Leadership in Organizational Development

1700
1753

Louis XV signed the Letters Patent

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1800
1867

Only three months after Canada signed the British North America Act, the Canadian Medical Association was launched with Sir Charles Tupper as its inaugural president.

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1868

During his three terms as President of the CMA, Sir Tupper watched over the new organization’s initial growth.

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1869

At the age of 26, Dr. Montizambert became medical superintendent at Grosse Île

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1876

Dr. Stowe founded the Toronto Women’s Literary Club, later renamed the Canadian Women’s Suffrage Association.

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1894

Dr. Montizambert’s public health success did not go unnoticed

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1896

In 1896, Sir Charles Tupper was appointed Prime Minister of Canada and remains the only physician to have served in that role.

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1899

Dr. Montizambert was tasked with establishing the Department of Agriculture’s first section devoted to public health

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1900
1901

First presented the Canada Medical Act (“Roddick Bill”) before the House of Commons

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1910
1914

As the Grenfell Mission expanded and saw overwhelming success, Dr. Grenfell recognized the need for improved regulation and funding

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1914

Connaught Laboratories was established

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1919

The federal government established the Department of Health

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1920
1921

The Canadian Medical Association faced bankruptcy and impending dissolution

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1924

Dr. Jonathan Meakins - Pioneering Administrator

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1927

Dr. Pierre Masson was invited by the Université de Montréal to be Chair of the Department of Pathology

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1927

The University of Toronto created its School of Hygiene

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1928

Passing over an invitation from the Mayo Clinic, Collip instead joined McGill University as the head of their new Department of Biochemistry

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1930
1931

Starting in 1931, the “McEachern Study Committee” reported to the CMA on the lack of national attention being given to cancer diagnosis and treatment in Canada

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1934

The Montreal Neurological Institute was established

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1938

John S. McEachern was named the Founding President of the Canadian Society for the Control of Cancer

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1940
1943

As president, Dr. McEachern oversaw the CMA’s policy discussion on government-assistance in health insurance

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1945

Dr. Burton was recruited to the University of Western Ontario

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1948

G. Brock Chisholm became “Doctor to the World” when appointed first Director-General of the WHO

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1950
1950

Dr. Mackenzie was named Chair of the Department of Surgery and remained in this position until 1959

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1950

During the poliomyelitis epidemic of the 1950s, Dr. Armand Frappier pioneered virology and introduced the Salk vaccine to Canada

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1951

Dr. Farquharson became a member in National Research Council of Canada

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1952

After only two years at McGill, Dr. Clarke Fraser founded the first Canadian medical genetics department in a paediatric hospital, the Montreal Children’s Hospital

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1952

Inspired by the multi-disciplinary approach of European research centres, Dr. Genest returned to Quebec and established his first laboratory at Hôtel-Dieu

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1954

Dr. Bette Stephenson became a founding member of the College of General Practice Canada (now the College of Family Physicians Canada)

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1954

The Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) opened its doors with Dr. David serving as its first director

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1956

Louis Siminovitch joins the Ontario Cancer Institute

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1958

Dr. Ray Farquharson produced the "Farquharson Report" which described the current state of medical research in Canada

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1959

Gingras led a Red Cross mission to Morocco

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1959

Lacor Hospital was built by Comboni missionaries

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1960
1960

After three successful years at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Dirks moved to McGill University’s Royal Victoria Hospital as head of the Division of Nephrology

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1960

Ray Farquharson served as the founding president of the Medical Research council for five years

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1963

As a builder of medical research capacity, Dr. Genest contributed to the founding of the Medical Research Council of Quebec

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1965

Brown appointed president of the Medical Research Council

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1966

After convincing the provincial and federal governments of his idea for a medical school in Newfoundland, Dr. Rusted was appointed Director of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Coordinator of…

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1966

Fraser Mustard became a founding member of the McMaster University’s Faculty of Medicine

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1967

Dr. Ian McWhinney emigrated to Canada to become the first professor and chair of family medicine in Canada at Western University

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1967

The Centre medical Claude-Bernard was established. Known today as the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) Dr. Genest served as its director until his retirement in 1984.

