2000 Awards

Award Recipients
1980 - 2000

Nomination Form

Annual Banquet

Outstanding Physician Award and Clinical Research Award
Dr. Gerhard Conradi, Outstanding Physician Award, 1998
Introduction given by Dr. Alf Conradi, Dr. Gerhard Conradi's son and colleague.

Gerhard Conradi was born in Petrograd, Russia on February 13, 1917. He graduated from high school in Riga, Latvia and entered medical school at the University of Latvia - studies that were prolonged and intermittently disrupted by the war. After receiving his medical degree in Jena, Germany, he subsequently spent the next two years as a doctor in the military prior to becoming a Russian prisoner of war in 1943. The next three years were spent as physician in a large POW - convalescent camp. After being released, he spent the following years in Hamburg, Germany as an attending physician and in 1951 obtained his specialty training in Pediatrics.

Emigration to Canada followed in 1952 with the initial touch down spot being Winnipeg for a rotating internship, and in 1953 certification with the Royal College in Pediatrics. In 1943, Gerhard and his family moved to Edmonton (as I recall, Winnipeg was too cold and Vancouver too wet).

Over the ensuring 45 years of his career, Gerry Conradi participated in all aspects of Medicine - a clinician bringing comfort and hope to many a patient and parent, a teacher and mentor to countless medical students and interns, an administrative leader as head as of pediatrics at the Misericordia for 15 years, and throughout the early years of his career a clinical researcher.

Not a week or two go by where I am not reminded of my father's many medical contributions. It may come from a rural physician who I have met while on transport to retrieve a critically ill child, or from a mother whose child my father saved many years ago, or in fact from that child who up until recently may have been bringing her child to see dad. I suspect that even though my father has now retired at age 81, his legacy will continue.

These are the facts, and as impressive as they are, they only comprise one dimension of a three dimensional character. Gerry Conradi the humanitarian is an individual who has always had a strong social conscience, contributing in whatever way he could to the less fortunate, not only in his former homeland of Latvia but as well in the adopted homeland of Canada. As an accomplished pianist, his love of music and his support of the arts has been unwavering. As an introvert, my father has never been one to position himself politically or socially for further gain, but when it came to the support of an ailing friend or acquaintance, my father would be front and Centre, extending a helping hand. The natural non-pretentious warmth of character that my father possesses has over the years served him well - just as the pied piper drew children to him with his music, my father did so with his heart (as well as his hidden cat noise). In this regard I am told that over his 45 years as a pediatrician my father saw in excess of 130,000 children....something that would make for a rather long parade behind piper Conradi.

As a family man, his challenges in some ways perhaps were greatest. With a young wife and five children, the rigours, expectations and demands of family life most often were in direct conflict with those of his medical practice. Over the years, I've heard physicians remark on how frequently they would find my father in one of the four hospitals he was covering, doing rounds after midnight or just sitting by a child's bedside for fear of leaving should the child worsen. His office was packed five days a week, yet remarkably I grew up having clear memories of his presence. Collecting stamps at the dining room table, a memorable fishing trip, Christmases spent listening to dad at the piano - the list goes on and on. As a father my dad had the uncanny ability of just showing up when he was needed most. I suspect that these favourable memories in large part were made possibly by his wife and my mother Karin Conradi, the one individual who afforded him the "luxury" of being able to arrive and leave just in the nick of time. Clearly this was a team effort and after over 50 years of marriage, the effort goes on.

As I now move forward in my career as a Pediatrician, as a father and a member of the community, I have become all too aware of how difficult it is to live a balanced "three dimensional" life. Perhaps more than anything, by presenting the Outstanding Physician Award, the Academy is setting an example for the future generation of Physicians such as myself - an example that shows that given determination, humility, charity and a strong sense of purpose, we too can achieve.

Dr. Eduardo Bruera received the Clinical Research Award. Traditionally this award has been granted for a specific research study. Dr. Theman explained that this year the award was made for Dr. Bruera's outstanding contribution to Palliative Care Research as it was impossible to choose only one of Dr. Bruera's many contributions. In speaking about Dr. Bruera's contributions, Dr. Paul Walker made the following remarks:

(Dr. Bruera) is recognized as being incredibly prolific and my review of his CV reveals that he has published 269 journal articles and 42 book chapters. His research is recognized as innovative and of high quality. Highlights of his accomplishments include the development of the Edmonton Injector, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, the Edmonton Staging system for cancer pain, the use of opioids and oxygen for control of dyspnea, seminar work with megastrol acetate for cancer cachexia/anorexia, the subcutaneous route for administration of narcotics, psychostimulants as adjuvants in cancer patients, further understanding of autonomic failure in advanced cancer, furthering development of hypodermoclysis and proctoclysis as methods of hydration, and methadone for management of cancer pain.

Recent work includes strategies for managing opioid induced neurotoxicity and a method of bringing medical rounds to the community, the so-called "Bus Rounds". These are some of the reasons he is recognized internationally as the premier researcher in Palliative Care. Eduardo, your research has brought the field of terminal care a long way from when you started in 1984. Congratulations on winning the Clinical Research Award.

Dr. Bruera came to Edmonton from Argentina in 1984. He is currently Professor in the Department of Oncology, University of Alberta and Director of the Division of Palliative Care Medicine in that Department. He is the Alberta Cancer Board Chair in Palliative Medicine, Director of the Palliative Care Program at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital and Health Centre and Clinical Director of the Capital Health Regional Palliative Care Program.