Meet the Division of Emergency Medicine Team
Our division is the largest of its kind in Canada. We are an academic leader in research, education, and innovation. We are committed to training doctors to provide high-quality emergency care to communities throughout Ontario and the world. We recognize the important role that emergency medicine plays in our health system and champion ways to improve education, practice, and knowledge with an ongoing commitment to social accountability and equity, diversity, and inclusion.
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Dr. Megan Landes is the Head of Division of Emergency Medicine at U of T's Department of Family & Community Medicine (DFCM). She has been at DFCM since 2010 and is currently an Associate Professor and Clinician Investigator, Research and Advocacy Program. Dr. Landes is also an attending staff doctor in the Emergency Department of the University Health Network (UHN), the University of Toronto’s largest downtown teaching hospital, and a Strategic Director for the Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration in Emergency Medicine (TAAAC-EM), which is working with Addis Ababa University to deliver Ethiopia’s first emergency medicine residency program.
Her research interests include the delivery of emergency medicine services in low-resource settings and she is a founding member and Director of the Global Health Emergency Medicine (GHEM) group at the University of Toronto.
Division of EM Executive Team
Executive Team
| Name | Title | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. David Carr | Continuing Professional Development Lead | University Health Network |
| Dr. Nadia Primiani | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Co-Lead | Sinai Health System |
| Dr. Sydney Tam | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Co-Lead | Markham Stouffville Hospital |
| Dr. Maria Ivankovic | Faculty Development Co-Lead | Unity Health Toronto—St. Joseph's Health Centre |
| Dr. Meeta Patel | Faculty Development Co-Lead | North York General Hospital |
| Dr. Catherine Varner | Research Co-Lead | Sinai Health System |
| Dr. Shelley McLeod | Research Co-Lead | Sinai Health System |
| Dr. Hasan Sheikh | Social Accountability Co-Lead | University Health Network |
| Dr. Jennifer Hulme | Social Accountability Co-Lead | University Health Network |
| Dr. Ruchi Mohindra | Quality Improvement Lead | Michael Garron Hospital |
| Dr. James Maskalyk | Wellness Lead | Unity Health Toronto—St. Michael's Hospital |
| Dr. Amna Karabegovic | PGY3 Program Director | North York General Hospital |
| Dr. Eileen Cheung | Supplemental Emergency Medicine Experience (SEME) Co-Program Director | Michael Garron Hospital |
| Dr. Michelle Yee | Supplemental Emergency Medicine Experience (SEME) Co-Program Director | Mount Sinai Hospital |
| Dr. Adam Kaufman | Undergraduate Lead | Michael Garron Hospital |
Hospital Sites
Humber River Health
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Vince Brienza
Humber River Health (HRH) offers a unique educational opportunity in acute care medicine within a fully digitalized environment. Located in Northwest Toronto with a diverse and underserviced patient population, the facility has the second busiest ER by volume in Ontario. There is often walk-in trauma as well as resuscitative cases to hone your acute care skills.
HRH is staffed by 20 emergency department (ED) shifts per day, with an emergency physician roaster of 70. In addition to one-one-one mentorship with faculty, learners will also benefit from journal club and monthly rounds, and will be able to build a schedule based on personal and professional commitment well in advance. Additionally, because HRH is affiliated with both U of T and Queen's University, residents from both schools will be learning together.
Mackenzie Health Site
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Yaniv Berliner
Mackenzie Health provides health care to southern York Region and operates as two hospitals: Mackenzie Richmond Hill and Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, along with an Urgent Care Centre in Vaughan. Both hospitals are high-volume community hospitals that see significant numbers of paediatric and obstetrics/gynaecology patients. Senior medical students and residents are strongly encouraged to rotate through the emergency department to experience true community emergency medicine. This site's very collegial physician group extends to other medical and surgical specialties and allied health. In terms of education, Mackenzie Health has in-person simulation teaching every two to three months—which learners are scheduled to attend if applicable—along with semi-annual journal clubs. The Mackenzie Health team is continually working to expand the site as a learning centre.
North York General Hospital
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Robyn Shafer
North York General Hospital (NYGH) is one of Canada's leading community academic hospitals. Located at Leslie street and the 401, NYGH serves an area of approximately 500,000, primarily made up of seniors and immigrants.
This past academic year, there were 124 residents and 61 medical students learning in the NYGH emergency department (ED), which had more than 110,000 visits in 2022. In addition to bi-weekly educational rounds for all staff and learners, the ED offers medical students a hands-on POCUS primer seminar during each block, and residents have a teaching session every block facilitated by a staff physician.
Oak Valley Health—Markham-Stouffville Hospital
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Ryan Aalders
Markham-Stouffville Hospital is a bustling community hospital with an annual emergency department volume of over 100,000 patients. Located at the intersection of Highway 7 and 9th Line in York Region, the facility serves a diverse community primarily encompassing Markham, Whitchurch-Stouffville, and Uxbridge, but also North Scarborough and East Durham.
