Over the past few months, the Governor General of Canada has presented the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal to a number of Canadians who have dedicated themselves to service to their fellow citizens, their community and their country. We’re proud to say that a number of those recognized are a part of VCH and we would like to congratulate them on this prestigious recognition.
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Joy Fera
George Pearson Centre recreation therapist, Joy Fera, was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal on December 15. A co-founder of the Delta Deas Rowing Club, and annual youth regatta chair for 23 consecutive years, Joy was also an inaugural member of the Delta Spirit of BC Community Committee, The Delta Sport Council, and KidSport Delta Chapter.
Mark Haden
Mark is a addictions clinical supervisor at the Pacific Spirit Community Health Centre and has been involved with many community groups advocating for and publishing articles on, a rational, evidence-based, non-punitive, health-focused approach to drugs in our society. His topics of interest range from harm reduction theory to how Ibogaine could be used in recovery from addiction. He is involved with a range of groups including the Vancouver Police Department, the UBC School of Population and Public Health, UBC nursing and the Heath Officer Council of BC.
Lannon de Best
Lannon, a patient services manager at VGH, has been involved as a volunteer with St. John Ambulance since he was 11 years old. He’s currently a Provincial Cadet Officer where he oversees the St. John Ambulance youth program in BC and the Yukon. As a volunteer Lannon directs youth programs, develop policies, coordinates a youth leadership training program and supports and mentors other youth volunteer leaders. He also works at community events to provide his nursing skills to the injured and sick at functions like the Abbotsford Airshow, Rogers Arena and other venues.
Dr. Charles Krieger
Dr. Krieger is a renowned ALS research clinician with the VCH ALS Clinic at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, the Neuromuscular Diseases Unit at VGH, and the Brain Research Centre at UBC Hospital. Dr. Krieger is also a clinical associate professor in neurology with the UBC Faculty of Medicine and a professor in the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University.
Dr. Krieger is dedicated to caring for people living with ALS through his research, working towards finding a cure for ALS, his clinical work, and on the ALS Society of BC Board of Directors, which he has served on for more than 20 years.
Dr. Larry Goldenberg
Dr. Goldenberg, founding director of the Vancouver Prostate Centre at VGH, and head, Department of Urologic Sciences at UBC and VGH, has played an important role in championing prostate cancer research and is recognized for his clinical and research work, as well as raising funds and the profile of men’s health issues. His efforts helped to create the infrastructure for the Vancouver Prostate Centre, which is now a leading National Centre for Excellence in prostate research, education and healthcare delivery. In addition to his leadership at the Prostate Centre and VCH Research Institute, Dr. Goldenberg is the director of the Men’s Health Initiative of BC, a large-scale initiative aimed at improving men’s health and quality of life through leadership, awareness and education campaigns, research, and disseminating best practices in clinical care.
Dr Larry Goldenberg is also a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of BC.
Dr. Juhn Wada
Dr. Wada was the recipient of the Order of Canada in 1992. He is an internationally known epileptologist and had created the first surgical epilepsy program and seizure investigation monitoring unit in British Columbia, at UBC Hospital. Dr. Wada is currently retired from practice at UBC Hospital, but still continues his research. Dr. Wada is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UBC Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Lynn Beattie
Dr. Beattie is the Director of the Clinic for AD and Related Disorders at UBC Hospital and was the founding Head of the UBC Division of Geriatric Medicine – she is also esearch clinician with the Brain Research Centre at UBC and VCH Research Institute. She has been involved in a number of Alzheimer’s related research activities including: the multi-centre Canadian Quality of Life in AD Study, several clinical trials in AD, investigating the psychological resilience and well-being of spousal caregivers of individuals with dementia, genetic epidemiological study of AD, brain power, resistance training and cognitive function in older women.
Dr. Beattie has also held many health related leadership roles including board chair of the Research Policy Committee with the Alzheimer Society of Canada, served as president of the American Geriatrics Society and the Canadian Geriatrics Society, as is currently the scientific director at the Centre for Healthy Aging at Providence Health Care.
Dr. Sue Burgess
Dr. Burgess, a physician at the Downtown Community Health Centre, was honored for providing health care to residents in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and promoting the belief that all Canadians are equally deserving of the highest standard of care.
Dr. Victor Huckell
Cardiologist Dr. Hucknell is an internationally recognized, award-winning continuing medical education (CME) professor. He received his medal in recognition of his work toward developing new and innovative CME tools, and for enhancing quality of care through physician education.
Dr. Mark Schonfeld
VGH and UBC Hospital physician fDr. Schonfeld was recognized for his tireless work in health advocacy and for his exceptional leadership during his career as CEO of the B.C. Medical Association, which helped the association to become one of Canada’s leading professional organizations and achieve a high level of member satisfaction.
Chak-Kwong Au
As a dedicated volunteer and strong advocate for intercultural harmony and integration, Chak Au has been a role model for the new immigrants and the community at large. The program leader of Mental Health Promotion and Counselling in Richmond has contributed thousands of volunteer hours in conducting free workshops in the community on parenting, mental health, diversity awareness, public education, civil participation, and climate change. Au has helped Richmond to become a better place because of his tireless efforts.
Diane Bissenden
Diane has been working in Richmond Health Services since 1996 and is currently the Director of Population and Family Health in Vancouver Coastal Health-Richmond. She provides leadership and direction on prevention, health promotion, and health protection strategies and actions that contribute to community wellness and the health of Richmond residents. In 1999, she was a member of the medical aid response team to Taiwan after a disastrous earthquake.
Chris Salgado
As a true leader with a strong conviction in prevention, health promotion and community partnership, Chris has served in Richmond Public Health for 22 years and is recognized for her contributions in making the city one of the healthiest in Canada. Chris is the manager of Community and Family Health in Richmond.
Tracy Taulu
Tracey, the Operational Site Director at VCH and UBC Hospital has 25 years of nursing experience in a number of areas including critical care, emergency, and trauma.
On top of being the manager for the Trauma Program and the BC Injury Prevention Centre, Tracey is also well known nationally for her work in trauma. She was the National Lead for the development of a combined national accreditation process between Accreditation Canada and the Trauma Association of Canada, and is an accreditor and consultant for the Trauma Association of Canada. Over the years, Tracey’s passion for quality, innovation, and excellence in the delivery of care has become evident and is expressed most notably through her ongoing engagement in both quality improvement and research initiatives in Trauma, many of which have been either presented or published. Most recently, Tracey’s achievements in quality and national trauma systems development have been recognized by the CNA.
Charles Scudamore
A surgeon at VGH, Dr. Scudamore is one of British Columbia’s leading surgical experts in the areas of liver transplantation and hepatobiliary oncology and trauma. He currently holds a number of positions including staff surgeon at Vancouver General Hospital and B.C. Children’s Hospital, Surgical Director of the B.C. Liver Transplant Program and Head of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at UBC. Dr. Scudamore studied at both UBC and the University of Cambridge, and has primarily focused his research on the early recognition of pancreatic cancer as well as respective techniques for advanced colorectal metastases to the liver.
Romayne Gallagher
Romayne Gallagher is a palliative care physician with experience in the field that spans 25 years and includes patient care, teaching and research. Prior to becoming a full time palliative care physician she worked as a family physician for 12 years. She has been involved in collaborative work to improve access to palliative care at both provincial and national levels. Romayne’s other area of interest is pain management in older adults, including adults with cognitive impairment or dementia.
Tracy Johnson
Landon James
Did we miss someone?
We’ve done our best to include all the award recipients who work at VCH. If you or someone you know who works at VCH received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and is not on this list, please contact us or submit the information online.