2024 DFCM Award of Excellence Winners
Congratulations to all our 2024 Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) Program Award winners! At this year's virtual Awards & Celebrations event on October 8, we will recognize and honour your contributions to your patients, communities, and our department.
Other awards can be found here.
Academic Family Physician
Dr. June Carroll | Sinai Health - Mount Sinai Hospital
Dr. Carroll being awarded Family Physician of the Year is a testament to her decades of exemplary clinical care in comprehensive family medicine. Her commitment to advancing the field goes beyond clinical practice- she is a stellar mentor, tailoring guidance to individual needs, and promoting networking opportunities for colleagues. She is an accomplished researcher with international recognition. She exemplifies excellence in clinical care and research making her a standout recipient for this honour.
Excellence in Leadership (New) - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Jennifer Hulme | UHN - Toronto General Hospital
Dr. Jennifer Hulme is a transformative leader who has tirelessly improved the care of vulnerable populations in the ED. Through empowering and innovative programs including Peer Support and Indigenous Patient Navigators, she has made the ED a safer and more effective place for those experiencing marginalization to receive essential healthcare. Dr. Hulme’s dedication to community engagement is evident in the launch of a new Community Advisory Council, setting a new standard for inclusive healthcare leadership.
Excellence in Leadership (New) - Community Affiliated
Dr. Brittany Cameron | Toronto East Health Network - Michael Garron Hospital
Dr. Cameron is a rising star. She has established herself as a dedicated Emergency Physician, emerging leader, skilled educator and trusted peer and colleague. She has committed to supporting our department and our patients in many ways that have been quite impactful in the short amount of time she has been at MGH. We are proud of her impact on her team and the border emergency medicine community.
Excellence in Leadership (New) - HPE Fully Affiliated
Allison Mann | UHN - Toronto Western Hospital
Allison Mann exemplifies strong and steady leadership as well as clinical excellence. She is clinical practice lead for our non-physician clinician colleagues, and has led the way in ensuring that we always provide evidence based high quality care to our patients. She is a pleasure to work with. All clinicians look to Allison’s leadership in ensuring that our practices and protocols are at the highest level.
Excellence in Leadership (Sustained) - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Ruth Heisey | Women's College Hospital
Dr. Heisey has been providing leadership at WCH Family Practice in her role as Chief since 2016. During this time, she has led us through DFCM and hospital-based accreditations with integrity, grace and skill and helped us receive exemplary recognition. Similarly, she led family practice and supported the broader hospital during the height of the COVID pandemic with strength and compassion. She brought us together as a unit at a time when we were required to physically separate and paid extra, individualized attention to all of us, ensuring our wellness needs were also supported.
Excellence in Leadership (Sustained) - Community Affiliated
Dr. Allyson Merbaum | North York General Hospital
Dr. Merbaum’s newschool leadership influences and inspires all to contribute to the DFCM’s values and goals very productively. She regularly forecasts feedback through inclusion and amplifies the voices of the central and community faculty allowing for strong relationships across the DFCM community. Through vigorous encouragement, Dr. Merbaum supports, empowers and elevates faculty, learners and partners, making everyone feel worthy of their contributions and instilling them with the desire to seek new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Excellence in Leadership (Sustained) - HPE Fully Affiliated
Sharona Kanofsky | Physician Assistant Program
Professor Sharona Kanofsky has demonstrated excellence in leadership over her nearly 15 years of work in the Physician Assistant Professional Degree Program. As the first PA faculty at the University of Toronto, and the only full-time PA faculty member, Sharona has been a leader in PA education in Canada, and in the PA profession, more broadly, she serves as an excellent role model for PA learners in the development of their professional competencies. With her recent enrollment in the Wilson Centre PhD program in Health Professions Education Research, Sharona is sure to continue to lead the way for PAs and PA education.
