A medicinal purpose
Dr. Wassim Salamoun recognized with prestigious peer award
Dr. Wassim Salamoun sat in the chair with a slight smile as his colleague praised and congratulated him for his accomplishments.
“I am reminded of quote by Edward Kennedy speaking of his brother Robert Kennedy, but I’ll paraphrase so it applies to Wassim. Some of us see things as they are and ask ‘Why’? Wassim has an ability to see things as they should be and asks ‘Why Not?’,” said Dr. Paul Kelly, who read the citation for Salamoun, who was presented the Dr. Tom Moore Award at Prince County Hospital.
“Wassim’s practice in Summerside has been notable for many reasons. He is easy to approach as a colleague and caregiver. He is a team player, generous with his time and does not hesitate to advocate on behalf of his patients. He is a skilled surgeon who has a calm demeanour in time-sensitive situations and has performed complicated procedures at PCH when local treatment was best for a patient and family,” said Kelly.
The Dr. Tom Moore Award is presented annually to a Prince County Hospital employee or physician who has given outstanding service. Nominations are submitted and then a selection committee chooses a recipient.
The award recognizes those who display dedication and achievement in their area of work. It is intended to honour someone who contributes positively to the workplace and demonstrates a high level of skill in their chosen area.
Salamoun is the 26th recipient.
He was born and educated in Lebanon, attending a Jesuit school in his early education. He studied medicine in Bordeaux, France, and met his wife, Marie, while studying there.
Later, he interned in Moncton, completed his ear, nose and throat residency in Halifax and moved his young family to Pittsburgh, Pa., to complete a fellowship in head and neck surgery. He began working at PCH in 1989, and has been active in medical staff committees such as ethics, surgical services, patient flow, and the local and provincial medical advisory councils.
For 15 years Salamoun worked part-time in hospital administration in tandem with his clinical practice. This year, he stepped away from clinical practice to take on a fulltime role of director of medicine at PCH.
To be recognized by his peers is something special, said Salamoun.
“I am truly honoured and humbled being this year’s recipient of the Tom Moore Award… Having PCH as my work home base has never been a chore, rather a pleasure. You have always made it an easy and congenial place to be.
“As physicians we occupy a very privileged position. A good physician-patient relationship is deeply rooted in trust, without which this relationship cannot be whole. I feel that establishing good communication and cultivating mutual trust allowed me to enjoy the quality of professional life that I have had. Ultimately it is the patient experience that defines our success.”