The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to announce the reappointment of Dr. Catherine Cervin as NOSM’s Associate Dean of Postgraduate Education (PGE) for a second five-year term, effective September 2016.

NOSM’s Postgraduate Education Office is responsible for the oversight, administration and support of all Postgraduate Residency Programs in Northern Ontario. NOSM offers Residency Programs in: Family Medicine and Family Medicine Enhanced Skills in Emergency Medicine, Family Practice Anesthesia, Maternity Care, and Care of the Elderly. Royal College Accredited Programs include Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology. As well there is a Northern Stream of the Ottawa Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program.

Since joining NOSM in 2011, Dr. Cervin has led a team that works to foster strong collaborations with communities and health organizations across Northern Ontario where residents experience diverse educational, clinical, and cultural opportunities. Under Dr. Cervin’s leadership, the first full on-site accreditation survey visit of NOSM’s residency programs by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and the College of Family Physicians Canada (CFPC) occurred in May 2014.  

In 2013, Dr. Cervin received the School’s Award of Excellence in the category of leadership after being nominated by NOSM staff members.

“It is with great excitement that I congratulate Dr. Cervin on her reappointment as Associate Dean of Postgraduate Education,” says Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean. “Dr. Cervin’s leadership approach and understanding of NOSM’s residency needs will ensure the ongoing enrichment of the School’s postgraduate programs to foster exemplary quality health care in rural and remote communities, consistent with NOSM’s new strategic plan. I wish her much success in her second term.”

Dr. Cervin will also continue in the role of NOSM Senior Associate Dean at Laurentian University.

About Dr. Catherine Cervin

Dr. Catherine (Cathy) Cervin grew up in southern Ontario, went to medical school at the University of Toronto, finished her family medicine residency at Dalhousie and then practised full-scope family medicine in Northern Ontario (Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie) for seven years before embarking on an academic career in the Department of Family Medicine at Dalhousie. While at Dalhousie, Dr. Cervin took on a number of leadership roles. She became Hospital Chief of the Department of Family Medicine at the Grace Maternity Hospital (now the IWK Women and Children’s Health Centre), she was Residency Program Director for Family Medicine for ten years, and was the Interim Department Head of Dalhousie Family Medicine. As befits a generalist, her professional interests are wide ranging and include social accountability, educating for comprehensive primary care, curriculum development, learning portfolios, communication skills and cultural competency. Her clinical interests include primary maternity care, the patient-centred approach, and chronic disease care.

Recognized by her peers and colleagues, Dr. Cervin received a Certificate of Merit from the Canadian Association of Medical Education in 2009 and also received an Award of Excellence from the College of Family Physicians in 2010. That same year, she completed her Masters of Medical Education. Dr. Cervin was also recently appointed as a new Director on the Board of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). Dr. Cervin also holds leadership roles at the College of Family Physicians of Canada as Chair of the Board of Examiners and Chair of the Research and Education Foundation Board.

From September 24 to 26, 2015, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its fifth Francophone Symposium at Laurentian University in Sudbury. More than 90 health professionals and community partners from across Northern Ontario gathered to explore dimensions of health care related to Francophone populations.

With a particular focus on mental health and the “active offer” (ensuring that services in French are obvious, easily available, and accessible), the conference provided dynamic presentations, discussions, and a student-led wellness workshop. These activities focused on community networking, capacity building, health practices and services, and collaborative approaches designed to enhance effective health-care delivery for Francophones in Northern Ontario.

The breadth of topics reflected the diversity of challenges in the provision of effective health care for Francophone people and communities. Distinguished speakers included:

• François Boileau, the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, who spoke about the Commission’s 2014-2015 Annual Report and the importance of creating an environment where it is conducive for Francophones to obtain services in their language of choice.
• Diane Quintas, Executive Director of the Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario, who presented detailed information relating to a new Joint Position Statement on the Active Offer of French Language Health Services in Ontario on behalf of the Alliance of Francophone Health Networks in Ontario as well as the Group of French-language Health Planning Entities.
• Philippe Leblanc, Franco Doc Project Coordinator, Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), who discussed the Franco Doc project which aims to support Francophone students studying in English-language faculties of medicine by developing French-language medical resources and additional placement opportunities in Francophone communities by linking Anglophone medical faculties with francophone health networks and francophone communities.
• Denis Vaillancourt, Chair of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, who highlighted the work which resulted in the White Paper on French Language Health Care in Ontario.
• Dr. Marie-France Tourigny-Rivard, Chair, Seniors Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, who discussed the progress made to implement the recommendations of the Mental Health Commission of Canada in relating to accessing francophone mental health services for the elderly in Northern Ontario.
• Dr. Bernard Leduc, Executive Director, Montfort Hospital, who discussed the ways in which NOSM and Montfort can collaborate to provide French-language health professional education for Northern Ontarians.
• Dr. Raymond Tempier, Professor of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, who reported on the findings of a recent study relating to Franco-Ontarians’ access to in-hospital psychiatric services.
• Louise Bouchard, Ph. D., Professor of Sociology, University of Ottawa, who provided findings on mental health status data relating to the Francophone population of Ontario.
• Dr. Benoit Mulsant, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, who spoke about the services needed to address the needs of the aging population with mental health and addiction issues.

