Lieutenant-Colonel named trauma medical director
Dr. Homer Chin-Nan Tien is the new medical director of the Tory Regional Trauma Centre.
Dr. Tien, who is also a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Forces, is a skilled surgeon, a dedicated researcher and a trusted advisor within the medical community.
"On behalf of the entire Defence community, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Lieutenant-Colonel Tien," said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence.
"We are proud to have one of our medical officers appointed as medical director of trauma services at Sunnybrook Hospital. It demonstrates the type of top quality health-care providers within our ranks and is an example of the excellent partnerships we've been able to forge with the civilian medical community."
Dr. Tien enlisted in the Canadian Forces while attending medical school at McMaster University. He has served overseas as both a Canadian Forces general practitioner and a surgeon in Croatia, Bosnia, Africa, Burma, Afghanistan and the Middle East.
"We are honoured to have someone with Dr. Tien's experience and background leading Sunnybrook's Trauma Centre," said Barry McLellan, President and CEO of Sunnybrook.
"As the first and largest trauma centre in the country, we require a leader who is an exceptional individual all around - and that is evident in Dr. Tien," he added.
Dr. Tien completed his general surgery training in 2002 at the University of Toronto before going on to a two-year fellowship with Sunnybrook's trauma team.
In addition to caring for trauma and general surgery patients, he has conducted extensive research in the field and published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles.
He has researched the association between alcohol and mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury, how to prepare Canadian military surgeons for Afghanistan, and the effects of using hypertonic saline in trauma resuscitation.
He received his master's of medical science in clinical epidemiology from the University of Toronto in 2007 where he is currently an assistant professor.
"Lieutenant-Colonel Tien is a model for us all. We are very fortunate to have him as a part of our team and are proud he has been selected for such a prestigious position within the medical community," said Surgeon General Commodore Hans Jung.
"He is just one example of the many world-class health-care professionals that belong to the Canadian Forces' health care team and that provide full spectrum, high quality health services to Canada's military personnel wherever and whenever they serve."
In his role as medical director, Dr. Tien will be leading Canada's largest trauma centre and will be an integral member of the trauma, emergency and critical care program.
