As a recent recipient of the BC Medal of Good Citizenship, Navjit Kaur Moore is celebrated for her unwavering dedication to community service and compassionate leadership, which has spanned over a decade. Born and raised in Burnaby, BC, Navjit was surrounded by a bustling household, including her parents, grandparents, older brother, and twin sister. Her family and her fiancé, Jasmit Singh Phulka, supported her endeavors and inspired her continued advocacy work.
A defining characteristic of her work is her commitment and longevity in each role she undertakes. She started volunteering at Burnaby General Hospital in 2013, inspired by her experiences as a patient. She became a Team Lead in 2016 after recognizing the need for better volunteer coordination and support. Through her leadership, she has successfully trained and placed over a hundred volunteers in various units, including emergency and mental health. She now serves as a Fraser Health Patient & Quality Improvement Advisor to identify new ways to optimize patient care.
Navjit’s personal journey with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is nothing short of inspiring. Despite her challenges, she persevered, completed her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy, and now excelling in medical school. Navjit has served as the Fraser Valley East Chapter President of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada since 2017. Under her leadership, Navjit had identified gaps in support programs for IBD patients and their families. To address these communities’ lack of support, she helped create the Fraser Valley East chapter, which encompasses Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, and Hope. Since then, she has led over 80 monthly support groups where she provides continuous support to those newly diagnosed, shares her personal struggles, and practices knowledge translation by taking what she has learned through her pharmacy, medical, and research experience and bringing it back to the group. Navjit has significantly contributed to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, having helped raise over $150,000 since 2015. These funds are dedicated to patient programming and research, making CCC the second-highest health charity funder of Crohn’s and colitis research worldwide.
As a person of South Asian descent, she knows of the privilege of attending medical school. However, she also recognizes the oppression and inequalities faced by her community. During her second year of medicine, she collaborated with a classmate to create South Asian Women’s Health Talk (SAWHT), an initiative to normalize meaningful yet stigmatized health conversations affecting South Asian women. They discuss cervical and breast cancer screening, reproductive health, diabetes, and blood pressure. They have held multiple successful bilingual (English and Punjabi) health booths in Gurdwaras across Vancouver and the Fraser Valley with 50-100 people in attendance. They are also collaborating with organizations like BC Cancer, UBC Volentia, and UBC Papapalooza to increase accessibility to pap smear testing in Surrey/Abbotsford and to create culturally appropriate public health information for our community.
Navjit’s volunteer work encompasses many roles, reflecting her diverse passions, including fostering healthy habits from a young age and supporting our community’s elders. Since 2012, she has offered emotional support and engagement to Burnaby’s Fair Haven Homes seniors. Amidst the challenges of COVID-19, Navjit took proactive steps by creating over 300 personalized cards for seniors across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, aiming to alleviate feelings of loneliness during the pandemic. She also served as a Jump Rope Ambassador for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, where she mentored youth aged 5-12 on healthy living practices. Her pivotal role in organizing Jump Rope assemblies and events has positively impacted thousands of elementary students throughout British Columbia.
Over the last few years, Navjit has been recognized for her academic and community work. These have included the Doctors of BC Excellence Award in Health Promotion prestigious UBC Health award: the Professor Jessie Gordon MacCarthy Memorial Scholarship given to one healthcare student at UBC, and the National Canada Volunteer Award in the Emerging Leader of BC/Yukon category recognized by the Canadian Government for her commitment to leadership and the strengthening of her community.
In essence, Navjit epitomizes the spirit of service and leadership. Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of compassion and dedication. As she continues to inspire and uplift those around her, Navjit’s impact resonates deeply within our community, leaving a legacy of positive change and empowerment.
