Purpose
To be awarded annually to an outstanding graduate student enrolled in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluationat the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, who engages and empowers patients through the use of technology to become partners in their own healthcare.
Dr. Kevin J. Leonard was a respected faculty member of IHPME, committed to a more inclusive healthcare system in which patients are active partners in their care. The “Kevin J. Leonard Award” will be given to an outstanding graduate student in IHPME who has furthered the cause of patients as partners in their healthcare and who exemplifies the ideals and principles that Kevin imparted to his own students and colleagues over the course of his career and his personal life.
Diagnosed at the age of 14, Kevin lived with Crohn’s disease for more than 40 years before his death July 15, 2013. There were frequent and extensive interactions with the healthcare system but Kevin worked hard to never let Crohn’s stand in his way of a full and active life. Kevin’s indomitable spirit, along with his innate optimism and mental discipline, played a vital role in the management of his health.
In addition to his teaching and research Kevin was a dedicated patient advocate who founded Patient Destiny in 2005 to promote ‘patients as partners in their healthcare’. He believed the healthcare system could be transformed if patients had electronic access to their own health information, allowing them to be more effective in managing their care in partnership with their health providers. In his own life, Kevin was able to access some of his health information and was an active partner with his care team.
To Kevin, the end of the game is NOT patients accessing information, but rather an informed patient, with all the appropriate information in hand, being empowered and working within the system to obtain the best healthcare services and the best possible outcomes.
Eligibility Note
For all IHPME students.
Nomination
Self-nominate as a candidate.
Submission
A letter of expression from the candidate which demonstrates how their work (a paper or practical experience) meets the conditions identified above. Candidate’s full curriculum vitae.
Please submit nominations here
Winners
Danielle Shin (2024), Karen Young (2023), Paula Voorheis (2022), Brian Lo (2021), Beth Gerritsen (2020), Kayleigh Gordon (2019), Patrick Ware (2018)
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Please consider donating to one of IHPME’s awards. We appreciate our community’s contributions to ensuring excellence in healthcare.