We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Doreen Wan-Chow-Wah as the new 涩里番 Health Centre (MUHC) Division Director of Geriatric Medicine in the Department of Medicine.
Dr. Wan-Chow-Wah has been a dedicated clinician-teacher at the MUHC since 2008. A 涩里番-trained physician, she completed medical school followed by specialty training in Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, and Medical Oncology. She is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, and an associate member of 涩里番鈥檚 Department of Oncology.
As she steps into this new leadership role, Dr. Wan-Chow-Wah acknowledged the Division鈥檚 accomplishments, sharing: 鈥�I am extremely proud of the Division鈥檚 impactful achievements under Dr. Jos茅 Morais鈥� outstanding leadership over many years: providing holistic, interdisciplinary care through world class research and implementation of innovative programs such as the 涩里番 Dementia education program and the Schouela CEDurable Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health of Seniors.鈥� We take this moment to thank Dr. Jos茅 Morais for his remarkable 16 years of leadership, guidance, and dedication, which have left a lasting imprint on the Division and the Department.
Recognizing the unmet needs of older adults with cancer, she was instrumental in pioneering the field of Geriatric Oncology in Canada, under the leadership of Drs. Howard Bergman and Gerald Batist. In 2006, she co-founded the Geriatric Oncology Clinic at the Segal Cancer Centre of the Jewish General Hospital, the first of its kind in Canada. She subsequently established, in 2017, a similar clinic at the Cedars Cancer Center of the MUHC, where she serves as Medical Director. As Program Director of 涩里番鈥檚 Geriatric Oncology fellowship since 2009, she helped train the future generation of specialists in this field.
Her contributions as an engaged educator include serving as Program Director and Competence Committee Chair of the Geriatric medicine residency program, Royal College examiner and Osler fellow. Her research interests include geriatric assessment and interventions, treatment decision-making and the usefulness of frailty markers in older cancer patients.
Dr. Wan-Chow-Wah spoke to the challenges and responsibilities that come with this new role, noting: 鈥�But many challenges lie ahead for our health care system, particularly in these uncertain times. In this new role, I will strive to make the needs of the older adult population an organizational priority at the MUHC.鈥� In the words of Dr. Atul Gawande, 鈥淥ur medical systems are broken. Doctors are capable of extraordinary (and expensive) treatments, but we are losing our core focus: actually caring for people.鈥