Honorary Membership/Award of Merit

Members of IPAC Canada may be awarded honorary or lifetime membership in recognition of their extraordinary service to the profession of infection prevention and control. Honorary members may vote and hold office in the Association. Awarding of Honorary Membership requires a 75% vote of the Board of Directors. Only one Honorary Membership may be appointed in any year and the Board has the discretion to decline any nominations. See policy 8.62.

If a member does not demonstrate the criteria for Honorary Membership, the Board may acknowledge service through an Award of Merit.

An Award of Merit may be bestowed on any member, organization or group which provides substantial benefit to the Association or the profession of infection prevention and control. Only two Awards of Merit may be bestowed in any year and the Board of Directors has the discretion to decline any nominations. See policy 17.30.

Deadline is September 30th each year.

2024 IPAC Canada Honorary Member - Merlee Steele-Rodway

Merlee Steele-Rodway is a Registered Nurse with over 40 years of experiences that includes Head Nurse- Neonatal Intensive Care, Educator, Infection Prevention & Control (IPAC) Coordinator and Regional Director of IPAC and Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) in the largest health authority in Newfoundland & Labrador. Merlee began working with IPAC in 2003 and even in her retirement from acute care, and now as an IPAC/MDR consultant, she continues to be available to provide consultation, interpretation of standards and education to her colleagues ensuring transfer of experience, knowledge, and continued promotion of safe patient care. She has presented at international, national, and provincial levels.

In 2019, Merlee was the recipient of the 3M Champion of Infection Prevention and Control Award from IPAC Canada. She has been a long-time member of various IPAC Canada Special interest groups and the IPAC Canada Distance Education Advisory Board, as well as Saskatchewan Polytech’s Online MDRT Program Advisory Board.

Merlee continues to be an active volunteer member on various national IPAC and MDR committees, revising audit tools and is the current co-chair of the Canadian Standards Association Z314- Medical device reprocessing in all healthcare settings -Technical Committee. In 2020/21, Merlee revised the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) On-line Community MDR Courses that include endoscopy, dentals, community general and reprocessing of foot care medical devices. Merlee has also co-authored various IPAC Canada Positions Statements related to reprocessing.

A long-time and active member of IPAC Newfoundland Labrador, Merlee continues to strive to improve healthcare at the national, provincial and local level through the sharing of her expertise, mentoring, and enthusiasm.

IPAC Canada Honorary Members

1978 Dr. Hugh Starkey,
Dr. Jock Westwood, Shirley Chewick
1990 Dr. Ken Buchan
1996 Betty Bannerman
1997 Diane (Elder) Thornley
1998 Moira Walker
2000 Pat Williams
2001 Carol Goldman
2003 Mary E. LeBlanc
2006 Clare Barry
2009 Elizabeth Henderson
2010 Dr. Dick Zoutman
2011 Shirley McDonald
2013 Patricia Piaskowski
2016 Marion Yetman
2017 Karen Clinker
2018 Anne Bialachowski
2023 Sandra Callery
2024 Merlee Steele-Rodway

IPAC Canada Award of Merit

1999: Bruce Gamage (BCPIC), Margie Foster (SOPIC), Carol Goldman (TPIC), Adrienne Brown (HANDIC), Pat Piaskowski (Thunder Bay Chapter)

2001: Mary LeBlanc (SAPIC), Carol Whyman (EOPIC), Infection Control I Group (Anne Augustine, Clare Barry, Joanne Braithwaite, Shela Churilla, Pauline Fallis, Carol Goldman, Karen Green, Claudette Johnson, Dr. Marie Louie, Susan MacMillan, Margaret McArthur, Cathy Mindorff, Peggy Perkins, Terri Rybacki-Anisko, Susan Shurtleff, Dr. Andrew Simor, Dr. John Smith, Elizabeth Van Horne, Dr. Mary Vearncombe, Grace Volkening, Simone Wartman, Barbara Wells, Diane White, Pat Williams, Rick Wray).

2004: Shirley McDonald (Webmaster), Moira Walker (IFIC Secretary)

2005: Brenda Dyck, Ilana Warner

2006: Dr. Elizabeth Henderson, Clare Barry, Elizabeth Bryce, Donna Moralejo, Diane Roscoe, Elizabeth Van Horne, Mary Vearncombe

2012: Donna Moralejo, Isabelle Langman, Silvana Perna, Faith Stoll, Marilyn Weinmaster, Nina Williams, Marion Yetman

2017: Shirley McDonald

2021: Heather Candon, Jane Van Toen