Every month, staff, researchers, physicians, learners and teams across Unity Health Toronto celebrate important honours, achievements and awards. Congratulations to all who’ve been recognized in January!

Nicola Bell, Vanessa Foucher, Samantha Lombardo, physiotherapists, and Peggy So, a occupational therapist at Providence, received the Bellamy Manucha Rehabilitation Applied Education Research Fellowships – At Providence from the Applied Education Research Operatives (AERO).

Two Providence project teams received Interprofessional Practice Based Research Small Grants:

  • Increasing self-efficacy through an interdisciplinary outpatient post-COVID condition rehabilitation program, led by Irene Nicolakis, a physiotherapist and Peggy So, an occupational therapist.
  • Staff perspectives from Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists on feasibility and readiness with a task-oriented approach to geriatric rehabilitation – led by Kapilan Kulasingham, an occupational therapist, and Stephanie Middleton, a physiotherapist.

Dr. Lee Errett, cardiac surgeon at St. Michael’s, has been appointed to the Order of Ontario. Errett was recognized for helping to transform St. Michael’s into a world-class centre for cardiac surgery, education and research.

Dr. Lee Errett

Alina Lalani, clinical practice specialist and clinical pharmacist at St. Joseph’s, has been awarded an Arbor Award from the University of Toronto. She coordinates clinical practice and education for the Department of Pharmacy at St. Joseph’s, and conducts professional practice research related to quality improvement and deprescribing. She was recognized as being an empathetic preceptor who teaches with kindness and compassion. Well done!

Alina Lalani

Audrey Ng, a physiotherapist at Providence, received the Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto Recognition Award.

Dr. Sean Rourke, scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, has been successful in the CIHR SPOR initiative. He has secured $4 million in funding that will allow for the implementation of critically needed community-based health care teams in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Using a health equity approach, the teams will build new ways to reach and support marginalized and underserved communities in need of testing and care for HIV, syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections.

Dr. Sean Rourke