2022 CAMRT-BC Award Recipients
The Member Recognition and Awards Program was established by CAMRT-BC to showcase the talent and professionalism of CAMRT-BC members and students enrolled in accredited medical radiation technology education programs. We are pleased to recognize this year’s award recipients.
Bracco Paragon Award
The CAMRT-BC is pleased to present this award to Chelsea Benedictson, RTR, RTMR
This award is provided by Bracco IMAGING Canada each year to the CAMRT-BC member who achieved the highest score on the certification exam across all disciplines.
Chelsea achieved the highest score among all CAMRT-BC members who wrote a certification exam in 2021.
After completing her medical radiography diploma from BCIT in 2018, she worked between various hospitals across the Lower Mainland, while completing courses in MRI. She completed the MRI program in December 2020, and successfully achieved her CAMRT certification in magnetic resonance in 2021. She now works full time as an MRI Technologist at a private clinic.
The next awards are determined by nomination. Members of the advisory council reviewed the nominations, and we are pleased to present six member recognition awards.
Award of Excellence
The Award of Excellence is presented to individuals who consistently demonstrate excellence in technical proficiency and innovation. While never compromising patient care, the recipients of this award ensure every procedure is carried out to the highest possible standard. These individuals are respected by their coworkers for the care and attention in performing all procedures.
There are two recipients for the Award of Excellence this year.
The CAMRT-BC is pleased to present the Award of Excellence – Radiological Technology to Lisa Van Galder, RTR
Lisa is part of the medical imaging team at 100 Mile District Hospital.
“Lisa deserves this award because she is a hard working, compassionate co-worker, mother, and friend. She has been working alone for a year, while I’ve been away on leave. She cut her vacation short to keep the community supported and keep our emergency room useful for the many patients we see daily. We have been a team of two in a location of where there should be 4+ techs. She is compassionate with patients and even when we’re so busy and patient care is more difficult to execute to a higher standard, she still successfully delivers making each patient feel special and cared for. Patients publicly thank her for her kindness. She is the definition of health CARE”.
The CAMRT-BC is pleased to present the Award of Excellence – Radiation Therapy to David Morris, RTT
David is a Radiation Therapist at BC Cancer – Centre for the North in Prince George. His role is to be a knowledge resource for the pre-treatment side of Radiation Therapy, including trouble-shooting technical and practical issues in CT simulation and dosimetry, as well as overseeing workflow in these two areas and collaborating with other members of the team such as radiation oncologists, booking clerks and physicists.
“David not only meets all the demands of his job but goes above and beyond to make sure the entire clinic is running smoothly. He is the first person to jump in and help when we are behind or short staffed. He is constantly helping to cover so all our staff members can take their breaks and minimize the amount of overtime needed in the department. He works closely with the team to minimize wait times and get patients their treatment in a timely manner. His creative problem-solving is appreciated in both pre-treatment and treatment areas when an unusual setup or treatment plan arises. He is also instrumental in bringing radiation therapy clinical trials to our centre, with his extra role in the Clinical Trials department. His work ethic, problem-solving skills, and willingness to be ‘in the trenches’ with our staff makes him an inspiring leader and benefits our patients tremendously.”
Excellence in Teaching Award
This award is presented to an MRT who demonstrates outstanding contributions in enhancing the teaching and learning experience of students during their educational program. The recipient of this award actively engages students within the academic and/or clinical environment. This individual remains up to date with practice standards and ensures students aspire to reach their full potential.
The CAMRT-BC is pleased to present this award to Catherine Pledger, RTR, RTMR
Cathy is a Radiological Technologist at Island Health. She recently took on the role of Clinical Instructor, where she supports students and oversees preceptors at Royal Jubilee Hospital and Victoria General Hospital in the South Island.
One of her former students shared:
“Near the completion of my final clinical practicum, the department went through some staffing changes, and our group was temporarily left without a clinical instructor. Cathy stepped up as a leader in the department and took on the enormous role of instructing students who were months away from graduating. Countless times she would come to work early and leave very late to ensure that she had spent time equally with each student. She understands when a student may be struggling with a concept and is effectively able to teach them what is required to be successful. I cannot think of a teacher more deserving than her, she is shaping an entire generation of technologists. Without her, I would not be the technologist I am today.
Innovative Leader Award
This award is presented to an MRT who has demonstrated excellence in leadership. The recipient of this award may hold a formal leadership position or may demonstrate leadership within their work/professional environment. This individual has earned the respect of coworkers through their efforts to contribute to the practice of excellence within their department/organization. They exemplify professional leadership by upholding the values of Medical Radiation Technologists. Through their efforts, there is a significant impact on the advancement of excellence in MRT practice.
The CAMRT-BC is pleased to present this award to Aaron Tkachuk, RTR
Aaron is the Clinical Instructor at the University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George. In addition to supporting students, he is as a leader among his peers, continuously supporting others and fostering a culture of excellence.
