Gord Brown and Steve Clark honour Sally
One of the highlights of the Canada Day festivities in Merrickville last week was a ceremony honouring Sally MacInnis. Sally is the 2016 recipient of the Moira Walker Memorial Award for International Service. The Award honours an individual or group that has demonstrated extraordinary efforts to bring about change or improvement related to infection prevention and control in parts of the world that are under developed or under-resourced. The annual award is in honour of Moira Walker RN CIC, a Past President of IPAC CANADA (Infection Prevention and Control Canada), a multidisciplinary, professional organization for those engaged in the prevention and control of infections.
Sally was chosen as the 2016 award recipient because of work she did in providing resources, education and networking through the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board in Cameroon, West Africa. She was acquainted with the Board through time she spent there in 2012, visiting various health care facilities and analysing infection control practices and needs in the region.
The Award was presented to Sally at the IPAC Canada 2016 National Education Conference to be held in Niagara Fall in May, but Canada Day was an opportunity for her community to acknowledge her achievement. Mayor David Nash presented a Certificate fo Appreciation, which read:
“Sally MacInnis, congratulations on winning the 2016 Moira Walker Memorial Award for International Service. Your work in providing the much-needed infection prevention control resources in Education in Cameroon, West Africa, brings Canada to the forefront in this field. Your efforts and achievements as an Infection Control Co-ordinator are truly appreciated. With sincere best wishes, Mayor David Nash.”
Both Steve Clark, MPP and Gord Brown, MP, were on hand to congratulate Sally and present their own scrolls of appreciation. Gord expressed his pleasure and sense of honour at being part of the event, and told Sally: “You are an inspiration to so many people”. Sally, in a very brief reply, simply expressed her happiness at the honour, saying: “I didn’t think I was that deserving of such an award, so all I can say is thank you”.
The gathering of friends and neighbours gave her a warm and happy ovation, part of a happy and celebratory day.
