Dr. Bernard Choi, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, received a Public Health Agency of Canada Policy and Program Merit Award in Ottawa on June 17, 2016, the final day of the 2016 National Public Service Week. Dr. Choi is a member of the Canadian Federal Health Portfolio Team which recently concluded a successful three-year term leading Canada’s engagement on the Executive Committee of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). Comprised of members from the Office of International Affairs for the Federal Health Portfolio, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention, and Canada’s Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States, the team worked collaboratively to advance Canada’s priorities for engagement, as well as to foster a stronger and more strategic relationship with PAHO and American Member States. Key outcomes of this engagement include a strengthened relationship with PAHO, acknowledgement of Canada’s leadership in the Americas and significant progress in the advancement of Canada’s international priorities. In addition, Dr. Choi has been Canada’s Country Representative and the Technical Lead of the PAHO Strategic Plan Advisory Group to undertake revisions to the PAHO 2014-2019 Strategic Plan impact and outcome indicators and the development of a robust scientific programmatic prioritization methodology for PAHO. The new prioritization methodology has been approved by PAHO for use in 2017 to guide collection and analysis of national data from the 35 Member States in the Region of the Americas (North, Central and South Americas and the Caribbean). The results will be used to allocate 2018 PAHO budget Region-wide. The congratulation letter from PAHO says, “Dear Bernard, We are very pleased and honored to have worked side by side with you … The new methodology will contribute to the science of strategic planning and priority setting for health programs in the Region and beyond. We understand you are receiving the award today and would like to extend our congratulations to you and team being recognized.”
Photo: Dr. Choi (sixth from left in the front row) and members of the PAHO Strategic Plan Advisory Group, at the PAHO Headquarters in Washington DC, USA, April 5, 2016