The Dr. Rogers Prize Ushers in a New Era

On behalf of the Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation, we are excited to announce our name change from Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in Complementary & Alternative Medicine to Dr. Rogers Prize for Advancing Health, Medicine & Healing and an increase of the award amount to $300,000.

As has been the case with other like-minded organizations, our original name no longer reflected the dynamic changes occurring within the field of healthcare. By emphasizing the importance of “advancing health, medicine, and healing” we embrace a wider range of approaches within the spectrum of fields that support human health and treat disease. This name change continues to honour our founders’ wishes to promote and support alternate methods of healing and treatment; and celebrates the important legacy of Dr. Roger Rogers, a Vancouver physician who put disease prevention, innovation, and the individual’s freedom of choice ahead of medical establishment orthodoxy in patient care.

We could not make this change without the advice, input, and support of the Dr. Rogers Prize jury, and we are grateful for their dedication and service. The first public discussion of a possible name change took place as a keynote panel of the jurors at the 2021 Dr. Rogers Prize celebrations. Behind the scenes, they have devoted much personal time and thought helping to shape the future of the Dr. Rogers Prize. Their recommendations over the past year are paramount to today’s announcement.

Updates to criteria and the award assessment process are not significantly different from past years; however, the way we announce and celebrate the recipient(s) will change:

To better reflect the Foundation’s commitment to medical research and practice, we will be dispensing with a formal Award Gala to redirect our attention to promoting the Dr. Rogers Prize recipients and their achievements in more substantive ways. The 2025 Dr. Rogers Prize winner announcement will take place this fall, and a smaller award dinner will be undertaken in the recipient’s region at a mutually agreeable date, so that their families and colleagues will have the opportunity share in their celebration.

Our support of conferences that connect, educate, and inspire professionals in the field continues to expand; $1.9 million has been disbursed through the Dr. Rogers Prize Lecture Program since the Prize was founded in 2007.

We are excited about the Dr. Rogers Prize’s move into a new era – our goal remains the same — to celebrate the achievements of exceptional individuals whose work in novel, innovative, and disruptive medical practices and research advance  health, medicine, and healing in Canada.

Nominations for the 2025 Dr. Rogers Prize for Advancing Health, Medicine & Healing are now open.