Monday, April 30, 2007

Last Thursday in Toronto, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) presented Dr. Karen Mazurski, a dedicated family physician in Dryden, ON, with the Human Touch Award for exceptional patient care.

The Human Touch Awards honour front-line cancer care professionals from across the province for providing exceptional and compassionate care to cancer patients. All part-time or full-time health care professionals and providers who provide direct patient care at either a regional cancer centre or as part of the Regional Cancer Program including home care, palliative care, public health, community hospitals and primary care were eligible for the award.

Dr. Mazurski was one of eight winners in Ontario. As a community oncology physician, Dr. Mazurski provides care to patients in the Dryden area who receive chemotherapy treatment in their own home community, reducing expenses and travel to Thunder Bay and time away from their families and work.

“Patients and families often comment on how grateful they are for the dedication of physicians like Dr. Mazurski who make the extra effort to provide care closer to home,” said Dr. Dimitrios Vergidis, Chief of Oncology for Regional Cancer Care. He and his regional medical team nominated Dr. Mazurski for her leadership and commitment to advancing the quality of care for Northwestern Ontario.

Dr. Mazurski’s commitment to professional development was described as ‘exemplary,’ as she actively supports staff in attaining chemotherapy certification, participates in regional oncology rounds and regularly attends both professional development events and cancer fundraisers with staff.

“Her leadership has been instrumental in the creation of patient navigation models to ensure the needs of patients are understood throughout the region. Her quiet devotion and respectful, compassionate care is foremost in her practice and evident in the comments received from patients and family members,” Dr. Vergidis said.

Dr. Mazurski began working at the Dingwall Medical Clinic in Dryden in 1982. In 1998, she and Dr. Carl Eisner began providing medical supervision to the oncology unit at the Dryden Regional Health Centre. (Presently, Dr. Louttit shares the duties as Dr. Eisner now works as a locum physician in Northwestern Ontario.) The hospital’s ambulatory department completed 400 oncology clinic visits in 2006/07.

This is not the first time Dr. Mazurski has been provincially and nationally recognized for her efforts. She recently received the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada Award for 20 years of rural service, and was a member of the working group for the Sixth National Summit on Community Cancer Control. She was honoured to receive a Heather Crowe Award from the Ministry of Health Promotion, which recognized her work in tobacco harm reduction.

Dr. Mazurski has repeatedly stated that she is only one small part of the Regional Oncology Program, and in her opinion, the entire team deserves the award.

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