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Innovation and Impact Awards

HomeAbout UsInnovation and Impact Awards

Evolution of Excellence: Introducing the Children's Healthcare Canada Innovation & Impact Awards

We believe that the health and wellbeing of children and youth rely on the dedication, expertise, and innovation of individuals and organizations who share our passion for improving healthcare systems for children and youths. To recognize and celebrate these outstanding leaders, we are proud to launch the Children's Healthcare Canada Innovation & Impact Awards. 

Our awards are designed to honour those who demonstrate exceptional leadership, collaboration, and commitment to improving healthcare outcomes for young patients and their families. Join us in recognizing their achievements and celebrating their commitment. 


Award Categories 

Child Health Systems Impact Award

 Award Description

This award recognizes an individual, team, network, and/or organization that has driven/led system change to transform the future of children’s healthcare. Their innovative approach to services design and delivery, partnership, advocacy, and/or other has measurably improved access to, experiences of, and outcomes associated with healthcare.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners

2024 - Solutions for Kids in Pain

EDI Excellence
Award

 Award Description

This award recognizes an individual, team, network, or organization that has demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership in advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion within the healthcare sector for children and youth. Through their initiatives and actions, they have significantly contributed to creating more inclusive, equitable, and accessible healthcare environments for children and youth. Their efforts have fostered a culture of respect, and understanding, resulting in tangible outcomes that benefit marginalized and underrepresented communities.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners

2024 - Lorraine Thomas

Truth & Reconciliation Advancement Award

 Award Description

This award honours an individual, team, network, or organization that has shown outstanding dedication and innovation in advancing Truth and Reconciliation efforts within the healthcare sector for children and youth. Through their initiatives, they have contributed significantly to acknowledging historical injustices, fostering understanding, and promoting reconciliation. Their actions have led to tangible outcomes that contribute to healing and building stronger relationships with Indigenous communities, ultimately making a lasting impact on the journey towards reconciliation in Canadian healthcare.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners

2024 - Nicole Yawney

Emerging Leader
Award

 Award Description

This award acknowledges a young professional or emerging leader (40 years or younger) within the health system who has shown great promise, creativity, and dedication to making a positive impact in children’s health. They have demonstrated leadership skills, innovative thinking, and a commitment to driving change and improving outcomes for children and youth.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners

2024 - Dr. Katie Birnie

Child Health Leadership Legacy Award

 Award Description

This award honours an individual whose lifetime of dedication and leadership has made a lasting impact on the field of children's healthcare. They have inspired and/or mentored others, championed important causes, and left a legacy of positive change that has improved the health and well-being of countless children and youth.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners 

2024 - Dr. Peter Rosenbaum

Health Communications Award

 Award Description

This award recognizes a media outlet, journalist, or organization that has demonstrated excellence in effectively communicating and raising awareness of child health priorities. They have played a crucial role in shedding light on challenges, debunking myths, and ensuring accurate and impactful information reaches the public. Through their reporting, they have contributed to building awareness, advocating for change, and promoting the health and well-being of children and youth.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners

2024 - Alice Girard-Bossé

Youth/Family Partner Leadership Award

 Award Description

This award recognizes exceptional leadership and dedication by a patient (current or former), parent, or caregiver who has worked tirelessly to improve the patient and family experience in pediatric healthcare in Canada. This award honours individuals, whether adult or youth, who have demonstrated courage, commitment, and resilience in advocating for systemic change at the local, regional, and/or national levels. Their efforts have significantly impacted and elevated the voices and perspectives of patients and families within the healthcare system.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners

2024 - Fabiana Bacchini

Family- and Person-Centred Care Award

 Award Description

The Children's Healthcare Canada Award for Family and Person-Centred Care recognizes teams or programs that have implemented innovative practices to enhance the human experience in healthcare. This prestigious award showcases initiatives that embody the principles of family-centred care, including:

  • Dignity and Respect
  • Information Sharing
  • Participation
  • Collaboration

Programs and services eligible for this award must demonstrate measurable success in improving patient experience, enhancing staff training and development, and fostering satisfaction and engagement among staff and clinicians.

View full award criteria. 

Past Winners

2024 - Emily Lecker

Why should I nominate someone?
  1. It’s a great way to recognize the value of someone’s contributions to their community or workplace.
  2. It’s good to sing about the unsung heroes.
  3. It’s a fantastic way to show your gratitude for someone’s efforts and dedication.
  4. Recognition is FREE.
Key Dates
  • Launch Call for Nominations: October 29, 2024
  • Nomination Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM ET on December 10, 2024
  • Winners Notified: January 2025
  • Awards Presented: At the conference on April 14, 2025 (in person in Ottawa, ON)

2009 - 2023 Leadership Award Winner Archive

Our past winners have been trailblazers in their respective fields, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in child & youth healthcare. Their achievements serve as a testament to the power of innovation, collaboration, and dedication to improving the lives of children and youth. We are proud to have recognized their outstanding contributions and look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence. 