Excellence in Course/Program Development - Community Affiliated
Dr. Peter Tzakas | Toronto East Health Network - Michael Garron Hospital | Physician Assistant Program
Aurthi Muthukumaran | Scarborough Hospital | Physician Assistant Program
Peter Tzakas and Aurthi Muthukumaran have successfully developed a large scale integrative virtual OSCE that is a screening tool that allows assessment of trainees who are in remote regions to determine if they need to come in for an in-person OSCE. Their work undergone 3 cycles of Quality improvement and had 360 feedback to continue to improve it, and the work has been disseminated internationally.
Excellence in Course/Program Development - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Stephanie Zhou | Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
Dr. Zhou is not only knowledgeable, but she is passionate about financial literacy and empowering students to take more control over their finances. Her dedication to sharing her knowledge with students through personal stories and experiences allows for a more meaningful connection and understanding. Dr. Zhou’s commitment to excellence in teaching is demonstrated by her attention to detail, her thoughtfulness in her approach to lectures and her iterative improvements based on feedback.
Excellence in Creative Professional Activity- Fully Affiliated
Dr. Naheed Dosani | Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital
In 10 short years since creating the Palliative Education and Care of the Homeless Program (PEACH) immediately upon graduating from residency, Dr. Dosani has gone on to become one of Canada’s foremost young leaders in advocacy for health equity in the care of those experiencing structural vulnerability and marginalization. He walks the talk of the CanMEDS FM Competencies of Family Medicine Expert; Communicator; Scholar; Leader; Health Advocate; Collaborator. There is just no comparison.
Excellence in Creative Professional Activity - Community Affiliated
Dr. Amit Arya | North York General Hospital
Dr. Arya is one of Canada’s foremost physician leaders for improving quality of care and health outcomes for seniors living in LTC. Recently he has envisioned, created and implemented an innovative inter-professional program to provide specialist palliative care consultation and follow up in LTC, thereby reducing the probability of ED visits and hospital admissions for seniors approaching end of life who would prefer to spend their final days with loved ones in their own residences.
Excellence in Education Scholarship - Senior Education Scientist
Dr. Mahan Kulasegaram | Office of Education Scholarship
Dr. Mahan Kulasegaram is highly regarded for his transformative leadership as Director of the Office of Education Scholarship. His dedication to mentorship and collaboration has fostered a culture of scholarship at DFCM and amplified the impact of our institution’s contributions to medical education. His innovative research and strategic vision have greatly advanced the global discourse on medical education. His scholarly achievements, including prestigious awards and numerous publications, have left a significant mark on the field.
Excellence in Education Scholarship - Education Scientist
Dr. Tavis Apramian | Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital
Dr. Tavis Apramian is an exemplary junior scientist whose contributions to the Department of Family and Community Medicine have been nothing short of outstanding. His productivity in such a short time in research output, funding received, team building, mentorship and capacity building underscore his exceptional abilities and emerging contributions to the field of health professions education and palliative care.
Excellence in Education Scholarship - Senior Clinician Educator Scholar
Dr. Batya Grundland | Women's College Hospital
Dr. Grundland plays a pivotal role in enhancing education through scholarship in DFCM as the Associate Program Director for Curriculum in the postgraduate program. She is an exemplary scholar who is leading transformative research in virtual care education, mentoring others on their scholarly journeys, and guiding the renewal of our curriculum to meet the challenges of family medicine practice. Her productivity and impact are a wonderful example of our academic ethos in the education portfolio.
Excellence in Education Scholarship - Newly Engaged Clinician Educator Scholar
Dr. Gurpreet Mand | Humber River Hospital
Dr. Mand's journey as an engaged clinician scholar in education scholarship is marked by her exemplary achievements and commitment to advancing medical education through research. Her leadership, innovation, and dedication to advancing medical education are evident in her impactful publications, leadership of the Essence course in education scholarship, and ongoing contributions to quality improvement in the postgraduate program.
Excellence in Quality Improvement - Community Affiliated
Dr. Karuna Gupta | Oak Valley Health
Dr. Gupta has provided exemplary leadership in quality improvement work in order to drive positive change. Her passion and commitment to QI at the local, regional and national level is commendable, and has built a strong QI culture at Oak Valley Health.
