The 2003 CHPCA Award of Excellence was presented to a most deserving candidate; Mme. Andrée Gauvin, a unique individual with a passion and energy to ensure quality end-of-life care for all citizens.
A pioneer in the field, she has worked tirelessly in the field of hospice palliative care for more that 20 years. She has championed quality end-of-life care eagerly at the local, national, and international level.
Ms. Gauvin’s achievements are many and among them include:
- In 1979 she co-founded the first palliative care unit in the French-speaking world at Montreal’s Hôpital Notre-Dame
- Co-founder of Palli-Ami, an organization that provides significant financial support to the palliative care unit at Hôpital Notre-Dame
- Recipient of the Order of Canada, 1997 and a member of the Knight of the National Order of the Legion of France
- Served on the scientific committees for both provincial and national hospice palliative care conferences ensuring that these conferences meet the training needs of volunteers
Ms. Gauvin’s accomplishments are best described by her nominators who state: “Since the foundation of the palliative care unit at Hôpital Notre-Dame, and throughout its evolvement, she has dedicated herself unfailingly to the heart and raison d’être of the unit: the patients, their needs, and their families’ needs.”