New Brunswick physician Dr. Dennis Furlong to Receive CMA's Sir Charles Tupper Award for Political Action

OTTAWA, Aug. 1, 2012 /CNW/ - Dr. Dennis Furlong will be awarded the Canadian Medical Association's (CMA) 2012 Sir Charles Tupper Award for Political Action in recognition of his tireless efforts to educate government, policy-makers and the public on health issues and to advance healthy public policy.

"The leadership of Dr. Furlong in advocating to governments for much-needed improvements to our country's health care system is a model for others to emulate," said CMA president, Dr. John Haggie. "Physicians and the public both have greatly benefited from his unwavering conviction that one of the best ways to improve the health of Canadians is through strong public policy."

"I was warmly and humbly surprised when notified of this distinction by my peers in the CMA," said Dr. Furlong. "Along with my medical confreres in Canada, I have been blessed with a wonderful profession. I have been privileged to care for others who hold the medical profession in highesteem."

Dr. Furlong was a school teacher before returning to school to earn a medical degree from Memorial University in 1976. The following year he opened a rural family practice in Dalhousie, N.B., and soon became involved in medical organizations. He served as president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (1985-1986) and the New Brunswick Medical Society (1988-1989) before being appointed to the Premier's Council on Health Strategy (1990-1993).

Elected to the provincial legislature in 1999, he served two years as minister of health and wellness and community services. He returned to his medical practice in 2003 and two years later was named to the CFB Gagetown herbicide spray investigation. He later was appointed chair of the province's trauma system advisory committee, and served on the Premier's Round Table on Sustainability. In 2011 he became chair of a provincial committee on health services.

He has been a physician member and preceptor for the McGill-Dalhousie medical program, a lecturer for the University of New Brunswick nursing faculty, and a Canadian faculty member for the United Kingdom King's Fund Health Care Leadership Program.

Dr. Furlong is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, recipient of the NBMS Order of Merit, received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from The University of New Brunswick in 2008 and is a CMA Senior Member. An accomplished athlete, he not only has won gold at the Canadian Senior Games, but has also won an NRC grant to research and develop a ground contact monitoring device for Olympic race walking.

The Sir Charles Tupper Award was created to recognize physicians who demonstrate exemplary leadership, commitment and dedication to the cause of advancing the policies, views and goals of the CMA at the federal level. Dr. Furlong will receive the CMA's 2012 Sir Charles Tupper Award for Political Action on Aug. 15, at a ceremony held at the Shorty Brown Arena in Yellowknife as part of the association's 145th annual meeting.

SOURCE: CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Dominique Jolicoeur, Communications Officer
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