Energize and Empower: LMP Faculty Wellness Workshop
For all faculty appointed in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto.
This workshop aims to share knowledge about the importance of faculty wellness in promoting workplace performance, both for you and your teams, and provide practical steps that you can take to integrate wellness into your daily life.
At the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Understand that faculty wellness is a collective endeavour, requiring support from departmental leadership and empathy from colleagues in addition to personal actions
- Define wellness and reflect on your present state of well-being
- Create a plan for integrating wellness strategies into your professional and personal lives
- Identify opportunities to integrate wellness strategies within your teams
Speakers
See below for full bios.
Talk title: Introduction to the Principles of Wellness
Dr. Gino Somers, Co-Vice Chair, Wellness, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (WIDE) in LMP and Physician Lead for Wellness at The Hospital for Sick Children
Talk title: Energize and Empower: Making it Real, Living it; Doing it Together
Dr. Heather Yang, Co-lead of the St. Joes Physician Wellness Steering Committee, and member of TASHN wellness, Ontario Wellness Network (OWN), and the Joy in Work Committees and Dr. Suzanne Wong, Associate Professor Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Family and Community Medicine and Co-lead of the St. Joe’s Physician Wellness Steering Committee, and member TASHN wellness.
Where and when
Thursday, October 19th, 2023
11:00 am to 2:30 pm
Faculty Club, University of Toronto, 41 Willcocks Street
Lunch will be provided.
Space is limited. Please register early to ensure your spot.
Registration and contact
This initiative was funded through the LMP Faculty Development Day catalyst funding.
Contact the team members if you have any questions:
- Dr. Adele Changoor changoor@lunenfeld.ca
- Dr. Golnaz Karoubi golnaz.karoubi@utoronto.ca
- Dr. Maria Pasic maria.pasic@unityhealth.to
Speaker details
Dr. Heather Yang
BSc(Physio), MD, FRCP(C), Assistant Professor of Paediatrics
Dr. Yang is Co-lead of the St. Joes Physician Wellness Steering Committee, and member of TASHN wellness, Ontario Wellness Network (OWN), and the Joy in Work Committees.
She has been a consultant Paediatrician for 23 years. At St. Joseph’s Health Centre – Unity Health Toronto, she served as Medical Lead for Quality and the Paediatric School Outreach Clinic, and Chief of Paediatrics from 2018-2023. Her special interests include education, health promotion, injury prevention and wellness.
Dr, Suzanne Wong
MD, DABOG, FRCS(C), CCFP, RDMS, Associate Professor Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Wong is Co-lead of the St. Joe’s Physician Wellness Steering Committee, and member TASHN wellness. She is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and a Family Medicine specialist. She has worked at St. Joseph’s Health Centre for 20 years. She has served as Medical Director and the interim Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and president of the Medical Staff Association. She is currently the Director of Faculty Development for the University of Toronto Department of OB/GYN.
Dr. Wong has a longstanding interested in physician and team wellness and is deeply committed to supporting this work for faculty and learners. Outside of work you can find her spending time with friends and family. She enjoys tennis, music, and appreciating nature.
Dr. Gino Somers
MBBS, BMedSci, PhD, FRCPA, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology
Dr. Somers is Division Head of Pathology and interim Chief of Laboratories at the Hospital for Sick Children and Professor at the University of Toronto. His research has included independent grant-funded projects and numerous collaborative projects focusing on the biology and pathology of pediatric sarcomas. He has over 120 publications and book chapters and over 50 invited talks. Dr. Somers has won numerous international prizes for his research. His work led to the first description of a novel Ewing-like sarcoma family in pediatric patients and resulted in the first diagnostic assay for pediatric sarcomas using a NanoString-based assay. His recent work has focused on implementing cutting-edge molecular diagnostics for pediatric cancer, including NanoString and NGS-based technologies.
In 2018, Dr. Somers joined the Physician Peer Support group at Sick Kids and has been the Physician Lead for Wellness since November 2020. He is an advocate for wellness across the hospital and the university, and is actively seeking solutions to prevent burnout and improve the wellbeing of healthcare workers.
Dr. Somers has many years’ experience in medical leadership and is the past president of the Society for Pediatric Pathology. He has received both the Medical Staff Association’s Citizenship Award and the President’s Award from the Hospital for Sick Children.
