February 21, 2019: Remembering our friend and colleague: John W. Senders, 1920 -2019
ISMP Canada has lost a cherished colleague and friend with the passing of John W. Senders on February 12, 2019. John was two weeks shy of his 99th birthday. A "systems theorist" before the term came into public consciousness, John was known for finding unusual and effective approaches to standard problems and situations. He was once called "Professor of Everything" by colleagues at the University of Toronto, where he taught from 1973.John was a vital and committed leader in the field of patient safety, especially medication safety. He was one of the founding members of ISMP Canada and served for many years as an advisor on human factors. John also served on the ISMP Canada board from 2000 to 2012. One of Dr. Senders' fundamental contributions was noting the heterogeneity of human errors, teaching us that we cannot toss all errors into a neat, causal category labeled "human error."
An inspiring teacher and mentor, an erudite man, an honest and compelling leader and tireless champion of patient safety are some of the ways John is remembered by his colleagues at ISMP Canada. "He was brilliant, and he had a way of explaining things in a way that you could always understand," said Julie Greenall, Director of Projects and Education at ISMP Canada.
On behalf of the ISMP Canada Board and Staff, a contribution has been made in John's memory to the University of Toronto's "John W. Senders Award for Medical Innovation," a program of which he was enormously proud.
A link to his obituary is provided https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theglobeandmail/obituary.aspx?n=john-w-senders&pid=191567563 for additional information.
