CPC(HC) Recipients

Honorary Lifetime Award

Dr. Ivan Silver,
Professor, (Emeritus standing pending),
Department of Psychiatry
Temerty Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto, CPC (HC)

Dr. Ivan Silver is a highly accomplished and respected figure in the field of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in psychiatry. He has held numerous leadership positions, including Vice President of Education at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Vice-Dean of CPD in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Silver has been integral in elevating the importance of CPD in education and faculty development both nationally and internationally.

Throughout his career, Dr. Silver has spearheaded the development and implementation of innovative CPD programs, many of which have received awards for their educational innovation. He has provided faculty development in CPD best practices, founded the Council of Psychiatric Continuing Education (COPCE), and created national awards for CPD in psychiatry. His efforts have created a strong CPD community within psychiatry across Canada.

Dr. Silver’s contributions extend beyond psychiatry. He has served on executive and standards committees for organizations such as the Society of Continuing Medical Education and the Canadian Association for Medical Education. He has also been involved in the launch and planning of national CPD initiatives, such as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Maintenance of Certification program.

In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Silver has been recognized for his contributions to CPD scholarship. He has received multiple awards for his teaching, mentorship, program development, evaluation, and scholarship in CPD. He has published numerous papers and presented at conferences on various CPD topics.

Dr. Silver’s dedication and passion for CPD are evident in his commitment to mentorship and cultivating the next generation of CPD leaders and innovators.

Overall, Dr. Silver’s extensive experience, leadership, and contributions to CPD make him an exceptional candidate for the 2022 Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award.

Honorary Award

Craig M. Campbell, BSc, MD, FRCPC, FSACME, CPC(HC)

Dr. Campbell is a specialist in Internal Medicine, Associate Professor of Medicine and the Director, Curriculum for the MD Program in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa (U of O). 

Dr. Campbell served as Director, Continuing Professional Development at the U of O from 1999 to 2002 prior to transitioning to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in March 2002. Over a period of 18 years, Dr. Campbell served in several senior leadership roles including Executive Director, Office of Professional Affairs; Director, Continuing Professional Development and laterally as Principal Senior Advisor, Competency-based Continuing Professional Development in the Office of Specialty Education.  Dr. Campbell was responsible for the design, implementation and evaluation of the Royal College’s Maintenance of Certification Program and served as the strategic lead for the development of a competency-based CPD model to support physician learning and practice improvement. 

Dr. Campbell co-chaired the Future of Medical Education in Canada, CPD Project steering committee and co-authored the report entitled “Supporting Learning and Continuous Practice Improvement for Physicians in Canada: A New Way Forward”. Dr. Campbell served on the American Board of Medical Specialties Commission to review the ABMS Maintenance of Certification model and standards. 

Dr. Campbell is a founding member of the International Academy for CPD Accreditation, a past president and was appointed as a Fellow of the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) and has served as a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. Dr. Campbell is a peer reviewer for multiple journals including Medical Education and Medical Teacher. 

Dr. Campbell has authored or co-authored over 60 peer reviewed publications including several scoping and systematic reviews. His research interests have focused on developing and implementing tools and strategies to promote self-directed learning, and the use of practice data and feedback to enhance competence and performance of individual physicians, groups or health care teams. 

Honorary Award (Posthumous)

Susan Rock  MEd CMP CPC(HC)

Susan Garnet Rock earned her Master of Education – Education of Health Professionals degree at the University of Toronto, and her Certified Management Professional (CMP) designation from the Canadian College for Leadership & Management. She was the CPD Manager at the College of Family Physicians of Canada and next spent many years in her position as Director, Continuing and Professional Development in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.  She served as the Director of Continuing Education and Collaborative Mentoring Networks at the Ontario College of Family Physicians followed, by her role as Director, Continuing Professional Development. Her most recent position was as the Director of Professional Development at the Canadian Society of Club Managers.

Over the course of Susan’s career, she was passionate and instrumental in advancing CPD for Canadian physicians. Known for her passion, creativity, and innovation, she excelled at relationship building and building teams through her strong vision in medical education. Susan created opportunities to partner CPD allies in setting program standards, CPD program design and delivery, research, and evaluation. Susan was an advocate for continuing education and life-long learning in all forms. She actively encouraged her team members to pursue additional credentials and certifications, helping to shape the careers of those new to the field of CPD.  As one of the founders of the long running “CPD in the City”, which took place prior to the National CPD Accreditation Conference for many years, Susan leveraged her knowledge and passion to bring CPD innovators together and was a pioneer in CPD administrative leadership in Canada.

