Spring 2024 (Volume 34, Number 1)
Updates from Ontario
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Kingston Region Update
By Marie Clements-Baker, MD, FRCPC
Greetings from Kingston and area! Queen’s is delighted to welcome new faculty member Dr. Akihiro Nakamura. He comes to us after a spondyloarthritis (SpA) fellowship at the University of Toronto (U of T). He has enhanced our division through his passion for research, clinical work, and education. Happily, two of our recent grads have joined Dr. Henry Averns’ community practice:
Dr. Brett Catton and Dr. Bailey Dyck. Despite this, we remain underserviced with a very large catchment area. Dr. Jane Purvis closing her practice in Peterborough (congrats!) and saturated Ottawa rheumatologists exacerbate the regional shortage. Arthritis Society Canada (ASC) provides a welcomed model of care to help with the volume of referrals. Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care (ACPAC) occupational therapist Lynn Richards is able to divert non-inflammatory referrals, and ASC physiotherapist Lisa Robinson is working to complete her ACPAC training. Queen’s has had a longstanding relationship enabling the provision of care to First Nations patients in Kingston. A recent initiative has once again allowed us to bring
such care back to Moose Factory. Dr. Marie Clements-Baker will provide clinics in Moose Factory. This will allow rheumatology trainees to attend and broaden their understanding of culturally sensitive care.
Marie Clements-Baker, MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine
Program Director, Division of Rheumatology
Queen's University
News from the
Hamilton Catchment Area
By Faiza Khokhar, MD, FRCPC
The Hamilton Rheumatology group is sad to see Dr. Maggie Larché move to Calgary, leaving behind a legacy of excellence in scleroderma care. We also wished goodbye to retirees Drs. Bianchi, Hart, Scocchia, and Cividino, whose commitment to our patients is missed. Our group excitedly welcomed Dr. Konstantinos Tselios from Toronto, specializing in SLE, and are looking forward to Dr. Noura Al-Osaimi, who has musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) expertise, joining us from Ottawa. We also welcomed Dr. Reza Mirza as a Clinical Scholar. Other new community practices include Dr. Eva Kovacs in Hamilton, Drs. Matt Jessome and Shahna Tariq in St. Catherines, Dr. Irena Doubelt in Burlington, and Dr. Gabriel Jeyasingham in Kitchener-Waterloo.
The adult McMaster Rheumatology group is working on developing a Central Triage system to meet increasing local demands, address wait times, and improve patient care in the region. We continue to be a centre of excellence in vasculitis care. We established McMaster as a research site for the Canadian Research Group of Rheumatology in Immuno-Oncology (CANRIO). Our group continues to ensure excellence in patient care, research, and education.
Faiza Khokhar, MD, FRCPC
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine,
Division of Rheumatology,
McMaster University
By Michelle Batthish, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Pediatric rheumatology in Hamilton continues to see tremendous growth over the past several years. Along with Drs. Michelle Batthish, Tania Cellucci, and Liane Heale, the team has welcomed Heather Ross (nurse), Degen Southmayd (physiotherapist), and Julie Herrington (full-time ACPAC-trained physiotherapist). Having such a diverse and multi-disciplinary team has allowed us to dedicate time towards expanding our research initiatives, including work towards improving transition to adult care, studying the impact of ACPAC therapists in pediatric rheumatology, and much more!
We have also recently developed the Steppingstones program for children 2-5 years of age with functional impairments related to juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) involving their foot or knee. This comprehensive program includes a 6-week exercise program with a physiotherapist and may include an assessment by an orthotist. The goal of the program is the normalization of gait and gross motor function. You can learn more about the program at the following link https://youtu.be/5fLgtOvtDlM.
Michelle Batthish, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Head, Division of Rheumatology
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics,
McMaster University
Ambulatory Lead, McMaster Children’s Hospital
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