We are delighted to share that our UBC Health team, working in partnership with the Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health, has been recognized with the 2025 President’s Staff Award for Collaborative Excellence. 

Bree Beveridge, Teah Bryce, Michelle Hamilton, Carrie Krekoski, Jenny Li, Salina Schmidt, and Courtney Smith coordinate a complex interprofessional curriculum, with Indigenous cultural safety as a core component, across 14 programs and 5 sites throughout the province. 

A milestone for partnership and collective impact

Each year, UBC honours staff whose efforts significantly contribute to the university’s mission and community. Among the various President’s Staff Awards, the Award for Collaborative Excellence celebrates groups of staff who model exceptional teamwork, mutual respect, and shared vision. This year, the Integrated Curriculum Team has been selected for this honour. 

The Integrated Curriculum Team has been recognized for their ability to collaboratively:

• Build strong relationships grounded in reciprocity, respect, and a commitment to reconciliation.
• Navigate logistical, pedagogical, and cultural complexities across 14 health professional programs, multiple faculties, and geographically distributed sites.
• Make a tangible contribution to educating a health workforce better equipped to engage meaningfully with culturally safe team-based practice.

For UBC Health, this award helps shine a light on the behind-the-scenes effort required to build high-quality, integrated educational initiatives that cross traditional silos. It reinforces our commitment to collaborative approaches and further motivates us to innovate in how we work across disciplines, faculties, and communities.

Reflections from the team

When asked about what made this collaboration successful, team members regularly point to:

• Shared ownership and clear communication: Everyone brings their expertise, but the team works to maintain transparency and consensus in decision-making.
• Cultural humility and learning mindset: Because Indigenous health is embedded in this curriculum, the team prioritized respectful engagement, continuous listening, and willingness to adapt based on feedback.
• Flexibility and resilience: Coordinating across faculties, schedules, and modes (in-person, remote) demanded creative problem-solving and perseverance.
• Deep purpose: Team members believe in their mission — preparing health professionals to work in culturally safe, reconciliation-informed ways.

We congratulate everyone on the Integrated Curriculum Team. This achievement is a testament to what passion, respect, and shared vision can accomplish. You can also view a few more photos and highlights in our LinkedIn post here.