Chairman's Column - March 14, 2008

Our Division continues to work together to further develop its shared vision for the future of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Toronto. The Division identified three priorities for 2007/08-2010/11 including:

• 1. maintain and develop research, education and clinical excellence,
• 2. build through sound financial management and planning and
• 3. enhance stakeholder and public perception and awareness.

These priorities are interdependent and critical to our future success. I'd like to take a moment to summarize some of the advances made across the Division by various hospitals and faculty members.

(1) Maintain and develop research, education and clinical excellence

(a) Recruit and retain dedicated researchers, further develop divisional collaboration and depth of Divisional infrastructure to promote creativity and innovation, and facilitate grants, publications and invited lectures.

Recruitment and retention is a priority for the Division and for each of our teaching hospitals. Below are updates for each of the Chiefs of Plastic Surgery at teaching hospitals that are currently recruiting academic plastic surgeons - surgeons that are committed to enhancing our Division's commitment to research excellence.

Recruitment Efforts and Updates across the Division of Plastic Surgery
University Health Network
Dr. Stefan Hofer, Chief of Plastic Surgery

The Division of Plastic Surgery at the TGH and PMH sites is going through a transitional phase. From October 2007 Stefan Hofer, the new Division Head replacing Peter Neligan, joined Joan Lipa. The initial plan to search for two new recruits has been changed into a search for three new recruits due to the departure of Joan Lipa this April. We are currently interviewing and negotiating with several junior and senior candidates (Canadian and international). The establishment of the Belinda Stronach Chair in Breast Cancer Reconstruction will greatly aid in the recruitment process. Hopefully, the first recruits will start at UHN this fall.

The TGH and PMH sites will continue to focus on Head & Neck, Breast and Sarcoma Reconstruction. In addition, an effort will be made to build collaboration with specialists interested in skin cancer in order to further develop our capacity in nasal and complex facial reconstruction. Furthermore, initial collaborative relationships have been made to bring validated outcomes research into the Head & Neck and Breast Reconstruction programs. Future basic research efforts will continue to focus on ischemia reperfusion damage prevention following microsurgical free flap reconstruction. New basic research plans will involve mucosa tissue engineering for Head & Neck reconstruction and fat tissue engineering for breast reconstruction.

The Division is currently at a crossroads, and with hard work and all the resources and new opportunities provided by the organization, the Division will continue to grow and develop as a major site for reconstructive microvascular surgery.

Stefan

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Paul Binhammer, Chief of Plastic Surgery

The Division of Plastic Surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is involved in significant initiatives towards recruitment. The Division is currently involved in recruiting a plastic surgeon with an interest in oncology and reconstructive microvascular surgery. The Division has a major interest in supporting the development of the Breast Health Centre scheduled to open in 2010 in the new M-wing expansion. In the long term, the plan is to recruit an additional person with an interest in oncology. The Ross Tilley Burn Centre is also about to begin a search for a new Director. Dr Joel Fish, the former director, has moved on to a new challenge as CMO of St. John's Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr Fish will be continuing to work at Sunnybrook in the Burn Unit. Sunnybrook is committed to hiring a fourth burn surgeon and we look forward to finding a capable person to join the team.

Paul

St. Joseph's Health Centre
Dr. Leila Kasrai, Chief of Plastic Surgery

The vision for St Joseph's Health Centre is to be Chair's Column Canada's Best Community Teaching Hospital. My goal as the division head for plastic surgery is to ensure that we provide the best possible teaching environment for our residents and medical students. We will strive to be the first choice of residents for their community training. The breadth and scope of our cases, which includes breast reconstruction, hand surgery, pediatric surgery, cosmetic surgery and ear reconstruction should be a great attraction to our residents. For the 2008 academic year, we already have a long list of elective medical students from both national and international universities. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Ron Levine on his new appointment as the Department of Surgery's Director of Postgraduate Education. His dedication to teaching has been exemplary and I feel privileged to have him as a colleague at St Joseph's Health Centre.

