Canadian Medical Association Journal 1995; 153: 653-654
[résumé]
A highlight of each CMA annual meeting is the presentation of medals and awards (see CMA News, August 1995). This year 2 physicians and an ethicist were recognized with special honours and senior membership was awarded to 33 others.
Dr. Penner's stellar career began while he was still an undergraduate. He received the Prowse Prize in 1941 for developing and operating Manitoba's first blood bank. As an intern, he initiated Canada's first laboratory service for measuring blood-alcohol levels in emergency-room patients.
After studying with Dr. George Papanicolaou in New York, Dr. Penner introduced fine-needle cytology diagnosis and cytology of body fluids, and established Manitoba's first program for using cervical smears for cancer detection.
He helped develop a system for evaluating performance in the diagnosis of surgical pathology and cytopathology. With the help of his wife, Helen, he designed and operated a quality-assurance and quality-control program for the College of American Pathologists. Helen Penner received a presidential award from the college for her support.
In 1988 the Penners went to the University of Nairobi, Kenya, where Dr. Penner helped establish the Kenya Association of Clinical Pathologists, designed a program to recruit postgraduates to pathology and began a cytotechnology training program.
The author of more than 100 medical articles, Dr. Penner has served as secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Association of Pathologists (CAP); he also established the CAP newsletter, for which he was both editor and contributor for more than 25 years. Outside of medicine, he spent 29 years as a school board trustee.
The recipient of numerous awards, including the Centennial Medal, the Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Medal and Manitoba's highest award, The Order of the Buffalo Hunt, Dr. Penner was honoured twice this year. This spring he received the Manitoba Medical Association's Distinguished Service Award, and that was followed by the CMA's F.N.G. Starr Award in August. Medal of Service This year the Medal of Service, which is presented to physicians who have made an "outstanding contribution to the advancement of health care," was awarded to Dr. Donald Richards Wilson, a surgeon, teacher, administrator, researcher, visionary and leader who is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in medical education.
Dr. Wilson set up the cardiovascular unit at the Toronto Western Hospital and later became surgeon-in-chief. He chaired the University of Toronto's Department of Surgery for 10 years and was made professor emeritus in 1984.
During Dr. Wilson's 2-year term as president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, he assisted in the formulation of guidelines for medical-ethics education and campaigned to incorporate medical ethics as part of every postgraduate training program.
While president of Associated Medical Services, a charitable organization, he provided leadership and enthusiasm for the formation of the Canadian Bioethics Society. He was a driving force behind the Educating Future Physicians for Ontario (EFPO) project, a remarkable effort at curriculum reform in medicine. EFPO principles were recently adopted by the Royal College as a basis for specialty training.
Dr. Wilson brought a national scope to the Hannah Institute for the History of Medicine, and was instrumental in creating the Canadian Medical Forum for all national organizations involved in educating future physicians.
Dr. Roy is a member of the Steering Committee of the Canadian HIV Trials Network, and chairs both its Safety and Efficacy Review Committee and National Ethics Review Committee. He is founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Palliative Care and coeditor of both Amaryllis -- Les annales de soins palliatif and Panétius -- Les annales d'éthique clinique.
A philosopher and humanist, Dr. Roy holds degrees in mathematics and philosophy; in 1972, he earned a doctorate in theology. Fluent in English, German and French, he has coordinated and taught courses in medical ethics at McGill, Université de Montréal and Université Laval. He is consultant to physicians, other health care professionals and government on ethical problems in medicine and ethical research.
The 1995 recipients from British Columbia were Dr. William Bridge, Dr. Ian Plenderleith and Dr. Angus Rae, all of Vancouver; Dr. John Hunt and Dr. Edward McDonnell, West Vancouver; Dr. Vernon Fraser and Dr. Eldon Lee, Prince George; and Dr. Glenn Martin, Kamloops.
Recipients from the Prairie provinces were Dr. Robert Hatfield and Dr. Wallace Mydland, Calgary; Dr. Harry Letts, Bonnyville, Alta.; Dr. Marc Baltzan and Dr. Noel Doig, Saskatoon; and Dr. Roland Cantin, Dr. Robert Cooke and Dr. Jacob Dyck, all of Winnipeg.
Ontario recipients were Dr. James Colquhoun, Thunder Bay; Dr. Pierre Paul Demers and Dr. Jean-Yves Gosselin, Ottawa; and Dr. Edward Lansdown, North York.
Quebec was represented by Dr. Jacques Bisson, Hull; Dr. Maurice Héon, Lac-La-Tortue; Dr. Douglas Kinnear and Dr. Robert L'Abbé, Montreal; Dr. Arthur Lavigne, St-Lambert; Dr. Paul-Émile Poirier, Ste-Foy; and Dr. Louis-Joseph Roy, Sept-Iles.
Senior Members from Atlantic Canada were Dr. Lloyd Cox, Charlottetown; Dr. Paul Landrigan and Dr. Kenneth MacKinnon, Halifax; Dr. Charles Henderson, St. John's; and New Brunswick physicians Dr. Edward Lund, Saint John, and Dr. Harry Rich, Moncton.