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By Kenneth Cheung

healthcare

Stories of compassion to take centre stage at Battlefords Healthcare Heroes celebration

Feb 19, 2026 | 12:12 PM

A Battlefords family says a local doctor didn’t just treat their father’s cancer – they treated him with humanity.

In a nomination submitted to the Battlefords Healthcare Foundation, the family described a physician who “did not only see the charts, the diagnosis or the timelines, but the person standing in front of them and the family standing in front of them,” offering compassion through five years of illness and into the man’s final days.

They recalled how the doctor greeted them “with kindness, respect and a deep sense of humanity,” remaining a steady presence as grief and uncertainty shaped their lives.

That story is one of more than 100 submissions the foundation has received ahead of its upcoming Healthcare Heroes Celebration, an evening dedicated entirely to gratitude.

Set for March 12 at the Dekker Centre in North Battleford, the annual event will recognize healthcare professionals across the region whose care has left lasting impressions on patients and families.

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Hosted by the Battlefords Healthcare Foundation, the celebration – unlike many of its initiatives – is not a fundraiser but a night focused solely on appreciation and recognition.

“Healthcare Heroes is really about recognizing the compassion that happens in the healthcare system every single day,” said Leanne Ducommun, executive director of the Battlefords Healthcare Foundation.

“And it’s really about a celebration of people who go above and beyond, often quietly, that care for others.”

The foundation received 101 submissions representing 63 nominees, each coming directly from community members who shared personal stories of care and impact.

“These were people who shared stories of impact. And those stories are what make this event so powerful,” Ducommun said.

Many of the nominations highlight moments when healthcare workers offered not only treatment, but reassurance and dignity during some of life’s most difficult times.

“These stories were just shared with the heart and what they had felt and experienced with these people that truly go above and beyond every single day,” she said.

The March 12 event will begin with a reception at 5 p.m., followed by supper at 6 p.m. and an awards presentation. Attendees will hear from Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill, the mayors of Battleford and North Battleford, and representatives from the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

Stories drawn from the nominations will be shared throughout the evening, and all nominees will be recognized for their contributions to patient care and the broader healthcare system.

Ducommun said the celebration is meant to create space for the community to pause and acknowledge the people behind the care.

“This event is about gratitude and everyone is welcome to be a part of that,” she said. “This is our chance to give back and say thank you and recognize those in those moments where things really matter and to be able to appreciate and honor them is truly a special way to do that.”

With limited seating and strong interest from across the region, the foundation expects the evening to sell out. For tickets and more information, visit www.bhcfoundation.ca or contact the BHC Foundation office at 306-446-6652.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com