Toronto - The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation is pleased to present the 10th annual Health Services Research Advancement Award to two outstanding individuals with an unwavering commitment to improving patient safety in Canada:

• Dr. G. Ross Baker, professor in the Department of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto; and

• Dr. Peter Norton, retired practising family physician and professor of family medicine at the University of Calgary.

"Given the challenges faced recently by our health system, it is increasingly important to ensure patients receive safe care," says Maureen OʼNeil, president and CEO of the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. "As champions of quality improvement, Dr. Baker and Dr. Norton have made significant inroads to ensure decisions to improve patient safety are supported by their research."

Together, Dr. Baker and Dr. Norton have helped to establish patient safety as a critical focus for Canadian healthcare organizations. They are the authors of a ground-breaking 2004 research project entitled The Canadian Adverse Events Study: The incidence of adverseevents among hospital patients in Canada, a sentinel study that is frequently cited as a critical focus for Canadian healthcare. Dr. Baker and Dr. Norton are also two of the founders of the Canadian Patient Safety Instituteʼs Safer Healthcare Now! campaign, and both serve on its steering committee and on advisory committees. Beyond Canada, Dr. Baker and Dr. Norton are working to create a research platform to support the patient safety initiatives of the World Health Organization.

As leaders in research knowledge creation and dissemination, Dr. Baker and Dr. Norton continue to advocate for the adoption of academically sound approaches to evaluating the practice of individuals, teams, and organizations engaged in improving patient care.

The award will be presented to both recipients on May 13th at an awards luncheon hosted by the Foundation at the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research 2009 Conference held in Calgary, Alberta.

The Health Services Research Advancement Award is presented by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation to an individual, team or organization that has contributed significantly to the advancement of the health services research community in Canada and evidence-informed decision-making in the health system. Winners of the HSRAA receive a certificate and $10,000 for use in the advancement of health services research in a way designated by the winner. Established in 1997, the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation promotes and funds management and policy research in health services and nursing to increase the quality, relevance, and usefulness of this research for health system policy makers and managers. The Foundation works with health system decision makers to support and enhance their use of research evidence when addressing health management and policy challenges.