Excellence in Quality Improvement - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Lise Huynh | Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
With exemplary dedication and leadership, Dr. Huynh has spearheaded initiatives elevating the standards of care within our Division at Sunnybrook. As our Divisional QI lead, Dr. Huynh has led our team in the identification and analysis of important and relevant health quality metrics, resulting in measurable improvements across multiple areas of patient care. Through her sage guidance, she has instilled a culture of continuous improvement within our team, with a vision of excellence.
Excellence in Research (Early Career Researcher) - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Trevor Morey | Sinai Health - Mount Sinai Hospital
Dr. Trevor Morey is a family physician with enhanced skills training in palliative care. He works as a community palliative care physician for the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) team and the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, as well as working as an inpatient physician at Casey House. He is the research lead for the PEACH and his research interests are in evaluating interventions that improve equitable access to palliative care.
Excellence in Research (Early Career Researcher) - Community Affiliated
Dr. Valerie Caraiscos | North York General Hospital
Dr. Valerie Caraiscos completed her PhD and MD at the University of Toronto, and Family Medicine residency at Western University, followed by Palliative Medicine residency training at the University of Toronto and a Palliative Care clinical fellowship at Princess Margaret Hospital. She is currently working as a Palliative Care physician at North York General Hospital. Dr. Caraiscos has a special interest in non-malignant illnesses and is involved in research to optimize care in these patients.
Excellence in Research (Mid Career Researcher)
Dr. Andrew Pinto | Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital
Dr. Pinto is a CIHR Applied Public Health Chair who leads a remarkable and broad national program of primary care research focused on integrating health and social care, population health management, and using data to enable Learning Health Systems. He draws inspiration from his experience of serving patients and communities who are coping with extraordinary health and social challenges, including poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, and racism.
Sustained Excellence in Research
Dr. Sumeet Sodhi | UHN- Toronto Western Hospital
Dr. Sumeet Sodhi is an exemplary family medicine researcher. With 32 publications, her scholarly output in global and indigenous health has been remarkable. She is a notable leader in research and community engagement, and has been an effective mentor nurturing the next generation of health professionals. Her work has significantly contributed to the development of integrated care models, particularly in underserved communities, and in doing so she has ensured a legacy of excellence and commitment to respectful participatory action research.
Excellence in Teaching (Early Career) - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Rachel Peters | University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
Dr. Peters is already known as an excellent teacher and mentor. Her learners consistently comment on her ability to make them feel at ease and supported with the right amount of responsibility for their level of training. She is known for her ability to teach around patient presentations and is considered very practical in her approach to patient care.
Excellence in Teaching (Early Career) - Community Affiliated
Dr. Stephanie Godard | Toronto East Health Network - Michael Garron Hospital
Dr. Godard has made an extraordinary contribution to academic teaching during her first few years in practice. Her teaching efforts have had a pronounced impact on our family medicine residents. Her teaching style is dynamic and interactive, incorporating a range of innovative techniques to engage learners and demonstrates her remarkable commitment to education. Dr. Godard’s passion for teaching and her dedication to her learners is evident in everything she does.
Excellence in Teaching (Early Career) - HPE Community Affiliated
Ms. Rebecca Sytnyk | Unity Health Toronto - St. Joseph's Health Centre
Dr. Sytnyk’s distinctive teaching style nurtures profound comprehension and skill mastery in her learners. Her encouragement of critical thinking, supported by evidence-based practice, underscores the significance of collaborative care. Through her approachable demeanour, she cultivates positive provider-patient relationships, setting a standard for compassionate practice. Notably, Dr. Sytnyk’s learners have consistently rated her highly. Her commitment to continuous learning and inclusivity makes her an exceptional nominee for the DFCM Excellence in Teaching award, embodying the qualities of an inspiring educator.
Excellence in Teaching (Sustained) - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Sarah Fleming | University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
Dr. Fleming reliably goes above and beyond for any learners that come under her supervision. She makes an effort to get to know each of her learners as individual people, and sensitively caters her teaching to their learning needs and styles. Dr. Fleming also prepares and provides regular teaching to her trainees that they routinely comment on as being thoughtful and thorough. Dr. Fleming could not be a more deserving candidate for this Award of Excellence.
