Physician leaders who shaped Canadian medicine

During 20 years as national editor of the Medical Post (1991-2011) I had the distinct privilege of speaking with some truly fantastic people.With the Medical Post, I was lucky enough to meet and talk with doctors in every province and territory, incredible people considering some of their working conditions.I also spoke briefly with the likes of Prime Ministers Paul Martin and Stephen Harper, and there have been plenty of high-profile lawyers, judges, bureaucrats, federal and provincial legislators, health ministers and economists, even some journalists.But I covered medical politics, so, for this exercise, I will limit the discussion mostly to the heads of medical associations in recognition of their erudition and critical thinking and obvious intelligence and compassion.Read: The good fight: Physician recruiters getting more sophisticated DR. JOHN ANDERSONDr. Anderson was president in 1989-90, a particularly volatile time in the history of what was then called the B.C. Medical Association (now Doctors of BC). Negotiations with a bellicose provincial government were made more complicated by strife within the ranks as family doctors battled specialists over the process of how raises would be shared. Dr. Anderson’s good looks were compared by some to JFK and his stoic demeanor made him ideal for the situation at hand. He was young, vital and seemingly everywhere. So when the BCMA decided on what would become an expensive and successful multimedia campaign to tell the public it’s side of the story, potential greatness was thrust upon him. His face could be seen on the side of buses, in newspapers and on TV. His voice was on the radio. The campaign was a roaring success, and the BCMA would again use ads as a tool of war with further governments. Dr. Anderson died by suicide shortly after his presidency ended.DR. JOHN O’BRIEN-BELLThere is no way anyone could ever confine this man's interests to medicine or medical politics. He was a medical journalist and driving force behind publication of both the Western Medical News and the BCMA News. He lived and worked in Surrey for over 50 years and sat on Surrey City Council. At one point, he chaired a municipal committee investigating a local surge in violence. He also helped Surrey get its performing arts centre built. The Dr. John O'Brien-Bell Performing Arts Centre, located at Sullivan Heights Secondary School is named in his honor. He was not only president of the BCMA (1986-87), but also the Canadian Medical Association (1988-89). (In the interest of full disclosure, it was Dr. O'Brien-Bell who introduced me to my favorite golf course in the whole wide world!)DR. WILLIAM WEBBERShortly after his death in 2006, I wrote an editorial saying that whether they knew it or not, many Canadian physicians practising in the early 21st century will feel Dr. Webber’s “light touch.” That’s because the native Newfoundlander was dean of the University of British Columbia’s medical school for 13 years, the longest term in its history. It’s because he was associated with its faculty of medicine for half a century. It's because he was one of six members, and the only physician, of the province's precedent-setting royal commission on health care. And it’s because he chaired the CMA’s manpower committee, which produced the group’s first policy statement on human resource planning, an issue that continues to be a vexing, persistent irritant to policymakers from municipalities to the federal government. Dr. Webber’s political capability and passion for medicine’s future was a powerful combination. His compassion and humor made him a great communicator and leader.DR. FRANK TIMMERMANSIf nothing else, this Aussie transplant to the Yukon was known for his vocal common sense and short stints practising in a number of Third World countries. He was a graduate of Johns Hopkins school of public health and ultimately landed the job as Yukon's medical officer of health. The BCMA’s Council on Health Promotion traditionally brought public health issues to its annual meetings. Some motions were controversial and essential. Many were downright wacky. Dr. Timmermans told this reporter he felt the council was composed of “tree huggers and tight-assed health police,” but he would only clear the quote for use if it was unattributed. It was too good a quote to ignore. Council chairman Dr. Hedy Fry (a good person in her own right) wanted to know where I got the quote. While hoping she didn’t think I made it up, I couldn't tell her! While at his son’s wedding back in Australia, Dr. Timmermans died of a brain aneurysm while on the dance floor.DR. RUTH COLLINS-NIKAICan a pediatric cardiologist, known by some as “the other doctor Ruth,” be a good person? ‘Nuff said. But in the case of Dr. Collins-Nakai, she is more. Much more. Wikipedia calls her an “educator, researcher, physician leader, healthcare adviser and public health advocate.” The Harvard grad has been president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (first woman), Alberta Medical Association (first woman) and the CMA (fourth woman). Her 2004/05 CMA term was what she called “a critical time for healthcare,” if for no other reason than it came the year before Dr. Brian Day’s, a vocal supporter of introducing private funding into the Canadian Medicare system. In 2001, she received the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences Distinguished Achievement Award for promoting cardiovascular education and research around the world. Her Order of Canada came in 2016.DR. JACK ARMSTRONGIt was a stormy night, the night I spent with Dr. Armstrong and his wife Glenda, a former nurse, waiting for our flights at the Ottawa airport. We had supper two nights before. We