Certificate of Excellence
Certificates of Excellence are awarded annually to deserving individuals, organizations or programs that have made a unique and recent contribution to the awareness, prevention, or treatment of hypertension in Canada. Deserving programs are often community- and volunteer-based initiatives. More than one certificate may be awarded in a given year. Certificates of Excellence are handed out at the annual general meeting of Blood Pressure Canada.
2009 recipients of Certificates of Excellence
Mr. Dennis Rabel – For his outstanding dedication & commitment in the development of the Calgary Fire Department blood pressure program since 1995, which has helped improve health outcomes, promoted inter-disciplinary health practices, and encouraged quality assurance.
Dr. Gregory Taylor – For being the driving force behind the success of BPC and CHEP, his dedication to the development of chronic disease surveillance, and for providing critical funding & in-kind support to our organizations.
Dr. Helen Johansen – For her outstanding contributions to the success of national hypertension programs in the areas of improving control and education as well as on-going support to include BP measurements as part of Statistics Canada mandate.
Ms. Lianne Vardy – For her outstanding dedication, leadership, vision & innovation in the effort to prevent and control hypertension through active participation, support of important initiatives, and bringing together national experts to improve cardiovascular outcomes on Canada.
Ms. Margaret Moy Lum-Kwong – For her commitment, drive, field pioneering & innovation in the area of hypertension awareness and management as well as for her constant dedication to important initiatives like the Nursing Best Practice Guidelines, development of an Aboriginal Hypertension Management Program, & a hypertension tool kit.
Dr. Marshall Godwin – For his outstanding contributions in hypertension, lifestyle factors, and cardiovascular disease prevention and management related to understanding the interplay of these factors in primary care.
Canadian Blood Services BC/Yukon – For their efforts and innovation in identifying hypertensive patients through the development of a donor card in an effort to increase community awareness around hypertension & the importance of BP measurement.
Sanofi Aventis – For their pivotal role in developing the proposal for the Canada Chair in Hypertension Prevention & Control, as well as for on-going inaugural monetary support to BPC and CHEP to sustain hypertension initiatives in Canada and the development of educational resources.
Ms. Wendy Shah – For her dedication to hypertension education through tireless work and on-going contribution in the writing, assembling, and critical appraisal of public educational material for sodium and hypertension.
Past recipients of Certificates of Excellence
2008
| Dr. Denis Drouin – for his outstanding contribution in the dissemination and implementation of the Canadian Hypertension Education Program recommendations. |  |
Dr. Sheldon Tobe – for his outstanding efforts in the Canadian Hypertension Education Program and innovative research efforts in improving the management of hypertension in aboriginal communities. |  |
| Dr. Kevin Willis – for his exemplary leadership, passion and achievements in promoting education, awareness and policy change around sodium consumption in Canada. |  |
Dr. Janusz Kaczorowski – for his innovation, contribution and commitment to the Canadian Hypertension Education Program, to Blood Pressure Canada, and to the care of hypertensive Canadians. |  |
| Dr. Finlay McAlister – for his outstanding contributions to the Canadian Hypertension Education Program and applying evidence to the care of hypertensive Canadians. | Pfizer Canada – for outstanding and strong support in developing and supporting innovative programs to improve treatment and control of hypertension in Canada. | 
Arnaud Lavenue & Katherine Harrison accepting the award on behalf of Pfizer Canada |
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2007
Health Canada’s Office of Nutrition Policy & Promotion for: Creation of the New Canadian Food Guide.
Boehringer Ingelheim represented by Susanne Cookson for: Ongoing efforts for World Hypertension Day.
Impact Project Team for: Ongoing work in their community to improve cardiovascular outcomes related to hypertension.
Dr. Ross Tsuyuki for: Ongoing work in his community to improve cardiovascular outcomes related to hypertension
2006 (the inaugural year).
The Community Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (C-CHAP), led by Dr. Janusz Kaczorowski and Dr. Larry Chambers is a community-based collaboration of family physicians, pharmacists, other health-care providers and community agencies, that works with peer volunteers to target early recognition and management of high blood pressure, and raise awareness of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for stroke and cardiovascular disease. The program has involved 20 local organizations and coalitions, more than 200 family physicians, 30 community health nurses, more than 150 pharmacies, more than 550 older adult volunteers, and 18 scientists, staff and students. C-CHAP was initiated in 2001 and has conducted several pilots and community-wide demonstration projects, to develop, refine and test aspects of the program in preparation for a province-wide implementation of a risk assessment program.
The Airdrie Community Health Awareness and Management Program (A-CHAMP), led by Dr. Charlotte Jones and Dr. Scot Simpson, is a community based program aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease. The program brings together family physicians, community pharmacies, public health workers, and peer health workers who collaborate to monitor blood pressure and promote cardiovascular risk reduction in Airdrie, Alberta. Participants learn what blood pressure means, how to control high blood pressure, and how and what potential factors can be modified to help control blood pressure. A major aspect of A-CHAMP is education with ongoing monitoring and encouragement of concordance.