Patricia Tyson Harvey, M.S.M., Dundas, Ontario
Meritorious Service Medal (civil division)
A retinal specialist and researcher, Dr. Patricia Harvey is a pioneer of the drug Visudyne and has mentored many specialists across the country in its use. In June 2000, she was instrumental in obtaining the Ontario government’s approval of Visudyne therapy, the first medical treatment developed for patients affected by age-related macular degeneration, Canada’s leading cause of blindness. Dr. Harvey also lobbied on behalf of her patients for the need to have the expensive medication funded by the government. Her efforts resulted in the provincial Ministry of Health approving coverage of the therapy in June 2002.