Susan was a humble, deceptively funny, energetic, and caring person who was also a fervent proponent of continuing education. A lifelong learner herself, Susan was energized by participating in the successes of others. An active mentor, Susan treated every opportunity as a chance to share knowledge, but more importantly as the beginning of a friendship.

Leadership Route Awards

Ms. Jessica Black, MEd, CPC (HC)

Ms. Jessica Black is the CertificationManager for the Department of Continuing Professional Development at the College of Family Physicians of Canada™. She is responsible for the overall management of the CFPC Mainpro+certification system, including related strategy, policy development, implementation, communications, administration, evaluation, and training. Jessica also sits on working groups for the Coalition for Physician Learning and Practice Improvement. Jessica is passionate about designing policies and systems that serve people and improve outcomes.

Jessica values the engagement of all stakeholders in our CPD system and enjoys coaching and mentoring those new to CPDand welcoming new perspectives to the field. In her spare time, she can be found walking her dog, shuttling her kids to activities, and attempting to perfect various pie recipes.

Dr. Chi-Ming Chow, MDCM MSc FRCPCFCCS FASE, CPC (HC)

Dr. Chi-Ming Chow is an attending staff cardiologist at St. Michael’s Hospital. He is a full professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. He has an undergraduate degree in computer science from Brown University, USA. He completed his Doctor of Medicine (1990) at McGill University (Montréal, Québec) and a Masters of Science in Epidemiology at McGill University (1997). He completed his training in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Cardiology at McGill University. He then pursued his clinical and research echocardiography fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University before joining the Division of Cardiology at St. Michael’s Hospital in 2001.

Clinically he specializes in non-invasive cardiac imaging, in particular echocardiography and stress echocardiography. He is the Director of the Echocardiography Laboratory at St. Michael’s Hospital. Currently, he a past president of the Canadian Society of Echo (CSE) and the president of the Chinese Canadian Medical Society (CCMS). He also speaks Cantonese and Mandarin fluently. He currently takes care of many GTA Chinese speaking patients in his practice.

His academic interests include medical informatics and have authored many popular medical education software programs (e.g. CardioMath, ECG Made Simple, iCCS for the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, iASE Guidelines App for the American Society of Echocardiography, CDA Clinical Practice Guidelines, iSVU Guidelines for the Society for Vascular Ultrasound, and Choosing Wisely Canada). These medical software programs are being used by healthcare professionals and students worldwide. His other current areas of research include ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease and investigating new technologies in non-invasive imaging. He also works on using artificial intelligence/machine learning to improve cardiac imaging and patient care.

He had won multiple local and national teaching awards to recognize his teaching and innovation in medical education. Some of his awards include the CSE achievement award in 2017, the CCS Distinguished Teacher Award in 2015, the RuedyAward for Innovation in Medical Education presented by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine and the 2009 William Goldie Prize for Innovation by the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed journals and presented in local, national and international scientific meetings.

He is a media spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation; and the President of the Chinese Canadian Council, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. He participates actively in health promotion and research among ethnic Chinese. To recognize his service to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, he won the Award for Volunteer Excellence in 2007 and the Rick Gallop Award for Pioneering Leadership in 2008.

In 2010, he was awarded the ACCE Best Community Service Award, and in 2012 he was awarded the Chinese Canadian Legend Award by the Asian Business Network Association in recognition of his service to the community.

Languages: English, Cantonese, and Mandarin

Dr. Sam J Daniel MD, FRCSC, CPC (HC)

Dr Daniel is a Professor of Otolaryngology and Pediatric Surgery at McGill University, and the Hallward Research Chair in Pediatric Surgery. His longstanding passion for CPD is evident by his numerous leadership roles. He is the CPD Director of the Federation of Medical specialists of Quebec, and a senior CPD educator for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He has previously held the positions of CPD Chair of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, President of the Quebec Council of CPD for Physicians (CQDPCM), and CPD Chair of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology. He currently sits on the strategic affairs committee of the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and has been a senior CPD advisor on several international, national, and institutional committees.

Dr Daniel is a clinician scientist who heads the McGill Otolaryngology Sciences Laboratory and has over 200 peer-reviewed publications. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology and is a member of The Triological Society. He is the recipient of several awards including theRoyal College Accredited CPD Provider Innovation Award in 2019 and 2013, and Canada’s top 40 under 40.

