Sinai Health celebrates life-long learning and the translation of new knowledge and supports its employees and learners in the pursuit of higher education and professional development, through scholarships and bursaries. This year, recipients were honoured at a virtual event attended by their family members and friends from across the globe.

Here are the 2021 honourees

Dr. Allan Gross, Dr. Oleg Safir and Dr. Paul Kuzyk are the recipients of the Lloyd S. D. Fogler, QC, Award of Excellence for significant research impact at the international level.

Dr. Allan GrossDr. Oleg SafirDr. Paul Kuzyk

Drs. Allan Gross, Oleg Safir and Paul Kuzyk have helped lead clinical and basic science research related to Osteochondral Allograft Transplant (OAT) surgical treatment for patients with bone and joint defects. Patients experience significant pain, reduced mobility and often need joint replacement early. The program at Mount Sinai Hospital is the longest running and is internationally known with over 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Over the past 50 years, the program has helped over 600 patients. The OAT procedure requires donated cartilage and bone from a recently deceased donor which replaces the defect in the patient’s joint.

Elly Kuhne- 2021 Valerie Fine Award

Elly Kuhne is the recipient of the Valerie Fine Bursary for demonstrating outstanding humane values in the performance of duties.

Through kindness and caring, Elly Kuhne works with patients, families, employees, and learners to provide a welcoming, compassionate environment. As a clinical volunteer at Mount Sinai Hospital and COVID-19 healthcare screener at Bridgepoint, Elly demonstrates a strong passion for patient-centered care across the healthcare system. Recently, she was accepted into the Masters of Science in Public Health program (MScPH) at McGill University and intends to specialize in the areas of digital epidemiology and healthcare management throughout her degree. With a keen interest in improving lives, she plans to contribute to continued improvements in public health as a future practitioner and leader.

Dr. Fouad Youssef

Dr. Fouad Youssef is the recipient of the Bernard Ghert Award of Resident Excellence in Patient Focused Care.

Dr. Fouad Youssef is in year five of his surgical residency at Mount Sinai Hospital. He is commended by surgical faculty members and colleagues as an inspirational and positive person who advocates for team-based excellence in patient care. He displays a broad perspective and deep compassion for those in need and seeks to improve quality of care at a systems and individual level. He is also praised by students as an insightful coach and outstanding teacher who encourages critical thinking and lauded by interdisciplinary team members as a thoughtful communicator and collaborator.

Dr. Brenna Swift

Dr. Brenna Swift is the recipient of the Rose Torno Bursary to encourage contributions to health sciences education and research.

Surgical education is the focus for Dr. Brenna Swift who is completing a Masters in Health Sciences Education as part of her Gynaecologic Oncology Fellowship at the University of Toronto. She is researching video-based coaching to provide feedback for improving surgical skills. This approach involves a surgical trainee and a surgical coach who together view a video of the trainee performing a surgical skill or procedure. Based on these findings, she will explore using this technique as a possible tool in competency-based surgical education and hopes to help establish a video-based coaching program within the University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The Diamond Jubilee Scholarship was created in recognition of Mount Sinai Hospital’s 75th Anniversary and is awarded to support higher education pursuits for the children of Sinai Health’s employees, and medical and dental staff.

Jacqueline Huo and Haydon Quach are this year’s recipients.

Jacqueline Huo 2021 Diamond Jubilee Award1

Jacqueline Huo will be pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering at McMaster University. Her interests in health sciences stem from a desire to help others which she has demonstrated in academic and extracurricular activities as a student and graduate of TOPS, a nationally recognized science and mathematics program. Described by nominators as having strong ability to take initiative and find solutions, she is interested in engineering because it requires problem-solving and can lead to life-saving advancements. She plans to apply new learning to enhance patient care and influence discoveries. Jacqueline’s mother is Nancy Ng, a physiotherapist at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Haydon Quach 2021 Diamond Jubilee Award 2

Haydon Quach will be pursuing a Life Sciences degree at York University with future plans for medical school. Bridgepoint Active Healthcare teams have known him since he began volunteering there at age 14. Described by nominators as dedicated, self-motivated and possessing leadership traits and vibrant energy, he helped with the successful implementation of a new workstations on wheels project and supported patients in the complex continuing care recreation therapy program. These experiences have fueled his interest in a health care career to assist others on a larger scale. Haydon’s father is Ken Quach, an Administration Clerk at Bridgepoint.