Excellence in Teaching (Sustained) - Community Affiliated
Dr. Blaise Clarkson | Toronto East Health Network - Michael Garron Hospital
As a faculty member since 2006, Dr. Clarkson has made an extraordinary contribution to academic teaching. Her teaching efforts have had a pronounced impact on our family medicine residents. Her teaching style is very approachable and non-intimidating and demonstrates her remarkable commitment to education. She is a dedicated and exceptional clinician and teacher. Dr. Clarkson’s passion for teaching and her dedication to her learners is evident in everything she does.
Excellence in Development and Use of Innovative Instructional Methods
Dr. Warren Lewin | University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital
Dr. Lewin developed The Conversation Lab, which is an educational initiative created to improve serious illness care. It aims to build Canada’s largest group of clinical teachers to use internationally proven VitalTalk method to teach health care providers to expertly discuss what matters most with patients and families. In parallel, they are providing patients and families with resources to help them take control of their care. This program leverages decades of clinical and teaching experience and technology to deliver better care.
Excellence in Social Responsibility - Fully Affiliated
Dr. Amy Nolen | Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
Dr. Amy Nolen has provided outstanding contributions to leadership, education and research in support of enhancing the overall health and well-being of our community. She exemplifies excellence in social responsibility through her tireless dedication to improving the health of underserved persons in our community locally, provincially and internationally. Dr. Nolen is a reminder to us all of the importance and obligation that physicians have to extend beyond our patient roster and to help our community members.
Excellence in Social Responsibility - Community Affiliated
Dr. Edward Kucharski | Toronto East Health Network - Michael Garron Hospital
Dr. Edward Kucharski is a distinguished healthcare professional whose exemplary contributions to medicine, particularly in addressing the healthcare needs of 2SLGBTQ individuals, make him a deserving candidate for the DFCM Excellence in Social Responsibility Award. As Chief Medical Officer at Casey House Toronto, Dr. Kucharski's visionary leadership has revolutionized healthcare provision for marginalized populations. His tireless advocacy, innovative initiatives, and commitment to advancing equity and inclusivity embody the values of social responsibility and make him a standout nominee.
Excellence in Social Responsibility - HPE Fully Affiliated
Ms. Jane Smart | Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
Jane Smart is a widely respected and well known RN in Sunnybrook’s DFCM. She has a compassionate care and concern for others as well as her enthusiasm for teaching and learning. She is dedicated to teaching and exposing medical students, residents as well as nursing students to community based health care.
Helen Batty Excellence in Faculty Development
Dr. Maria Ivankovic | Unity Health Toronto - St. Joseph's Health Centre
Dr. Meeta Patel | North York General Hospital
Drs. Ivankovic and Patel stand as exemplary mentors who have guided numerous faculty members and served as inspiring role models. Through their dedicated support, a multitude of faculty have successfully navigated the intricate academic promotion process and gained access to invaluable university resources. Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIIA), they have consistently employed an inclusive lens to facilitate access to resources, sponsorship, and opportunities.
The Louise Nasmith Award
Dr. Archna Gupta | Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael's Hospital
Dr. Archna Gupta is an effective emerging academic leader and scholar. As the inaugural Health Equity Data Lead for the St. Michael's Academic Family Health Team, she has led the development and management of sociodemographic data collection in our department. The Louise Nasmith Award will provide Archna with additional support to explore how social demographic data is best collected, governed, and used in primary care and share her learnings with other DFCM sites and beyond.
Philip Ellison Excellence in Continuing Professional Development
Dr. Karen Fleming | Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
Dr. Fleming is a passionate and hard-working physician who has committed her medical career to the development and improvement of primary care. She has become an expert in areas of perinatal care, physical activity and pregnancy, as well as early recognition of women at risk for early cardiovascular disease through pregnancy. She has become a champion for women’s health through her research, and implements her knowledge and skills through her teaching to family medicine residents and clerks.
