VMDAS President Dr. Ka Wai Cheung and Vice President Dr. Michael Nimmo hosted the association’s annual awards ceremony on November 17. Members gathered in person and online to pay tribute to colleagues celebrating years of service milestones as well as those selected for this year’s academic awards.

Years of service milestones

Medical staff from each year of service being recognized were selected to speak on behalf of their cohort. All mentioned how honoured they were to do this. All members who are celebrating five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 (!), and 55(!!) years of service will receive a certificate and pin. For those who were unable to attend the ceremony, certificates and pins will be delivered to their department’s admin assistant for distribution.

Dr. Matthew Chan represented medical staff with five years of service to VCH. He noted this privilege afforded him an opportunity to reflect on these years and to realize the importance collaboration plays in our work. As a radiation oncologist he and his colleagues need to work seamlessly across health authority boundaries to enhance patient care. He credited a shared purpose, strong partnerships, and the people around us with making this work sustainable.

Dr. Faisal Khosa was the 10 years of service class speaker. He noted the great progress made at VCH over this decade in delivering culturally appropriate and equitable care. He thanked his colleagues for the extraordinary devotion they bring to the workplace, which allows everyone to thrive. Dr. Khosa also made a shoutout to our medical students and junior colleagues for keeping him humble.

Dr. Matthew Bennett was the 15 years of service class representative. He remarked on the significant advances that have been made in medicine over that time and how that has affected his practice. Dr. Bennett also reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic and took the opportunity to thank everyone who worked on the frontlines.

Dr. Alison Harris spoke on behalf of medical staff who have worked at VCH for 20 years. She reflected on changes she has seen in radiology over that time including the changes in equipment and the unique culture and camaraderie enjoyed at VGH. She noted her gratitude for being able to care for complex and critically ill patients.

The 25-years-of-service rep was Dr. Michael Copland. He initially turned to ChatGPT for his assistance with his remarks before realizing he wanted to reflect more on what it means to have worked at VCH for a quarter of a century. He remarked that he was humbled by this and thanked the many colleagues who have been instrumental in his career. Despite VGH being a large hospital, Dr. Copland has found a family and community here.

Dr. Hamed Umedaly was the spokesperson for the 30-year cohort. In preparation for his remarks, he calculated that 30 years of work was equivalent to approximately 80,000 hours. He noted that the 30-year group were inspired by giants and many have become giants themselves and are now inspiring the next generations. One of the greatest achievements, Dr. Umedaly said, is when the people you have inspired surpass you.

Dr. Kendall Ho represented the 35 years of service class. He expressed gratitude for having a career in health care and the opportunity to make a difference and support people. Dr. Ho is grateful for the depth and breadth of ways to contribute here. He told the story of the pilgrim’s staff: we are the pilgrims and VCH is the staff that supports us.

Dr. David Owen represented both the 40- and 45-year cohorts. While some may wonder why anyone would want such a long career, Dr. Owen explained there are three things that keep him going. Firstly, he enjoys working here and appreciates having many unusual and interesting cases. Secondly, he likes the opportunities for research and teaching. And, thirdly, he appreciates the comradeship and the colleagues who have supported and encouraged him in his career.

Dr. Robert Meek is our only 50-year representative this year and his career at VGH actually began 10 years before that when he was a resident there. Early on he was advised to pick people better than him and smarter than him, which, he says, has served him well. He has had a distinguished career including serving as the chief of medical staff and chairman of the board of trustees. He hung up his clinical hat in 2008 and now works exclusively in research.

Dr. Sheldon Howard was the only 55-year class member; he joked that while he could have repeated the same speech he gave five years ago, there were some significant events since then including the pandemic, several wars, and the introduction of AI to our work. Dr. Howard noted that he has been blessed to live through a time of great strides forward in the areas of antibiotics, transplants, and technology and he hopes those who come after him will see many innovations. He ended by encouraging colleagues to share and to look after one another.

2025 Academic Awards

Information on each of the award winners’ contributions is available here.

Dr. Arif Janjua is the winner of this year’s Roberta (Bobby) Miller Award for Excellence in Teaching. In accepting the award, Dr. Janjua said he was humbled and honoured and spoke of the power of collaboration and community. He credited his students with their desire to learn and his division that prioritizes education and mentorship. Dr. Janjua expressed his thanks for being part of a system that inspires learning.

Dr. Ted Steiner received the Bringing Clinical Renown to Vancouver Community of Care Award. He thanked his division members who continue to inspire him and pledged to pass that torch. He noted how meaningful it is to him to work in such a rewarding field and how he has gained experience and learned from his patients.

Dr. George Isac is this year’s winner of the Clinical Excellence Award. Dr. Isac was unable to attend the ceremony as he was needed in surgery.

Dr. Brent Ohata received the Community Excellence Award. He recalled his desire to improve access to care for rural regions, Indigenous communities, and those who live in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. He thanked the medical community who have supported him in this work.

Dr. Amanda Hu is the winner of the Excellence in DEI Award. In thanking VMDAS, she noted that achieving diversity, equity and inclusion is only possible when it is a team goal. She thanked the colleagues who support her work.

The Excellence in Early Career Award went to Dr. Roberto Trasolini. He recalled thinking that VGH was the best possible place to work because of his sense that anything is possible here. He described his work here as fun, stimulating and empowering and noted there is still much to achieve.

Dr. Junella Lee is this year’s recipient of the Larry Collins Award for Committee Service. She stated she was honoured and privileged to be awarded for doing work she enjoys. She appreciates joining committees and working with colleagues and other leaders. She noted the opportunity to connect with colleagues and specialists and to get to know them as people has been inspiring.

Dr. Teresa Tsang is the winner of the Scientific Achievement Award. She accepted the award on behalf of her fabulous team who she truly enjoys working with. She noted that she continues to be excited about the possibilities in her field. She said seeing patients is “a wow!” as is doing her work and research.

The final award winner this year was Dr. Bruce Foster in the Special Service category. He acknowledged his department for its support and noted that he is honoured to be included with the other 33 physicians who have received this award since its inception. He said that many people have supported and mentored him throughout his career and thanked his family.

In closing, Dr. Cheung thanked everyone for their contributions as well as to those who nominated colleagues for this year’s awards. The annual awards ceremony, she said, is one of her favourite events of the year as it is important to celebrate the work that we do.

Photos from the evening are available here.

VMDAS and VPSA AGMs

The next VMDAS and VPSA meeting is our annual general meeting on Monday, December 8. Guest speakers include Dr. Roger Wong and Vivian Eliopoulos as well as Doctors of BC President Dr. Charlene Liu.

Members can attend in person or online. Please register here.