In addition, presentations were given from NOSM’s various educational and administrative portfolios to report back to the Francophone community about the School’s efforts to ensure their activities and initiatives meet the needs of the Francophone community. Most importantly, these presentations included round-table discussions to seek input from participants about how NOSM can continue to improve to meet the needs of Francophones in Northern Ontario.

“At NOSM, we determine our activities in partnership with Northern Ontario communities,” says Dr. David Marsh, NOSM Deputy Dean and Associate Dean, Community Engagement. “That’s what the Francophone Symposium is about: understanding the needs of the francophone community so that we can ensure that our initiatives are tailored to meet those needs. We look to you, as our valued partners and members of the Francophone community, to help us ensure that our graduates are equipped to work in Francophone communities.”

“The members of the Francophone community welcomed the opportunity to hear from the members of the NOSM team in order to better understand and truly appreciate all the work that has been done during the last 10 years,” notes Jacqueline Gauthier, Chair of the NOSM Francophone Reference Group. “They also welcomed the opportunity to discuss with the NOSM team, including Dr. Strasser and Dr. Marsh, future plans and strategies to be developed as the medical school continues to strive to meet the needs of French speaking patients throughout Northern Ontario for years to come.”

“I’d like to congratulate the Northern Ontario School of Medicine on its 10th anniversary,” said Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for the City of Greater Sudbury, Ward 12. “NOSM has had a lasting impact on our community and those across the North, where students become familiar with the landscape of our communities, including Francophone culture. Our physician recruitment program has seen much success. I am pleased to report that 45 NOSM-trained family physicians have begun practising in Sudbury, with 15 committed to start here over the next few years. This accounts for approximately 50% of our family physicians, who will care for approximately 83,000 citizens in our community.”

Amid a Week of Important NOSM Public Events

Using a combination of web- and tele-conference connectivity across Northern Ontario, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its Annual Members and Board of Directors meetings on Wednesday, September 23, 2015.

Board members Dr. Bob Algie, Dr. Louise Logan, James Morris, and Dr. Teresa O’Driscoll were thanked for their significant contribution to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, as their terms completed September 23, 2015.

At the recommendation of the Board’s Governance Committee and Nominations and Community Relations Subcommittee, the Board appointed four new members to NOSM’s Board of Directors:

• Danielle Bélanger-Corbin
• Dr. Pierre Bonin
• Mark Hurst
• Bruce Sutton

In accordance with Board policy regarding Officers of the Corporation, Dr. Moira McPherson, Provost and Vice-President Academic Lakehead University, was confirmed as Chair of the Board and Dr. Robert Kerr, Vice President, Academic and Provost of Laurentian University, was confirmed as Vice-Chair.  NOSM MD candidate Krista Marcotte was also reappointed as Board member.

The Board approved both the audited financial statements for the year ending April 30, 2015, and that BDO Canada LLP be appointed as auditors for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2016.

This week is an important one for the School, and a busy one for NOSM Board members who participated in several public NOSM events. NOSM publicly launched its new 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, created in collaboration with people and communities of Northern Ontario, and officially opened its 10^th anniversary celebration by engaging communities across Northern Ontario to “Be Active with NOSM.” Also this week, NOSM’s Francophone Affairs Unit is hosting the School’s 5^th Francophone Symposium at Laurentian University in Sudbury.

The new Strategic Plan, NOSM’s 10^th anniversary celebrations, and the Francophone Symposium share a common theme-that is, each of them is grounded in NOSM’s commitment to working with the region’s people, communities, partners, and collaborators for a healthier North.

The Board made special recognition of NOSM’s many recent accomplishments, and faculty and staff were congratulated for another year of high achievement under the leadership of the Dean.

Prior to the official Board meeting, members were invited to a special pre-screening of TVO’s upcoming The Doctor Can See You Now, a documentary which follows the story of NOSM-trained physician, Dr. Doris Mitchell, the doctor for Brunswick House First Nation, Chapleau Cree First Nation, and the Township of Chapleau. The documentary examines Northern Ontario health-care issues, and provides insight into how the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is addressing the chronic shortage of physicians in our region. The Doctor Can See You Nowwill first air on TVO on September 30 at 9:00 p.m. EST.

The next Board of Directors meeting will be held in Thunder Bay on November 26 and 27, 2015.

For a complete list of Board members, please visit our website at nosm.ca.

Contact:

news@nosm.ca