Protti honoured by 100k endowment fund

When health information sciences professor Denis Protti announced he was stepping down as chair and founder of Partners in Productivity, a highly respected forum for professionals in the health care delivery sector, he got more than the standard farewell.

His colleagues from the forum surprised Protti by announcing they had raised over $100,000 to establish the Denis and Pat Protti endowment fund for health information science. After a three-month fundraising blitz, contributions continue to come from organizations and individual participants in the Partners in Productivity forum. The endowment fund is well on its way to reaching its goal of $150,000.
"This is quite unexpected," says a stunned Protti. "It's a very generous gift for UVic. I'm touched and humbled by it."

The endowment honours the leadership of Protti and his wife Pat who were the founding organizers of the healthcare sector forum that began in 1985.
Partners in Productivity was established to bring together industry professionals, government and academics to strategize the long-term future of healthcare delivery. The forum is held every year at Dunsmuir Lodge.

"Denis had a unique vision to engage the whole sector with our school," says Dr. Francis Lau, chair of the school of health information science. "This endowment will position our school to contribute to new ways of thinking about health care delivery in Canada."

Ron Yamada, vice president of MDS Laboratories, and Dr. Michael Guerriere of the Toronto-based health care consultancy Courtyard Group led the fundraising initiative.

Income produced by the endowment will go toward enriching the educational experience of students in health information science. "We're looking at a range opportunities right now," says Protti. Possible programs being considered include scholarships and graduate fellowships and an executive residency within the school.