With a Family Medicine Residency program consisting of 18 learners, the hospital's skilled ED physicians work closely with on-site residents and often host visiting residents, medical students, PA students, and SEME fellows. Beyond clinical supervision, physicians also provide frequent didactic teaching, monthly simulation rounds, and mentorship.
Scarborough Health Network
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Caroline Thompson
Scarborough Health Network (SHN) is a busy community hospital located at three separate sites within the diverse community of Scarborough. Each day, 28 emergency physicians see more than 500 patients across each site for about 180,000 patient visits per year.
There are 80 emergency physicians at SHN, all of whom are enthusiastic teachers. With a smaller group of about five undergraduate and postgraduate trainees each month, there is ample opportunity for learners to demonstrate procedural skills and lead resuscitations. Patient safety and provider wellness are top priority and SHN heavily invests in interprofessional education, team building, and wellness initiatives.
Sinai Health System—Mount Sinai Hospital
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Shawn Lacombe
Mount Sinai Hospital is one of North America’s leading medical, teaching, and research institutions. It is an Academic Health Science Centre affiliated with the University of Toronto, located in the heart of Toronto, within “Hospital Row” on University Ave. Its emergency department (ED) is a longstanding leader in emergency medicine education, with cutting-edge medical advancements and a dynamic learning environment.
Faculty understand the needs of learners at various levels and create a nurturing atmosphere for them to engage in hands-on experiences, research, and collaborative learning. Learner-centric initiatives include the weekly Resident Seminar Series, dedicated “Teaching Shifts” for learners to focus on specific educational goals, and daily evaluations and mid-rotation updates.
Learners at Mount Sinai Hospital benefit from exposure to a wide range of complex cases, ensuring they develop the skills and confidence necessary for successful careers in emergency medicine. Visit the hospital's Learner Education Website for undergraduate and postgraduate learner orientation materials, schedules, evaluations, and emergency medicine resources.
Southlake Regional Health Centre
EM Faculty Development Site Leads: Dr. Jeffrey Chan and Dr. Ian Mak
Southlake Regional Health Centre is a large community hospital about 45 minutes north of Toronto in Newmarket, also serving Aurora, King, and several other small communities. The emergency department (ED) is a high acuity centre that has over 110,000 visits a year with a great deal of trauma.
The ED is unique in that there are only 23 ER doctors as members of the department, making for a very collegial working environment. The majority of them do not hold other jobs and are heavily involved in teaching learners. The hospital's program includes mentorship, small group didactic teaching, annual workshops, and academic half days focusing on careers within family medicine and financial success.
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Saahil Vij
Sunnybrook Health Sciences is an academic teaching hospital located just south of the 401 along Bayview Avenue. It has a diverse catchment area with a mixed urban and suburban population serving the areas between York Mills & St. Clair, Avenue Road and the Don Valley. This site is an internationally recognized facility for its research, education, and several specialized services. Housing the largest trauma centre in Canada, Sunnybrook has several ER members working as trauma team leaders, acts as a base hospital for EMS, and provides patch call support. It is also a treating oncology centre and the emergency department (ED) works closely with the radiation oncology, medical oncology and haematology teams to manage oncological emergencies. Given the catchment area, there is currently a large geriatric focus. Most specialists are in house overnight (or at least have overnight resident teams covering) and there is around-the-clock CT imaging. Practitioners currently work on a preference-based scheduling system and have a large team making trades easy and flexible. There are also internal leads for wellness, EDI, and simulation.
With strong ties to the University of Toronto, and a mission to strive in education and research Sunnybrook has many learners on shift, including residents, medical students, and PA students. The site hosts an ultrasound education program for junior ultrasound learners as well as an advanced ultrasound fellowship. UGME learners within the Peter Boyd Academy of Medicine and several of Sunnybrook's ER staff help facilitate the CBL sessions. The site has strong ties with the FRCPC EM Program and routinely has PGME learners both within the EM program and off-service residents rotating through. There is strong support for faculty to engage in CME to advance teaching skills, engage in education scholarship opportunities, find research mentors, or become involved with administration positions within the group.
Toronto East Health Network—Michael Garron Hospital
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Aran Balachandran
Michael Garron Hospital (MGH, formerly Toronto East General Hospital) has proudly served the community of East Toronto since 1929. Today, MGH is a large, urban, full-service community teaching hospital, providing comprehensive care to a diverse population of 400,000 living within its primary catchment area. The emergency department at MGH sees nearly 100,000 visits each year. With a dedicated paediatric emergency department and a diverse population of patients from varied cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, MGH offers learners a unique learning experience. A consistently highly rated education site, MGH is a core learning site for medical students at the University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
MGH trains 34 family medicine residents through the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Teaching sites include South East Toronto Family Health Team Coxwell Site, Flemingdon Community Health Centre, and South East Toronto Family Health Team Danforth Site. There are weekly teaching sessions, with a focus on core emergency medicine topics, as well as opportunities for hands-on simulation and point of care ultrasound training. Staff physicians are a collegial and welcoming group of caring individuals who truly represent the community they serve, and share a love of teaching.
