The Local Impact Award – UHN is the winner!

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Members of the S.C.O.P.E. team received the Local Impact Award – Clinical Team, for their work with patients with high needs; collaboration with Women’s College Hospital and the Community Care Access Centre; and the creation of links with community primary care providers. (Photos: UHN)

At this year's UHN Annual General Meeting, the Local Impact Award was given for the first time. 

The response to the award from the UHN community was overwhelming – 52 letters of nomination received from across the organization for the work of 44 individuals, teams or projects.

"The idea for the award was Dr. Peter Pisters'," Dr. Michael Baker, Rose Family Chair in Medicine and co-chair of the awards committee, says of the UHN President and CEO. "When he heard about the Global Impact Award, he thought that it would also be fitting to honour people at UHN who make a difference to our patients and community every day. 

"So the Local Impact Award was created with a focus on work that has impacted patient care and the workplace.  The response was immediate and the committee chose three winners."

The three winners are:

The S.C.O.P.E. team was chosen for its work with high needs patients; its collaboration with Women's College Hospital and the Community Care Access Centre; and the creation of links with community primary care providers (PCPs).

In total, S.C.O.P.E. is now working with approximately 50 PCPs who work to make sure that high needs patients are linked to services in the community, while ensuring that the community provider can also access services within the hospital for these complex patients. 

Both the S.C.O.P.E. team and its Primary Care Lead, Dr. Pauline Pariser, received nominations. The team was chosen to receive the Local Impact Award – Clinical Team.

​Dr. Sam Sabbah, who received the Local Impact Award – Clinician, is repeatedly referred to by his nominators as a tireless advocate for his patients. (Photo: UHN)

Dr. Sam Sabbah, Assistant Medical Director – Emergency Department is the winner of the Local Impact Award – Clinician. It recognizes his significant impact on the care of patients in UHN's Emergency Departments; his commitment to a partnership with Women's College Hospital so appropriate patients go to their Acute Ambulatory Care Unit while acutely ill patients are seen in UHN's Emergency Departments; and his work with the Advanced Clinical Documentation team.

Sam is repeatedly referred to by his nominators as a tireless advocate for his patients, someone who is a role model for the concept of patients as partners in their care. He is also described as a clinician who is passionate about improving operations while ensuring care and safety are the goals of all improvements.

According to one of his nominators, Victor Trotman, who received the Local Impact Award – Workplace, “can deal with the most contentious issues in a manner that doesn’t get anyone defensive.” (Photo: Victor Trotman)​

Victor Trotman, Senior Director – Labour Relations is the winner of the Local Impact Award – Workplace. One of his nominators had this to say about Victor – "He can deal with the most contentious issues in a manner that doesn't get anyone defensive.  He brings thoughtful issues to the table from a social and economic perspective that enriches the dialogue….He is an extremely principled individual who always strives to do the right thing for the health-care system."

Victor's nomination was supported by his colleagues in Human Resources, union leadership and the Ontario Hospital Association. Victor has worked for many years on both UHN's labour relations and labour relations throughout Ontario.

"It has been a pleasure to read the submissions," says Gillian Howard, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications and co-chair of the committee.  "This award has given people the opportunity to voice their appreciation of their colleagues for the work that is done every day at UHN.

"We will certainly be highlighting this work and these individuals on the intranet in the weeks ahead as the nominations are a rich source of intelligence about accomplishment and achievement throughout the hospital."