Inaugural Chair Named for Dr. Goldman
Through the generosity of donors, $3.5 million has been raised to create an endowment fund to support an inagural Chair, which we jointly share with the University of Toronto.
Named for Dr. Bernard S. Goldman, the founder of the division of cardiac and vascular surgery at Sunnybrook, the Chair will support clinical research and innovations in the surgical treatment of heart disease. It will also provide resources for the recruitment and retention of internationally competitive clinicians, clinician researchers and scientists towards achieving advances in cardiovascular surgery.
"I am truly honoured to accept the inaugural Chair position," says Dr. Fremes, head of the division of cardiac and vascular surgery and a professor at the University of Toronto.
"Dr. Goldman is a renowned clinician, researcher, educator and mentor to countless professionals, myself included. He is a pioneer, an innovator, an honoured teacher and an exceptional surgeon and academic. The establishment of this Chair will see to it that his legacy of excellence continues at the Schulich Heart Centre," he adds.
Dr. Goldman established the division of cardiac and vascular in 1989 and served as head of the division and as surgeon in chief of Sunnybrook. In addition to his current role as a consultant in cardiac surgery, Dr. Goldman is a professor emeritus in the department of surgery at the University of Toronto, editor of the Journal of Cardiac Surgery and has published the second edition of his book, History of Heart Surgery in Canada.
He is chair of a ministry working group on stand alone angioplasty, sits on a surgical panel at the CPSO, and is chairman of Save a Child's Heart Foundation Canada. He has led numerous research efforts to improve the care of cardiovascular surgery patients and has pioneered new approaches to aortic valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting and cardiac pacing.
Dr. Goldman was also appointed to the Order of Canada in 2010 for his contributions to the field of cardiac surgery and cardiac care. He will retire from his role as an active clinician in June, but he'll continue to see cardiac surgical patients in the arrhythmia clinic at the Schulich Heart Centre and in follow-up appointments at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and at St. John's Rehab Hospital.
"The landscape has changed dramatically since I began in the field 40 years ago," says Dr. Goldman.
"It's critical that we support protected time for clinical research in surgical heart disease, teaching and innovation in this rapidly changing field. Dr. Fremes has proven himself to be an exceptional surgeon and a highly effective leader, teacher and researcher and he is the ideal candidate to fill the role of Chair," Goldman adds.
The inagural appointment will commence on July 1, 2010.
