THE WILBERT J. KEON AWARD

Dr. Wilbert Keon, the founding Director General of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, created a nationally and internationally known centre of excellence in diagnostic and patient care, prevention and rehabilitation, education and research. This award is a tribute to the achievements of the Ottawa Heart Institute and, in particular, the leadership of Dr. Keon.

Originally established to recognize outstanding achievement in Cardiovascular Medicine in Canada, from 1989 to 2000 the Keon Award was made to twelve esteemed Canadians, in conjunction with a lecture given by the Award recipient.

In 2001, the Award criteria were modified to focus on achievements at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The Alumni Board, in consultation with Dr. Keon and his colleagues, decided that the Wilbert J. Keon Award for Trainee Excellence will be given to a resident or a fellow in training at the Ottawa Heart Institute who has demonstrated a high degree of professional competence, exceptional levels of commitment and motivation, an ability to work effectively as a team player, superior communication skills with patients and staff, a high level of initiative and consistent common sense, all complemented by the capability to cope with pressure in the workplace.

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute Alumni Association endows the Award.

2008  Dr. Joel Price and Dr. Andrew Haw

Dr. Joel Price, in his fourth year as a trainee in Cardiac Surgery, is well-liked by the medical and nursing staff and the patients. He has been a leader in education as the supervisor of the academic activities of the residents and has worked tirelessly with medical students at the university encouraging them to consider cardiac surgery as a career. Dr. Price could not be present to receive his award in person.

Dr. Andrew Ha who, over three years as a resident, has proved to be an excellent cardiologist. He has an incredible knowledge base and excellent rapport with patients and has performed at a very high level as a researcher, presenting studies on nuclear and interventional cardiology at national and international meetings. Dr. Ha has also excelled in teaching and tutoring, ensuring that medical students progress at the highest rate in mastering their skills. Dr. Ha accepted the prestigious Keon Award with modesty, explaining how in his work he tries to strike a balance among physician, nurses and patient and saying that he chose this field because "all the best doctors I met were cardiologists."

2007  Dr. Munir Boodhwani

Dr. Boodhwhani received the prestigious Wilbert J. Keon award based on his eight years of accomplishments with the UOHI where he excelled in research as well as in his role as Chief Resident in Surgery. During that period, skeletonization techniques were introduced to the UOHI arterial grafting program for bypass surgery. Dr. Boodhwani identified problems with the current harvest techniques and he independently conceived a prospective trial model (ITAH trial). He was entirely responsible for the unique patient design in this trial and validated the model and the database.

Dr. Boodhwani's ITAH trial was published in Circulation this past year (accepted without revision) and its impact was recognized by Boston University. This paper is now the undisputed reference on this topic and it will likely be not only one of the most highly cited clinical papers to come out of the Ottawa Heart Institute, but certainly the most definitive paper on this topic in the global literature due to the unique project design.

In addition to studying with Dr. Rubens, Dr. Boodwhani also attended Harward University. Overall, he is a most worthy candidate for this award of excellence.

2006  Dr. Michael Ling

During his training in the Ottawa Heart Institute Cardiology Residency Training Program, Dr. Michael Ling has, first of all, demonstrated that he is an excellent clinical cardiologist. He is very knowledgeable and practical and applies his knowledge very effectively, while showing great compassion for patients and an ability to establish excellent rapport with them.

Dr. Ling completed a Bachelor of Science at Queen's University in 1996, a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario in 2000 and Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Ottawa in 2003, the final year of which he was Chief Medical Resident. From 2003 to 2006, he has been a Cardiology Resident at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

During his residency at the Heart Institute, Dr. Ling has shown great motivation and commitment, performing numerous research studies, which have enhanced his knowledge of cardiology. At the recent Canadian Cardiovascular Conference, he presented four abstracts, an exceptional accomplishment at his level of training. In addition, demonstrating his dedication to the Heart Institute, during the past year, Dr. Ling has been Chief Resident, Cardiology, enhancing the experience of all cardiology residents with his excellent teaching and communication skills.

2005  Dr. Michael Froeschl and Dr. Alexander Kulik

For the second time in three years, the selection committee was unable to choose between two outstanding candidates for the 2005 W.J. Keon Award. The Alumni, recognizing that the Institute attracts - and most often retains - such capable residents and fellows, agreed to the double Awards.

Dr. Michael Froeschl, as Chief Cardiology Resident, has exhibited real leadership in the training program. In recognition of his outstanding teaching, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, he was awarded the Professional Association of Interns and Residents of Ontario (PAIRO) Excellence in Clinical Teaching Award in March 2005, as the Best Resident Teacher at the University of Ottawa.

