Campbell River emergency room physician Dr Jeffrey Beselt is the recipient of the 2018 Canadian College of Health Leaders’ Celebrating the Human Spirit Award. The award recognizes the meaningful contributions of individuals or teams who provide health services for acts of caring and compassion that go above and beyond the call of duty, inspire others, and have a profound and lasting impact.
The award acknowledges Dr Beselt for his inspirational leadership and commitment to culturally inclusive health care, including his work with local Aboriginal Chiefs and Councils to incorporate a welcoming and culturally safe environment for Indigenous people into the design of two new hospitals opened in Comox Valley and Campbell River in 2017. As Executive Medical Director for North Vancouver Island, Dr Beselt created an Aboriginal Working Group (AWG) that provided input on hospital design and signage and customizing both sites to local First Nations traditions. The AWG approach is being adopted as a standard by the provincial government and will be incorporated into the design process for the new St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.