Vanier Nursing’s Melodie Hicks inducted into Healthcare Hall of Fame for Community Service

Vanier College is pleased to announce that Nursing teacher Melodie Hicks has received the Phil Diamond Award for Community Service and been inducted into the 2014 Canadian Healthcare Hall of Fame for Community Service here in Canada and abroad in Malawi. The Hall of Fame was established in 2002 by Chronicle Companies, which publishes a number of medical journals, to honor healthcare workers and marketers and recognize the leadership provided by individuals who have had extraordinary influence on healthcare.

Melodie was nominated for this honor because as a Nursing teacher she has made a lasting impact on others, served as a source of inspiration and demonstrated extraordinary dedication and commitment to humane principles through her involvement in international aid and the Vanier Malawi Nursing Exchange.

A commemorative plaque bearing the logo of the Canadian Healthcare Hall of Fame inscribed with her name and year of induction was presented to her at a gala luncheon on October 29th, in Mississauga following the annual National Pharmaceutical Congress.

In addition to the honor conferred upon Melodie, the Vanier Malawi Nursing Exchange was also chosen by the Chronicle Companies to be this year's recipient of an annual donation that is made to a charitable organization. The $4,100 donation will cover the airfare of the two students coming from Malawi to Vanier in January 2015.

“This was a spectacular conference,” says Melodie. “I had the opportunity to address a wide audience and talk about Vanier's Malawi Nursing Exchange: what the exchange experience does for our students and how the donated drugs that we transport not only save lives but provide us with the tools to care for the patients. I was encouraged by the positive response I received when I spoke about overcoming adversity, including the challenges of starting a new program and the inaccessibility of medications in a developing country like Malawi.”

See the video on the Vanier Malawi Nursing Exchange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK0WDSwN0ko&index=4&list=UUpHVk-GQSZzP1Nb1YvJVnHQ