2017 Award of Excellence

Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann

As CEO of Grandview Children’s Centre, Ms. Sunstrum-Mann has made contributions that will have a lasting and meaningful impact on the Durham Region, on the network of Ontario’s CTCs, and on the lives of kids with special needs and their families. She is well-regarded for building capacity within the Grandview Kids leadership team and also across the province. Under her leadership the Grandview Kids medical team has cut wait times for assessments by more than two-thirds, and increased visits to 250 a day across six sites with a staff of 150 professionals. Always putting the child first, Ms. Sunstrum-Mann has set the stage for collaborative thinking for years to come. She is an unwavering advocate for kids with medical complexity, and is actively involved in local, provincial and national forums. Faced with the challenge of insufficient and inadequate space, Ms. Sunstrum-Mann envisioned and developed a multi-site model to provide service throughout the region, and she has successfully brought partners on side with these plans for a new facility supporting research, care and inclusion for kids with special needs in the Durham Region.

2017 Tribute Award for Leadership

Dr. Ronit Mesterman

Dr. Ronit Mesterman, Medical Director for Developmental Services and Regional Autism Spectrum Disorder Services, McMaster Children’s Hospital

Dr. Mesterman is founding Chair of the Physicians of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Advocacy (PONDA) network, representing clinicians, researchers and leaders across Ontario who work with kids with special needs. Since its founding in 2011, PONDA has become uniquely positioned to contribute to discussions with policy makers, professionals and caregivers, to address the challenges in caring for kids with special needs and their families, seeking to optimize services across the province so kids with special needs live their best lives.