Individual Leadership

The Children's Healthcare Canada Award for Individual Leadership was created to recognize outstanding leadership by an individual who has dedicated their career to improving the health and well-being of children and youth in Canada through healthcare delivery, health promotion, policy initiatives and/or increased public awareness.

This award has been presented to an individual who has exemplified leadership, creativity, and initiative to promote positive change and long-term improvement for the health and well-being of children and youth.

 

Past Winners:

  • 2023 - Alex Munter, President & CEO, CHEO; Dr. David Johnson, Senior Medical Director, AHS Maternal Newborn Child & Youth Strategic Clinical Network
  • 2022 - Dr. Verónica Schiariti, Developmental Pediatrician, Adjunct Associate Professor – Division of Medical Sciences- University of Victoria

  • 2021 - Dr. Steven Miller, Head of the Garry Hurvitz Centre for Brain and Mental Health at SickKids; Co-lead of the CHILD-BRIGHT Network

  • 2020 - Brynn Boback-Lane, President and CEO of Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Foundation

  • 2019 - Dr. Jean-Yves Frappier; Director, Department of Paediatrics, University of Montreal and the CHU Sainte-Justine

  • 2018 - Dr. Samina Ali, Emergency Physician, Stollery Children’s Hospital

  • 2017 - Dr. Christine Chambers; Research Chair (Tier 1) in Children’s Pain and Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology & Neuroscience, Dalhousie University

  • 2017 - Dr. Peter Rosenbaum; Professor of Paediatrics at McMaster University, Co-Founder of CanChild

  • 2016 - Dr. Shoo Lee; Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health

  • 2015 - Dr. Denis Daneman, Paediatrician-in-Chief at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Chair of the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto

  • 2014 - Sheila Jarvis, President & CEO, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

  • 2013 - Anne McGuire, Former President & CEO, IWK Health Centre

  • 2012 - Tracy Wrong & Darlene Boliver

  • 2011 - Dr. Rick Cooper

  • 2010 - Dr. Gerarda Cronin

Organizational Leadership

The Children's Healthcare Canada Award for Organizational Leadership recognizes the leadership of an organization, a foundation, or a corporation to enable the best health and well-being for Canada's children and youth. The recipient organization has demonstrated leadership to inspire change and innovation that is sustainable with significant and lasting impact on the pediatric healthcare system(s), and/or populations served.

This award recognizes the value an organization places on partnerships and collaboration within the healthcare community.

 

Past Winners:

  • 2023 - Canuck Place Children's Hospice & The Kids Come First Health Team
  • 2022 - Muslim Advisory Council of Canada
  • 2021 - The Safehaven Project for Community Living
  • 2020 - Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada
  • 2019 - CanREACH
  • 2018 - Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
  • 2017 - Child Health BC
  • 2016 - Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation
  • 2015 - UNICEF Canada
  • 2014 - Accreditation Canada
  • 2012 - Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)
  • 2011 - Stollery Children’s Hospital
  • 2010 - SickKids Foundation
  • 2009 - Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI)

Patient and Family Leadership Award

The Children's Healthcare Canada Award for Patient & Family Leadership was created to recognize outstanding leadership by a patient (current or former), parent or caregiver who has served to improve the patient and family experience for those accessing pediatric health care in Canada.

This award has been presented to an individual who has exemplified courage, commitment, and resilience by donating their time and emotional energy to promote systemic change at a local, regional and/or national level.

 

Past Winners: 

  • 2023 - Nathaniel Hudson
  • 2022 - Gunjan Seth
  • 2021 - Rachel Martens
  • 2020 - Katie Griffin
  • 2019 - Beth Dangerfield
  • 2018 - Frank Gavin

Leadership in Media Award

We consume information from many sources. The Children's Healthcare Canada Award for Leadership in Media was created to recognize all outstanding journalism, reporting, editorial or blogging that increases awareness of Canadian pediatric health issues, or the role Children's Healthcare Canada members play to enable the best healthcare for Canada's children and youth. In addition to mainstream media, this award was open to stories, posts, and campaigns run on social media platforms that have made a difference, bringing reliable child health issues to the attention of the public in more novel ways.

 

Past Winners:

  • 2023 - Bruce Deachman, Ottawa Citizen
  • 2022 - Dr. Ripudaman Singh Minhas, OurKidsHealth
  • 2021 - Mr. Harold Gagné, TVA Nouvelles
  • 2020 - Andre Picard, Globe and Mail
  • 2019 - Danny Lemieux, RadioCanada
  • 2018 - Su-Ling Goh, Global News

 Family and Person-Centred Care Leadership Award

The Children's Healthcare Canada Award for Family and Person-Centred Care was created to honour teams or programs who have set in place innovations that improve the human experience in healthcare. This award highlights and recognizes innovations that include the four (4) concepts of family-centred care:

  • Dignity and Respect
  • Information Sharing
  • Participation
  • Collaboration

Programs and services demonstrate success through patient experience, staff training & development, and satisfaction & engagement of staff & clinicians.

 

Past Winners:

  • 2023 - 1call1click.ca
  • 2022 - Janeway Lifestyle Program
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info@childrenshealthcarecanada.ca

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