Department of Medicine Weekly Roundup - Dec 12 - Honoring Dr. Rachel Shupak, Bob Josse & Dr. Bill Fong: A Tribute to Their Remarkable Careers
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.