Leila

(b) Maintain excellence in breadth of training

In February, the Residency Program Committee of the Division of Plastic Surgery completed the interview process for incoming trainees starting July 2008. We interviewed a short list of candidates that included 14 CARMS applicants (total of 45 applications) and 4 International Medical Graduate (IMG) applicants (total of 71 applications).

For the first time, we were awarded 4 CARMS positions. Starting in July, we will be training four new PGY1s from CaRMS, one new PGY1 IMG and one new PGY1 VISA trainee. This brings our total complement of first year residents to 6. Although this increase is exciting for the division, it will require a new vision and approach to training residents.

I believe that the future of plastic surgery training in Toronto will include the addition of new teaching hospitals and the opportunity for career directed elective time. We have recently incorporated the Toronto East General Hospital into our rotation schedule and other exciting possibilities are being discussed. The flexibility afforded by a greater number of trainees will allow us to be more creative in planning resident rotations. Hopefully a variety of streams of training can be developed that will allow us to achieve our educational objectives but at the same time recognize that not all trainees envision the same type of clinical practice.

In January, I attended the Plastic Surgery Specialty Committee meeting at the Royal College in Ottawa. A number of items were discussed including a review of the spring exams, the Canadian In-Training practice exam and a discussion around core competencies and objectives for the core years of training. The program directors also committed to work together to organize the interview week for CaRMS across the country in a fashion that makes it manageable for new candidates to get to all the necessary programs.

I would like to remind everyone about several upcoming events including:

• The Toronto Breast Symposium, 17 April 2008
• The Toronto Aesthetic Symposium, 18 - 19 April, 2008
• The 2008 Hoyle Campbell Visiting Professor, 27 - 28 March 2008

And of course, please mark Tuesday, September 16, 2008 in your calendars for the 9th annual University of Toronto Charity Golf Tournament.

Mitch

Dr. Hoyle Campbell
A brief biography

Dr Campbell was born in Toronto and graduated from the University of Toronto Medical School in 1936.

Dr Campbell served in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps while in the United Kingdom. He joined a group of other Canadian physicians and surgeons at the military hospital in Basingstoke, where they treated the majority of the most serious Canadian Army plastic surgery cases

After the war, Dr Campbell returned to Canada and began a practice at the Toronto General Hospital. Soon after, he moved to St Michael's Hospital to become Chief of Plastic Surgery, a post he held for many years.

Dr. Campbell was known for his boundless enthusiasm and quick, innovative approach to problems. He met each challenge with an open mind and unfettered imagination. He was a meticulous planner and left nothing to chance.

Dr. Hoyle Campbell, in one of his most lasting accomplishments established the Tau Omicron Phi Chi Fund at the University of Toronto. Dr Campbell belonged to the Tau Omicron chapter of Phi Chi medical fraternity, and when they closed the chapter their remaining funds were given to Dr Campbell to hold in trust. He invested these funds and saw them grow into a substantial amount of money.

Dr Campbell often stated that his greatest regret as he grew away from the university milieu was the loss of contact with young people. He was at his best when he was with aspiring young surgeons, listening to their new ideas and attempting to inspire their imaginations. It was natural, therefore, that he would want to contribute in a lasting way to plastic surgery education. He was able to negotiate the transfer of the Phi Chi funds to establish the fund at the University of Toronto, now known as the Hoyle Campbell Visiting Professorship. This fund is used to sponsor an annual visiting professorship along with other educational endeavours.

To read a more comprehensive biography by Dr. Leith Douglas, please click here.

March 27 and 28

This year's Hoyle Campbell Visiting Professor is Dr. Steven McCabe from Louisville Kentucky. Read more here.

