Their compassion and caring shone through – not just for Allan Cook but for all his family and friends as well. And after he passed away, they attended his wake and celebration of life, continuing to care for his family. All that and more is why the nurses on B2 won the Team.

For 30 years, Dr. Les Melamed read research proposals and asked himself, “If I were a patient, would I want to be part of this study?” As a volunteer community representative on the Ottawa Health Science Network Research Ethics Board, Dr. Melamed helped weigh the benefits and risks of research proposals involving patients or their data.

Teresa Buffone knows too well how helpless it feels to have a loved one diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease. Her husband, Frank, died of myotonic dystrophy. Eight people in her family also have the genetic condition. Until now, patients have had to go elsewhere to take part in clinical trials.

When Dr. Clare Liddy shared with Dr. Erin Keely that one of her patients had to wait for more than nine months for an appointment with a specialist, they agreed this was too long. Together, they developed eConsult – and the electronic wait-time solution is spreading across Canada and around the world.

Gina Hedges remembers, not long ago, when she had to travel to Toronto just to receive treatment for her polycystic kidney disease. But that’s changing. A new centre of excellence at The Ottawa Hospital will provide access to radiologists, urologists, surgeons and others, all in one place.

Ian Asquith doesn’t miss being in the hospital for two months with a perforated colon, but he does miss the special nurses on 7 East, who he nominated for the annual team nursing award because they bring to life The Ottawa Hospital’s core values of compassion, respect, teamwork and quality.