MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
November 17, 2008
LHSC attracts the best and brightest from around the world
(LONDON, Ontario) –Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre has attracted 11new paediatric physicians to the hospital from around the world including Australia, Germany and Switzerland, as well as Ottawa, Toronto and Owen Sound.
“Children’s Hospital is extremely pleased to welcome these fine physicians as we continue with our commitment to providing high-quality care to our patients and their families,” says Dr. Guido Filler, Chief, Department of Paediatrics, Children’s Hospital.
With the generous assistance of the Children’s Health Foundation, Children’s Hospital was able to undertake an extensive search which resulted in the recruitment of paediatric physicians from the following specialties: cardiology, general paediatrics, genetics, haematology, metabolics, neurosurgery, childhood obesity, ophthalmology, respirology, and urology. The physicians also have academic appointments to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario.
Says Dr. Kellie Leitch, Chief, Paediatric Surgery, "I am delighted with the talented new surgeons we have recruited to London. Our ability to attract this many prominent and experienced physicians and surgeons in such a variety of fields speaks to our commitment to excellence and contributes to our ability to provide the broadest range of children’s services in Southwestern Ontario.”
Adds Dr. Dirk Bock, Paediatrician, “I chose to come to London and to join the Children's Hospital because of the great opportunities to combine clinical paediatric care, research in fields of interest to me, and teaching at one of Canada's most renowned paediatric academic centers.”
Please see the attached Backgrounder for more information on each of the newly recruited physicians. For further information and/or to request an interview, please contact Corporate Communications (above).
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About London Health Sciences Centre
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is one of Canada’s largest acute-care teaching hospitals and is dedicated to excellence in patient care, teaching and research. LHSC has pioneered many national and international medical breakthroughs. Located in London, Ontario, LHSC encompasses three sites, South Street Hospital, University Hospital and Victoria Hospital; two family medical centres; and the London Regional Cancer Program. LHSC is the home of the Children’s Hospital and CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics). LHSC is affiliated with The University of Western Ontario. Physicians and staff at LHSC number more than 9,000 and together they provide care for more than 1 million patients last year.
For more information contact:
Rachelle Wood
Communications Consultant
Phone: 519 685-8500 ext. 77642
Rachelle.wood@lhsc.on.ca
After-hours assistance:
Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communication consultant on-call
Background Information
Dr. Dirk Bock
Dr. Bock joins Children’s Hospital from Switzerland. He is a well-trained General Paediatrician with additional training in Paediatric Respirology. Dr. Bock has been involved in inpatient care for children with obesity and will have as his academic focus General Paediatrics as well as childhood obesity.
Dr. Sumit Dave
Dr. Dave, Paediatric Urologist, has extensive experience and training in paediatric surgery as well as paediatric urology. His academic career has been undertaken in Australia and at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. Dr. Dave’s main research field is in the area of epidemiological studies, where he is currently pursuing a Masters degree.
Dr. Sandrine de Ribaupierre
Dr. Sandrine de Ribaupierre joins Children’s Hospital from Switzerland. Trained in both Switzerland and Canada, in Paediatric Neurosurgery, she joins Dr. Andreanna Ranger in the Paediatric Neurosurgery Division. She also completed a paediatric epilepsy fellowship in Paris. Dr. de Ribaupierre is fully bilingual and has a special interest in Paediatric Neurosurgery related trauma issues and in paediatric epilepsy surgery.
Dr. Sharan Goobie
Dr. Goobie joins Children’s Hospital from the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, where she recently graduated as a Royal College trained Geneticist. Dr. Goobie will be joining the Division of Genetics as its fourth Geneticist. Her interests include Neurogenetics, and she will also be providing on-call coverage for the Metabolics service.
Dr. Michelle McNeill
Dr. McNeill has joined Children’s Hospital as the Division Chief, Division of Academic General Paediatrics. Dr. McNeill had her training in London and has been working at the Children and Parent Resource Institute, London (CPRI) for several years. Dr. McNeill brings a wealth of experience, especially for children with complex care needs.
Dr. Kambiz Norozi
Dr. Norozi, Paediatric Cardiologist, completed his training in Germany. His PhD thesis focused on young adults with congenital heart disease and he studied the transition to adulthood of these patients. He has undertaken a wealth of research in numerous other fields and has special epidemiological training.
Dr. Ralf Rauch
Dr. Rauch joins Children’s Hospital from Tübingen, Germany. In addition to the field of Paediatric Cardiology, Dr. Rauch has extensive training in Paediatric Coagulation Disorders and Intensive Care and is a skilled Interventional Cardiologist. He has published 53 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, many in the domain of genetic causes of cardiac anomalies.
Dr. Herschel Rosenberg
Dr. Herschel Rosenberg, Section Head, Paediatric Cardiology, is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, who joined the Department of Paediatrics as a Paediatric Cardiologist in the late 1980's where he provided excellent clinical care to the children of Southwestern Ontario and beyond. He instituted outreach clinics in Windsor and Thunder Bay. He moved to the University of Ottawa in 2003. Dr. Rosenberg has a special interest in fetal echocardiography and congenital heart disease.
Dr. Victor Sauro
Dr. Saura, Academic Paediatrician, is returning to London from Owen Sound and will provide leadership in the field of General Paediatrics. He comes with a wealth of past experience, both in tertiary as well as primary care centres.
Dr. Sapna Sharan
Dr. Sharan, Paediatric Ophthalmologist, is also the spouse of Dr. Dave. She has undergone exceptionally broad training: After the paediatric ophthalmology training in Sydney, Australia, she was at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto for a six month clinical research fellowship in paediatric glaucoma, followed by a one year clinical fellowship in glaucoma (adult) at University of Toronto and a one-year fellowship in paediatric ophthalmology in Halifax.
Dr. Eva Welisch
Dr. Welisch joins Children’s Hospital from Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. She is a Paediatric Cardiologist with extensive experience in the care of children with congenital heart disease who are critically ill. She also has specialized training in intensive care and was, prior to relocation to Canada, in one of the largest paediatric cardiac surgical centres in Germany. Her research interests involve damage to the heart of small patients.
