We are proud to share that Dr. David Sweet, Clinical Associate Professor at the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine, received the 2021 Vancouver Medical Dental and Allied Staff Association (VMDAS) Special Service Award on September 13 for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Sweet’s colleagues describe him as an advocate and a thoughtful colleague: someone who is passionate about striving to ensure that patients receive evidence-based care and that frontline clinicians feel supported.
He has served as the chair of the BC COVID-19 Therapeutics Committee (CTC) at Vancouver General Hospital since the group’s inception. This committee of frontline clinicians and pharmacists, members of the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Ministry of Health, and researchers from all Health Authorities in British Columbia has been providing evidence-based recommendations to the province throughout the pandemic.
“I’m grateful to have received this award, but each member of our team deserves equal recognition for their contributions. They are truly inspirational, and I learned so much working with them.”
— Dr. David Sweet
“The BC COVID-19 Therapeutics Committee is composed of 45 dedicated and brilliant clinicians/scientists,” said Dr. Sweet. “I’m grateful to have received this award, but each member of our team deserves equal recognition for their contributions. They are truly inspirational, and I learned so much working with them,” he continues. “I would specifically like to recognize Department of Emergency Medicine members Dr. Rob Stenstrom, Dr. Adam Thomas, and Dr. David Migneault for their involvement and helping guide BC through this difficult time.”
“I would specifically like to recognize Department of Emergency Medicine members Dr. Rob Stenstrom, Dr. Adam Thomas, and Dr. David Migneault for their involvement and helping guide BC through this difficult time.”
— Dr. David Sweet
Dr. Sweet encouraged broad representation within the committee while achieving consensus on a range of issues amongst this diverse group of healthcare professionals. He strives to create an equitable environment where all viewpoints are acknowledged and members feel free to give input.
In addition to his work on the BC COVID-19 Therapeutics Committee, Dr. Sweet also sits on the COVID-19 Therapies Review and Advisory Working Group (CTRAWG), which formed to address drug supply and allocation during the pandemic. In particular, the group managed the distribution of drugs throughout the province and addressed drug shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic. His advisory work ensured that extra supplies were reallocated to the surging pandemic in Alberta when the pandemic was receding in British Columbia, and it ensured adequate distribution of tocilizumab—an immunosuppressive drug used to treat arthritis—through the province.
Dr. Sweet supports clinicians in clinical trials and acknowledges individuals for their time and effort. He secured funding to pay physicians for their time in meetings in which they discussed the medical evidence and developed COVID-19 guidance. He has taken afterhours and weekend calls to discuss questions on vaccines and others concerns, such as how to manage pregnant patients with severe COVID-19. Dr. Sweet truly embodies collaboration and community.
Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Sweet has shown leadership, humility, and enthusiasm for not only caring for COVID-19 patients as a board-certified physician who provides special care for critically ill patients but also for ensuring that all patients across the province have access to the best practices for managing COVID-19.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. David Sweet on this well-deserved Special Service Award!
Learn more
- Drs. Stenstrom, Sweet, and Tallon Receive $1,140,000 for Sepsis Research
- Groundbreaking Sepsis Study by Dr. Sweet & Dr. Stenstrom Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine
- New DEM Clinical Faculty Promotions (August 2016)
- Congratulations Dave Sweet, Global Sepsis Award 2015