exchanged stories about our families. Dr. Armstrong, a soft spoken and clearly humble man, started out as a probation officer before becoming a pediatrician devoted to aboriginal health. He practised in Manitoba for 35 years, often visiting the province's northern reservations to see indigenous patients. He was the founding chair of the MMA’s ad hoc committee on aboriginal health from 1991-1999 but continued as a member until 2005, when he was admitted to the Order of Canada. Also, in that year he was featured in Caring Physicians of the World, published by the World Health Organization. He was past-president of the Manitoba Medical Association (1987-88) and CMA (1995-96). As the CMA's 1996 annual meeting was sliding precariously toward supporting privately-funded services for the first time ever, Dr. Armstrong rose to deliver an impassioned, extemporaneous defence of the publicly-funded, universal system. Very unlike him to call such attention to himself. Up to that moment, it looked like CMA council would vote to support even limited private funding. Instead, observers noted how he almost single-handedly convinced council otherwise.DR. ADAM LINTONI’d often meet Dr. Linton, president of the Ontario Medical Association (1991-92) early Sunday mornings at the airport after the annual meeting of some provincial medical association. He was truly a visionary. The University of Western Ontario nephrologist rose through the ranks of the OMA, largely on the notion that doctors could be partners in developing provincial health care policy. The concept was very controversial at the time since many doctors didn't want to “get in bed"” with government. Most just wanted to practise medicine. Dr. Linton was a very convincing speaker using both fact and humor in the same sentence. Ontario did establish a joint management committee, but he died in January of 1992 before he could serve out his term. The first iterations of the JMC struggled after his death, largely because no one else could envision the concept's potential and future direction. Most provinces now have panels modeled after Ontario's, and there are very few issues they don't discuss.DR. RUTH WILSONPerhaps one piece of history first: Dr. Wilson’s mother Lois was the first female moderator of the United Church of Canada and a former senator. So, it isn’t really much of a stretch that she became a family doctor. What she’s done with that is truly remarkable. She practised for 11 years in places like Bella Coola, B.C.; Sioux Lookout, ON; and Baie Verte, PQ, nice towns, but on nobody’s Top Ten Tourism bucket list. Then she practised in Kingston for nearly 30 years. From 2001-04 she was chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, created to implemented primary care reform, that laid the foundation for widespread models of primary care across the province, including family health teams. She’s a past-president of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. I know her from a trip we took to Moosonee to resupply her project to ensure service to the people of the James Bay shoreline. The wind was howling through the door of my hotel on the shore of Lake Ontario in downtown Kingston that freezing February morning, and it wasn't any warmer in the north. Despite the discomfort, Dr. Wilson made a lasting impression. When she retired in '21, she continued to do a bit of practising. . . in Yellowknife!DR. BRUCE SQUIRESAfter 20 years of exposure, anyone would probably hold nearly any doctor in high esteem. So, it might be understandable to learn that, for me, Dr. Squires was a sort of double god. Not only was he a doctor, he was also editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal from 1989 to 1996. (I also hold journalists in high regard.) The CMAJ was already considered a “world-renowned leader in medical journals,” according to a memorial essay in a publication by the University of Western Ontario, his alma mater. The piece goes on to laud him as for his “mentorship,” “knowledge of journalogy” and “unstoppable sense of humour.” Much of his time and energy, it notes, was devoted to “increasing the quality of papers” and “improve standards of research and reporting.” We shared a panel once. Before my talk, I told the audience what Dr. Squires meant to me personally. I may have used the word “god.” I hope they got my message.DR. SHELAGH LEAHEYAfter 40+ years of serving the people of the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, you'd expect Dr. Leahey to figure it's about time to hang up her stethoscope. Nope. She's tried. Three times. But there is no one to replace her, and she's just too dedicated to her patients. “My imagination (with family practice) fell short when it came to the diversity I would be exposed to and the generosity and uniqueness of the people in this area.” She’s been involved with the Medical Society of Nova Scotia (now Doctors Nova Scotia) for 25 years and has sat on its executive for five. She's also been president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia and was the province’s family physician of the year in 2011. As I recall it, my first conversation with Dr. Leahey was at the MSNS annual meeting in November of 1989. Afterward, I made a note to remember her as a valuable source, not of information, but of plain common sense. Fortunately for me, she was a regular fixture at future annual meetings.Honorable mentions:(The Second Top Ten)Dr. Nicholas AnthonisenDr. Ted BoadwayDr. Anne DoigDr. Hedy FryDr. Henry HadadDr. Martin HollenbergDr. Lionel LavoieDr. Wayne MacNicolDr. Quentin Rae-Grant Dr. Ron WhelanMatt Borsellino was national editor of the Medical Post for many years.

Physician leaders who shaped Canadian medicine

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