Dr. Alex Butskiy and Dr. Ahmad Ashrafi have been recognized for their exemplary work at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
Butskiy and Ashrafi are the inaugural recipients of Surrey Hospitals Foundation's Sherrold Haddad Excellence in Medicine Award.
Butskiy and Ashrafi will each receive $ 40,000 for their clinical research projects. This funding comes from a $1 million donation from the Haddad family.
The award is named after the late Surrey businessman Sherrold Haddad.
“Sherrold Haddad was a remarkable and inspirational leader, larger than life, full of charisma, and generous to a fault,” Harp Dhillon, board chair of the Surrey Hospitals Foundation, said. “Not only was he one of Surrey’s most iconic businessmen, best known for bringing the giant Expo 86 Canadian flag to his Guildford-area automotive dealership, he also dedicated much of his time to philanthropy and served as the chair of the foundation for five years. We are so grateful to the Haddad family for their ongoing support and generous gift.”
Butskiy is a surgical oncologist and reconstructive surgeon at Surrey Memorial Hospital. He specializes in the surgical treatment of cancers in the head and neck. He is focused on establishing a regional surgical program to provide exceptional care for patients with head and neck cancer.
"His research includes investigations into 3D modelling of bone and soft tissue reconstruction for the head and neck, initiating a clinical trial to test a novel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device to improve monitoring of reconstructive surgery patients, and leading a clinical research team to enhance cancer treatment outcomes," reads a release from Surrey Hospital Foundation.
Ashrafi is the regional division head of thoracic surgery at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
"(He) leads the thoracic surgery team in a number of clinical research studies aimed at improving surgical techniques, improving patient outcomes, and overall, a better understanding of various thoracic conditions," reads the release. "His current research work includes studies related to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy, minimally invasive esophagectomy, and a multicentre study capturing the national experience in Canada for the treatment of achalasia using peroral endoscopic myotomy."
The Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s Sherrold Haddad Excellence in Medicine Award will be awarded annually over the next 10 years "to promote excellence among exceptional physicians conducting innovative research that will make significant contributions to improving patient care."
Marina Haddad, wife of the late Sherrold Haddad, said, “Sherrold had always been a generous, gentle soul with a big heart and he had always been such an advocate and supporter of the Surrey Memorial Hospital and the Surrey Hospitals Foundation.”
“I knew he would want his legacy of giving to continue, so we decided to make this gift to the foundation in his name to celebrate excellence in medicine that helps improve patient care in Surrey.”
The Surrey Hospitals Foundation plans to collaborate with the University of British Columbia next year to take "SMH’s clinical research initiatives to the next level."
