Congratulations to Dr. Christian Schulz-Quach on his appointment as the inaugural Medical Director of Workplace Violence Prevention at UHN.
In this role, Dr. Schulz-Quach will be part of the leadership team responsible for a critical portfolio that includes the Code White Governance Committee, UHN Security Operations and the UHN TIDES program.
Dr. Schulz-Quach's expertize and dedication to ensuring a safe and mutually respectful environment for all will be invaluable in this new role.
Dr. Schulz-Quach joined TeamUHN at the Centre of Mental Health in 2019, having trained trained in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. As a staff psychiatrist in UHN's Department of Supportive Care, he has focused on health systems innovation, quality improvement and education scholarship.
Over the past two years, Dr. Schulz-Quach has worked collaboratively with UHN Security Operations, the Code White Governance Committee and Safety Services to create a cohesive and trauma-informed team approach to workplace violence prevention at UHN.
Please welcome him to this new role and offer full support as we work together across UHN to create a safe and inclusive workplace based onmutual respect.
Those recognized at UHN's Sprott Department of Surgery Recognition Awards at Toronto Western Hospital included, (L to R), Stuart McCluskey, Emma Wamsteeker, Clare Attley, Heidi Duringer, Jodi-Ann Manhertz, Genevieve Bouchard-Fortier and Jesse Pasternak. Not photographed: John Rutka, Emma Bingham, Yunjin Bae, Kenneth Baptiste, Ina Cherepaha-Kantorovich and Tiffany Tram.
The inaugural UHN Sprott Department of Surgery Recognition Awards took place at Toronto Western Hospital andsaw approximately 250 participants in attendance,in-person and virtually.
The May 10 event was to honour the dedication and achievements of more than400 nominated staff members, and to award eight individuals and two teams, recognized for their exceptional contributions to surgery and patient care.
"We are here to celebrate the outstanding achievements of both individuals and teams within Sprott Surgery," said Dr. Thomas Forbes, UHN Surgeon-in-Chief. "These awards recognize exceptional skill, dedication and innovation in the field of surgery, anesthesiology, nursing and care teams.
"They highlight the positive impact of all the nominees and awardees both on patient care and with each other."
Leanna Graham, Senior Director of Professional Practice & Policy at UHN, paid tribute to "the collective efforts of our team in enhancing patient care outcomes and experiences. This is achieved through our strategic focus on care, innovation, safety, quality, education and exceptional compassion.
"It truly highlights the extensive reach and interconnectedness of Sprott across all sites and programs. I also want to extend a special thank you to the Sprott Foundation for their invaluable support in hosting this event."
The ceremony, which acknowledged seven prestigious awards with a combined total prize of $15,000, symbolized the unwavering support of the Sprott Foundation and underscored the profound interconnectedness that defines the Sprott community.
And the winners are:
- 10th Floor General Surgery & Endocrine Clinic – Outstanding Team Contributions in Advancing Surgical Innovation
- Yunjin (Liz) Bae – The Rising Star Award: Nursing Excellence in Patient Care
- Emma Bingham – Nursing Excellence for Outstanding Mentorship and Clinical Education
- Heidi Duringer – Excellence for Nursing Leadership in Outstanding Patient Care
- Clare Attley – Excellence for Nursing Leadership in Outstanding Patient Care
- Dr. Genevieve Bouchard-Fortier – Interprofessional Excellence Award in Safety and Quality of Care
- Dr. Stuart McCluskey – Interprofessional Excellence Award in Safety and Quality of Care
- Tiffany Tram – Interprofessional Excellence Award in Safety and Quality of Care
- Kenneth Baptiste – Administrative and Support Staff Exceptional Contributions
- Dr. John Rutka – Exceptional Interprofessional Contributions to Surgical Patient Experience
- Jodi-Ann Manhertz – Exceptional Interprofessional Contributions to Surgical Patient Experience
- Emma Wamsteeker – Exceptional Interprofessional Contributions to Surgical Patient Experience
Congratulations to Dr. Sami Chadi on his appointment as holder of the Wise Family Chair in Colorectal Surgical Innovation at UHN, a joint UHN-University of Toronto (U of T) Named Chair, effective April 1, 2024.
The Wise Family Chair in Colorectal Surgical Innovation was established in July 2023 thanks to the kind and thoughtful generosity of the Wise Family Foundation, at the recommendation of Steven H. Wise, Chairman and Susan Zikman Wise, Director.
The Wise Family Chair in Colorectal Surgical Innovation supports a full-time member of the Division of General Surgery in UHN's Sprott Department of Surgery and an associate or full professor in the Department of Surgery at U of T, whose primary focus is on colorectal surgery. The intent is to support colorectal surgery innovation, including research, education and practical advances in diagnosis, treatment, care and outcomes of benign and oncologic patients.
Dr. Chadi joined the Division of General Surgery in UHN's Sprott Department of Surgery and as an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at U of T in 2016. He completed his undergraduate degree in genetics at Western University and subsequently attended U of T for his medical degree.
After graduating, Dr. Chadi trained in the University of Western Ontario's General Surgery program, completing a masters in clinical epidemiology and health research methodology at McMaster University.
Upon obtaining his Royal College certification in general surgery, Dr. Chadi completed a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Florida (CCF) in colorectal surgery, where he obtained his American Board of Surgery certification in general and colorectal surgery.
Dr. Chadi went on to complete a second year at CCF in minimally invasive and advanced colorectal surgical oncology focusing on minimally invasive approaches to re-operative surgery. During this time, he received training in advanced minimally invasive approaches in the management of colorectal surgical patients.
Dr. Chadi is the Section Head of Colorectal Surgery in the Division of General Surgery at UHN. He is an associate professor in the Department of Surgery in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at U of T and the Lead for Luminal Gastrointestinal Malignancies for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
Dr. Chadi's research interests are in optimizing the schedule of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies in colon and rectal cancer, as well as enhancing the patient surgical experience. He and his team have recently initiated a fellowship in minimally invasive gastrointestinal oncology with a focus on robotic abdominal and natural orifice techniques. He is also the Program Chair of the Canadian Colorectal and Surgical Oncology Symposium.
Thank you to the Wise Family Foundation for its generous contributions to the UHN Foundation to enable the establishment of this chair.
