Congratulations to the 2022 COA Award Recipients | |
The COA’s annual Service Awards recognize members of the orthopaedic community and their contributions to the specialty, and to the mission and members of the COA. Please join us in congratulating the 2022 award recipients and acknowledging their commitment and dedication to the advancement of orthopaedic care both locally and globally. | |
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President’s Award for Excellence
The highest honour bestowed by the COA
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Dr. Sukhdeep Dulai, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB | |
Cynthia Vezina, CEO, Canadian Orthopaedic Association, Montreal, QC | |
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Cynthia is well-known to COA members as a long-time head office staff member who has been involved in nearly every aspect of the Association throughout her tenure.
Having first joined the COA head office in 1999 as an administrative coordinator, her performance excellence and ability to bring innovation to the association earned her increasingly senior positions resulting in her being selected as CEO in 2020.
Cynthia’s focus on delivering value to our members continues to accelerate in her CEO role where she has tackled strategic issues critical to the COA’s growth, sustainability and relevance throughout one of the most challenging times for our association.
Her strong commitment to service and to our members continues to be valued by the entire orthopaedic community.
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Lifetime Achievement Award | |
Dr. James P. Waddell, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON | |
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Dr. Waddell’s ongoing contributions as a surgeon, expert, researcher, educator and leader have greatly influenced and impacted Canadian and global orthopaedics throughout his career.
He has occupied a number of leadership positions at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto, including Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director of the trauma program, as well as Professor & Chairman, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Waddell has served in numerous positions within COA and COF governance, including the role of President at both respective organizations. His continued commitment to reducing wait lists and improving access to orthopaedic care is evidenced by his ongoing provincial and federal advocacy, lobbying and government relations.
Dr. Waddell has directly influenced and improved the direction and development of orthopaedics in Canada, he remains a global ambassador in various national and international associations and an inspiration to generations of orthopaedic leaders worldwide.
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Dr. Ted Tufescu, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB | |
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Dr. Tufescu first joined the COA in 2005 as a senior resident member during his orthopaedic training at the University of Saskatoon.
Throughout his career, he participated and presented research regularly at COA Annual Meetings and maintained several leadership roles in the Association’s governance structure. In 2013 he was Program Co-Chair for the Annual Meeting held in Winnipeg, and from 2019-2021 he was Chair of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Committee where he led initiatives to improve and expand the quality and diversity of the COA’s educational programs and offerings.
Dr. Tufescu has been a member of the Board of Directors in various capacities since 2018 and is currently Treasurer and member of the Executive Committee, as well as member of the CPD’s Accreditation Sub-committee.
His ongoing commitment, engagement and leadership within the COA have directly contributed to quality improvements across a number of programs, projects, strategies and policies.
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Dr. John Grant, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI | |
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Dr. Grant first joined the COA as a junior resident member when he started his orthopaedic training at the University of Calgary in 2005.
Throughout nearly 2 decades of membership that included a relocation of his orthopaedic practice to the United States, he remained actively involved in the COA through continued participation and presentations at Annual Meetings, participating as a NATF travelling fellow in 2013, and maintaining both member and chair positions in COA governance and leadership.
From 2016 to 2021, Dr. Grant served as Chair of the COA’s Membership Committee and member of the Board of Directors where he led recruitment and retention initiatives that increased the value of the Association to all members, including those who practice and reside outside of Canada.
Dr. Grant is currently a member of the Exchange Fellowships Committee and is Membership Chair on the Executive Committee of the Arthroscopy Association of Canada (AAC).
His dedication to the COA is a testament to the benefit of sustaining active involvement and engagement no matter where your practice is located.
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Dr. Supriya Singh, Western University, London, ON | |
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Dr. Singh is an Assistant Professor at Western University subspecializing in orthopaedic spine surgery.
Throughout her career, she has participated in orthopaedic outreach missions in underdeveloped countries around the world through various health care organizations including Team Broken Earth.
Her experience in global outreach earned her a seat on the COA’s Global Surgery Committee (COAGS) as a resident member in 2017, where her extraordinary leadership skills led her to the position of COAGS Chair in 2021.
She has received multiple awards for academic achievement, global humanitarian work and leadership skills from national organizations and universities, and is currently a champion of the Women in Orthopaedic Surgery program at Western University.
In her first years of academic practice, Dr. Singh has already proven extraordinary leadership within Canadian and global orthopaedics.
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Dr. Jarret Woodmass, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB | |
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Dr. Woodmass is an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba subspecializing in sport medicine, arthroscopy and reconstructive shoulder surgery at the Pan Am Clinic in Winnipeg.
He is currently the Vice President of the Arthroscopy Association of Canada (AAC) and Sport Medicine & Upper Extremity Fellowship Director at Pan Am Clinic, University of Manitoba. He previously served as Education Chair on the AAC Executive and sport medicine representative and education lead on the COA’s CPD Committee.
In his first years of academic practice, Dr. Woodmass has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and contributions to orthopaedic research and training.
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Doug Thomson Best Exhibit Booth Awards | |
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Congratulations are extended to CURE International and ConMed for being awarded the 2022 Doug Thomson Best Exhibit Booth Awards.
Award recipients are selected by the COA’s presidential line and Executive Committee based on the booth’s overall appeal and design, interactive attendee experience, and proactivity and positivity of exhibiting representatives.
Launched this year, this initiative was named after former COA CEO, Doug Thomson in honour of his many decades of leadership within the COA and the orthopaedic device industry.
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Allison Tolgyesi, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON | |
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The CORS Founders Medal was first introduced in 1982 and is awarded to the author of the best paper presented at the CORS Annual Meeting.
This year’s winner was selected from the Top Canadian Research Session held during the recent Annual Meeting.
The 2022 Founders’ Medal was awarded to Allison Tolgyesi and her team from the University of Toronto for her presentation and research on “Treatment Effects on Microdamage Accumulation and Load to Failure in Osteolytic Rat Vertebrae.”
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