Yorkton’s own Bonnie Rushowick has won an award. She took home the 2017 Deputy Minister’s Award for Excellence for Management Excellence.
The award is one of several given out to acknowledge the work of the staff in the federal government. Nominations for this particular award came from Rushowick’s peers in Health Canada, which she says makes it more meaningful.
“I was just absolutely pleased and honoured to receive this.”
It’s a national award, and Rushowick was one of three to receive it. She was presented the award by her senior manager Alexander Campbell.
Rushowick has been working for the federal government since 2006, and has been a regional director for the past four years in primary care and population health.
“My responsibility is working with a very, very able team of directors and their staff on the program side of delivery. I’m working with First Nations and Inuit health branch of Health Canada.”
Rushowick believes that the award is as much about the entire team as it is about her.
“To me it is a symbol, not so much of me, but of what a great team that I work with.”
That team also received awards for their work in the response to suicides in LaRonge, which included 20 people. A team that responded to an HIV crisis in some of the communities that Rushowick’s department serves also received recognition.
“We were very pleased in terms of Saskatchewan’s part in all of this.”
Rushowick says that nobody goes into the public health field looking for recognition, but they are glad to have their work recognized.
“It’s a moment of acknowledgement, but every day you still go to work and you still do your job, you do your best. If things happen, you work together as a team to figure it out, and if it doesn’t work, you go back and figure it out some more.”
