Life Membership Designation

To date, three HCPRA members have been presented with Life Membership - Joyce Beaton, Hilary Short and Helen Carkner.

At the 2007 national conference, HCPRA presented its first HCPRA Life Member Award to Joyce Beaton. Joyce is one of the founders of HCPRA and it was wonderful to see how proud she was to be acknowledged for her work in our field. Joyce was delighted to be in attendance with her husband to accept her award -  just down the road from her home in Baysville.

In November 2007, HCPRA presented its second Life Member Award to Hilary Short in Toronto. Hilary recently retired as President of the Ontario Hospital Association, but her roots are firmly planted in the communications world as she first served as OHA’s Director of Communications. HCPRA President Pat Stephens and Judy Brown, Vice President, Membership, presented the award to Hilary at the OHA HealthAchieve Conference with friends and colleagues looking on.

This spring, Helen Carkner of Fraser Health in BC was presented with our third honour at her retirement celebration. The award was presented by Executive member Jas Cheema. Helen noted that she is convinced that health care public relations is the most important and exciting branch of the PR field and was honoured to receive the award.

 

Designation Criteria

Proposed HCPRA Bylaw amendment:

The HCPRA Executive may, from time to time, elect life and honorary members in the Association, persons of distinction who have provided valuable contribution to the Health Care Public Relations Association and has made a significant contribution to health care communications in Canada.

Life Membership

The intent of this designation is to recognize a person who is or has been associated with HCPRA providing substantially to it and has made a significant contribution to health care communications in Canada.

The following rules govern consideration for the Award:

Ÿ The nominee must have at one time served on the HCPRA Executive

Ÿ The nominee must have made a substantial contribution to HCPRA and meet the following criteria:

o Served on HCPRA’s National Executive for four or more years

o Been an outstanding leader in the area of health care public relations/communications

Ÿ The nomination must be submitted by a member of the National Executive or Regional Chapter Executive

Ÿ The person may not nominate himself or herself

Ÿ No elected officer of the Association may be a nominee during an active term of office

Ÿ The National Executive has the right to forego a designation in a given year

Ÿ The selection shall be made by the National Executive of the Health Care Public Relations Association

Procedure for Nominations

The nominator is requested to submit the following information regarding the nominee:

a) personal data

b) education

c) job history including number of years of practice

d) activities in HCPRA

e) activities in other professional associations

f) membership and participation in other community, civic and service organizations

g) other honours, publications, speaking engagements or general participation in activities conducive to the enhancement of the Health Care Public Relations Association or health care communications in Canada

h) a specific statement, not to exceed one typewritten page, as to why the nominator feels the nominee is an outstanding supporter of the Health Care Public Relations Association of health care communications/public relations in Canada.

Submit nominations in confidence to:

National Coordinator

HCPRA

Box 36029, 1106 Wellington Street

Ottawa, ON K1Y 4V3

info@hcpra.org

(Approved at the 2007 Annual General Meeting — May 13, 2007)