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1969

Dr. Charles Drake became the first chair of the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at the University of Western Ontario

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1969

With his close friend Dr. Charles Drake, Henry Barnett was the founding Chief of the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences at University Hospital (London) and The University of Western Ontario

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1970
1970

Dr. Bette Stephenson was elected President of the Ontario Medical Association, the first woman to hold the position in its 90-year history

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1970

Dr. Lou Siminovitch appointed Geneticist-in-Chief at The Hospital for Sick Children

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1970

The J.A. Hildes Northern Medical Unit officially opened on July 1, 1970

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1971

Dr. Bienenstock established and became the director of the Host Resistance Program for McMaster

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1971

Dr. Naimark was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba

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1971

Dr. Worton returned to Canada and joined the Department of Genetics at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto as Director of the Cytogenetics Laboratory

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1971

The Alberta Hospital Services Commission was established

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1971

Under Dr. Maurice Leclair’s guidance, the Department of National Health and Welfare created the Long-Range Health Planning Branch

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1972

Dr. Peter Macklem founded the Meakins-Christie Laboratories, which emerged as one of the world’s leading centres for pulmonary research

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1973

Dr. Stephenson was elected President of the Canadian Medical Association, the first woman to hold the position in its 106-year history

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1973

The School for Registered Nurses opened

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1974

The National Food Distribution Centre for the Treatment of Metabolic Diseases is created

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1975

Dr. Mount persuaded the leadership of the Royal Victoria Hospital and McGill University to open the first comprehensive palliative care service at the Royal Victoria Hospital

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1975

May Cohen led a federal government workshop on women’s health care, as part of the Canadian government’s response to International Women’s Year

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1976 - 1979

Becomes first President of the Native Nurses' Association of Canada

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1976

Dr. Gold established and became the inaugural director of the McGill Cancer Centre

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1976

IRCM became home to the first centre of bioethics in Canada and the French-speaking world

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1976

Dr. Keon founded the University of Ottawa Heart Institute at the Ottawa Civic Hospital

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1977

John Bradley was appointed Special Advisor on Medical Research

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1978

Dr. Naranjan Dhalla led the first Centre of Excellence in Heart Research to be funded by the Medical Research Council of Canada

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1979

Cyclosporine was discovered

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1979

The Douglas Hospital Research Centre was established and Dr. Lehmann served as the first chairman of the Centre’s board

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1980
1980-2003

Dr. Murray served as Director of the Dalhousie MS Research Unit from 1980-2003.

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1980s

Lacor Hospital continued to expand with the opening of a second surgical wing

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1980

The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research was established

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1981

Charles Hollenberg became Director of the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre

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1981

Dr. Arnold Naimark became President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba. He served in this position for 15 years

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1981

Dr. Eaves co-founded the Terry Fox Laboratory at the BC Cancer Agency

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1982

Dr. Mustard founded the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

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1984

The Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal (IRCM) was founded

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1985

As an innovative builder again, Siminovitch developed a research institute at Mount Sinai Hospital

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1985

Dr. Hankins is appointed to Canada’s National Advisory Committee on AIDS

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1985

Dr. Worton began a ten-year term as Geneticist-in-Chief at the Hospital for Sick Children. That same year he, along with colleague Dr. Peter Ray, identified a portion of the X chromosome containing…

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1985

Established a collaboration with The Liposome Company (Princeton, NJ) to develop nanomedicines to treat cancer

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1986

Dr. Drake was also instrumental in the founding of the John P. Robarts Research Institute

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1986

Dr. Goldboom served as the chair of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination

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1987 - 1989

Dr. Herbert serves as the president of North American Primary Care Research Group, most influential primary care research organization in the world.

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1988

Dr. Bergeron became the Director of the Clinical Research Unit for the treatment of AIDS in Quebec city and the eastern part of the province

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1988

Dr. Jacalyn Duffin became the Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine at Queen’s University

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1989

Along with Dr. Michael Hayden, Dr. Worton developed the successful proposal to create the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network (a Network of Centres of Excellence) and served as its Associate Director…

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1989

Cate Hankins led pioneering research on HIV in correctional settings in Canada

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1989

Committed to enhancing support for clinician-scientist, Dr. Aguayo became a founding member of the Canadian Society of Academic Medicine

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1989 - 1993

Director of the Cardiology Department and Deputy Director of the Research Centre of the University of Sherbrooke

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1989

Dr. Worton joined a small group of geneticists in Geneva to create HUGO, the international Human Genome Organisation.

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1989

With his natural leadership qualities and administrative skills, Dr. Bienenstock became Vice-President of the Faculty of Medicine.