Trillium Health Partners—Credit Valley Hospital
EM Faculty Development Site Leads: Dr. Phil Zhang
The Credit Valley Hospital (CVH) Emergency Department (ED) is one of three sites within the Trillium Health Partners Emergency Medicine & Urgent Care program. The department takes great pride in being an integral part of a large community-based academic health network, serving the communities of Mississauga and Peel Region. CVH is one of the busiest emergency departments in Ontario, treating over 120,000 patients annually.
At this site, emergency physicians and trainees practise the full scope of emergency medicine—from paediatrics to geriatrics—with valuable support from multidisciplinary and consulting teams. The ED team values professionalism, enthusiasm, innovation, quality, and respect for diversity. With a strong commitment to education, the team delivers a robust CME program for all ED staff, highlighted by weekly education/quality rounds and simulation program.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, more than 200 core and elective learners rotated through the ED and received didactic and bedside clinical teaching from 60+ physician educators, the vast majority of whom hold academic appointments with DFCM or U of T's Department of Medicine. Credit Valley Hospital's ED is a reputable core training site for clerks of the Mississauga Academy of Medicine, FM residents of the FMTU at CVH, and residents of the DFCM Enhanced Skills Emergency Medicine and SEME programs.
Trillium Health Partners—Mississauga Hospital
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Sarah Stonehocker
The emergency department (ED) at Trillium Health Partners' Mississauga Hospital is distinguished as one of Canada's largest and most active, serving a very diverse patient population that encompasses all age groups. Situated in the heart of Mississauga, Ontario, the hospital houses the most critical care beds in Canada and the ED is currently undergoing expansion to become to largest in the country. The hospital also offers a wide array of specialized services, including physical therapy, discharge planning, geriatric nurse practitioners, 24/7 access to CT scans, and a range of in-house specialists.
Mississauga Hospital is passionate about medical education, offering support for both Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) and Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) learners. The department is committed to fostering a dynamic learning environment that prepares learners for the challenges of emergency medicine.
Unity Health Toronto—St. Joseph's Health Centre
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Courtney Spelliscy
St. Joseph’s Health Centre is a busy community hospital located between the High Park and Parkdale neighbourhoods, serving patients primarily from western Toronto and Etobicoke. Situated along the Queensway, it is also accessible via Lakeshore Boulevard, the Gardiner Expressway, by transit, and nearby cycling trails.
The St. Joseph’s Emergency Department (ED) sees nearly 100,000 patients per year and is a regular rotation for U of T clinical clerks, Family Medicine residents, Supplemental Emergency Medicine Experience (SEME) fellows, and elective FRCP EM residents. Consistently rated very high by medical students and residents across the city, the ED rotation includes bedside teaching with a wide variety of patient demographics, clinical presentations, procedures, and dedicated high-yield simulations. The ED is also notable for its dedicated paediatrics area and about 20% all patients per year are paediatrics cases.
Unity Health Toronto—St. Michael's Hospital
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Justin Logan
St. Michael’s Hospital is located in downtown Toronto with a catchment area that generally spans from Bloor-Danforth in the north to the Toronto Islands in the south, and Broadview in the east to Bay Street in the west. The emergency department (ED) has about 80,000 visits annually and the hospital's active Trauma Program sees an additional 1,200 annual patients.
With a robust research program and a dedication toward medical education, St. Michael's recently created a Trauma and Prehospital Care Research Group, and has a well-developed simulation program that includes quarterly in-situ simulation for ED staff, in addition to regular sessions for learners. This hospital has a strong and well-reviewed education program with 60 medical students and 130 residents per year from a variety of programs, including the University of Toronto and Queen’s University's CCFP-EM programs, who often come to do a combination EM-Trauma rotation.
University Health Network
EM Faculty Development Site Lead: Dr. Carly Ng
The emergency department (ED) at the University Health Network (UHN) spans across two distinct sites:
Toronto General Hospital (TGH), located in downtown Toronto, is a quaternary level care centre that has recently been recognized as the top hospital in Canada. TGH serves some of the most complex and sickest patients in the country, and is home to cutting-edge research. Given its location, the hospital also sees many university students and those from vulnerable and marginalized populations.
Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), in the heart of Chinatown and Little Portugal, has the feel of a community hospital. It is also a stroke and neurosurgical centre.
The TGH and TWH EDs see approximately 128,000 visits per year, combined. Working at these two sites, both of which are well supported by specialist colleagues and 24/7 radiology, is very complementary. The staff are all highly skilled, friendly, and inclusive. The EDs are also well supported by many allied health professionals, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, GEM specialists, social workers, peer support workers, and Indigenous Patient Navigators. The academic interests of the ED group are incredibly diverse, with formal initiatives and programs in POCUS, QI, global health, health informatics, simulation, medical education, addictions, social medicine, sports medicine, and wellness.
The UHN EDs have approximately 200 learners who rotate through both sites each year. It is a core site for the FRCPC emergency medicine program. Many off-service residents also rotate through the EDs on core rotations, along with elective residents and fellows.