The “Dermatologist from the Heart” initiative launched by La Roche-Posay will return to Canada for a fourth year, awarding a $10,000 CDN grant to the most compassionate project spearheaded by dermatologists seeking to enhance their patients’ quality of life.
Last year, Drs. Sheila Au, Christina Han, Sunil Kalia, and Gabriele Weichert (l-r in photot) from British Columbia were awarded a $10,000 grant for their plan to create and implement a travelling “Pop-Up Spot” program whose mandate is to provide skin cancer education to remote solid-organ transplant clinics in the province of British Columbia.
“This is very exciting news. In 2013, the Dermatologist from the Heart Award enabled us to provide skin cancer education to our local transplant clinics in Vancouver. This program was met with tremendous enthusiasm. With the 2015 award, we will be able to expand this program to key centres throughout our province. We are excited to liaise with our transplant colleagues in BC to achieve a common goal: reducing the burden of skin cancer in post-transplant patients. We are honoured and grateful for the opportunity.” said Dr. Au, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Dermatology and skin Sciences at The University of British Columbia.
“With our fourth annual Dermatologist from the Heart program, we’re looking for more generous-spirited Canadians' initiatives like the one submitted by Dr. Au” said Josée Bordeleau, medical relations manager, La Roche-Posay. “We’re confident this year’s applicants will continue our goal of making the invaluable skills, knowledge, and expertise of dermatologists available to the broader public.”
To be eligible for this year’s competition, entrants must submit a grant proposal to La Fondation La Roche-Posay, under the aegis of Fondation de France, outlining their existing or future community-minded project. The application can be submitted by a single dermatologist or a group, and the initiative must be patient-centered, run at the national level, and fall under one of the following five categories:
Information and prevention—these may include information workshops, disease-prevention advice, school initiatives and screening campaigns
Health professional training—these may include nurses, dermatologists, other doctors or professionals
Advice and support—such as psychological support for patients and those around them, helping patients to accept their illness, lifestyle advice, and improving self-esteem
Improving social integration—including make-up workshops, behavioural therapies, activities for children with skin diseases, and group support sessions
Improving access to healthcare—such as free screening, free consultation, physicians visits, and consultations in remote areas
Judged on originality, creativity, impact on patients’ quality of life, method and feasibility, each submission will be assessed by a five-member, all-Canadian judging panel of dermatologists, including: Dr. Kirk Barber (Calgary), Dr. Vince Bertucci (Ontario), Dr. Marc Bourcier (Moncton), Dr. Chi-ho Hong (Surrey), and Dr. Catherine McCuaig (Quebec).
All dermatologists practicing in Canada are eligible to apply. Interested applicants must submit their succinct one-page grant proposal by 5:00pm EST on June 17, 2016 to:
La Roche-Posay Laboratoire Dermatologique
Email: dermfromtheheart@gmail.com