Heather Dow CAE, CPhT, CPC(HC) 

Heather Dow brings over 25 years of leadership to the management of charitable and not-for-profit organizations.  She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and a professional designation in not-for-profit leadership earned in 2015. She holds the title of Executive Director/CEO for the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (CAPM&R); Canadian Association of Pathologists-Association canadiennes des pathologistes (CAP-ACP); the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Association (CSCI-RA), Canadian Advances in Neuro-Orthopedics for Spasticity Consortium (CANOSC) and the Canadian Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (CSGNA).  She is also the Senior Manager at Events & Management Plus Inc. in Kingston, ON

Driven by her passion for lifelong learning and continuing education, Heather serves as CPD/CME Accreditation Manager for the CAPM&R, CAP-ACP, and CANP.  She manages the certification of Pathologists Assistants in Canada (CCCPA), Electromyography (EMG) Exams and serves as Canada’s pathology representative to the International Liaison for Pathology Presidents (ILPP), and to the International Pathology Council (IPC).   

Heather also specializes in association governance and provides significant organizational and governance support to Hereditary Angioedema Canada (HAEC).  She also volunteers on several national committees including Vice Chair of the CEO Roundtable of Canadian National Medical Organizations, member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (RCPSC) Rapid Response Team – CPD, and the RCPSC National Specialty Summit Committee for the National Accreditation Conference.   

Heather has contributed to several published peer-reviewed journal articles in both physical medicine and rehabilitation and pathology specialties and is the Content Manager of the Canadian Journal of Pathology (CJP). In addition to her primary job functions, she served as the project lead for University of Toronto’s “100 Years Since the Discovery of Insulin” Scientific Symposium. 

Dr. Helena Prior Filipe, MD FRCPC Med, CPC (HC)

Helena Prior Filipe is a Doctor in Medicine by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and an Ophthalmologist by the Instituto Dr. Gama Pinto and the Portuguese Medical Association. She currently practices as a Consultant of Ophthalmology in the Department of Cornea, and Ocular Surface of Hospital Egas Moniz, (West Lisbon Hospitals Center, Portuguese NHS).

After taking her master’s degree in medical education by the Portuguese Catholic University in Lisbon, she became involved in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with a particular interest in the underserved communities and the effective application of Internet based educational resources. As Editor in Chief of the Portuguese Society of Ophthalmology website she was responsible for both the communication and the education components.

Serving the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) as chair of the Committee for CPD has given her the opportunity to work globally and to acknowledge the pivotal role of professional societies in CPD. She co-authored and co-edited the e-Book “ICO Guide for Effective CPD/CME”, especially concerning practitioners in challenging circumstances interested in the foundational concepts of CPD.

Helena presently serves the Ophthalmology Foundation, as Chair for the Simulation Subcommittee and as Chair for the CPD Subcommittee. She serves the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in ARVO Professional Development and Education Committee. She serves the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) as Vice Chair for the Capacity Building Subcommittee of the Scholarship Committee and is column author for CPD in SACME CE News. She is a founding member of the AMEE CPD Committee of which is a past co-Chair, served the ARVO CME Committee, and the GAME Education Committee. She is a core member of Mentors Across Borders, Brigham Education Institute, and is a Directive Board Member of the College of Ophthalmology of the Portuguese Medical Association. She collaborates with the Department of Medical Education of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon and is an investigator of the Research Centre of Egas Moniz. Helena is currently the Vice President of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology, which she has been serving as the coordinator for the CPD program of webinars of Ophthalmology of the Lusophone section since 2014. She is a fellow of SACME and a Fellow of AMEE.

Ciência Vitae E719-ED4E-7DC7orcid.org/0000-0002-1081-7570

Jennifer Gordon MEd, CAE, CPC(HC)

Jennifer’s journey in CPD began in 2007 when she was hired into the CPD Department at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. After completing her MEd, with a focus in adult learning, she knew that CPD was a natural fit. The principles of CPD and adult learning anchor her; they guide her in how she thinks about needs assessment, learning design, development, delivery, and evaluation with a lens to continuous quality improvement.  

Jennifer spent over a decade at the Royal College where she led or contributed to several significant initiatives.  These include the development of the National standard for support of accredited CPD activities, the joint RC/Committee on Accreditation on CME (CACME) provider standards, the launch of the CPD Educators program and the International Academy for CPD Accreditation, and the creation of substantive equivalency agreements between global CPD systems and the Royal College International CPD system implementation in Qatar. 

