Nominations being accepted for The Human Touch Awards

Recognize an extraordinary healthcare professional or volunteer with a 2017 Human Touch Award nomination

In the healthcare community across Ontario, it’s not uncommon to come across extraordinary individuals on a daily basis. This includes inspirational patients and families, and also exceptional healthcare professionals and volunteers who embody positivity, compassion and empathy to truly make a difference in the lives of their patients.

Recognize your fellow healthcare professionals and volunteers who go the extra mile to provide exceptional patient care with a nomination for the 2017 Human Touch Awards.

The 11^th annual Human Touch Awards will take place on April 20, 2017, honouring outstanding healthcare professionals and volunteers from across Ontario’s cancer and kidney care communities. Providing exceptional care means not only treating the physical symptoms of a disease, but also providing emotional support, which can make a significant difference to someone who has been diagnosed with or is going through treatment for cancer or chronic kidney disease. Each year, Cancer Care Ontario and the Ontario Renal Network honour those individuals who put the added touch in their delivery of care.

All part-time and full-time healthcare professionals and volunteers who provide exceptional care and support to patients and their families at either a regional cancer or kidney care centre or as part of a regional cancer or kidney care program in Ontario are eligible to be nominated for an award.

In 2016, over 60 individuals from across Ontario’s cancer and kidney care programs were nominated for a Human Touch Award. Award recipients were selected by a regionally diverse and interdisciplinary panel who reviewed all nominations.

Previous winners include a registered nurse who goes above and beyond to get people in remote areas of the province the care they need, a social worker who makes every effort to fulfil his patients’ final wishes, and a volunteer who uses her own experience as a breast cancer survivor to create resources such as a hair-loss journal, patient video and survivor calendar to ease the stress and anxiety of people with cancer.

To learn more about the Human Touch Awards or to nominate healthcare professionals and volunteers across Ontario’s cancer and kidney care systems, visit www.cancercare.on.ca/humantouch or www.renalnetwork.on.ca/humantouch