His co-workers describe him as follows:
“Aaron is a kind, intelligent & hard-working technologist who continuously works towards the betterment of health care. As Clinical Instructor, he guides students into a patient-centered focus of care. He is not only an excellent example & mentor for his students, but also for his peers. We all look to him – especially during these past times of uncertainty – and he is always able to help find a solution to any problem. Even if he doesn’t know the answer, he is always willing to dig a little deeper and find a solution. He continues to boost the morale in our department with his great attitude as well as his supportive demeanor.”
Another nominator said:
“I have not met someone as compassionate, hardworking, or trustworthy as Aaron. It is an honor to work with someone who strives to do his best while at the same time encourages and uplifts everyone else to do the same. He shows leadership every day in the way he carries himself, willing to do the hard work.”
Research Award
This award is presented to an MRT who has made significant contributions in the field of research. This individual is active in the creation of knowledge and collaborative scholarly work in the theory and practice of the radiation sciences. This may be through formal submission of research papers, completion of studies which include a research project or thesis based in MRT practice, or by extending the practice of MRTs through research-based methodology.
The CAMRT-BC is pleased to present this award to Nadine Colpo, RTNM
Nadine is a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at BC Cancer Vancouver. She has been at BC Cancer since 2005, where she has been active in nuclear medicine and PET/CT.
In addition to the formal nomination from her MRT colleagues, we also received a letter of support from her colleagues outside the MRT profession.
Some background about Nadine:
Nadine played an instrumental role in setting up the Bernard Small Animal Imaging Lab at the BC Cancer Research Center 14 years ago and continues to play an integral role. She uses her technologist background to develop user-friendly forms for data. She has meticulous attention to detail which ensures that every research study is conducted with the utmost integrity. She trains Grad students who spend time in the lab, many of whom are unfamiliar with handling and injecting radioactive tracers. She is often collaborating with other team members such as our Physicist, Research Manager, Radiation Safety Officer, and Radiochemists to organize clinical research, especially in Theranostics.
She is well known across the BC Cancer Research Center and has inspired students and technologist to follow a path in research. She shares her passion by giving tours and presentations on many platforms including the recent SNMMI and CAMRT conferences. She is a dedicated nuclear medicine technologist, who is named in over 30 papers, and always willing to help with any research project.
Recently, she was accepted by the BC Cancer Practice Based Research Challenge to pursue her research study, Supplemental Email Instructions for FDG PET/CT Scans: Investigating the Impact on Preparation Compliance Rates. As part of this study, she completed several hours of courses, including how to submit a research ethics board application as a principal investigator. Despite her busy schedule, she also finds time to volunteer with the CAMRT on the Research Grant Committee, and she never tires of learning something new in her field!
Young Professional Award
This award is presented to an MRT who has been practicing for five years or less, and yet has made a significant contribution to the profession at the beginning of their career. This individual acts as a role model of professionalism and volunteerism. This individual demonstrates an early and ongoing interest in the endeavors of Medical Radiation Technologists.
The CAMRT-BC is pleased to present this award to Paige Purcha, RTR
Paige is a Radiological Technologist at BC Children’s Hospital and MedRay Imaging. Outside of her hospital work, she is heavily involved in volunteer efforts. As a student at BCIT, she became involved with the CAMRT-BC, and took on the role of Site Ambassador Coordinator – a new role that was created to help engage others in association activities. Since then, she has taken on many more volunteer positions nationally and provincially. Her nominations provide insight into her success in achieving this award:
“Paige has proven without a doubt to be a dedicated CAMRT volunteer. In 2019, when she was still a student, she spoke and volunteered at the CAMRT Radiological Roadshow. It was inspiring to see a student technologist take both the interest and the initiative to stand up and speak in front of her peers.”
“At the 2022 CAMRT national conference not only was Paige the Chair of the Scientific Committee for Radiological Technology, but she was also a panelist speaking on mental health and the MRT profession. I was fortunate to watch her in action and I was extremely impressed with her willingness to share her own story to help bring awareness to such an important topic in our profession. She continues to pursue further education in and is always open and willing to share her knowledge to educate others.”
“Paige is always kind to anyone she encounters and gives patients the time to express their needs. Every shift, she keeps improving her efficiency, her positioning, and her knowledge. If there’s an x-ray order she has not done in a while, you can bet she’s taking that case. Her hunger for knowledge, the bravery to continuously challenge herself, and her tireless effort to always do her best is truly remarkable and inspirational. Just a short two years into her MRT career she has had such a positive impact on our profession and continues to be a respected leader among her peers. She perfectly exemplifies what the young professional award stands for.”
Congratulations Chelsea, Lisa, David, Catherine, Aaron, Nadine, and Paige on winning these awards!
For information about CAMRT-BC’s Member Recognition and Awards Program visit this page.
To find a list of past award recipients, visit this page.