Since joining the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA), Jennifer has contributed as an educational advisor and led their digital learning strategy. She is currently in the role of Director, Safe Medical Care Learning, and is accountable for leading the team that develops and delivers learning activities to the CMPA’s over 100,000 members.

Milan Gupta MD, FRCPC, FCCS, CPC(HC)

Dr. Milan Gupta is a cardiologist who has run a busy clinical practice in Brampton, Ontario for more than twenty years (www.oslercardiology.com). He is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and received his MD from the University of Toronto, where he then completed residency in internal medicine and fellowship in adult cardiology. Dr. Gupta is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He is actively engaged in clinical research, medical education, and has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He serves on numerous professional advisory boards and guidelines writing committees. 

Dr. Gupta is the medical director of the Canadian Collaborative Research Network, a leading physician organization (www.ccrnmd.com), and a past executive member of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. He is co-founder and past chair of the Greater Toronto Area Community Cardiologists (GTACC) and past board member of CorHealth Ontario. He also chairs the Board of Directors of SANSAR (www.sansar.org), a national charitable organization whose mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in South Asians. Dr. Gupta lectures globally, with a specific interest in developing innovative medical education initiatives. His research interests include ethnicity and heart disease, emerging risk factors in vascular disease, heart failure, and prevention. He is a recipient of the Dr. Harold Segal Award of Merit from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and the Colin Woolf Award for Excellence in Course Coordination from the University of Toronto. In 2020, Dr. Gupta wrote his first novel, The Mariner’s Grandson.

Alan Kaplan MD CCFP(EM), FCFP, CPC(HC)

Dr. Alan Kaplan is a family physician practicing in York Region, Ontario.  He serves as the Medical Director of regional Pulmonary Rehabilitation clinics, as a community-based pain consultant, and as a hospitalist at the Brampton Civic Hospital.  He is a noted CPD educator and recognized leader in respiratory medicine in family medicine.

Dr Kaplan is the Chair of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada (www.fpagc.com) and is a noted educator. He is the past Chair of the Respiratory Medicine community of practice at the College of Family Physicians of Canada.  He is a Senate member of the International Primary Care Respiratory Group and was President of their fifth biennial meeting in Toronto in 2010.  He is an Honorary Professor of Primary Care Respiratory Medicine of the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, Singapore.  He also serves as the Vice President, Respiratory Effectiveness Group.

Dr Kaplan serves as numerous guideline panels, including Canadian Consensus Guidelines for H pylori, Asthma, COPD and Sinusitis.    He is a member of the Health Canada Section on Allergy and Respiratory Therapies and serves on Health Quality Ontario’s Community management standards committees for both COPD and asthma.   He is a Board member of Thrombosis Canada and the international editor for Nature’s Primary Care Respiratory Journal.  Dr Kaplan is the author of 137 peer reviewed articles and over 100 conference abstracts.

Leonora Lalla MDCM CCFP FCFP, CPC (HC)
Director, Continuing Professional Development
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
Mississauga, Ontario (CANADA)

Lennie Lalla has held the position of Director of Continuing Professional Development at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) since November 2021. She was previously the Associate Dean, CPD at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec for 6 years.

Throughout her career, Lennie has served on several CPD-related committees in Canada including acting as Chair of the CFPC’s National Committee on Continuing Professional Development from 2015 to 2021. She was a member and ultimately the Chair of the original Mainpro Standards Working Group, contributing to the work leading up to the launch of Mainpro+®in 2016. From 2019 to 2021, Lennie served as president of the Conseil québeçois de dévelopment professional continu des médecins (CQDPCM), the Quebec CPD council. Finally, she was an active member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s CPD Accreditation Committee from 2018 to 2021. Lennie’s time as Associate Dean, CPD at McGill was a rich experience allowing her to learn from university-based colleagues from across the country and to contribute to the development of practice-responsive CPD programming.

Lennie’s interest and experience in medical education has spanned across the continuum of lifelong learning over the course of her career. She has been a residency supervisor for the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University since 1996. Also at McGill, she served as Undergraduate Family Medicine Program Director from 2010 to 2016. In this role, she was part of a team that renewed the undergraduate medical curriculum, including acting as director of a novel longitudinal family medicine experience for first year medical students.

Lennie is a Family Physician by training and maintains a practice at St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal.

