3rd Annual Therapy Assistant Association of

Alberta Awards

Categories

• Long-Term Service Award

• Student Award

• Student Mentor Award

• Leadership Award

• Outstanding Practitioner Award

• Outstanding Team Practice Award

Long-Term Service Award

• Must be a member of the Association for at least five consecutive years

• Has been promoting the Association

Long-Term Service Award nominees

Helen Tanton

Long-Term Service Award recipient

• Has been working for Alberta Health Services for 25 years.

• Works as a Rehab Assistant at Daysland Hospital• Considered a valuable team member• Brings a positive presence and is happy & upbeat all

the time• Helps students, teaches them• Demonstrates a positive role model at all times

Helen Tanton

Student Award

• Registered in one of the 4 post-secondary institutions in Alberta

• Must possess outstanding clinical and academic skills

• Inspires fellow students• Demonstrates a passion for learning

Student Award nominees

Kuljeet Sidhu

Elise Packet

Student Award recipient

Elise Packet

• 2nd year OTA/PTA student at Medicine Hat College• Volunteered with Student Ambassador program• Student representative to MHC Therapist Assistant

Advisory Committee• Quiet steady student learner• Assists others with their learning• Strong work ethic: assists with set up & clean up of

lab activities

Student Mentor Award

• Has mentored Therapy Assistant students by providing coaching, support and/or feedback during student’s placement• Encourages others to mentor students• Has made mentoring students a continuing

goal in their professional life

Student Mentor Award nominees

Raeann Sharland

Andrea Dahmer

Student Mentor Award recipient

Raeann Sharland

• Works with Alberta Health Services at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital as a PTA

• Graduated from the 1st PTA class at Medicine Hat College & continually supports the PTA role at AHS & MHC

• Assists MHC as a lab instructor• Takes students on fieldwork placements • Provides guidance & encouragement to students while monitoring

student electronic discussion boards during fieldwork placements• Always ready to lend a helping hand, ear or provide input and as a

result, students gravitate to her

Leadership Award

• Promotes the role of the Therapy Assistant• Promotes the discipline(s) and/or

specialties in which they work• Encourages others to participate in

Professional Development and does so themselves• Is an integral member of their rehabilitation

team

Leadership Award Nominees

Annette WaayenbergBoris Jeftic

Carolyn OnuskoNicole Berlinguette

Rick PetersSheila Free

Leadership Award RecipientBoris Jeftic

• Works as a TA in the Wounds/Medicine area• Constantly supports team members – mentors & gives advice• Is supportive to ALL team members: non-judgmental & a strong advocate

who will support the members to a Clinical Leader if appropriate• Always mentors students & has been student coordinator for many years• Entire team looks to him for advice: Therapists & TAs• Supportive to patients: They love him!• Runs the “behind the scenes” operations because he is organized &

thorough• Attends TA workshops and webinars• Self starter: first to arrive, gets the department up and running

Outstanding Practitioner Award

• Has contributed to the rehabilitation team• Must possess outstanding clinical and

interpersonal skills• Participates in professional development

opportunities• Shares with or teaches other team

members knowledge acquired through practice or education opportunities

Outstanding Practitioner Award nominees

Andrea DahmerClarence IglesiasDanielle Bromley

Haley ZielinskiJennifer Bornstein

Jessica SeutterJoanne EnnsJocelyn Bal

Karma StewartKendra Barthalow

Krista SchellLinda Krankowsky

Lori WolfeMadison Littman

Marian BryanSimon Shapiro

Outstanding Practitioner Award recipient

• Works as SLPA on Neuro Rehab Unit at Dr Vernon Fanning Center in Calgary working with clients with acquired brain injury or who suffered a stroke

• Has demonstrated outstanding clinical skills & knowledge of Neurogenic Communication Disorders

• Incorporates creative individualized therapy ideas for clients: Adapts & modifies activities & is sensitive to client’s cultural background – searches out materials in the client’s primary language

• Facilitates individual and group sessions for Aphasia, Dysarthria & Cognitive Communication

• Acts as key clinician to program applications & troubleshoots client IPad issues• Constantly advances her clinical skills: trained in Supportive Conversation for Adults with

Aphasia (SCA tm). • Possesses exceptional interpersonal skills & builds strong rapport with clients & their

families• Contributes daily to the team & is a passionate mentor: orients new TAs• Her co-workers regard her as a fellow Speech Language Pathologist Clinician first, and a

Therapy Assistant second

Jocelyn Bal

Outstanding Team Practice Award

• Has impacted their organization by demonstrating outstanding clinical and interpersonal skills

• The team members must have made contributions towards increased knowledge, skills and outstanding client service

• The TA team’s success is a result of the nominees working in a collaborative and engaging manner

Outstanding Team Practice Award nominees

Carol Thompson & Kathy Koehler

Krystyna Lang, Dell Yaghi & Amanda Petrie

Donna Hackborn, Lisa Booth, Kezia Mensah & Denise Wigmore

Outstanding Team Practice Award recipients

• TA’s at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital on musculoskeletal physical therapy team

• All extremely well trained & bring a variety of clinical & interpersonal skills

• Constantly seeking out courses & mentorship opportunities• Share their knowledge with TA students that they supervise• Consistently anticipating therapist & patient needs• Function well independently, but strongly collaborative• Adaptable, flexible, & jump right in without hesitation• Compassionate and understanding• Go above and beyond every day; often without recognition!

Krystyna Lang, Dell Yaghi & Amanda Petrie

Congratulations to all our winners and nominees!

We are proud to recognize the outstanding work you do in your respective roles and hope we

can all follow the example set by you.

Thank you for letting your passion shine through!