There are a lot of creative and talented doctors in Nova Scotia. The yearly accomplishment awards given by the association is one way Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) honors its hard-working, extremely talented, and devoted members.
13 doctors are being recognized by Doctors Nova Scotia this year for their outstanding accomplishments.
Dr. John Fraser
The Distinguished Service Award has been given to Dr. John Fraser in honor of his years of caregiving for disenfranchised Nova Scotians, particularly those with chronic pain and opioid use disorders. For 43 years, Dr. Fraser practiced medicine while directly caring for patients and creating cooperative, neighborhood-based services. He worked at the North End Community Health Centre in addition to serving as the medical director for Direction 180. He also treated patients at the QEII Health Sciences Centre’s Pain Management Unit who had comorbid opioid use disorder and chronic pain. He played a key role in the establishment of Pain and Addiction Albro Lake. 2022 saw Dr. Fraser’s retirement.
Dr. Emmanuel Bamikole Ajuwon
The Community Family Physician of the Year Award is given to Dr. Emmanuel Bamikole Ajuwon in honor of his work as a family physician and his mentoring of foreign medical graduates (IMGs). Dr. Ajuwon relocated to Nova Scotia in 2014 after 23 years in practice. He is the medical director for a nearby nursing home, oversees a family practice, and puts in regular shifts in Cape Breton emergency rooms. Additionally, as part of the Nova Scotia Practice Readiness Assessment Program, he serves as the program’s principal assessor and mentor for IMGs who are being evaluated for practice readiness. He assists in making sure new hires are prepared to begin working in their offices and assists families in integrating into their neighborhoods.
Dr. Paul MacDonald
Dr. Paul MacDonald receives the 2023 Community Specialist of the Year Award in honor of his selfless dedication to the cardiac patients in Cape Breton. In 1996, Dr. MacDonald started his cardiology practice in Sydney. He has been active in teaching, administration, regional and national cardiology groups, in addition to clinical practice and research. Dr. MacDonald has devoted years to enhancing cardiac care in Cape Breton, including securing financing for clinics focusing on heart failure and drug titration as well as enhancing patient flow and access for cardiac catheterization. In support of Cape Breton Regional Hospital’s development, he also argued for the establishment of a cardiac catheterization lab in the Eastern Zone.
Dr. Mahmoud Elsawy
The Dr. William Grigor Award is given to hematologist Dr. Mahmoud Elsawy in recognition of his leadership in promoting blood cancer research and care for Nova Scotians. The initiative to offer patients in Nova Scotia chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy was led by Dr. Elsawy. CAR-T therapy, a cutting-edge therapy for persons with blood cancer, employs a patient’s own immune cells to eradicate cancer, potentially treating a large number of people with end-stage blood cancer. It was previously out of reach for many individuals since patients had to fly to Boston for the procedure. Dr. Elsawy made it accessible in Halifax, which is great. After completing more training in Seattle and Vancouver, Dr. Elsawy continued his medical education in Egypt.
Dr. Beverley Cassidy
The Physician Health Promotion Award is given to Dr. Beverley Cassidy in honor of her exceptional leadership in the Memory Café NS project. The Alzheimer Society of Canada has named this initiative the 2023 national recipient of the Dementia-friendly Grassroots Award. Dr. Cassidy has been running memory cafés with a multi-disciplinary team for the past three years. Memory cafés offer persons with dementia and those who care for them hope and a sense of community while lowering stigma and isolating them. These cafés are mushrooming all around Nova Scotia as a result of Dr. Cassidy’s work. Dr. Cassidy has been in practice for 26 years and is currently associated with the Dalhousie Department of Psychiatry and the Annapolis Valley.
Read more here: https://www.yourdoctors.ca/blog/health-care/2023-awards
Reference: https://www.yourdoctors.ca/
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