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The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada Regional Awards 2005

Quebec, Quebec – June 20, 2005 – With SOGC’s Annual Clinical Meeting, we will be celebrating our Regional Award Winners as well as our International Volunteer Awards. As our cohost of this year’s annual meeting, we will be celebrating two well-known AOGQ members who have had a strong influence on the SOGC in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. We will honour Dr. Antonin Rochette, who was treasurer and Council Member of SOGC, and Dr. Cajetan Gauthier, who was a Council Member of the SOGC. These members were instrumental in maintaining a Quebec presence within the society and facilitating the society headquarter’s move to Ottawa.

The regional award winner for Ontario is Dr. Paul McCleary, who has devoted his entire career to the promotion of women’s health by providing much needed gynaecology services to the Center for Addiction and Mental Health. He provided special service to this out patient mental health facility for over 30 years. His services in obstetrics and gynaecology to women who are mentally ill was received at a time when these women are often ostracized from other private clinics. He realized early that it was best to offer care to these women in their own environment and facilitated the creation of a specialized gynaecology clinic onsite. Over three decades he offered unrelenting assistance to this community, including the development of colposcopy services within the clinic. He has been happy to pursue a career outside of the limelight, devoted to patient care, teaching and mentoring.

Another awardee is Dr. G. McCarthy from Manitoba. For the past 32 years he served in obstetrics and gynaecology, and a portion of his practice in the maternity care of First Nation women. To this day he still travels north to their community to provide exemplary obstetric and gynaecological care. He has been instrumental in sensitizing our graduates and students to First Nation needs and cultural sensibilities. He is an excellent teacher with tremendous clinical experience, especially in operative vaginal delivery.

The third regional award nomination is Dr. Sandra De la Ronde from Calgary. Dr. De la Ronde has worked as an obstetrician for the women’s health program of the Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS). This is a place for socially disadvantaged women to access obstetric and gynaecological care. These women include aboriginal women who cannot access family physician services in their rural community outside of Calgary, women from drug dependency programs, sex trade workers and homeless women. Under her guidance and leadership, the existing program of perinatal care has grown to include a Women’s Health Program. She has also been a model for collaborative care, working with a nurse practitioner, a licence Practical nurse and a social worker. They have developed an innovative way of encouraging women to reach for followup care for themselves and their infants.

The SOGC Regional Award Program instituted by council last year is meant to celebrate the successes of our members across Canada. If you have a physician in your community who you feel deserves to receive this award please write to the SOGC with the particulars of the individual and their name will be submitted to the regional committee for evaluation. While attending our annual meeting and during the next year, please make a point to acknowledge our heroes.

About the SOGC

Founded in 1944, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada is comprised of over 2,700 professional members, including gynaecologists, obstetricians, family physicians, nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. A leading authority on reproductive health care, the SOGC produces national guidelines for both public and medical education on important women's health issues. The Society's mission is to promote optimal women's health through leadership, collaboration, education, research and advocacy in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology.

Last Updated April 19, 2007