The Showing Thankfulness Appreciation and Respect (STAR) Awards recognize and celebrate our health discipline professionals for their accomplishments and recognize the dedication, skills, empathy and passion they bring to support the needs of clients and families.

This fifth annual awards ceremony drew a packed house in the Coriat Atrium, filled with staff who were on hand to congratulate their colleagues. 

President and CEO Bruce Squires welcomed attendees at his first STAR Awards with introductory remarks, recognizing that the event is “not only about celebrating this year’s STAR Award winners, but each and every one of you who cares for Holland Bloorview clients and families.”

What sets the STAR Awards apart is that the nominations come directly from clinicians’ peers, building on the foundation and spirit of recognizing clinical excellence.

"We’re so proud of all of the clinicians who go above and beyond in their work and put their heart and soul into what they do each day,” says Kristen English, collaborative practice leader and event organizer. “Today is about celebrating all that they do to enable healthy and meaningful futures for our clients and families.”

This year’s recipients are:

Innovation Award: orthotics and prosthetics technician team

The O&P department has long recognized that aesthetic design and personalization of orthotic and prosthetic devices encourage early acceptance and support long-term client satisfaction. To this end, the technical team has developed the first-of-its-kind protocol to personalize designs on a client’s prosthetic devices that reflect their own interests and lifestyle among other factors using sublimation printing.

Team Excellence Award: physiotherapy exoskeleton team

This dedicated team of physiotherapists has worked collaboratively with researchers to integrate Trexo, a robotic gait-training device, into clinical care. Through this collaborative work, clients can access leading-edge rehabilitation while being supported in safe, meaningful and individualized participation in therapy.

Clinical Excellence Award: Rebecca Perlin, speech-language pathologist

Nominated by her peers, Rebecca is recognized as an experienced and highly specialized clinician whose unwavering commitment to client- and family-centred care has made her a trusted leader in her field. Her deep expertise, collaborative approach and strong understanding of family-centred practice make her a valued resource for colleagues across disciplines. Widely respected for her clinical excellence, leadership and contributions to advancing care, Rebecca is recognized as one of Canada’s leading experts in pediatric feeding and swallowing.

Rising Star Clinical Excellence Award: Maddy Arnott, occupational therapist

Maddy’s colleagues describe the occupational therapist as a rising star whose compassion, clinical expertise and client-centred approach are already making a meaningful impact. She is recognized for her ability to create safe spaces where clients feel heard, respected and supported. As one client shared, following a prompt from the sentence starter: “When I see Maddy, I feel…” she quietly whispered, “safe.” Colleagues also commend Maddy for her ability to balance strong clinical knowledge with sound professional judgment in her interactions with clients and families, earning the trust and confidence of those she serves.

Jake’s Award for Amazing Healthcare Providers

Earlier in June, the annual Jake’s Award for Amazing Healthcare Providers, was awarded to behavioural analyst Zachary Smith for his natural ability to always put clients and families at the centre of their care and see the client as a whole person. He was presented with this special award by former client Jacob (Jake) Trossman himself and his mother, Marcy White.

Congratulations to all this year’s nominees and recipients! 

Special thanks to the STAR committee who organized the annual awards ceremony and to Loblaws for providing refreshments.