Certificates of Merit
Certificates of Merit allow the CPS to recognize members who have made exceptional contributions to the health of children and youth at a regional level. They are presented at provincial or regional paediatric society meetings or at other regional events where the recipient will be in attendance.
Current recipient(s): Dr. Michael Hill, Ontario
Dr. Michael Hill is being recognized with a CPS Certificate of Merit for “leading by example” in Ontario and beyond. He expanded access to care for medically complex children by establishing the regional satellite site of the SickKids complex care program at Southlake 3 years ago, and families consistently express gratitude for his thoughtful, knowledgeable and compassionate care. His particular gift lies in applying technology to solve clinical problems and support quality care. Starting in 2020, he built, released—and later greatly expanded—an app that allowed clinicians to plot neonatal bilirubin against normative ranges. He also worked closely with authors on the CPS Fetus and Newborn Committee to develop a web-based app to accompany a new statement on neonatal jaundice.
Dr. Hill is active in all areas of in- and outpatient care at Southlake Health Hospital and the Pediatric Health Experts (PATH) outpatient clinic in Newmarket. He is an adjunct clinical professor in paediatrics at U of T and McMaster, and both the medical education and continuing medical education lead at Southlake.
Current recipient(s): Dr. Cecil Ojah, New Brunswick
Dr. Cecil Ojah is receiving his CPS Certificate of Merit for being a dedicated and skilled care provider and mentor in New Brunswick. His work and advocacy for Social Paediatrics was formative long before this medical movement was widely recognized. He helped pioneer a program where learners visited patients’ homes to hear their stories and identify barriers to care. This initiative, grounded in empathy and a deep understanding of the social determinants of health, continues to shape approaches to care in New Brunswick today. Dr. Ojah worked in neonatology at St. John Regional Hospital and taught at Dalhousie and Memorial Universities where, in the early 2000s, he was one of the first to encourage speakers who proposed new approaches to and models of community care. His leadership style, support of professional development, and encouragement of personal growth has helped foster exceptional paediatric teams in his province.
Nominations
Nominees should be CPS members who have made exceptional contributions at the regional level. Both the nominator and candidate must reside in the same region.
The Membership Subcommittee, in collaboration with the board member(s) for the region, will judge candidates based on their commitment to advocating for children and youth in their community through any of the following:
- Encouraging local or regional legislation that promotes child/youth health;
- Making their community more active, safe, and child- and youth-friendly;
- Working to make communities more accessible for kids with special needs;
- Working to make child/youth health programs more accessible for hard-to-reach communities;
- Being a role model for paediatricians-in-training as well as those in academic or community practice.
Nominations will be held for two consecutive years but must be formally resubmitted following the two year period to be reconsidered. Current voting members of the CPS Board of Directors and Membership Subcommittee members are not eligible. There will be a maximum of one award per region per year.
The regions are:
- British Columbia and Yukon
- Alberta and Northwest Territories
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba and Nunavut
- Ontario
- Quebec
- New Brunswick and PEI
- Nova Scotia
- Newfoundland and Labrador
Submissions
Submissions must include:
- A letter from the nominator outlining how the nominee meets the above criteria.
- A current curriculum vitae for the candidate.
Submit your nominations using the Submit Nomination button.
Past recipients
Dr. Ryan Smith, Ontario
Dr. Louise Auger
Dr. Arati Mokashi, Nova Scotia
- Atlantic Provinces
- 2022 John Leblanc, MD
- 2020 Suryakant Shah, MD
- 2019 Jill Barter, MD
- 2018 Tracey Bridger, MD
- 2017 Minoli Amit, MD
- 2015 Padmavathy Guntamukkala, MD
- 2011 Mammen Cheriyan, MD
- 2010 Jonathan Kronick, MD
- 2009 Scott Halperin, MD
- 2008 Rick Cooper, MD
- 2007 Albert Davis, MD
- 2005 Chaker Hobeika, MD
- Manitoba
- 2019 Elissa Abrams, MD
- 2012 Regina Rempel, MD
- 2011 Aaron Chiu, MD
- 2009 Heather Dean, MD
- 2008 Diane Moddemann, MD
- Ontario
- 2021 Melanie Colpitts, MD
- 2017 Peter Wong, MD
- 2016 Sarah Barker, MD
- 2015 Rosemary Moodie, MD
- 2014 W. James King, MD
- 2013 Michelle Gordon, MD
- 2011 Alan Hudak, MD
- 2010 Elizabeth Ford-Jones, MD
- 2009 Shobha Wahi, MD
- 2008 William Gary Smith, MD
- Quebec
- 2022 Danielle Taddeo, MD
- 2021 François Boucher, MD
- 2020 Sylvie Béliveau, MD
- 2019 Julie St-Pierre, MD
- 2017 Anne-Claude Bernard-Bonnin, MD
- 2016 Nancy Haley, MD
- 2014 Diane Munz, MD
- 2013 Claire Allard-Dansereau
- 2012 Jean Dorval, MD
- 2011 Jean Labbé, MD
- 2010 Emmett Francoeur, MD
- 2009 Pierre Déry, MD
- 2008 Gilles Julien, MD
- 2007 Jean Jacques Turcotte, MD
- 2005 Alice Chan-Yip, MD
- Alberta
- 2020 Charlotte Foulston, MD
- 2019 Janice Heard, MD
- 2019 Carey Molberg, MD
- 2015 Heidemarie Schroter, MD
- 2011 Thiru Govender, MD
- 2010 Albert Akierman, MD
- 2008 Cecilia Baxter, MD
- 2007 Mark Montgomery, MD
- New Brunswick
- 2017 Ramaiyer Krishnaswamy, MD
- 2015 Susan Sanderson, MD
- 2013 Anne and Roderick Canning, MD
- 2012 Jeanne Duncan, MD
- 2011 Stephen Siauw, MD
- 2009 David Yule, MD
- 2008 Mahmoud Loubani, MD
- 2007 Barbara Bulleid, MD
- British Columbia
- 2021 Sylvia Chang, MD
- 2011 Alphonso Solimano, MD
- 2010 Tom Warshawski, MD
- 2009 Christine Loock, MD
- 2008 Basil Boulton, MD
- 2005 Henry Ukpeh, MD
- Saskatchewan
- 2021 Chiranjib Talukdar, MD
- 2017 Ben Tan, MD
- 2015 Garth Bruce, MD
- 2011 Alan Rosenberg, MD
- 2010 Tilak Malhotra, MD
- 2008 William Bingham, MD
Last updated: May 21, 2025