PT Nominees
2023 – 2024 Physiotherapy Preceptor Award Nominees
Commitment to Clinical Education
Winner – Marie-Josee Dagenais – North Bay Regional Health Centre
Marie-Josee is a very deserving recipient of the Commitment to Clinical Education Award because of her clear passion for helping to facilitate learner growth and development. She consistently provides ongoing feedback in multiple aspects of physiotherapy practice such as assessment, treatment, and discharge planning, and she is also open to receiving feedback. She frequently consults the research to learn about the most up-to-date, efficacious treatment for patients with certain conditions or impairment, and applies the evidence directly into her practice. She encourages her students to consult the literature during their placement opportunities. Finally, she facilitates discussion with her students related to their schooling and how they can apply this to their patients, and highlights what she was taught and additional training she has received during her career.
Nominees:
- Marie-Josee Dagenais – North Bay Regional Health Centre
- Hailey Lively – St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre
- Julie Lo – St. Joseph’s Care Group
- Michael Paularinne – Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Innovative Preceptor Award
Winner – Fraser Stephenson – Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority
Fraser Stephenson is the recipient of the 2024 Innovative preceptor award for physiotherapy because he is, in the words of one of his students, “an outstanding preceptor”. Fraser graduated from the U of T in 2017, and after focusing on pediatrics in the GTA for a number of years, moved to Sioux Lookout to become interim clinical manager and PT at the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority. Fraser’s passion for teaching is evident in the numerous and innovative ways through which he engages his students. He intentionally exposes his learners to a wide variety of learning situations in non-traditional environments that reflect the broad spectrum of PT practice roles. He consistently promotes independent self-reflection, with formalized goal setting and achievement, as a means of providing innovative feedback to his students. He always seeks diverse experiences for his learners that will challenge them while simultaneously exposing them to the social, emotional, historical, political, and environmental factors that impact the care that Physiotherapists deliver. In summary, Fraser Stephenson is an outstanding preceptor who’s love of teaching consistently shines through in the many innovative methods that he employs, always with the intention of helping his students become the best all around Physiotherapists that they can be.
Nominee:
- Fraser Stephenson – Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority
Interprofessional Collaborator
Winner – Jill Whitwam – Temiskaming Hospital (Blanche River Health)
Jill demonstrates the importance of being an Interprofessional Collaborator. She is highly regarded as an important member of the interdisciplinary team, who all speak positively of her as a valued team member. She strongly describes the physiotherapy aspect of patient care and does so in a manner that other team members are able to understand. She is also a strong advocate for the interprofessional team and works hard to help her students understand their role and to involve her students to work closely alongside the team. One student describes that this greatly helps to increase their confidence to speak during rounds and be able to effectively communicate with the rest of the interprofessional team.
Nominee:
- Jill Whitwam – Temiskaming Hospital (Blanche River Health)
Northern Ambassador
Winner – Derek Debassigne – Manitoulin Physio Centre
Derek Debassige is a McMaster trained Physiotherapist and owner and Clinical Director of Manitoulin Physio Centre located on the M’Chigeeng First Nation. Derek is a strong advocate for the needs of the communities on Manitoulin Island. He has developed unique funding streams for patients to access physiotherapy services on Manitoulin and helps demonstrate and teach the importance of community outreach as a clinician to his students. He incorporates Indigenous health practices and teachings into his clinical practice and helps learners do the same by passing on teachings and providing opportunities for learning about Indigenous culture outside the traditional placement setting. He is also very involved as an active member outside of his clinical practice, making him a trusted clinician, and person, on the Island. As one learner commented, his passion for helping others in his community is unmatched.
Nominees:
- Derek Debassigne – Manitoulin Physio Centre
- Rachel Parisien – Sault Area Hospital
Academic Excellence
Winner – Cheryl Alderdice – Symetrics
Cheryl has been working at Symetrics in North Bay since 2014. Outside of direct client care, and being a Clinical Supervisor, she is also the Clinical Education Coordinator and Education Lead at the clinic. She has a passion for teaching, mentoring, and watching students and clinicians grow. Cheryl’s dedication to Academic Excellence has resulted in the last 2 students she mentored being hired at their clinic, and her role as a preceptor and commitment to developing great quality professionals lead to a seamless transition of these individuals from students to full time hires. Cheryl organizes a one hour education session every month for the therapists to meet and review cases, do chart reviews, review policies and procedures, and have staff present on new education they have learned, and lead the staff in though provoking discussions in order to improve patient care. Cherly further demonstrates academic excellence by recently taking time off of her busy patient schedule to attend preceptor development sessions run by NOSM U in order to share the knowledge she gains from this with the other staff members to improve the clinics mentorship program. She is an exceptional clinician who strives to provide her clients with the best quality evidence based care.
Nominee:
- Cheryl Alderdice – Symetrics