Thank you to our CMR Daniel Huang who has created a captivating video showcasing the evolution of St. Michael’s Hospital.

Prepare to be inspired, laugh, and maybe even feel a bit nostalgic.

EPIC ERAS

Please see below for the following updates:

• Honoring Dr. Rachel Shupak, Bob Josse & Dr. Bill Fong: A Tribute to Their Remarkable Careers
• Andrea Rigamonti is the new Chief, Critical Care at St. Michael’s
• Congratulations to Dr. Lauren King for receiving the Stars Career Development Award – Arthritis Society of Canada
• HOOPP opening to incorporated physicians in Ontario

Dr. Rachel Shupak will be retiring at the end of December, following over 43 years of service as a Rheumatologist at St. Michael’s Hospital. Rachel is a superb clinician, patient advocate and educator who has been remarkably impactful both locally and across Canada.

Dr. Shupak has a reputation as a national leader in the field of inflammatory myositis. During her time at St. Michael’s Hospital, she contributed tremendously to the development of expertise in diagnosing and treating myositis. Rachel made important contributions to therapeutic guidelines and patient access to therapy. Another significant highlight of Dr. Shupak’s career is her tremendous contribution to Allied health in rheumatology as Medical Director of the “Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Arthritis Care” (ACPAC) program. Through her leadership and innovation with the University of Toronto ACPAC program, Rachel dramatically improved the landscape of allied health contributions and models of care in rheumatology. Ultimately, this has led to improved patient care access to quality rheumatology care across the country.

Dr. Shupak has received numerous prestigious accolades, including the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Masters Award (2023) and the CRA Rheumatologist of Distinction Award (2022).

Rachel is an acclaimed teacher who has been a role model to the next generation of rheumatologists. She is a multi-faceted “doctor’s doctor” who has practiced with the highest standards. She has been an integral component of the Division of Rheumatology, and will be missed greatly. We are grateful that Dr. Shupak will continue to share her wisdom as an Honorary Consultant and Professor Emeritus with the University of Toronto. We wish her all the best with her retirement.

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Dr. Robert Josse will be retiring at the end of December after 45 years of service as a physician at St. Michael’s Hospital in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. Bob will be well known to many members of the Department of Medicine. He was Head of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism from 1988 to 2000 and Associate Physician-in-Chief at St. Michael’s Hospital from 2000 to 2006. He is also a past president of the Medical Staff Association. Bob is internationally renowned for his expertise in diabetes and especially in metabolic bone disease. He has chaired both the Guidelines Committee of the Osteoporosis Society of Canada, and the Endocrinology and Metabolism section of the OMA. Bob is also a past president of the Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism. He was the first non-American to receive the Distinction in Clinical Endocrinology Award from the American College of Endocrinology (ACE)/American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and, in 2012, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award Medal for significant achievement and remarkable service to osteoporosis research and treatment. Bob is adored by his patients and by his colleagues alike. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of medicine, and, for many years, he has been the go-to person for challenging cases within the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism. He is the archetypal doctor’s doctor, recognized for his compassion, collegiality and clinical acumen by being inducted into the University of Toronto Academy of Master Clinicians in 2023. Bob’s colleagues will miss him dearly. They wish him all the best as he spends his well-earned retirement with his family and enjoys time with his grandchildren. His colleagues are delighted that Bob has decided to stay on as an Honorary Consultant at St. Michael’s Hospital, and they look forward to calling upon his expertise in the months and years ahead.

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Congratulations to Dr. Bill Fong who will be retiring effective December 24, 2024.

Dr. Fong was the first infectious diseases specialist at St. Michael’s Hospital and has practiced medicine at St. Michael’s for an incredible 48 years, including 29 years as Division Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases. He has had a successful career in research, authored over 120 publications and 13 books, and generously dedicated his time over the years to passing down his wisdom to learners at all levels of medical education. Many who completed infectious diseases rotations at St. Michael’s Hospital will have had the opportunity to experience one of his weekly teaching sessions, where he may be asked to teach on any infectious diseases topic at a moment’s notice and always delivers a clear and organized approach full of memorable clinical pearls. He has served as a dedicated clinician to his patients and a trusted medical expert for the most challenging cases in infectious diseases.  His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards. These awards include 10 teaching awards such as the Squires Trust Teaching Award in 2010. He was also awarded the Squires Hyland Trust Award of Excellence in 2013.

While we are delighted that Dr. Fong will have the opportunity to focus on other pursuits, we will greatly miss his presence at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Following a full international search led by Unity Health Toronto Board member Ehren Cory, and approval by the Medical Advisory Committee on Dec. 3, and the Board of Directors on Dec. 10, it is our pleasure to announce that Dr. Andrea Rigamonti has accepted the position of Chief, Critical Care at St. Michael’s Hospital, effective Jan. 1, 2025. 

A compassionate, adaptable and collaborative leader, Dr. Rigamonti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and the Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Rigamonti has been a member of the medical staff at St Michael’s since 2007. Since 2008, he was the Director of the Trauma-Neurosurgical Anesthesia and Critical Care Fellowship Program, and since September 2016 he has been the Medical Director of the Trauma Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit (TNICU) at St. Michael’s. He has been the Neuro-Anesthesia Lead for the Department of Anesthesia at St. Michael’s since 2010. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he effectively stepped in to support critical care clinical operations, helping to cover for Dr. Andrew Baker who took on a provincial role. Dr. Rigamonti has been an active research collaborator, in particular, studies involving people with traumatic brain injury. He is also clearly recognized by his colleagues for his excellent clinical skills and received the 2020 Clinical Excellence Award from the Department of Anesthesia and Pain, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. In 2021 Dr. Rigamonti was inducted with the designation of Fellow of the Neurocritical Care Society (FNCS).

We know that everyone will give Dr. Rigamonti their full support as he takes on this important leadership appointment.

Congratulations to Dr. Lauren King for receiving the prestigious Stars Career Development Award from the Arthritis Society of Canada. This recognition highlights her outstanding contributions and dedication to advancing research and care in the field of arthritis.

Expanding access to retirement security for the healthcare community

For more than 60 years, HOOPP has been providing secure pensions to Ontario healthcare workers. With more than 460,000 members and 670 participating employers across the province, HOOPP’s membership continues to grow as we take the next step toward providing retirement peace of mind for even more healthcare workers in Ontario.  

Physicians play an important role in Ontario’s healthcare sector, and we are pleased to announce that HOOPP will open the Plan to eligible incorporated physicians across the province in January 2025. More information will be available on hoopp.com on January 2. 

If you have any questions about HOOPP welcoming incorporated physicians to join the Plan, please reach out to our Member Services team.

For more information click the link below:

HOOPP opening to incorporated physicians in Ontario