The Barbara Ann LeGay award for Patient-Oriented Research is presented to a patient who has demonstrated a special knowledge and interest in the inter-relationship between medical care providers, researchers and patients.

It is an acknowledgement of the central role that the patient shares in the development, testing and implementation of new practices and procedures in the provision of appropriate care for persons living with kidney disease.

Selection criteria

• A patient partner currently involved in Can-SOLVE CKD Network
• Partners with researchers, policy makers, and health care providers for the betterment of patient health care and practice
• Demonstrates leadership, innovation, and creativity in their work with Can-SOLVE CKD and beyond
• Strong will for change and pushing the envelope
• Working to address the disconnect in health care, promoting care team coordination

Barb’s story

By Anne MacPhee

Barb always stressed the importance of the patient’s awareness of their particular situation. This is reflected in the need for medical staff to listen closely to what patients have to say about their own health. Too often, Barb thought, care providers’ minds were already made up as to what the problem was and what would be the appropriate diagnosis. They knew best and they were not hearing what she was trying to say. Fortunately there were doctors and other staff who were very caring and willing to take the time to carefully listen to what Barb or her husband Barry were telling them.

Barb often found that during dialysis she would speak to a doctor about a problem and they would just pass the buck. Also when she explained that her breathing was difficult because of fluid build-up, doctors often dismissed her concerns, only find out she was right in the end. Throughout her experience living with kidney disease and other illnesses, Barb was very attuned to her body. All she ever wanted was for someone to listen to her and respect her feelings and input.

Sensitivity is also important. Health care staff need to be cognizant of the patient’s feelings when they have to share sad news. It is extremely difficult to be informed that there is not much more that can be done to help the patient. It is appropriate to be frank but the presentation can make all the difference. Compassion must play an important role in patient care.

Also it was very hard to get all the doctors on the same page about her various problems that were a part of her decline. She needed all her specialists to look at the big picture when decisions had to be made. If it was Cardio and Nephrology they had to touch base and at times this would not happen.

Barb was a lot of fun to be with and her lack of sight never stopped her from achieving anything she wanted in this life. She was on the board of Capital Health, the Kidney Foundation board of directors, and was a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. If anything could be made better in this life for the next person, it was Barb’s goal to do everything in her power for change. When my husband needed heart surgery, she was so worried about him that she would call every day he was in the hospital. I commented to her that she spent more time in the hospital than anyone I knew but she still cared so much for other people when they were sick. She told me she never worried about herself like she did others because the hospital door was just a revolving door to her. That is how she lived her life.

Past Nominees and Recipients (bolded):

The Howard Vincent Reconciliation Award honours a non-Indigenous individual who has demonstrated commitment to furthering Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples within the Can-SOLVE CKD Network or who has inspired others to continue Reconciliation efforts.

Reconciliation must take root in our hearts and through our actions, and the Howard Vincent Award celebrates those who demonstrate exceptional leadership, integrity and respect while taking meaningful action towards Reconciliation.

We invite all network members to nominate a champion of Reconciliation who strives to build relationships across cultures.

Selection criteria

The award recipient will be a non-Indigenous individual who is currently involved in Can-SOLVE CKD Network and:

• partners with researchers, policy-makers, and health care providers for the betterment of Indigenous health;
• demonstrates leadership, innovation, and creativity in their work with Can-SOLVE CKD and beyond;
• demonstrates leadership, integrity, respect, and a strong will for change

Howard’s story

Howard was a patient partner and member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement and Research Council who was known throughout the network as a strong and passionate voice for those living with kidney disease.

Howard brought many remarkable attributes to the network, including his exceptional candor and a willingness to speak honestly and openly, whether addressing fellow patients or a conference hall full of physicians. He had a knack for voicing important, sometimes uncomfortable perspectives that challenged conventional thinking and forced to us to reflect critically on our work. When Howard spoke, we all stopped to listen, and the network was so much stronger for his contributions.

Howard was committed to using his experiences to help others. As a patient partner on the Kidney Check project in British Columbia, he brought crucial insights to the table that helped shape the engagement of Indigenous communities across BC. He was also a valued member of the Indigenous Peoples’ Engagement and Research Council who worked to foster mutual respect and cultural safety in relationships between health researchers and Indigenous peoples. In addition to his roles with Can-SOLVE CKD, Howard worked for more than 20 years with Lake Babine First Nation in Burns Lake, British Columbia, providing counselling services in the area of mental health, addictions, grief and loss, and historical trauma.

When he joined the network in 2015, Howard wrote to his fellow patient partners, “Being involved in Can-SOLVE CKD is an opportunity to bring an awareness and a message to all who are dealing with CKD, especially the marginalized of our society. They need care, love and knowledge so they can have a chance to live a good life.” All of us across the network will keep Howard’s words and his memory in our hearts as we work to realize this vision.

Past Nominees and Recipients (bolded):