Lieutenant Governor J. Leonce Bernard and the Prince Edward Island Regional Group of the Institute of Public Administration presented the third annual IPAC-PEI Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration to Kay Lewis on December 7, 2004.
The award recognizes outstanding contributions made on a sustained basis rather than as a result of any single exceptional public service deed or long service in the public sector. Kay Lewis is currently the Executive Director of Prince County Hospital.
Premier Pat Binns spoke at the ceremony. “Behind every person who works on the front line is a leader who supports, motivates, empowers and recognizes excellence,” noted Premier Binns. “Over the years, I have been personally touched by Kay’s work. It seems that everything she does, she offers with heart, professionalism and true dedication.”
Keith Dewar, Chief Executive Officer for the Provincial Health Services Authority said, “For more than twenty years, Kay Lewis has shown distinctive leadership in public administration. She has also actively pursued avenues for continuous professional development on both a local and national scale. Her leadership, dedication and passion for quality healthcare are unsurpassed in Prince Edward Island.”
Over recent years, Kay has travelled many times across the country in her capacity as national board member of Canadian Council of Health Service Executives or as a Surveyor for Canadian Council of Health Service Accreditation. Certainly one of her greatest accomplishments is the completion of six years in the role of Chief Planning Officer for the new Prince County Hospital project. Along with Herman McQuaid, Kay co-led a comprehensive and inclusive planning process which involved community input, 28 hospital-user groups, external consultants, government, architectural firms, Island consortiums and the Prince County Hospital Foundation. Today the new Prince County Hospital is a gleaming reminder of the dedication of Kay Lewis and a team of hundreds of other Islanders.
Prior to the planning phase of the new hospital, Kay was Director of Acute Care for Prince County Hospital, Stewart Memorial Hospital, Summerset Manor and Wedgewood Manor with East Prince Health. Among other professional leadership accomplishments, she was Associate Director of Nursing for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Family Life Coordinator for the province and Instructor for the PEI School of Nursing.
The Institute of Public Administration (IPAC) is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to advancing excellence in the public service through learning, networking and celebrating achievement among government, colleges, universities and others interested in public administration.
For more information, contact Juanita Diamond, Chair of the Awards Committee, IPAC, 626-2983.