Quan, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences.

Innovation in the Adoption of Health Informatics Award
EMPcare@home Implementation Team led by River Valley Health
Valerie Hagerman, Regional Director of Telehealth
Janice Wilson, Extra Mural Program, River Valley Health.

President’s Award
Roger Girard, Assistant Adjunct Professor, University of Calgary.

Steven Huesing Scholarship Award
Katrina Hurley, Masters in Health Informatics Student, Clinician Investigator Program, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The award recipients were presented with a Canadian Health Informatics bronze statue designed and created by Canadian artist, Stephen Booth. In addition, recipients were presented with plaques commemorating their specific achievement. The details of their contributions will also be published in the next four issues of the Associations’ official journal, Healthcare Information Management & Communications Canada and the Gala’s website www.HealthInformaticsAwards.ca.

Both CHITTA and COACH were congratulated for their leadership and foresight in continuing the vision initiated last year in recognizing Canadian achievements.

Dave Wattling as Chair of CHITTA commented: “CHITTA is proud that the Gala is so successful. It is important that we take the time to publicly recognize the great leaders and companies that make up our industry. They are but a few of the many that toil day-in and day-out to improve and further the sustainability of Canada’s great healthcare system. We salute all the nominees and winners.”

Shelagh Maloney, President, COACH, was equally enthusiastic. “The Canadian Health Informatics Awards Gala is an excellent opportunity to celebrate excellence and innovation in our industry and COACH is very pleased to co-host this event. We were especially pleased that the Canadian Society for Telehealth (CST) and the Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) joined in the celebration this year and recognized their award winners at the Gala. Their participation enabled us to broaden our celebration as a health informatics community and further demonstrated that our leaders and innovators are truly worthy of celebration. Congratulations to all award winners.”

Both acknowledged the contributions of the Awards Steering Committee, their respective Awards adjudication committees, the event organizers – Taylor and Associates and Elaine Huesing – and the Gala’s Sponsors:

Platinum:
CLINICARE Corporation
Courtyard Group
McKesson Canada
Nightingale Informatix
Sierra Systems
Xwave Healthcare

Silver:
GE Healthcare

Bronze:
Branham Group
Cerner Canada

Friends:
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
EDS
Momentum Healthware

and the Media Sponsor
Healthcare Information Management & Communications Canada