Francesca Luconi MEd, PhD, CPC(HC)

She is an educational psychologist with a background in social anthropology and instructional design. Since 2008, she has served as a full-time Academic Associate and since 2012 as Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Assistant Dean, at the Office for CPD (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences) of McGill University.

Ms. Luconi has a strong interdisciplinary academic background, research skills, practical judgment for customizing CPD programs, as well as the ability to lead various simultaneous research projects effectively. She is recognized for her leadership, effective communication, and partnership with CPD stakeholders at the local, provincial, national, and international levels. She sits on a variety of Canadian provincial and federal CPD committees (e.g., Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, AFMC CPD Deans, AFMC Research Committee, and the Conseil québécois de développement professionnel continu des médecins, and on the Family Medicine Education Research Group (FMER). She was awarded the prestigious Phil R. Manning CPD Research Award (2021-2022) by the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) to inform CPD activity development to fill physicians’ educational needs in the area of mental health and wellness.

Ms. Luconi has long championed the need to consider the patient’s voice on CPD committees. She worked closely with a patient-partner for several years in the development and promotion of the MPN-MDS mini-course, an online educational intervention meant to sensitize healthcare professionals to these rare hematologic conditions.

Ms. Luconi’s publications and areas of interest focus on the development and evaluation of theory-driven CPD interventions, instructional technology, metacognition, patient safety, interprofessional practice/ education and qualitative methodology. She has presented at national and international conferences and published several articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Jerry Maniate, MD, M.Ed, FRCPC, FACP, CCPE, EMBA(C), CPC (HC)

Jerry Maniate is a physician at The Ottawa Hospital, an educator at the University of Ottawa and a researcher at the Bruyere Research Institute (BRI), the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the uOttawa Music and Health Research Institute (MHRI). He is the former Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Education at The Ottawa Hospital. Dr. Maniate has extensive leadership experience in higher education in the health professions and health systems and also with national medical organizations. His work is focused on understanding and addressing inequities in our health systems through collaborative partnerships using a scholarly lens. He is actively engaged and recognized nationally and internationally for furthering the dialogue on these important topics

Nicole Pearce, PMC, CPC (HC)

Nicole Pearce is the Director of Education at Obesity Canada, based in Edmonton, AB, Canada, she possesses a passion for advancing healthcare education. Nicole specializes in creating impactful education and training in the realm of obesity management.

Nicole has taken on prominent leadership roles in various initiatives. Notably, she played a crucial role in supporting the development of the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines published in 2020, in addition to the adaptation of these guidelines in Chile and Ireland in 2022, with Mexico and Greece starting in 2023. Furthermore, Nicole is leading the development of the Canadian Obesity Competency Set, which will provide a comprehensive framework for healthcare professionals working with obesity. 

Nicole has successfully designed and implemented innovative knowledge translation and educational interventions in various formats, for various audiences including healthcare professionals, patients, researchers, students and trainees and policy makers. Nicole emphasizes the importance of integrating the perspectives and experiences of patients with lived experience. Recognizing the invaluable insights they offer, she ensures that their voices are heard and incorporated into research initiatives, educational programs, and policy development. 

Nicole holds certifications in project management and leadership. She has earned an advanced certificate in Leading and Influencing Change in CPD from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Nicole’s commitment to bridging the gap between research and education is evident in her work. By facilitating collaboration between interdisciplinary researchers, healthcare professionals, policy makers, and patients, she creates a dynamic and inclusive environment for knowledge exchange and innovation.

Suzan Schneeweiss MD, FRCPC, MEd, CPC(HC)

Dr Suzan Schneeweiss is a Professor of Paediatrics and serves as the Associate Dean, Continuing Professional Development in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto (U of T). As Associate Dean of CPD, she promotes the academic mission of the largest CPD office in Canada. She is a staff physician and Director of Education for the Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She is a graduate of the U of T, Faculty of Medicine and holds a Master of Health Professional Education degree from the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, U of T.  She has worked with local, provincial, national and international organizations over her career to enhance and support lifelong learning.  As an academic program director and conference chair for a variety of CPD programs and conferences, she has acquired a broad range of experience in the complexities of program development and has been extensively involved in teaching.  She is immersed at the national and international level in CPD faculty development, building capacity for the next generation of CPD leaders.  She serves as Chair of the CPD Committee of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, leading the CPD Deans from across Canada.

