Honours and Awards
2011 Recipients
Family Physician of the Year
Dr. J. Stewart McMillan was born in Glasgow, Scotland and attended the University of Glasgow, Faculty of Medicine. He became a Certificant of the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 1989 and a Fellow in our College in 1994. Dr. McMillan has been in private practice in Regina since September 1973 and has held many appointments in the medical community. He has held many positions with the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Regina, including Pasqua Hospital and the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. He was Chief Coroner for Saskatchewan from 1978 to 1987, Chairman of the Saskatchewan Commission on Future Directions in Health Care, Chairman, Saskatchewan Task Force on High Cost Drugs, Chairman, Saskatchewan Task Team on Surgical Waiting Lists and most recently Chairman of the Health Quality Council.
Dr. McMillan has been involved with many of our sister organizations, particularly with the Saskatchewan Medical Association, the Canadian Medical Association, the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Medical Council of Canada.
We confer this award on a physician deemed to exemplify the ideals of family medicine. The award is adjudicated on the basis of the individual’s contribution through family medicine, community, through government, social or other activities as well as participation in the College of Family Physicians of Canada.
Dr. McMillan’s 38 years of practicing family medicine in Regina is an amazing accomplishment. He has made many friends over the years – colleagues, patients and friends have written to us offering their personal feelings about Dr. McMillan. I am going to share some of the comments with you because they aptly express the reasons why Dr. McMillan was selected for this award.
A colleague writes – ‘Dr. McMillan has a wide medical knowledge base, excellent practical skills, and a remarkable relationship with his patients. I witness daily an excellent relationship with nursing staff, and note the respect that he has earned with his expertise and social skills’. Another colleague writes, ‘Stewart has provided creative and highly productive leadership for improving the care of patients in this city, province and nation in a variety of roles in medical leadership. A model of calm and rational decision making, he is able to build a consensus.’
A former government MLA states ‘I am still grateful to you Stewart for your steady hand on the Utilization Commission and all of your help as we implemented health reform in the early nineties. We may have been criticized at the time because it was trail blazing in Canada, but today many of the concepts we talked about: evidence-based medicine, primary health care, ‘wellness’ or population health and the broad determinants, integration, etc., are all concepts accepted today and to some extent a part of our health culture.”
And most importantly I am sure to Dr. McMillan, tributes from his patients. Here are some quotes, “We have had other crises over the years which, sadly, come more frequently now as we age. But knowing that you will be there, gives us courage and confidence that whatever life throws at us we’ll be able to manage with you just being there.” Another – “despite Dr. McMillan’s many successes and accomplishments, he continues to be the dignified and approachable physician with the great sense of humour. He makes the patient feel comfortable and has seemingly unlimited patience and time”. Dr. McMillan, together with his wife Cheryl and Assistant Bev, who deserve much credit as well, make the doctor’s office not a place of fear, dread, or discomfort, but a welcoming place of warmth and caring”.
And finally, I think this statement sums up the affection and respect that his patients have for Dr. McMillan – “He has always been there when we needed him”.
Dr. McMillan is an excellent choice for Saskatchewan Family Physician of the Year as his dedication to patients, colleagues, the Regina community and Saskatchewan exemplify the very best qualities of a family physician. Congratulations Dr. McMillan.
The Dr. Michael Krochak Award
This year the SCFP is honouring Dr. Bill Albritton, Dean of Medicine, with the Michael Krochak award for contribution to family medicine in Saskatchewan.
Dr. Albritton was born in Alabama and attended Tulane University in New Orleans and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He obtained his MD in 1970 from the Medical College of Alabama.
He completed a pediatric residency at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA in 1972. He had a variety of appointments in pediatrics, microbiology, and public health over the years, before coming to Saskatchewan as the Dean of Medicine in 2002.
He has contributed significantly to the scientific literature, both in refereed journals and chapters in books. He continues to serve on numerous national committees and was the recipient of the 2001 J. Burt Annin Community Service Award from the Child Welfare League of America for work in enhancing pediatric HIV care in Northwest Florida. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal.
Since arriving in Saskatchewan to serve as the Dean of Medicine, he has made a significant contribution to Saskatchewan through his advocacy for a strong emphasis on Primary Care and Social Accountability within the College of Medicine. He repeatedly has commented on the importance of primary care, generalists and family medicine to the education of future physicians.
His support has allowed the department of academic family medicine to take on a greater role in the undergraduate program as well as expand their residency program to include a full training site in Swift Current.
He has often challenged the thinking of individuals and groups, but throughout has remained committed to the belief that the way forward for Saskatchewan is through a strong cadre of generalist physicians and especially family physicians.
It is for this commitment that we honour him this evening with the Michael Krochak award.
Family Medicine Community Teacher of the Year
The Department of Academic Family Medicine would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Johann Kriegler, our 2011 recipient of the Family Medicine Community Teacher of the Year Award.
It is time again to acknowledge the important contribution that our Community teachers make to teaching family medicine to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
We ask our community faculty to play many roles within the department, as lecturers, small group teachers, clinical preceptors and administrators. Without their significant contribution, the Department would not be able to provide the educational experiences that our essential for the learners in our province.
Each year, the Department of Academic Family Medicine asks practicing physicians, students and residents to consider their family medicine peers and preceptors and the contribution they have made to education. It is from these nominees that our annual award recipient is chosen.
CFPC Award of Excellence
Dr. Anne Doig, Saskatoon – for her leadership and advocacy in medicine culminating in her role as President of the Canadian Medical Association
preceptors and the contribution they have made to education. It is from these nominees that our annual award recipient is chosen.
Dr. Sharon Leibel, Regina – for her commitment to the assessment of children who have been abused and neglected in Southern Saskatchewan.