Dr. Froeschl graduated from Harvard University in 1993 with a BA Magna Cum Laude in Social Studies. In 1999, he received his MDCM with Honours from McGill University. He received the Murray Muirhead Award in 2002 as the St. Michael's Hospital Outstanding Resident, coincident with the completion of his residency at the University of Toronto, Department of Medicine. He then entered the residency program in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Dr Froeschl is now on staff as a cardiologist at the Heart Institute.

Dr. Alexander Kulik, as Chief Resident in Cardiac Surgery, also demonstrated outstanding performance in the past year. In spite of the demands on the time of a chief resident, Dr. Kulik has shown great strength in research and publications during the past year, producing a number of abstracts and articles. He received the Collins Surgical Day Resident Research Award from the Department of Surgery at the University of Ottawa in 2003 and 2004 and the Best Case Report Award, Diffuse Lung Disease Category from the American College of Chest Physicians Annual Assembly.

Dr. Kulik received a Bachelor of Science, with distinction, in Life Sciences from Queen's University in 1998 and, in 2002, a Doctor of Medicine, with honours, from the University of Toronto. He then entered the Cardiac Surgery Residency Program at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Dr. Kulik is continuing his residency at the Heart Institute.

2004  Dr. Lisa Mielniczuk

Dr. Lisa Mielniczuk has spent her final year of cardiology as Chief Resident. Dr. Mielniczuk has demonstrated outstanding abilities in all aspects of her training: an excellent clinician with a great bedside manner; provides excellent teaching to the medical students as well as the Internal Medicine and Cardiology residents; presents complex issues at Grand Rounds with comprehensive and thorough discussion; and, in spite of the heavy clinical load of a cardiology resident, she has completed several peer-reviewed publications. In 2003, she received the CSI/CHIR Resident Research Prize and won the 8th Annual Pfizer National Cardiovascular Resident Research Competition. For the next two years, Dr. Mielniczuk will be at Harvard as a fellow for Heart Failure, after which she intends to return to the Ottawa Heart Institute.

2003  Dr. Donna Nicholson and Dr. Derek So

In its consideration of nominees for the 2003 W.J. Keon Award for Trainee Excellence, the review committee identified two outstanding trainees at the Heart Institute, both of whom the Alumni Board of Directors agreed were deserving of recognition.

Dr. Donna Nicholson came to the Ottawa Heart Institute in 2002 to spend a year doing a Fellowship in Cardiac Anesthesiology. She is described as a very competent physician with outstanding inter-personal skills and an exceptional sense of responsibility, whose presence and work are extremely well appreciated in all the Heart Institute units - a person who truly enhances the image of the medical profession. Dr. Nicholson came from Winnipeg, where she had been a Staff Anesthesiologist and Lecturer at the Health Sciences Centre and the University of Manitoba. The Heart Institute and the Alumni are extremely pleased that she has accepted a position as Clinical Associate for the Division of Cardiac Anesthesiology, where she will be applying her expertise in transesophageal echocardiography.

Dr. Derek So is Chief Resident, Cardiology at the Ottawa Heart Institute. He entered the cardiology residency program in 2000, following completion of an internal medicine residency at McMaster University. He completed his Doctor of Medicine with honours standing at the University of Toronto in 1997. Dr. So is an excellent clinician who has outstanding teaching and administrative abilities, qualities that he has demonstrated as Chief Resident. He willingly accepts additional teaching requests, both within the Heart Institute and at the Civic Campus, a dedication that is greatly appreciated by residents, medical students and other staff. In his third year of clinical training, while managing his teaching and administrative workload, he is also engaged in several research projects. Dr. So has accepted a Fellowship in interventional cardiology with the Division of Cardiology upon completion of his residency. We shall all welcome his continued contributions to Cardiology at the Heart Institute.

2002  Dr. Michel Haddad

A graduate of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Haddad did his undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario, where he received a gold medal for Honours Physiology. He also received the Medical Research Council Summer Studentships in 1994 and 1995. Dr. Haddad has made a substantial contribution as a resident in cardiovascular surgery at the Heart Institute and he has been active in several research projects, including Brain Natriurectic as a marker for heart transplant rejection.

2001  Dr. Jeff Healey

Dr. Jeff Healey has excelled academically throughout his career. He graduated from Earl of March High School, where he received the Governor General's medal for academic achievement. While earning his undergraduate pre-medical degree at Queens University, he was awarded the Canada Scholarship, the Bell Canada Scholarship and the Stirling Scholarship for Academic Excellence. He graduated near the top of his Medicine class and then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Healey joined the University of Ottawa Heart Institute as a resident in Cardiology, completing the program as the Senior Resident in his final year. Throughout his training he has been outstanding in his clinical judgment and decision-making, as well as being one of the most effective teachers and supervisors of junior staff. Jeff has excelled in education and in research, winning several prizes for his research work at the Heart Institute. He is a most worthy first recipient of the Keon Award under the new criteria.

(The Mary Clinckett Alumni Award)