Nada Chevam is a Canadian citizen of Sri Lankan descent. Before moving to Canada, Nada attended the University of Ceylon completing the first two years of Bachelor of Medicine and switching over to Rehabilitation Medicine, graduating with Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. In 1969, Nada joined the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre with a two year contract to practice as a Clinical Therapist. During this time, he also attended the University of Manitoba to complete a Science degree, majoring in clinical research. Subsequently, he was admitted to the Canadian Institute of Physical Therapy.
Nada moved to the University Hospital in London, ON to join their clinical leadership team as Clinical Director of Rehabilitation Medicine and Rheumatic Diseases Units , and an appointment as Clinical Lecturer with the University of Western Ontario. In London, he met his wife Brenda who was a Clinical Nurse at this facility. After their marriage, they moved to Stratford, ON where Nada took a position with the Stratford General Hospital as Director of Rehabilitation Services. Their only child and daughter, Nadine, was born in Stratford.
Nada's association with Rotary also began here when he was sponsored to become a member with the Rotary Club of Stratford. In 1981, the family moved to Edmonton when Nada was recruited to the Misericordia Hospital as Director of Rehabilitation Medicine and as Clinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. After being away from Rotary for five years, Nada returned to Rotary, joining the Rotary Club of Edmonton-Mayfield, courtesy of his "soul brother" Eden H.
Within two years, he was elected to the Executive as Director of Vocational Services. Nada fondly remembers the challenges he faced in trying to convince the Board to take on the project of seed funding an innovative program called COMPRU at Misericordia Hospital. Thanks to the visionary leadership of President Bob Kavanaugh, the project received approval and the rest is medical history. COMPRU is now a well recognized international research and treatment facility and only one of four such facilities in the world. In 2003, COMPRU celebrated its tenth year as a world class facility and Nada and Brenda attended this milestone on behalf of the Club and accepted the accolades given to Mayfield Rotary.
During this period, Nada concluded his graduate studies with Michigan University to obtain a Master of Science in Health Care Management. In the following year, he was successful in completing the required studies and exams to become a Certified Health Executive awarded by the Canadian College of Health Service Executives.
In 1990, the Catholic hospitals of the Grey Nuns and Misericordia orders merged to form the Caritas Health Group and Nada assumed the role of administratively directing all of the clinical services in the three hospitals. After fifteen years in health care leadership, it was time for a change when Nada accepted a contractual position with VALID, a not-for-profit group in Vegreville. Not wanting to move away from the health care sector altogether, Nada also accepted an appointment from the Minister of Health to the provincial Health Facilities Review Team. It has been a healthy challenge to juggle the two positions, since the health appointment requires considerable travel to all parts of the province reviewing health facilities and also investigating complaints from patients and families.
Rotary is an important part of Nada's life. Within two years of joining Mayfield Rotary, he was elected to the Board four times consecutively, under dynamic leadership from Bob Kavanaugh, Eden Hampson, Jeff Polovick and Julius Buski respectively. Besides Rotary, Nada has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Winnifred Stewart Association for twelve years, three as it's President, and currently is Vice President of Winnifred Stewart Association.
