Back October 13, 2023

Nancy Lefebre has made it her mission to advocate for quality palliative care and now, these efforts have been recognized nationally at the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association Conference.

The Award of Excellence, presented to Lefebre in a special ceremony the afternoon of Oct. 12, was bestowed for her continued commitment to palliative care access, particularly for people experiencing homelessness and structural vulnerability. Lefebre was instrumental in the creation of Journey Home Hospice and has played a significant role in advising and guiding hospices and organizations in various capacities – with her work always helping to advance the quality of hospice palliative care at the local, provincial and national levels, making a lasting impact on the field.

"Nancy Lefebre's tireless commitment to improving access to palliative care, and advocacy for continuity of care have left an indelible mark on the hospice palliative care field in Canada. We are honored to present her with CHPCA's Award of Excellence in recognition of her leadership and unwavering dedication that have enhanced the quality of life of countless individuals facing life-limiting illnesses and enriched the palliative care community across the country," said Laurel Gillespie, CEO, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association.

Senior leadership at SE Health and Saint Elizabeth Foundation were not surprised to hear of Lefebre’s accolade, as she has been integral to steering many company-wide initiatives around thought-leadership, innovation and homecare transformation for older, vulnerable adults.

“Nancy Lefebre is a caring, humble, and kind champion with an extraordinary vision that puts people first,” said John Yip, President, and CEO at SE Health. “We see this every day through Nancy’s incredible leadership as our Chief Operating Officer; as she continues to guide our teams and develop innovative education and palliative care programs, and more, that are strengthening and supporting our communities and bringing hope and happiness nationwide. On behalf of SE Health, I congratulate Nancy on this amazing achievement and commend her unwavering commitment to excellence, quality, and advancing people and family access to end-of-life care across the country.”

Along with her work with Journey Home Hospice and development of various education programs for healthcare workers, Lefebre has guided projects to improve access to palliative care for First Nations communities across Canada, advocated for equitable homecare hospice services, and published dozens of scholarly and professional academic articles.

For more information about the Saint Elizabeth Foundation, please click here.