Les Prix d’excellence: Teams recognized for their efforts in assisting asylum seekers

Prix d'excellence
From left, Quebec Health Minister Dr. Gaétan Barrette; Marian Shermarke, PRAIDA Coordinator for CIUSSS West-Central Montreal; Caroline Dusablon, Regional Coordinator of Emergency Measure, Civil Security and Emergency Departments for CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal; Julie Ricciardi, Assistant to the President and CEO and Regional Coordinator for the Excellence Awards in CIUSSS West-Central Montreal; Julie Grenier, Assistant Director of Partnerships and Service Delivery Support, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal; Sébastien Blin, Director of Front-Line Services, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal; Florente Démosthène, Executive Counsellor on Partnership and Diversity, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal; Hugo Ouellette, Deputy Director of Technical Services, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal and Lucie Charlebois, Minister for Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health and Healthy Living.

The dramatic upsurge in asylum applications in Quebec—with nearly 25,000 applications processed in the course of 2017 alone—required a highly efficient and coordinated reception program.

Prix logo

Several groups worked cooperatively to tackle the urgent needs of asylum seekers, notably staff from CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, with the expertise of the Regional Program for the Reception and Integration of Asylum Seekers (PRAIDA) and collaboration of CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

“It is an invaluable recognition for all the clinical, administrative and management teams who have worked for the welfare of asylum seekers,” declared Sébastien Blin, Director of Front-Line Services in CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.”

“This challenge was daunting, admittedly,” adds Mr. Blin. “That said, our multidisciplinary teams were motivated, and came together to make this colossal work a reality.”

“We have every reason to be proud of our network and the feat we accomplished.”

Visit the Health Ministry’s website to learn more about the reception operation for asylum seekers.