JGH nurse scientist honoured with Governor General’s Gold Medal

Guillaume Fontaine, a Nurse Scientist at the JGH Centre for Nursing Research, has been recognized with one of Canada’s most prestigious academic distinctions.

Mr. Fontaine received the Governor General’s Gold Medal at the August 26 convocation for his Ph.D. at the Université de Montréal. The prize is awarded to students at the graduate level who have achieved the highest academic standing in their degree programs.

“It’s a great honour that I share with my colleagues and professors,” he says.

Mr. Fontaine’s research at the JGH will focus on improving healthcare for various population groups, and he is leading a project to evaluate the impact of bedside digital monitors on the quality of care to patients.

He is also working with a Nursing Research team on developing a digital platform for the remote, home-monitoring of patients with various health conditions.

Mr. Fontaine began his research at the JGH this year after completing his doctoral degree in 2021.

“I chose the Jewish General because it’s an effervescent and dynamic place centred on innovation in health, particularly digital health,” he says.

He also praised an “organizational culture” that values research, collaboration and “new ideas that involve thinking outside the box.”

“It makes it an interesting environment for doing research,” he says.

Mr. Fontaine is a CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Researcher at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and in the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Medicine.

He is also a member of the Ottawa Hospital’s Centre for Implementation Research, and President of the Association des infirmières et infirmiers d’urgence du Québec, which represents the province’s emergency room nurses.