A standing ovation at the recent Francophone Symposium welcomed Mrs. Maureen Lacroix as the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) announced the renaming of a student bursary in her honour. The « Bourse communautaire francophone » has been renamed the « Bourse francophone Maureen Lacroix » in recognition of Mrs. Lacroix’s dedication to advancing Francophone initiatives in health-care throughout Northern Ontario.

Mrs. Lacroix was presented a plaque in honour of her contributions, from Mrs. Liliane Beauchamp, a fellow member of NOSM’s Francophone Reference Group and Board of Directors. In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Lacroix acknowledged that bursaries, such as the one renamed in her honour, assist medical students as they focus on their studies and develop an understanding of the unique health-care needs of Northerners.

Proceeds from the voluntary registration for the symposium, in the amount of $3,050.00, were allocated to the newly renamed « Bourse francophone Maureen Lacroix » and matching funds from the Ontario Government doubled that figure. Mrs. Lacroix herself donated the $1,000.00 honorarium she received as Honorary President of the 2007 Francophone Symposium to the bursary fund, which was also matched by the Ontario Government.

NOSM Founding Dean, Dr. Roger Strasser, congratulated Maureen Lacroix for her dedication to Francophone initiatives in Northern Ontario. “The renaming of this bursary in Maureen’s name is a fitting tribute to an extraordinary individual who has served the Francophone community of Northern Ontario so well. This bursary will assist Francophone students from northern, rural and remote communities to pursue a medical career closer to home,” he said.

Mrs. Lacroix has dedicated many years of outstanding service to the Francophone community, most notably as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Laurentian Hospital in Sudbury. She has been a member of the NOSM Board of Directors since 2004, a member of the Laurentian University Board of Governors since 1996, and was a key advocate for the creation of NOSM and the Northeastern Ontario Regional Cancer Centre.

Photograph available on request. For information on bursary, research and other giving opportunities, visit www.normed.ca.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its Annual Members meeting and Board of Directors meetings yesterday. These meetings were video-linked between the School’s West Campus at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and its East Campus at Laurentian University in Sudbury, with other Directors participating via teleconference.

At the Annual Members Meeting, which involves one representative each of Laurentian University and Lakehead University, the audited financial statements for the year ending April 30, 2007 were approved, and members of the Board of Directors for 2007 – 2008 were appointed. The following new Directors were inducted: Jackie Dojack, Tracy Buckler, Arie Hoogenboom, and Fabien Hébert.

Several Directors were also re-appointed, including: John Augustine, John Whitfield, Maureen Lacroix, Sheila Hardy, Hermann Falter, Elizabeth Moore, Liliane Beauchamp, Goyce Kakegamic, and Michael O’Neill.

The Directors received reports from Board Committees, including the Finance and Audit, Quality Monitoring, Governance, Board Executive, Advancement, and Nominating Committees. At the recommendation of the Governance Committee, the Board approved a Conflict of Interest Policy.

A decision was made by the Board to approve a Collaboration Agreement between the North East Local Health Integration Network, North West Local Health Integration Network (“LHINs”), and NOSM.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors will be held on December 6 and 7, 2007 in Thunder Bay.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to announce the arrival of Dr. Wayne Bruce to the new post of Associate Dean of Continuing Health Professional Education.

In this new position, Dr. Bruce will be responsible for all aspects of planning, implementing and evaluating Continuing Health Professional Education, including continuing medical education (CME) and continuing professional development (CPD) for physicians, other health professionals, health professional education programs, Interprofessional Education, and Faculty Development training and activities of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. These programs will be designed to complement and expand on the School’s existing undergraduate and postgraduate education programs, consistent with NOSM’s key academic principles.

Dr. Bruce will report to the School’s Vice-Dean, Professional Activities, and be situated at NOSM’s West Campus in Thunder Bay.

Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Founding Dean, is delighted to welcome Dr. Bruce to the School. “Dr. Bruce will play an integral role in the further development of the School’s continuing health professional education activities, which focus on education that highlights the interdisciplinary, geographic, demographic, linguistic and cultural realities of Northern Ontario. The School has a strong commitment to recruiting excellent leaders, and Dr. Bruce’s experience and enthusiasm promise to contribute to the quality and breadth of skills in teaching, research, care, and administration facilitated by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine,” he said.

Before joining NOSM, Dr. Bruce was the Director of Continuing Medical Education and Outreach (CMEO) and a Professor of Pathology at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Prior to this, Dr. Bruce was the Director of Laboratory Education for North Dakota (LEND) at the University of North Dakota.

Dr. Bruce has acted as a consultant to a wide variety of organizations including the Specialty Disease Management Services in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He has a strong history and interest in rural health, a track record in creating and delivering innovate and creative programs, and extensive experience in delivering education through a variety of distance learning methods.

Dr. Bruce is a graduate of both the University of Minnesota and the University of North Dakota. He received his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.