Congratulations to Fred Nelson, Social Worker with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Canadian Virtual Hospice for receiving the 2010 Award of Excellence from the Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association.
Fred’s commitment, volunteerism, and leadership to hospice palliative care delivery and development are evidenced by his contributions locally, provincially and nationally. Fred is known and respected in palliative care communities across Canada for his beliefs in collaborative practice, interpersonal relationships, and working together in our Canadian ‘community of practice’. He is sought as a speaker, clinical consultant, and committee member. With Fred’s calm wisdom and quick wit he has the unique ability to diffuse stress and change perspectives in challenging situations.
Fred has been a dedicated and unwavering champion for Manitobans living with life-limiting illness and for those caring for them for almost 30 years, beginning as the Social Worker for the St. Boniface General Hospital Palliative Care Program in 1978.
During his career Fred has spear-headed the development of the Death Review process, a quality assurance initiative, the Grief Support Program for Children & Teens, and reviewed the resources and service models for psychosocial care of palliative care programs across Canada to develop a comprehensive and exemplary model for the Winnipeg region.
At a national level, particularly as a founder and Steering Committee member of Social Work Competencies on Palliative Education (SCOPE), Fred is instrumental in carving out and advancing the role of social work in hospice palliative care. As a member of Canadian Partnership Against Cancer - Palliative and End-of-Life Care Advisory Group (CPAC Advisory Group), Fred helps shape the integration of best practices, quality indicators and education for palliative care and cancer care across Canada. As a Canadian Virtual Hospice clinical team member, he is advancing the social work role in virtual inter-disciplinary practice by responding to patients, family members and health care providers questions across Canada.
“Fred life’s work has been the development of inter-professional palliative care and he has worked tirelessly toward this end. Fred brings compassion, enormous respect, presence, humility and human-ness to every encounter. I feel grateful to have Fred as a colleague … and take great comfort in knowing he has influenced the quality and comprehensiveness of care that is available in our city, province and throughout Canada,” Jill Taylor-Brown, Director of Patient/Family Support Services, CancerCare Manitoba.
Fred’s leadership has also been recognized as the recipient of the Quest for Excellence Award for Excellence in Volunteerism in 2001 and Recognition and Appreciation of Outstanding Services as Board President, Hospice & Palliative Care Manitoba in 1999.
His faithful affiliation and work with the provincial and national hospice palliative care associations over the years are testaments to his belief in advancing the voice of hospice palliative care for all.