Nova Scotia’s top doctor has received a new award named in his honour.
The Dr. Robert Strang Mayflower Award for Healthcare Professionals recognizes dedication on the frontlines during challenging times.
Premier Tim Houston says Dr. Strang’s unwavering commitment helped to make Nova Scotia among the safest places to live during the pandemic.
“We all looked to Dr. Strang for guidance and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic – and he always showed up for us, even on the most challenging days,” Houston says in a news release. “Dr. Strang’s unwavering commitment to protecting the public’s health made Nova Scotia among the safest places to live during the pandemic. But he was always the first to say he is simply the voice of an entire team. With this new award, we’re able to continue to recognize that same dedication seen every day on the frontlines of healthcare.”
Strang is the award’s first recipient.
I am truly humbled to receive this award,” Strang says. “I accept it on behalf of the many skilled and dedicated professionals who worked just as hard, faced just as many challenges, and showed up each day to protect the health of all Nova Scotians. It has not always been easy, but it has been a pleasure and a privilege – and it’s one I will never forget.
The award also references the mayflower, our province’s official flower, which blooms despite adverse conditions.
All frontline healthcare workers are eligible, including nurses, doctors, paramedics, continuing care assistants, and pharmacists.
Beginning in 2023, the honour will be awarded annually in May to as many as five people.
“Each of the mayflower’s five petals on the award represents the values Dr. Strang demonstrated each day during the pandemic: commitment to protecting public health; the courage of conviction needed to make difficult but necessary decisions; and the ‘three Cs’ he spoke of so often – caring, compassion, and community,” the news release says.
More information will be available later this year when nominations open for the 2023 award.