(2) Build through sound financial management and planning

Build revenue from Alumni

At Ron Levine and John Semple's party on November 29th, we ended the event with the announce Hoyle Campbell Visiting Professor 2008 ment of the Belinda Stronach Chair in Breast Cancer Reconstruction. We also made mention of our future plans to approach alumni to support a new fund-raising priority - the Professorship in Plastic Surgery Education. In an effort to raise the 1 million dollars required for the Professorship, the Division will be approaching Plastic Surgery Alumni for their support and donations. Efforts are underway to identify champions for the Professorship and develop the campaign to raise the 1 million dollars for the professorship.

See Alumni Giving

Develop Major Gifts Strategy

As many of you may know, securing the Belinda Stronach Chair in Breast Cancer Reconstruction was made possible through the tireless efforts of Dr. Marla Shapiro. Dr. Shapiro was committed to finding a major donor and was inspired by the excellent care and reconstructive efforts of her surgeon Dr. Joan Lipa. As we saw with the Stronach Chair, having a committed champion when working towards a major gift such as a Chair, is a great benefit and is critical to success. The Division and the Advancement Office are working hard to identify and secure a champion for the Chair in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery - more to come on this initiative at the next issue of PS News.

Develop a corporate philanthropy strategy

Corporate philanthropy is a priority for our Division. In order to ensure on-going success with all current and future corporate partnerships, our Division ensures that all partnerships are mutually beneficial and based on shared values. As we move forward, other potential corporate partners will be identified and relationships will be developed in an effort to gain further support for the Division and the work we do.

New Developments with our Corporate Philanthropy Strategy:

Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Fellowship

On behalf of Drs. Thomas Bell, Frank Beninger, Derek Ford and Trevor Born, am happy to announce that Mentor Canada has made a generous commitment of $100,000 to support one Aesthetic Fellow at the University of Toronto for the next two academic years with the intention of continuing an annual $50,000 gift in support of the Fellowship. The Division is grateful to Mr. Rick Sherman, Andy Edur and Kevin Simmons and the entire Mentor team for their commitment to our Division and to aesthetic plastic surgery.

Breast Cancer Reconstruction Fellowship

On January 2008 the first Fellow enrolled in the Breast Cancer Reconstruction Fellowship, in the Division of Plastic Surgery at University of Toronto. The Fellowship provides funding for two Plastic Surgeons wishing to receive education in the most up to date techniques in Breast Reconstruction including expander/implant, pedicled flaps, free flaps and perforator flaps. The Fellowship is one year in length and the Fellow will rotate through two six-month rotations at both Women's College Hospital and the Toronto General Hospital of the University Health Network.

The Fellows in this program can take advantage of other areas of expertise in breast surgery offered here at U of T and will gain experience in other types of procedures including correction of congenital and developmental breast deformity, breast reduction, mastopexy and breast augmentation.

Our first Fellow enrolled in the Breast Cancer Reconstruction Fellowship is Dr Meredith Simcock (see photo) who recently completed her training in Auckland New Zealand. Meredith is an excellent Fellow and is thoroughly enjoying our Canadian winter and in fact she has scheduled a weekend of dog sledding in Algonquin Park.

Allergan Inc., Canada, generously funds the University of Toronto Breast Reconstruction Fellowship.

John Semple

(3) Aware, Informed Stakeholders and Public

Faculty have agreed that it is a priority for our Division to improve and strengthen physician, stakeholder, media and public perceptions about plastic surgery. We continue to work closely with Naked Creative (www.nakedcreative.com), one of Toronto's leading branding and communications consulting firms to develop a major gifts communications strategy and the "Public" section of our website. More to come in the future!

The Division's new website, www.uoftplasticsurgery. ca, is beginning to take shape. The Web Development Committee has been hard at work over the last few months with the design process. Our vendor has completed the website back-end resulting in a sophisticated web environment that should satisfy the needs of our various stakeholder groups. The next major step will be the collection and creation of content to populate the essential portions of the site. Thanks to those who have already assisted with our requests for content thus far, either by providing images or ideas. This content acquisition will continue steadily over the next few months although the initial version of the site will be ready for viewing within the next few weeks. We will announce the arrival of the site with a Divisional notification and will encourage everyone to spend some time checking it out.

Peter Bray