For Immediate Release
Jun 7th, 2006
BC Hospice Palliative Care Association 2006 Award Winners Announced
For immediate release:
June 7, 2006
Vancouver, BC
BC Hospice Palliative Care Association 2006 Award Winners Announced
The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) announced 8 winners for outstanding achievement in the field of hospice palliative care at its annual Conference, held in Surrey. The Awards recognize the work of those who practice end-of-life care in British Columbia and who work in support of people and their families who face a life-threatening illness, death and bereavement.
BCHPCA Award of Excellence
o The BCHPCA Award of Excellence is presented to an individual whose has demonstrated leadership and commitment through outstanding achievement; has made a notable impact by significantly strengthening the Hospice Palliative Care Program, the lives of the patients and families served, and/or the community; and has enhanced the profile of Hospice Palliative Care in the community, BC, Canada or Internationally. The 2006 Award recipient is Dr. Daphne Lobb. Daphne exemplifies the highest standard in hospice palliative care, both in her professional work at St. Paul’s Hospital and in her volunteer work with the Callanish Society, a non-profit organization providing support for cancer patients and their families. 10 years ago Daphne and her partner brought to reality the dream of the Callanish Society by holding retreats during which attendees receive peer support, a variety of therapeutic interventions, and love. Daphne has worked on the palliative care unit at St. Paul’s for the past 15 years and is the Medical Director and physician leader for hospice palliative care throughout Providence Health Care. Her genuine warmth of personality and self-effacing manner endear her to those she meets and interacts with. Daphne juggles her work schedule so that she never misses a Callanish Retreat where she assists and advises as a physician, and acts as facilitator, grocery shopper, housekeeper and cook, and even as the building manager. Dr. Jacqueline Fraser writes of Daphne, “As a physician she has been a valued and respected colleague for 15 years. She loves her work in hospice palliative care, but Callanish is where she finds positive energy in giving so generously of her time and talents.”
BCHPCA Award in Honour of Michael Downing
First awarded in 1997, and named in honour of Dr. Michael Downing for recognition of his contributions and leadership in the pursuit of excellence in Hospice Palliative Care, this award recognizes work involving a study or project related to hospice palliative care completed within the last 2 years, and can be a study or project, or an evaluation of some aspect of a hospice-related program. This year the award was presented to Coby Tschanz, a Registered Nurse who has been with Victoria Hospice Society for over 12 years. Coby recently completed her thesis toward her MSN at the University of Victoria on a subject that is close to her heart. Her research question was “What is the experience of bearing witness for nurses in practice with persons living their dying?” Coby undertook an exploratory descriptive study framed with the Parse theory of human becoming and unearthed a deep richness in the experience of nurses being present with other humans who are dying.
BCHCPA Volunteer Award in Recognition of Shara-Lee
The Award recognizes the outstanding personal achievements of volunteers working in the field of Hospice Palliative Care in British Columbia. This award is named in honour of Shara-Lee Coupal Franking, who exemplified the generosity of spirit that is the foundation of volunteerism. The Award was presented to Shirley Jensen. Shirley was nominated by the Central Okanagan Hospice Association and the Central Okanagan Hospice Palliative Care Program. Shirley is one of the founders of the Central Okanagan Hospice Association where she has served, as a volunteer, for 25 years. To quote her Manager of Volunteer Resources, “Shirley is like the mother-mentor to many of us working in this field. She is a leader, facilitator, convener, trainer, mentor, board director, fundraiser, and advocate. She works on crafts and sewing projects, organizes events, enlists her family in everything possible and even replaces me when I go on vacation. Shirley staffs the phones at all hours of the day or night to take calls from those families and palliative care team members who have someone who is imminently dying. She has a team of 43 volunteers that she calls upon to go in the night to sit bedside. If they can’t find someone, Shirley will go herself. Another nominator said “I have never seen such a dedicated volunteer in my life as this woman who gives so tirelessly of her efforts on a day to day basis and, at the age of 76 years young, that is no small feat!”
Awards Recognizing Enhanced End-of-Life Care for British Columbians
These awards are a special initiative of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, and are administered by the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association. The awards are intended to supplement direct care to patients and families at the end of life. The Order of St. John funded five grants in 2006. The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association is appreciative of this generous contribution to the worthy work of its members who practice in hospice palliative care.
The grant recipients of the 2006 Awards for Enhanced End of Life Care are:
1) Campbell River Hospice Society - to fund their “One Day at a Time” booklet containing information and resources needed to guide individuals who are dying and their caregivers through a very emotional time. The goal of the booklet is to reduce some of the stress that goes with all the questions that someone may ask if their loved one is dying.
2) Pacific Rim Hospice Society – to assist with their initiative to offer an eight week grief support program to the community of Ittatsoo, home of the people of the Ucluelet First Nation. This program will provide direct support to participants primarily grieving the sudden loss of family members.
3) Comox Valley Hospice Society – to fund a six month pilot program that will support and nuture end-of-life caregivers, ensuring that both the caregiver and their loved ones receive the benefits of physical and emotional balance.
4) Nanaimo Community Hospice Society – to develop a Spiritual Support Program to address the spiritual needs associated with end of life care for hospice clients, their families and caregivers, and hospice staff and volunteers.
5) Saanich Peninsula Hospital Palliative Care Program – to provide bereavement support to family and friends of loved ones who have died on the Palliative Care Unit at Saanich Peninsula Hospital. This grant will fund the design, implementation and evaluation of the program, including the training of bereavement volunteers by the unit social worker.
The Awards Ceremony also highlighted prior award recipients. In 2005 the Sovereign Order of St. John presented an award to Vernon Hospice Society to fund a Music Therapy Program. Shannon Ingersoll, Music Therapist from the Vernon program, attended the Conference to demonstrate, first hand, the value of music therapy in palliative care. Music Therapy has been used in pain management by increasing relaxation and decrease stress, thus reducing pain and the need for medications, and contributes greatly to a patient’s quality of life by facilitating communication with family and staff at this important stage of life. The Order of St. John was pleased to see and hear how the work they funded has facilitated quality end of life care.
BC Hospice Palliative Care Association is an umbrella organization whose mission is to provide a leadership role for its member organizations and individuals to ensure quality of care for British Columbians faced with a life-threatening illness, death and bereavement.
Member organizations are located throughout the province and in the Yukon, providing a wide range of services to patients, families, caregivers and communities.
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For further information:
Janice Waud Loper, CFRE
Executive Director
604 -0806 -8821 local
1-877-422-4722 toll free
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