CDA Essentials 2018 • Volume 5 • Issue 5

14 | 2018 | Issue 5 CDA at W ork  Distinguished Service Award The Distinguished Service Award is given to recognize outstanding contributions to the dental profession, the dental community or the oral health of Canadians at large, in a given year or for outstanding service over a number of years. This year’s recipients were Drs. Ross Anderson, Clive Friedman, John Palmer and Bruce Ward . For almost 40 years, Dr. Ross Anderson of Halifax, Nova Scotia, has had a remarkable career in pediatric dentistry. He served as chief of dentistry at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax since 1991, and as an assistant professor and head of pediatric dentistry at Dalhousie University since 1998. He developed the first general practice residency in pediatric dentistry at Dalhousie. Dr. Anderson spent his entire career advocating for the oral health of young children. As a member of CDA’s Access to Care Working Group, he developed the content for the First Visit, First Tooth continuing education course which has been given to over 2,000 health care providers across Canada to date. Dr. Anderson has served as president of the Canadian Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and is currently its executive director. He was the vice-chair of the CDA Committee on Specialist Affairs and a member of the Committee on Community and Institutional Dentistry and its Sub- Committee on Hospital Dentistry. I am honoured and humbled to receive this award when there are so many in our profession that are equally deserving. It is very special to receive a reward for having fun all day and for the privilege of treating the most vulnerable populations and our future generations. It’s been a blast being involved in education both at undergraduate and graduate levels and sharing with colleagues across the country through continuing education. My dad taught me to get involved, step up to the plate and give back and I hope this would make him proud.” Dr. Clive Friedman of London, Ontario, is a pediatric dentist who has devoted his career to improving the lives of children and those with special needs. He has been a member of several committees at CDA: the Committee on Clinical and Scientific Affairs for many years, the Sub-Committee on Hospital Dentistry, and the Committee on Community and Institutional Dentistry. He also served on the CDA-ACFD Special Care in Dentistry Working Group, CDA’s National Seniors Task Force and he chaired the National Task Force on Early Childhood Caries. He also worked with a Health Canada Task Force on family violence issues. Dr. Friedman has also volunteered with many international organizations, such as the International Association for Disability and Oral Health and the Special Olympics. He has also volunteered his services for outreach projects in Honduras and Mexico. Rabindranath Tagore, Nobel laureate in 1913, elegantly said ‘I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.’ To be recognized by the CDA for what has been a joyous process is indeed humbling. I am so fortunate to do what I love and feed my soul, and at the same time to be of service. I am full of gratitude to organized dentistry and to my patients for having had this opportunity.” Dr. John Palmer of Abbotsford, BC, is recognized by his peers as a leader in advocating for the wellness of dentists. For over 18 years, he has provided a confidential counselling service, offered by the British Columbia Dental Association (BCDA) to dentists and their staff. With his unique background as both a seasoned dentist and a Registered Clinical Counsellor he has helped dentists overcome personal and professional concerns ranging from marital, legal, and physical challenges, to depression, burnout, and substance dependence. Dr. Palmer has been there to help dentists to not only survive, but to thrive in personal and professional life. I feel profoundly honoured to be recognized by my colleagues and the CDA with this award. In particular, I want to acknowledge the British Columbia Dental Association’s longstanding commitment to dental wellness and also to thank my wife for her patient encouragement. It has been my privilege to come alongside colleagues and dental staff as they navigate life’s journey, with its inevitable reversals.”