The Dr. Jennifer Oates Memorial Award for Advancing the Family and Patient Voice was presented at the annual Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) Graduation Ceremony on the evening of October 16, honouring the late Dr. Oates' dedication to patient-centered care. This annual event celebrates the PQI physicians’ completion of 1 year of cohort QI training.
Dr. Oates, a geriatric psychiatrist from Victoria, and a faculty member of the PQI team, was deeply committed to ensuring that patients and their families were always actively involved in their healthcare decisions. She was responsible for developing our patient engagement strategy and inspired the integration of family and patient perspectives into Quality Improvement work. This annual award was developed in recognition and memory of Dr. Oates’ dedication to the work and the results she achieved.
The award was presented by Dr. Oates' brother, Sean Oates, to the 2024 recipients—Dr. Sara Sandwith and Sara Lindberg.
Dr. Sandwith, a family physician at Wavecrest Medical Clinic in the Comox Valley, and Sara Lindberg, a patient partner were acknowledged for their collaborative work in advancing maternity care experience in the clinic.
View a video featuring Dr. Sara Sandwith and Sara Lindberg describing their work together: PQI Patient Partner Award Video on Vimeo