Fall 2017 (Volume 27, Number 3)

Awards, Appointments, and Accolades

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Dr. Abraham Chaiton

Dr. Abraham Chaiton was awarded the 2017 Community Rheumatologist Award of Excellence, from the University of Toronto's (U of T) Division of Rheumatology. The honour was presented to Dr. Chaiton at the annual Ogryzlo Research Day. This year, Dr. Chaiton was chosen as the community rheumatologist in the greater Toronto region, who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of rheumatology, at the community and regional levels, as well as to the U of T academic community.

Dr. Chaiton acknowledges his colleagues at Sunnybrook Hospital and the members of the Canadian Rheumatology Ultrasound Society (CRUS), who have supported his passion for the application of point-of-care ultrasound (US) in patient care, teaching and research. Currently, he is engaged with the Royal College Committee on Specialties in developing a university-based diploma level program in Neuromusculoskeletal US at point of care, while also developing an ultrasound-guided procedures workshop following the annual CRA meeting Vancouver. The impact of US teaching to over 250 rheumatologists has stimulated the introduction of US training in many fellowship training programs. Dr. Chaiton envisions the scope of rheumatology practice will soon incorporate point-of-care US into daily practice. He is confident that such a transformation should improve the quality and efficiency for the delivery of rheumatology healthcare.

Dr. Peter Dent

On June 30, 2017, Dr. Peter Dent was among 99 new appointees to the Order of Canada. The citation reads: “For his contributions to improving the health of children through his roles in medical education, hospital administration and community service.” Dr. Dent is Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at McMaster University.

He trained in rheumatology and immunology at the University of Minnesota, and then joined the McMaster Department of Pediatrics as a career investigator in 1968. He served as Chair of Pediatrics, subsequently was Director of Research at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals, and then Associate Vice-President (Clinical Services) for the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University. Concurrently, he continued to practice pediatric rheumatology and immunology until his retirement in 2017. He was instrumental in the founding of the Children’s Hospital at McMaster and the Hamilton Ronald McDonald House, and in the creation of the subspecialty of pediatric rheumatology by the American Board of Pediatrics. In 1985, he established the pediatric rheumatology listserver. In 2004, he became a Master of the American College of Rheumatology. In 2012, he received the Alan Ross Award, which is the most prestigious honour given by the Canadian Pediatric Society, recognizing lifelong excellence in the fields of pediatric research, education, healthcare and advocacy.

Dr. Gillian Hawker

Dr. Gillian Hawker received the May Cohen Award for Women Mentors from the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) at the 2017 annual meeting in August. The award is presented to a woman physician who has demonstrated outstanding mentoring by: encouraging, facilitating and supporting career and leadership development; contributing to mentees’ success through the sharing of insight, perspective and knowledge, and relationships; and acting as an effective role model in medicine. Throughout her career as a rheumatologist, clinician scientist and academic leader in medicine at the University of Toronto, she has had the pleasure of mentoring, formally and informally, many spectacular individuals in musculoskeletal medicine. She considers witnessing the academic and personal successes of her mentees an honour and a thrill.

Dr. Ronald Laxer

I was thrilled to receive the 2017 Dafna Gladman Award. Dafna has been and continues to be a giant in the world of rheumatology and to be associated with her name is a great honour indeed. One of Dafna’s major contributions to the University of Toronto Division of Rheumatology was to the Rheumatology Training Program which she directed for many years. I would like to think that this award is at least partially in recognition of my own participation in the training of Pediatric Rheumatology Fellows, which has been the most satisfying part of my career.

The Dafna Gladman Award was established by the University of Toronto in 2004 to recognize Dr. Gladman's dedication and committment to mentoring, counselling, and academic medicine.