Jeff Sisler MD MClSc CCFP FCFP CACE CPC(HC)

Dr. Jeff Sisler serves as the Executive Director, Professional Development and Practice Support at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC). He is responsible for the ways in which the CFPC supports its 40,000 members through the Mainpro+ credit system and the creation of CPD activities and practice tools, guidelines and supports.

Dr. Sisler formerly served as the Vice-Dean of the Office of Continuing Competency and Assessment in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, where he is a Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. He received his Master of Clinical Science in Family Medicine degree from Western University in 2002. He also holds a MD degree and Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of Manitoba. He is a Fellow of the CFPC, who awarded him an Award of Excellence in 2013 for his work in cancer care in Manitoba.   He led the UPCON program, a novel primary care-cancer centre continuing education and liaison program which built connection and capacity for the care of cancer patients in primary care by family physicians and nurse practitioners.

Dr. Ewa Szumacher, MD FRCPC MEd, CPC (HC)

Dr Ewa Szumacheris a radiation oncologist at the Odette Sunnybrook Cancer in Toronto, and Full Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto. She specializes in radiation treatment of patients with breast and Genito-urinary malignancies. Dr Szumacher completed a Masters in Higher Education at OISE/UT with sub-specialization in health –care professions education. Her educational research is focused on: Needs assessments of patients and healthcare providers in radiotherapy practice Enhancing patients and healthcare providers’ decisional preferences for radiotherapy treatment Geriatric Oncology and Continuing Professional Development. She is a Past President of American Association for Cancer Education and Co-Director of Continuing Professional Development within the Department of Radiation Oncology University of Toronto. She received several awards such as Sunnybrook Education Research Award , Pamela Catton Interprofessional Education Award within UTDRO, and Excellence in Interprofessional CPD Award University of Toronto, Department of Radiation Oncology.

Dr Szumacher is a 2020-2021 recipient of the Colin Woolf Award for Long Term Contributions to CPD University of Toronto.

David Wiljer PhD, CPC (HC)

Dr. David Wiljer is the Executive Director of Education, Technology & Innovation at the University Health Network in Toronto ON.  He is also a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. He is a past President and Fellow of the American Association of Cancer Education, and the President-Elect for the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME). 

Dr. Wiljer has led research and development projects that focus on putting data and knowledge into action by utilizing health information technologies and knowledge management approaches to promote lifelong learning and better patient care. Through his work he explores the short and long-term impact of digital technologies on the patient experience, patient engagement, healthcare professional education and development. His current interests are on co-creating digital technologies to promote compassionate care, contributing to a healthier world.

Certificate Route Awards

Susan Wong Armstrong, CPC (HC)

Susan holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Alberta and spent the first half of her marketing career in the world of online education, spending the majority of her time at a competency-based training and learning management system company. She has acquired valuable skills in technical business analysis, competitive intelligence, website development, brand development, and marketing communications. Susan also has extensive knowledge and experience in online marketing, vendor relations/management, public/media relations, and crisis management.

Since joining the Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) more than a decade ago, Susan has held a leadership role advising and redesigning the chapter’s communications and continuing professional development (CPD) programs. Applying her experience from the online learning sector, Susan has led the way in creating innovative applications for CPD delivery, including one of the first online learning platforms delivered by a provincial chapter and a nationally delivered webcast conference in 2016. As Associate Director, Susan oversees the ACFP’s CPD programs and provides strategic guidance on communications, government relations, member engagement, and overall operations.

Katherine Larivière MD MSc CCFP FCFP, CPC (HC)

Dr. Katherine Larivière is a Physician Advisor at the CMPA in Safe Medical Care Learning and a bilingual academic family physician in Ottawa. Her passion for the breadth and depth of medicine led her to pursue a varied family practice, and she was involved with medical education, quality improvement and wellness initiatives. She worked as an academic full-time family physician and residency program site director with the University of Ottawa’s Department of Family Medicine at the OCFP 2013 Family Practice of the Year before joining the CMPA in 2017. At the CMPA, she currently champions learning around communication skills and diagnostic reasoning with the ultimate goal to foster safe medical care across Canada.

Shirley Lee HBSc, MD, CCFP(EM), MHSc, FCFP, COC, CPC (HC)

Dr. Lee is a Special Advisor in the Safe Medical Care Learning department and an academic emergency physician in Ottawa. She has a medical degree from Western University and completed her postgraduate training at the University of Ottawa. In addition, she holds a Masters in Health Sciences (Education) degree from the University of Toronto and is a certified ICF coach.