Staff Excellence - Fully Affiliated
Ms. Sharona Williams | UHN - Toronto Western Hospital
Ms. Sharon Williams has been a vital member of the Toronto Western Family Health Team for 39 years!! Sharon started in housekeeping at TGH and then joined us as a file room clerk. It quickly became evident that Sharon’s skills and work ethic were better suited for a patient-facing reception role. She never wavers from her commitment to patients. She's the friendly voice on the phone, the smile behind the desk - the first, warm, reassuring, familiar point of contact with our team. Always goes above and beyond to advocate for patient welfare, to contribute to a culture of collaboration and support. “She is the bow that steers the ship”.
Staff Excellence - Central Department
Ms. Jamie Rodas | DFCM Central Office
For over ten years, Jamie has played a central role in our Department's Global Health efforts. With equal measures of organizational brilliance, creativity, academic rigor, relentless dedication and generosity, she has allowed our work to better reach, engage and transform. Widely recognized by our Canadian and international learners and collaborators as the central pillar of our global health community, her tireless support underpins the many and diverse achievements of the DFCM’s global health community.
Staff Excellence - Community Affiliated
Ms. Beverley Nutt | Oak Valley Health
Ms. Nutt's exceptional contributions to system improvement and her key role in supporting residents has been fundamental to the growth, sustainability and well-being of the Markham Family Medicine Teaching Unit for both faculty and residents alike.
Staff Excellence in Leadership Values - Central Department
Ms. Amy Noise | DFCM Central Office
Amy is truly an asset within the department. She has unparalleled ability to highlight the work that is being done, taking into consideration the diversity of persons, specialties, and geography that our work encompasses. More than that, she truly cares about the work and ultimate goals of what we do. Her efforts to increasingly include the community voices into the work that we do, highlights her commitment to our vision and mission.
Staff Excellence in Leadership Values - Community Affiliated
Ms. Alejandra Priego | Unity Health - St. Joseph's Hospital
In the 12 years of her current role, Alejandra has worked tirelessly to promote collaboration, collegiality, exemplary patient care, and a nurturing teaching and learning environment at our site. She has helped to support the expansion of our residency program and to create a strategic plan for our clinic. With her caring approach and her ability to bring individuals together for a common goal, Alejandra has inspired respect and helped to create a supportive, clinically successful academic family medicine teaching unit.
Staff Excellence in Collaboration
Ms. Kristen Szymanski | DFCM Central Office
Kirsten has demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership in her contributions to the implementation of the Department of Family and Community Medicine’s Patient Experience Survey, development of the interactive quality dashboard CareCanvas, and support of the OurCare initiative. She has supported cross-site and cross-program collaborations as well as collaborations with primary care organizations and leaders within and outside our department. For these accomplishments she is more than deserving of the DFCM award for Staff Excellence in Collaboration.
Staff Excellence in Quality and Innovation
Ms. Carolyn Smith | Community Office
Carolyn Smith has coordinated our staff member led Preventative Care Encounter utilizing QI methodology since 2021. Our preventative care is reliably augmented virtually by trained office staff guided by the physician. This effort has resulted in four poster abstracts presented at conferences in 2023. DFCM has recognized our efforts via the Faculty and Staff Impact Award to Dr. Carson and Carolyn Smith for both the 2022 and 2023 Program Award in Quality and Innovation.
Staff New Employee Award - Fully Affiliated
Ms. Erica Radman | Sunnybrook Health Science Centre
Erica has an integral role in Sunnybrook’s DFCM, as she is our first point of contact for all high-level DFCM administrative tasks. She oversees and coordinates a multitude of tasks, seamlessly managing complex responsibilities and competing deadlines. Her approachable demeanor and optimistic outlook allow for her support to be felt through the entire department, fostering an environment conducive to productivity and collaboration. We thank her for her contributions to the department, and look forward to continuing work with her!
Staff New Employee Award
Hanna Kim | DFCM Central Office
Hanna Kim has been instrumental as a new member on the Physician Assistant program team. In a short time, she has streamlined and enhanced processes in order to assist students and faculty more effectively. Her strong work ethic and commitment is unparalleled. Hanna's valuable contributions continue to make a positive and significant impact on the BScPA Program.