Dr. Shahriar Shahrokhi awarded Prix d'Excellence - Specialist of the Year by Royal College

Dr. Shahriar Shahrokhi, burn surgeon in Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre (RTBC), has been chosen as a recipient of the prestigious Prix d’Excellence – Specialist of the Year Award for Region 3 by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Dr. Shahrokhi was chosen by the Royal College to receive the award for his outstanding clinical expertise, commitment to medical education and unwavering patient advocacy for burn patients from across Ontario, who benefit from his knowledge and compassion. He is one of just five physicians from across Canada to receive the award this year.

After joining the RTBC during his fellowship year in 2006, Dr. Shahrokhi quickly became known for his expertise in complex wounds. Being sought out by physicians for advice on wound treatments inspired him to create the Complex Wound Consultation Service at Sunnybrook. The service provides clinical teams with advanced assessment, intervention and recommendations for care.

“If we can improve wound care for some of the more complicated patients, we might be able to improve their outcomes, reduce stays in hospital and make centralized use of what is already in the system,” he said.

Dr. Shahrokhi is also well known as a leader in pain management. “We know the consequences if we don’t provide good pain care,” he said. “Patients lose confidence, they’re at risk for PTSD and depression. I’ve tried to approach it with individualized pain care. It’s not one solution for all.”

He credits an interdisciplinary team for good patient outcomes.

“He openly acknowledges how senior nurses taught him during his fellowship and he continues to incorporate learning opportunities for medical trainees to gain experience from nurses,” says Kimberly Furtado, nurse at the RTBC.

“Dr. Shahrokhi truly leads by example,” says Luis Enrique Meza, MD and clinical fellow at the RTBC. “He cares that we, the fellows, residents, and medical students, become excellent surgeons and clinicians because he wants the next generation of physicians to care for patients the best they can.”

Dr. Shahrokhi said he is “overwhelmed” to receive the Royal College’s Specialist of the Year award. “This is a huge honour and all of it goes to the team I work with… a team that has given me the leeway to experiment and hone my skills to hopefully improve the care for patients we look after.”

Read the full article on the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada website.