Vice-president (Indigenous) Dr. Catherine Cook. // Photo by Thomas Fricke
Dr. Catherine Cook receives national family medicine award
UM Vice-President (Indigenous) honoured at virtual Family Medicine Forum
Congratulations to vice-president (Indigenous) Dr. Catherine Cook [MD/87, MSc/03], who has received a prestigious award from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine.
On Nov. 6, as part of the CFPC’s virtual Family Medicine Forum, Dr. Cook was awarded the Calvin L. Gutkin Family Medicine Ambassador Award, named in honour of UM alumnus Dr. Calvin Gutkin [BSc(Med) and MD/69], who served as executive director and chief executive officer of the CFPC from 1996 to 2012.
The award recognizes a dynamic leader in Canadian family medicine for their vision, innovation, communication skills and relationship-building with national and international organizations and working groups that support and positively influence the ever-changing role of the family physician and family medicine in Canada.
“I am tremendously honoured and humbled to receive this award from the health-care community,” says Dr. Cook. “Indigenous health has been a priority through my career, and I look to a future where all Indigenous peoples have full and equitable access to quality health care. I am grateful for all of my colleagues in family medicine – past and present – and other health professionals who continue to advance this work.”
Born and raised on Matheson Island, Man., Dr. Cook practiced as a family physician in remote northern nursing stations for several years before focusing on public health practice and more recently, on health administration and management.
Through the years, Dr. Cook, who is Métis, has taken a leadership and operational role in the development and implementation of Indigenous health programs and services that focus on addressing the gaps and barriers to equitable access of quality health care for Indigenous peoples in Manitoba.
Dr. Cook has been employed by UM for more than three decades in various roles in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, including as head of Ongomiizwin – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing and vice-dean of Indigenous health, prior to beginning her role as vice-president (Indigenous) in 2020. Read more about her vision for the new role in a recent Q-and-A.
Congratulations on this special award so well deserved for all your hard work dedication sacrifices you made over the years.
Congratulations! Awesome. You’re a role model, creating hope for community & encouraging others to dream & achieve. You make a difference.
What an honour! Congratulations! (I can still proudly say “that’s my cuz”!)
Congratulations Cathy from all of us in Grand Rapids and Misipawistik Cree Nation. We are so proud of you and your accomplishments.
That’s awesome! Congratulations! Such an inspiration for our community!
Congratulations Dr. Cathy Cook. Many Matheson Island kids grew up to become trail blazers in various faculties and professions. I am honoured to know you from childhood. Hiy hiy.