Dr. Angela Enright, B.C.'s very own anesthesiologist is the recipient of this year's Royal College Teasdale-Corti Humanitarian Award. The prestigious Royal College Teasdale-Corti Humanitarian Award has a wonderful history, and you can find out more about the ambitious humanitarian couple the award is named after in our article here.

"Arguably the most outstanding living figure in the pantheon of Canadian anesthesiologists who have made an impact on global health," says Douglas DuVal, MD, FRCPC, past president of the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS).

Dr. Enright's incredible achievements for the advancement of medical education worldwide include providing training and education programs for anesthesiologists and non-physician providers around the world through the CAS's International Education Foundation. Initially starting in Nepal, the program expanded to concentrated efforts in Rwanda, Guyana, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso that continue today. 

Dr. Enright did not stop after the success of the international anesthesia training programs. She knew there was more work to be done, so in 2008, Dr. Enright and a group of medical surgeons and anesthesiologists collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) to implement the Surgical Safety Checklist. By establishing a checklist, communication between the whole surgical team had the opportunity to increase tenfold, and the checklist showed a marked reduction in mortality and morbidity in both high-income and low-income countries.

Although the surgical safety checklist proved to be a successful tool, Dr. Enright and her team saw that something else could be done to complement this new routine and it would change the lives of millions in low-income countries. A low cost pulse oximeter. 

And from there the LifeBox Foundation was born in order to help fund this project. Tireless development and funding efforts have led to over 20,000 oximeters being delivered and utilized successfully in over 100 countries around the world. Lifebox is committed to making surgery and anaesthesia safer on a global scale, and continues to impact the world with the incredible work they do.

Physicians for You is incredibly proud of the achievements of Dr. Enright and we commend her efforts and the efforts of those she works with to continue to make anesthesia accessible and safe in low-income nations, and to develop training methods with sustainable solutions. The medical community acknowledges and thanks you!

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