2020 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE

Sheila MacDonald

Nominated For: HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

Sheila MacDonald’s service in rehabilitation is motivated by one central mission: to ensure the rights and dignity of those with brain injuries, particularly those with cognitive or communication challenges. Sheila is a speech-language pathologist, researcher, and consultant, whose clinical experience with individuals with acquired brain injury spans acute care, through to community, and lifelong adjustment. As a long-time advocate for those with brain injuries, her passion lies in empowering them to have a voice and live life to the fullest. Accordingly her career highlights include teary eyed enjoyment of clients’ wedding speeches, proud smiles with parents at hard fought graduations, laughter and celebration at team meetings, client launches of books, poetry, comedy shows and videos, high fives at Queen’s park lobby days, and passing the Kleenex to policy makers who finally “get it”. Sheila is the author of two standardized tests of higher level cognitive-communication skills, a screening checklist translated into 8 languages, practice standards, and publications on intervention and evidence-based practice. She is an international speaker, educator, and collaborator with clinicians and university faculty in many countries, and holds adjunct affiliations with the University of Toronto, McMaster University, and Western University. She has been a long-time member of the TBI Research and Scientific Writing Committee of the Academy of Neurological Communication Disorders. In her clinical practice in Guelph Ontario, she partners with individuals, their families, and team members to optimize communication competence in social, academic, and workplace settings after acquired brain injury. She feels honoured to have been invited into the lives of so many wonderful people and grateful to be part of an inspiring community.