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1990
1991

As a public intellectual, Dr. Bliss played an important role in the development of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

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1991

Charles Hollenberg accepted the position of President and CEO of the Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation (OCTRF)

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1991 - 1993

Dr. Stephen Blizzard becomes president of the International Civil Aviation Medical Association and the Society of Aerospace Medicine

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1991

May Cohen co-founded the Women's Health Office at McMaster University, the first of its kind in Canada

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1991

The Medical Research Council of Canada appointed new leadership

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1992

As the AIDS Crisis continued unabated, Dr. Montaner played a key role in the establishment of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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1992

Dr. Dirks heads the Gairdner Foundation

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1992

Dr. Hakim moved to the nation’s capital where he became chair of the University of Ottawa’s Neurology Department and the director of the university’s newly established Neuroscience Research Institute

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1992

Dr. Naylor was named the inaugural chief executive of the renowned Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)

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1992

Dr. Tator founded ThinkFirst Canada

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1992

Dr. Worton was appointed Director of the Canadian Genome Analysis and Technology Program which was the forerunner of Genome Canada established seven years later

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1993

Dr. Mount played an integral role in the development of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians

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1993

James Dosman became the founding Chair of the Canadian Coalition for Health and Safety in Agriculture

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1993 - 2002

Plays key role in bringing the surgical groups from The Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital together prior to their merger into the McGill University Health Centre

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1993

Sir John Bell founds The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University

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1993

With support from the world’s largest independent biotech company, Amgen, Dr. Mak established the Amgen Research Institute in Toronto

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1994

Dr. Hirsh became Vice-President of Vascular Therapeutic Inc.

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1994

Dr. John Dirks was chosen as the founding Chair of the International Society of Nephrology Commission for Global Advancement of Nephrology (COMGAN)

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1994

Dr. Michel Bergeron founded the Centre de recherché en infectiologie (CRI) de Université Laval

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1994

The Canadian Medical Discovery Fund was established

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1994

The Neuroscience Division of the Douglas Hospital Research Centre was formed with Dr. Quirion serving as its first scientific director

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1994

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) established the Clinician Investigator Program in all medical and surgical specialties, using Dr. Langer’s Surgeon Scientist Program at…

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1995

Beginning in 1995, Dr. Guyatt led a McMaster based workshop on “How to Teach Evidence Based Clinical Practice”

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1995

Dr. Judith G. Hall’s medical expertise and capacity for leadership was well-respected internationally

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1996

Despite his retirement, Dr. Duncan Sinclair took on arguably his most challenging task in 1996 when he agreed to chair the Health Services Restructuring Commission of Ontario

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1997

Dr. Naimark became the founding chair of the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation

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1997

The Canadian Foundation for Innovation was created

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1997

Henry Friesen met with Paul Martin, Minister of Finance, to discuss the possibility of a new national agency for Canadian medical research

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1998

After a decade at UBC, Dr. Cynader was appointed Founding Director of the Brain Research Centre

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1998

Extending his influence beyond Quebec, Dr. Chrétien was named the scientific director of the Loeb Institute at the Ottawa Civil Hospital

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1998

Helps formalize and officially establish the Native Physicians Association of Canada.

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Late 1990's

President of the Canadian Aerospace Medicine and Aeromedical Transport Association

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1998

Under Dr. Martin’s leadership as dean, the Dana Farber Harvard Cancer Centre was established

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1999

After taking a leadership role in founding the Canadian Stroke Network, Dr. Antoine Hakim became its CEO and scientific director

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1999 - 2003

Director of cardiology and of the Cardiovascular Program of the UHN (Munk Cardiac Center) and Mount Sinai Hospital

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1999 - 2010

Dr. Herbert serves as Dean, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University.

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1999

Under the leadership of Dr. Mount, the McGill Program in Whole Person Care began this year

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2000
2000

CIHR was established

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2000

Demonstrating her leadership on an international scale, Dr. O’Connor co-led the Oxford Forum on Shared Decision Making

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2000

John Evans facilitated the creation of the Medical and Related Science Research District (MaRS) in Toronto

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2000

Ron Worton elected President of the American Society for Human Genetics

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2000

A great mentor, Michael Smith hand-picked Marco Marra to succeed him as Director of the GSC

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2000

While president of the International AIDS Society, Dr. Wainberg organized and co-chaired the first International Conference on HIV Microbicides in Washington DC

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2000

Alan Bernstein becomes President of CIHR

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2000

When the Canadian Institutes of Health Research was formed in 2000, they chose health policy leader Dr. David Naylor as their inaugural governor

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2000

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) appointed Dr. Quirion as the first Science Director for the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA), one of Canada’s 13…

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2001

Dr. Annette O’Connor and her team established the first open access international inventory of patient decision aids and decision guides.

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2001

Following merger of four Ottawa hospitals to create The Ottawa Hospital, Dr. Worton became the first CEO and Scientific Director of the new Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and VP Research of the…

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2001

Under the direction of Dr. Berger, the DFCM at St. Michael’s hospital established Canada’s first academic infirmary for people suffering homelessness

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2001

When the Canadian Institutes of Health Research was formed, Dr. Jean Gray was asked to chair the Institute of Gender and Health Advisory Board

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2001

Dr. Chochinov co-founded the Canadian Virtual Hospice (CVH) and served as its chair for the next 16 years

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2003

Creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada

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2003 - 2010

Dean, Faculty of Medicine, in at University of Montreal

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2003 - 2007

Dr. Herbert chairs the National Expert Committee, Health Canada Interprofessional Education (IPE) for Patient-Centred Collaborative Care which funded many innovative IPE projects.

