Hospice Palliative Care Ontario

We are very pleased to announce that the Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, will be speaking at the Annual Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Conference on Monday, April 29, 2013.

Minister Matthews will be speaking about hospice palliative care and the various initiatives underway at a provincial and LHIN level.

The conference has something for every audience, including a range of captivating keynote speakers and a comprehensive syllabus for you to choose from. Please visit the program page of our website for more information.

Rick Firth, Executive Director of HPCO, formally accepts the first donation cheque from the Toronto Commandery, as presented by John Rogers of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem

On Friday, February 15, 2013, our friends and colleagues at the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem celebrated their organization’s nine hundredth anniversary at a ceremony held at Grace Church-on-the-Hill in Toronto.

Following the service, attendees traveled to the Badminton & Racquet Club Dining Room for a celebratory dinner. Hospice Palliative Care Ontario’s Executive Director, Rick Firth, gave an inspiring talk at the dinner, discussing the value of HPCO and its emerging relationship with the Toronto Commandery.

As part of the dinner, Rick formally accepted the Commandery’s first donation cheque to HPCO. Please join us in giving them our warmest thanks for their support!

Don’t forget that you have until 5:00 PM today to submit your nominations for the following awards, which will be presented at this year’s conference. Please visit our official award page for details, links and forms.

• The Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Outstanding Philanthropist Award (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Dorothy Ley Award of Excellence in Hospice Palliative Care (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Marilyn Lundy Hospice Palliative Care Award (sponsored by the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, Mount Sinai Hospital; nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Joan Lesmond Scholarship, (nomination form available online, details available for download in PDF format)

Many thanks to those of you who have already submitted your nominations. We look forward to honouring your best and brightest at this year’s conference!

Accreditation for visiting hospice services will once again be presented at Hospice Palliative Care Ontario’s annual conference. This year’s accreditation presentation will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2013.

Hospices wishing to receive their accreditation certificate at the conference must make sure to submit their accreditation workbook and board certification to HPCO no later than Friday, March 29, 2013.

For more information, please be sure contact Paula Neil, our Director of Operations, at (416) 304-1477 ext. 27 or pneil@hpco.ca.

Don’t forget that due to a deadline extension, you have until 5:00 PM on Friday, March 15, 2013 to submit your nominations for the following awards, which will be presented at this year’s conference. Please visit our official award page for details, links and forms.

• The Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Outstanding Philanthropist Award (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Dorothy Ley Award of Excellence in Hospice Palliative Care (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Marilyn Lundy Hospice Palliative Care Award (sponsored by the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, Mount Sinai Hospital; nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)

A reminder that the nomination deadline for the Joan Lesmond Scholarship, which was already 5:00 PM on Friday, March 15, 2013, has not changed. The nomination form for this scholarship is available online, and details are available for download in PDF format.

We are very pleased to congratulate Dr. Rick Irvin, a family physician and a leader in the hospice palliative care field, on being one of a select few individuals to receive the 2012 Prime Minister’s Volunteer Award!

“In addition to his duties as a family physician in Barrie, Ontario,” the official award announcement states, “Dr. Irvin is widely praised for his pioneering work in palliative care. His efforts have not only changed the way end-of-life care is viewed and provided in his region, but also raised awareness of issues that will affect more and more Ontarians in the coming decade. His work stresses that care for dying patients and their families is a core medical need, gives respect and dignity, and includes bereavement care.

“Dr. Irvin’s innovative thinking and effective engagement with the medical community were instrumental in creating palliative care education in the North Simcoe Muskoka region. He helped secure funding to provide essential end-of-life care and was a driving force in establishing Hospice Simcoe’s Hospice House, a 10-bed residential hospice devoted to care and support services for patients and families dealing with life-limiting illness.”

The Prime Minister’s recognition of Dr. Irvin’s contributions is not only well deserved, but also serves to advance awareness of hospice palliative care in Ontario and throughout the country. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Irvin on this momentous award, and in thanking him for his continuing efforts!

We’ve just added two new deals to the highlights page on our conference site, courtesy of the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel.

The hotel’s own Crave Restaurant is pleased to offer conference participants a special dinner menu for Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, 2013. The Caesar Spa, located in the hotel’s lower level, is also inviting participants to take advantage of a luxurious spa treatment at a special price, using a coupon available through our website.

Register now for this year’s conference, and be sure to take advantage of these perks! Stay tuned to the highlights page for more news and features as the conference approaches.

Many thanks to those of you who have already registered for this year’s conference. Don’t forget to book your accommodations as well!

A block of bedrooms has been reserved for conference participants at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel, Suites & Conference Centre and the adjoining Best Western Parkway Toronto North Hotel. Both hotels are conveniently in the same building as our conference facilities, but offer different price options. Please refer to our conference site page for rates and details.

This block of bedrooms will be held until Friday, April 5, 2013. Reservations made after this date will be accepted only on a space and rate availability basis.

As a special incentive, all participants who make their hotel reservation by the deadline will be eligible for a draw to receive a gift certificate for a one-night complimentary stay in a Corporate Jacuzzi Suite at the hotel. The winner will be informed by Monday, April 15, 2013. Book your accommodations today to take advantage of this opportunity!

We are pleased to announce that the nomination deadline for the following awards has been extended to 5:00 PM on Friday, March 15, 2013. Please visit our official award page for details, links and nomination forms.

• The Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Outstanding Philanthropist Award (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Dorothy Ley Award of Excellence in Hospice Palliative Care (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Marilyn Lundy Hospice Palliative Care Award (sponsored by the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, Mount Sinai Hospital; nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)

Please note that the nomination deadline for the Joan Lesmond Scholarship, which was already 5:00 PM on Friday, March 15, 2013, has not changed. The nomination form for this scholarship is available online, and details are available for download in PDF format. 

Don’t hesitate to nominate someone for one of these awards for the recognition they deserve!

Our thanks to the member hospices that nominated a volunteer for the June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers. Nominations are now closed. Sorry, we can’t accept late nominations.

The deadline is fast approaching for nominations for our 2013 service and volunteer awards! Please visit our official award page for details, links and nomination forms.

This year’s awards and scholarships include:

• The June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers (nomination form and details available on our award page; please note that only Hospice Palliative Care Ontario member hospices are eligible to nominate their volunteers for this award)
• The Hospice Palliative Care Ontario Outstanding Philanthropist Award (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Dorothy Ley Award of Excellence in Hospice Palliative Care (nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Marilyn Lundy Hospice Palliative Care Award (sponsored by the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, Mount Sinai Hospital; nomination form and details available for download in PDF format)
• The Joan Lesmond Scholarship (nomination form available online and details available for download in PDF format)

Nominations for all awards must be received online by 4:00 PM on Thursday, February 28, 2013. Nominations for the Joan Lesmond Scholarship must be received by 5:00 PM on Friday, March 15, 2013.