We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Marc Rodger as the Chair of the Department of Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University and Physician-in-Chief of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). Dr. Rodger succeeds Dr. James Martin effective January 1, 2020.
A Chibougamau native, Dr. Rodger earned a BSc in Physiology from McGill and MD (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Ottawa. He completed post-graduate medical training at the University of British Columbia and the University of Ottawa in Internal Medicine, Hematology/Thrombosis, followed by a MSc in Epidemiology. A Hematologist at the Ottawa Hospital since 1998, Dr. Rodger served for the last decade as Chief and Chair of the Division of Hematology (until June 2019). Dr. Rodger led the development of the Ottawa Blood Disease Centre, which opened in 2012 and now houses over 35 hematologists/scientists and 80 staff. He founded the Regional Thrombosis Program providing world class thrombosis care with open referral access for the 1.4 million people in Canada’s capital. The Ottawa Thrombosis Fellowship program, which grew international in scope under his leadership, has trained over 20 thrombosis experts, many of whom have become international leaders. During this period, he was also Full Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.
As a Senior Scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute since 2006, Dr. Rodger has published over 250 research articles, editorials and book chapters on venous thrombosis. He has also been Editor-in-Chief of the Thrombosis Research journal since 2016. Additionally, he co-directs the Canadian Venous Thrombosis Clinical Trials and Outcomes Research Network (CanVECTOR), which he co-founded, and the International Network of Venous Thrombosis Clinical Research Networks (INVENT), which he founded. In January 2019, Dr. Rodger accepted the role of Vice-President, Research, for the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada.
As McGill Chair, Dr. Rodger will oversee one of the largest departments in the Faculty of Medicine, whose members are located at the MUHC, the Jewish General Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital Center and several community hospitals. His duties include: leading the research and education missions (from undergraduate to post-graduate); making recommendations to the Dean on recruitment, academic appointments, promotions, tenure and academic matters pertaining to the Department; steering strategic planning for the Department; advancing related clinical activities with McGill’s affiliated hospitals and partners in the Réseau universitaire intégré de santé et de services sociaux (RUISSS) McGill; providing mentorship to faculty members at all stages of their careers; overseeing budget allocation; and ensuring respect of the Faculty Code of Conduct.
As MUHC Physician-in-Chief, Dr. Rodger will oversee the Medical Mission, including the Department of Medicine’s 15 general and specialty divisions at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal General Hospital, Lachine Hospital and Montreal Chest Institute. His duties include: organizing the clinical workload across the MUHC; assuring that the MUHC has in place the necessary mechanisms and intra- and inter-departmental processes to measure quality and ensure excellence, safety and proactivity in clinical activities; collaborative co-management of the Department’s human and material resources; ensuring timely and pertinent recruitment; and ensuring departmental rules and regulations are in place and respected, as are the bylaws of the Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists and MUHC Code of Ethics for Physicians and Staff.
In both roles, Dr. Rodger will be called upon to participate in and contribute to Department-related feedback, performance reviews, training sessions and career development.
Dr. Rodger’s focus on excellence in clinical care, research and education has been recognized over the years with a number of awards, including a long-standing Career Scientist Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (2007-2019) and, earlier this year, the Mentor of the Year (Clinical) as part of University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine’s Awards of Excellence.
While we look forward to welcoming Dr. Rodger back to the McGill community, we take this opportunity to recognize the exceptional contributions that Dr. Martin has made in these positions since his appointment in 2014. Dr. Martin has worked tirelessly to improve the working and learning environment for faculty members, as well as the quality of services and outcomes for patients. He supported excellence in fundamental and clinical research, including through the development of a very successful program for early career investigators. He valued the contributions of clinician teachers, establishing a fund to support their research activities, amongst other initiatives. In addition to advocating on a day-to-day basis for the highest standard of patient care, he established the Clinical Practice Assessment Unit and a High Value Care symposium to conduct, celebrate and encourage quality of care projects. We are grateful to him for his dedication and for his many contributions.
| Dr. David Eidelman Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) Dean of the Faculty of Medicine McGill University | Dr. Pierre Gfeller President and Executive Director McGill University Health Centre |
Dr. Lesley Fellows Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs McGill University | Dr. Ewa Sidorowicz Director of Professional Services McGill University Health Centre |
December 11, 2019