About the Dr. Rogers Prize
The purpose of the Dr. Rogers Prize is to highlight the important contributions of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to health care. It will reward the pioneers who have made significant contributions in the field, oftentimes in the face of doubt and criticism.
Dr. Rogers was one of these pioneers, establishing what would later become the Centre for Integrated Healing in Vancouver, now known as InspireHealth as a place where people with cancer would find support and sound advice in their quest to try alternative or complementary therapies that might lengthen or improve their lives. At first, Dr. Rogers’ work was ridiculed by some, but much of his groundbreaking approach has now been documented by research as having merit.
You can hardly pick up a newspaper these days without reading about another study showing the positive effects of nutrition and exercise, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, etc., on overall health and well-being. The Vitamin D study recently publicized in newspapers all over North America was convincing enough to prompt health care professionals and governments to revise their recommendations on Vitamin D intake. “A four year clinical trial involving 1,200 women found those taking the vitamin had about a 60-per-cent reduction in cancer incidence, compared with those who didn’t take it, a drop so large – twice the impact on cancer attributed to smoking – it almost looks like a typographical error.” Globe & Mail April 28, 2007.
Candidates for the Prize are those who can demonstrate a commitment to the practice or research of complementary & alternative medicine and:
- Are catalysts in advancing the field of complementary and alternative medicine;
- Have made significant contributions to the field;
- Have demonstrated positive influence among their colleagues and those they serve;
- Have shown vision, leadership and integrity;
- Have a history of collaboration across disciplines and healing philosophies.
The prize is $250,000 Canadian and will be awarded biennially. An independent jury of international experts (in order to allow as many Canadian nominations as possible) will scrutinize nominees and decide upon the winner.
We hope that this prize will attract more people to this field as researchers or practitioners, and encourage them to think the unthinkable, push beyond the boundaries of convention and in so doing, benefit people everywhere.
Many thanks to the Bravewell Collaborative who generously allowed us to adapt many of the aspects of their Bravewell Leadership Award to the Dr. Rogers Prize.