The inaugural Day of Excellence in Academics took place on Thursday, April 21, 2022. Together, we celebrated achievements in research and innovation, professional practice, quality improvement, collaboration, teaching and mentorship at WCH!
It was remarkable to witness the incredible work being done at WCH. By bringing together what has typically been separate events into one day, we had the opportunity to celebrate our colleagues across the hospital and gain a greater understanding of how interprofessional teams are working together to help shape the future of healthcare.
Jim Ruderman Lecture of Leadership and Innovation
The day kicked off with the Jim Ruderman Lecture on Leadership and Innovation. The lecture is held annually in honor of Dr. Ruderman (1950-2015), a much-loved and respected leader who served as Chief of Staff (2006-2013) and Family Physician in Chief (1992-2014) during his career at Women’s College Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Ruderman was a valued faculty member (1981-2015) with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Ruderman is remembered for mentoring generations of physicians in their early careers and inspiring many to champion change across the health care system.
This year’s lecture was delivered by Professor Trish Greenhalgh, Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences and Fellow of Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford. The topic of Professor Greenhalgh’s talk was “Science in the public eye: communicating and debating research findings in real time in a global public health crisis.”
Watch the event:
Thank you for your thought-provoking talk, Professor Greenhalgh!
Interprofessional Poster Presentations
Creativity and innovation are evident throughout WCH – and supporting a thriving and collaborative learning health system requires the systematic integration of creative and innovative programs with rigorous evaluation and evidence to provide high-quality patient-centered care.
This was demonstrated through five innovative interprofessional poster presentations. As part of the Day of Excellence in Academics, we invited physicians, nurses, health disciplines, staff, scientists and learners to showcase their work in the form of a poster or infographic. The top five were selected for an oral presentation, which were showcased during the virtual event. These presentations further positioned WCH as an academic leader, system innovator and advocate for health equity.
Congratulations to our presenters:
- “Addressing pandemic backlog: Nurse Practitioner-Led Pap Teaching Clinics” presented by Jessica Bawden, NP, and Lauren Scott, NP, Family Practice Health Centre
- “Early Outcomes of Transition-Related Vaginoplasty from the First Publicly Funded TRS Program in Canada” presented by Dr. Alexandra Millman, reconstructive urologist, TRS Program
- “Targeted Metabolomic Profiling and Prediction of Cardiovascular Events: A Prospective Study of Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis” presented by Keith Colaco, phd canidate
- “Simple & Timely Advice from Nurses Keep Patients on Drug” presented by Sandra Walsh, Advanced Practice Nurse
- “Virtual Rehabilitation as a Health System Solution for Patients with Dysautonomia” presented by Debbie Childerhose, Registered Physiotherapist in Cardiac Rehab, Cardiology, and Manager of Professional Practice for the Health Disciplines group
While the top five were selected for an oral presentation, all submitted posters and infographics will be available for virtual viewing. We encourage you to check them out and see the incredible work being done by your colleagues at WCH!
Awards Ceremony
The Day of Excellence in Academics culminated in the presentation of awards. Awards were given in the following categories: Research, Education, Professional Practice and Quality Improvement. In addition, the Jean Davey Honorary Fund recipients were announced, as well as the first-ever Best Poster award (“Addressing pandemic backlog: Nurse Practitioner-Led Pap Teaching Clinics” presented by Jessica Bawden, NP, and Lauren Scott, NP, Family Practice Health Centre). Congratulations to all this year’s award recipients!
A complete list of winners can be found here.
Thank you to everyone who submitted, applied for or nominated a colleague for an award, as well as all reviewers, judges and adjudicators. Finally, thank you to the Day of Excellence in Academics planning committee, including Jordan Benadiba, Debbie Childerhose, Amanda Etty, Chandra Farrer, Katie Fraser, Maya Strasser and Sandra Walsh!
Honoring our colleagues is an amazing way to recognize all the incredible work being done at WCH – and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for #TeamWCH this coming year.
