Message from the Director

SREMI’s 10th anniversary was time to reflect on our success in building an institute that creates leaders who truly influence the way emergency care is delivered. Our vision was bold and ambitious: not merely to chip away at the margins, but to rewrite the pages entirely. As you will see throughout this report, what began as a visionary idea 10 years ago, is now a powerful reality. Individually our faculty are impressive, but as you review their reports, I invite you to focus on impact. Dr. Shelley McLeod has become the “go to” person for the Government of Ontario trusted with evaluating the effectiveness of new initiatives across the province and how ED work should be funded. Dr. Catherine Varner has become THE international expert in understanding the experience of women with problems in the first trimester of pregnancy and the way they are cared for. Dr. Don Melady, a founding father of Geriatric Emergency Medicine literally wrote the book on creating geriatric friendly EDs and best practices for these vulnerable patients. Dr. Jacques Lee’s work on preventing social isolation/loneliness and delirium has changed the way we think about these issues in older patients. Dr. Anton Helman has created the most popular and respected international educational tool for emergency medicine worldwide. Dr. Keerat Grewal has identified a vital part of the care of patients with cancer – that which happens in the ED. Dr. Rohit Mohindra is working to improve the way newcomers to Canada receive care in EDs, the place they most often turn when they when they have nowhere else to go. Despite affecting such a large volume of patients, ten years ago the importance of these areas of interest was largely overlooked.

Today they have become integral to mainstream discussions and practices. SREMI’s impact is undeniable. Our leaders chair local, national and international committees, garnering international press coverage of their work and invitations to speak internationally at large conference venues. Last year, Dr. McLeod and Dr. Varner both had multiple invitations to be Visiting Professors to emergency medicine programs across Canada. Visiting Professors are exemplars for trainees and staff physicians, celebrated for their knowledge and academic contributions - external validation that they are held in the highest esteem by our community. Combined, SREMI and the department of emergency medicine at Sinai Health hold two Sinai 100 Chairs honouring pioneers (Dr. Howard Ovens and Dr. Don Melady) who changed medicine at Sinai Health, one Research Chair, and will hopefully soon announce a fourth. Many others have played a pivotal role in our success. Our research coordinator, Cam Thompson, has been with SREMI almost since the beginning (and is presently completing a PhD in ED Health Services Research). Our administrator Mahima Sethi keeps SREMI running smoothly and on schedule. Victoria Aziz brings our virtual wraparound care program to life and is a fantastic addition to our team. Our peer support program provides services to young adults with mental health and substance use problems which are not available in any other hospital in Canada. Our International EM Fellows who have returned home to become leaders in their own departments, and our countless medical student and resident mentees who have brought their energy and enthusiasm to us to harness, have all made important contributions towards over 300 peer reviewed publications and 65 research awards. Our international advisory board provides invaluable guidance as we chart our course to success. We thank outgoing IAB Chair Dr. Jim Christensen for his leadership, and welcome longstanding IAB member Dr. Matthew Cooke as incoming Chair. Sinai Health and North York General’s hospital leadership have created the environment necessary for a concept like SREMI to exist. Our respective foundations tell our story to our incredible donors whose generosity breathes life into our work. It has been a privilege for me to play a role in this incredible journey, which has only been made possible with the support of our namesakes, Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz. As the first major benefactors to truly understand the central role of emergency departments and the critical importance of emergency medicine leadership, they are unparalleled visionaries in emergency medicine. The image of our team sitting around their dining room table, sharing our dreams
for the future, will last a lifetime. To quote Gerry as our dinner discussion around our next 10 years concluded “we are going to need a much bigger table next time.” For their trust, support and friendship, I am truly grateful.