Dr. Lee has been a medical educator for over 20 years and has held various roles at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine in Toronto. She was the inaugural Director for the SEME fellowship, an award-winning CPD program that aims to improve primary care delivery in rural and smaller communities in Canada.

On a national level, Dr. Lee serves as the Chair for the Coalition for Physician Learning and Practice Improvement. The organization focuses on promoting best-evidence CPD practices in Canada and implementing recommendations from the AFMC Future of Medical Education in Canada (FMEC) Continuing Professional Development Report (2019).

Dr. Lee has received numerous awards for her contributions to medical education and teaching.

Currently, she is primarily focused on curriculum development and education scholarship to support physician practice improvement and safe patient care. She also works on change leadership in healthcare and provides organizational coaching to enhance individual and team performance.

Melissa Lujan, CPC (HC)

Melissa Lujan is the Mainpro+ Manager at the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).  She works with an amazing CPD team at CFPC to assist Family Physicians in reporting their CPD credits and meeting their CPD requirements.  Melissa oversees the Mainpro+ platform and is responsible for communicating program changes, enhancements and deadlines to all Mainpro+ users. 

Melissa has worked in CPD at the CFPC for over 8 years, and prior to that was developing CPD programs for Family Physicians in the clinical areas of Pedorthics and common foot conditions.  She holds a Masters of Science from the University of Calgary, a certificate in Adult Education and Staff Training from Seneca College and most recently, certificate in Copywriting from U of T.  Melissa has been published in the CFP Journal and JOSPT. 

Melissa loves hockey almost as much as she loves CPD!  When she is not working with CFPC members, she is playing hockey, coaching hockey or watching her kids play hockey!

Élisabeth Normand, RN, MBA, CPC (HC)

Elisabeth Normand is a dynamic and accomplished healthcare professional who has spent her career improving patient outcomes through education and quality improvement initiatives. With a background in Critical Care nursing and a Master’s in Business Administration, Elisabeth brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her work at the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA).

Prior to joining the CMPA in 2017, Elisabeth worked in various emergency rooms and intensive care units throughout Ottawa, and also served as a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa Nursing Program. Elisabeth’s extensive experience in both healthcare management and clinical practice has given her a nuanced understanding of the daily challenges faced by healthcare professionals. This understanding has driven her to seek innovative solutions to improve patient safety and quality of care, a commitment that has fueled her outstanding work in the field of healthcare education and quality improvement.

At the CMPA, Elisabeth is responsible for leading-edge education and coaching for physicians and other members of medical teams across Canada. She is passionate about ensuring that healthcare professionals have access to the latest knowledge and skills, and that they are able to provide safe, high-quality care to their patients.

In recognition of her work, Elisabeth was awarded the Royal College Accredited CPD Provider Innovation Award in 2019 by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Her dedication to promoting excellence in healthcare education and quality improvement is a testament to her commitment to advancing the healthcare profession.

Valerie Schulz MD, FRCPC, MPH, CPC(HC) 

Dr. Valerie Schulz graduated from Queen’s School of Medicine, completed a Royal College Fellowship in Anesthesiology at Western University, and a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Alberta. She focused her clinical career on advancing palliative medicine, patient care options and learner education programs. In 2017, Dr. Schulz received the Royal College designation, Founder, Palliative Medicine through participation in the inaugural Palliative Medicine Specialty and Examination Committees. 

Dr. Valerie Schulz is dedicated to medical education scholarship and life-long learning for practicing physicians. As the Associate Dean for Continuing Professional Development at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University in London ON she has recognized the value in guiding physicians to maintain competence in their medical practice and engage in faculty development education to best support medical learners.  She also serves as a CPD Educator for the Royal College.

Sarah Tajani, CPC (HC)

Sarah (she, her) joined the University of British Columbia’s Division of Continuing Professional Development within the Faculty of Medicine in September 2014 with a background in education psychology, adult education and curriculum development. In her role, Sarah manages and consults on a number of topical initiatives across the Division. Using her expertise in CPD and adult learning, collaborative project planning and facilitative leadership, Sarah partners with provincial and national health-care leaders to design practical and impactful learner-centered solutions addressing societal and health care needs.
Sarah is passionate about lifelong learning and strives to facilitate positive change in continuing health professional education through curiosity, empathy and humility. A seeker of synergies and collaborative possibilities, she has a special interest in and advocates for the engagement of patient voices in CPD.