Dr John Wade was appointed to the Order of Canada as a Member, announced by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, on June 27, 2019. The formal citation reads as follows: “Dr John Wade has been recognized for his contributions to medical education and practice in Canada, notably for his advocacy for patient safety and quality improvement in health care.”

Over a long and industrious career, Dr Wade has been instrumental in numerous medical education and patient safety initiatives and held multiple academic and professional appointments. From 1992 to 1994, he chaired the Health and Public Policy Committee, which developed the CanMEDS proposal for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

The proposal was accepted by the Royal College in 1996, and the CanMEDS model has now been adapted around the world. Dr Wade’s interest in and commitment to patient safety has been present throughout his career. He chaired the Steering Committee for Canadian Patient Safety, which produced the report titled “Building a Safer System. A National Integrated Strategy for Improving Patient Safety in Canadian Healthcare”. The report was presented to the Ministers of Health, and then the First Ministers, who approved the creation of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI). The CPSI was established in 2003, with Dr Wade serving as the founding Board Chair.

He also played a critical role in the establishment of the Manitoba Institute for Patient Safety in 2004. These are just a few examples of the extraordinary effect Dr Wade’s work has had on Canadian healthcare, all while holding other professional appointments including such roles as: Deputy Minister of Health (Manitoba), Dean, Max Rady College of Medicine, and Chair of Anesthesia at the University of Manitoba. He is currently both Professor Emeritus, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine and Dean Emeritus, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, at the University of Manitoba.