Three Department of Family and Community Medicine Staff Honoured at Staff Impact and Long Service Awards

Temerty Medicine celebrated 49 staff members at the 2025 Staff Impact and Long Service Awards reception at U of T’s Faculty Club on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.

The annual celebration pays tribute to the extraordinary dedication and talent of administrative, technical and research staff and honours those marking significant anniversaries with the university.

Among those 49 award recipients are three DFCM staff members: Brandi Quirk, Marisa Boudreau and Dana Arafeh. Here is what their nominators had to say about them:

Excellence in Innovation and Creativity Award

• Brandi Quirk, Coordinator, Family Medicine Longitudinal Experience (FMLE), for her leadership in transforming the student-preceptor matching process, and her efforts in redesigning the preceptor scheduling system to reduce administrative burden while creating a transparent, optimized match for learners. Described as a visionary leader, her proactive approach within the Department of Family and Community Medicine has enhanced preceptor recruitment, strengthened resources and program efficiency and helped FMLE achieve high ratings within the faculty’s MD program.

Fostering an Inclusive Environment Award

• Marisa Boudreau, Administrative Assistant, Quality Improvement Program (QIP) within the Department of Family and Community Medicine, for supporting the geographically distributed QIP leadership team by ensuring consistent communication, timely updates and strong engagement. Her thoughtful approach keeps directors aligned, informed and connected and strengthens shared learning and collaboration across the program. Her work is widely recognized as foundational to the program’s ongoing success.

Community Contribution Award

• Dana Arafeh, Patient and Family Engagement Specialist, for exceptional leadership in strengthening patient and family partnerships across the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She has built sustainable frameworks for the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), ensuring diverse representation and meaningful participation in quality improvement initiatives. She also created accessible resources, standardized engagement processes and developed transparent compensation structures that remove barriers to participation and advance health equity. Beyond the department, she has shared these innovations at national forums, contributing to broader conversations on equitable engagement.

Congratulations to Brandi, Marisa and Dana for your exceptional contributions to the DFCM community. Your commitment to quality improvement and to implementing meaningful, high-impact changes has created a lasting positive impact both within DFCM and beyond.