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2004

Dr. Cullis to co-found the not-for-profit Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD, now adMare BioInnovations)

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2004

Dr. Philip Berger Led the first Ontario Hospital Association team to Lesotho

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2004 - 2017

Founding Director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute

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2005

Dr. Simons made history as the first foreigner to be elected as President by the Fellows of the America Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

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2005 - 2008

Leads the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

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2005

Recognizing a gap in the Canadian research landscape, Dr. Judith Hall became a founding member of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

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2006

Dr. O’Connor founded and co-led the Inaugural International Patient Decision Aids Standards Collaboration

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2007

Agrivita Canada Inc. was formed through the leadership of Dr. Dosman

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2008 - 2010

Co-chair, National Academic Health Science Centre Task Force on Securing the Future of Canadian Academic Health Science Centers

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2009

Dr. Culllis co-founded Acuitas Therapeutics with Tom Madden and Mick Hope

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2009 - 2019

Founding Fellow of Canadian Academy of Health Sciences

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2010
2011

Dr. James Dosman led the International Labour Organization’s effort to design an international safety code

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2011

Dr. Quirion became the first Chief Scientist of Quebec

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2012

Elaine Carty is called out of retirement to resume the Directorship of UBC program to oversee the first expansion of the program.

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2015

In July of 2015, the Federal Government appointed Harvey Max Chochinov to chair the External Panel on Options for a Legislative Response to Carter v. Canada

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2020
2021

About the CMHF

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) celebrates Canadian heroes whose work advances health in Canada and the world, fostering future generations of health professionals through the delivery of local and national youth education programs and awards.

This enduring tribute to our country’s rich medical history is showcased here and in our physical exhibit hall in London, ON

Building our health organizations and systems Leadership in Organizational Development

Leadership in Organizational Development

Sainte Marguerite d'Youville

Sir Charles Tupper, MD

Sir Charles Tupper, MD

Frederick Montizambert, MD

Emily Stowe, MD

Frederick Montizambert, MD

Sir Charles Tupper, MD

Frederick Montizambert, MD

Sir Thomas Roddick, MD

Sir Wilfred Grenfell, MD

John FitzGerald, MD PhD

Frederick Montizambert, MD

John S. McEachern, MD

Jonathan Meakins, MD

Pierre Masson, MD

John FitzGerald, MD PhD

James Collip, MD PhD

John S. McEachern, MD

Wilder Penfield, MD

John S. McEachern, MD

John S. McEachern, MD

Alan C. Burton, PhD

G. Brock Chisholm, MD

Walter C. Mackenzie, MD

Armand Frappier, MD

Ray Farquharson, MD

F. Clarke Fraser, MD PhD

Jacques Genest, MD

Bette Stephenson, MD

Paul David, MD

Louis Siminovitch, PhD

Ray Farquharson, MD

Gustave Gingras, MD

Lucille Teasdale-Corti, MD

John Dirks, MD

Ray Farquharson, MD

Jacques Genest, MD

G. Malcolm Brown, MD DPhil

Ian Rusted, MD

J. Fraser Mustard, MD PhD

Ian R. McWhinney, MD

Jacques Genest, MD

Charles Drake, MD

Henry J.M. Barnett, MD

Bette Stephenson, MD

Louis Siminovitch, PhD

Arnold Naimark, MD

John Bienenstock, MD

Arnold Naimark, MD

Ronald Worton, PhD

John Bradley, MD

Maurice LeClair, MD

Peter Macklem, MD

Bette Stephenson, MD

Lucille Teasdale-Corti, MD

Charles Scriver, MD

Balfour Mount, MD

May Cohen, MD

Thomas A. Dignan, MD

Phil Gold, MD PhD

Jacques Genest, MD

The Honourable Wilbert Keon, MD

John Bradley, MD

Naranjan S. Dhalla, PhD

Calvin R. Stiller, MD

Heinz E. Lehmann, MD

T. Jock Murray, MD

Lucille Teasdale-Corti, MD

John Bradley, MD

Charles Hollenberg, MD

Arnold Naimark, MD

Connie J. Eaves, PhD

J. Fraser Mustard, MD PhD

Michel Chrétien, MD

Louis Siminovitch, PhD

Catherine Hankins, MD PhD

Ronald Worton, PhD

Pieter R. Cullis, PhD