Sunnybrook is leading surgical innovation in the Blake & Belinda Goldring Department of Surgery, thanks to donor support for new leadership roles
There is perhaps no more crowning achievement for Dr. Frances Wright’s trailblazing career at Sunnybrook than to be named the Chief of the Blake & Belinda Goldring Department of Surgery and Blake Goldring Chair in Surgery.
Nearly 20 years to the day after her Sunnybrook journey began, Dr. Wright was tapped to head up the department that has consistently raised the bar of what is possible at one of the world’s leading hospitals.
Dr. Wright’s ascent to Chief is a natural progression for a born leader
In addition to her renowned skills as a clinician, she has been an equally adept coach and nurturer of talent for the next generation.
In this role, Dr. Wright will build on the legacy of the inaugural Goldring Chair Dr. Avery Nathens, who completed his term as chief of the department after a decade of exceptional leadership.
The right direction
Jointly established by Sunnybrook and the University of Toronto in 2023 in honour of a significant donation from the Goldring Family, the Blake Goldring Chair in Surgery provides funding to advance new approaches to surgical care, and to attract and support the talent to implement them.
Within the first nine months, funding from the Goldring Chair supported the recruitment of four rising stars at Sunnybrook: surgeon-scientists who are both leaders in their field of surgical expertise and innovators committed to transforming care with robotics and digital navigation (see more in the content panel below).
Now just half a year into in her term, Dr. Wright has leveraged that funding to establish two new leadership roles for Dr. Jeremie Larouche and Dr. Laura Snell, dedicated to advancing innovation, professionalism and inclusion across the Goldring Department.
The right people
Division Chief of Sunnybrook’s Spine Program Dr. Jeremie Larouche is the new Surgery Innovation and Special Projects Lead. He paints a clear picture of how this generous donation will change the trajectory of patient recovery.
Dr. Larouche recalls a recent cancer surgery where the complicated procedure called on the skills of multiple surgeons over numerous hours, and while successful, required the use of an incision that covered virtually the entirety of the patient’s spine.
Part of Dr. Larouche’s new role is to explore novel partnerships to outfit Sunnybrook with state-of-the-art equipment such as 3D microscopes, surgical robots and digital navigation systems, and it’s not hard to see how those technologies will be useful in similar complex procedures.
By leveraging the Goldring Chair, a better way is within our grasp.
Imagine what it would have meant for the patient’s recovery to have completed that same procedure using 3D imaging and surgical robotics through a tiny incision,” says Dr. Larouche.
Imagine what it would have meant for the patient’s recovery to have completed that same procedure using 3D imaging and surgical robotics through a tiny incision,” says Dr. Larouche.
Dr. Laura Snell is another shining example of what the Goldring Chair is helping Sunnybrook realize. As Lead for Professionalism and Inclusion, she now has the protected time to foster a culture of inclusivity and engagement among the Goldring Department’s high-performing teams.
Dr. Snell has launched a weekly multidisciplinary case conference – the first of its kind in the field of trauma and surgery – for Sunnybrook’s surgeon-specialists in plastic and reconstructive surgery, orthopaedics, vascular, complex wound reconstruction, physiatry and rehabilitation, infectious disease, and trauma and critical care to discuss and plan surgical care pathways for patients with complex extremity traumas.
The new collaborative process and care model, enabled by the Goldring Chair, is improving communication, breaking down barriers between disciplines and creating opportunities for Team Sunnybrook to customize surgical care to meet the needs of each individual patient.
“We already feel that these rounds have helped us to prioritize care for complex trauma patients, allowing for more efficient use of operating time with better outcomes for patients,” says Dr. Snell.
It all adds up to a significant return on an investment that Mr. Blake Goldring says was a privilege and an honour to provide. “There’s such a great feeling of warmth from the heart knowing that you’re helping support top-notch surgical teams as they save lives,” he says.
Innovation is only possible when you have the right people working together.
“It’s amazing to think how one donor-funded Chair is supporting the work of so many Sunnybrook surgeons who will impact countless patients across multiple program areas, from brain sciences to cardiac to cancer,” reflects Dr. Wright.
“I hope the Goldring Family and all our donors know that their gifts are really allowing us to transform care, lead change and innovate in ways that solidify Sunnybrook’s place among the very best research hospitals in Canada and the world.”
Four rising stars
Leveraging the resources of the Golding Chair, Sunnybrook recruited four surgeon-scientists, providing them with protected research time and resources to innovate, train the next generation of clinician-investigators and impact patient care across multiple program areas.
Surgeon-scientists are both MDs and PhDs who use the knowledge they gain at the bedside to ask and answer important clinical questions and then apply those discoveries to trailblaze patient care.
A specialist in minimally invasive cardiac valve surgery, Dr. Derrick Tam earned his PhD in Sunnybrook’s Schulich Heart Program, where he developed an app to predict readmission after discharge from cardiac surgery.
Dr. Ben Davidson was a member of the Sunnybrook team that demonstrated that patients with treatment-resistant depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder can be safely treated with focused ultrasound. As a neurosurgeon, he will continue to leverage new technologies to understand the injured brain.
Dr. Ying Ming is using MRI-guided focused ultrasound technology to break down the silos between neurosurgery and oncology and accelerate precise and personalized care for Sunnybrook patients with brain cancer.
A general surgeon who first studied electrical engineering, Dr. Matt Guttmann is harnessing the power of big data and AI to develop new strategies for evaluating the outcomes of surgical patients.
Looking ahead
The Blake & Belinda Goldring Department of Surgery has inducted Dr. Ashlie Nadler into the role of Vice Chief, dedicated to trailblazing solutions to get more patients the safe and timely care they need.
Among many practice-changing projects now underway, acute care surgeon Dr. Nadler is exploring the barriers to prepping multiple patients for day surgery at the same time. “We’re looking at things like how we staff nursing shifts and whether we can walk ambulatory patients to the OR rather than waiting for transport services,” she says.
Dr. Nadler has also secured a partnership with a Health Canada-approved company that reprocesses select surgical equipment. The program is both reducing waste and affording significant cost savings that Sunnybrook is reinjecting back into the surgical program.
“Sunnybrook has always been a place of innovation,” Dr. Nadler says, “but it’s sometimes the smallest changes that can make the biggest difference.”