Speaker Profiles

Roadshow Speaker Profiles

Airway Interventions & Management in Emergencies

Dr. Adam Law is a staff neuroanesthesiologist at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Professor of Anesthesiology at Dalhousie University. He is also medical director of the Atlantic Health Training and Simulation Centre in Halifax. Before returning to residency and fellowship training in anesthesia, Dr. Law spent 6 years in general practice in a small town in rural New Brunswick. He now teaches airway and difficult airway management across Canada and the US.

Dr. Alec Ritchie completed medical school at the University of British Columbia and trained in emergency medicine at the University of Western Ontario. He is an Emergency Physician and Director of Trauma Services at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver. Combining his interests in teaching and emergency critical care, he frequently teaches Advanced Life Support courses in airway, cardiac care, pediatrics, and trauma. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Practice at UBC.

Dr. Chris Soder is Chief of the Department of Pediatric Critical Care at the IWK Health Centre and Associate Professor of Anaesthesia and Pediatrics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He serves as co-director of EHS LifeFlight, the provincial air medical program. Dr. Soder is a full-time pediatric anaesthesiologist and intensivist with a special interest and extensive experience in airway instruction using high-fidelity simulation.

Dr. David Petrie is an emergency physician at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is the Medical Director, EHSNS LifeFlight (Adult Services); Director, Division of EMS, Dalhousie University; Nova Scotia Trauma Advisory Committee, Trauma Team Leader; and On-line Medical consultant to the IWK/Maritime Poison Centre. David is an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University and also a Peer Reviewer for the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine. David’s primary academic interest include: prehospital research, airway management research and education and Air Medical Transport.

Dr. George Kovacs is a full-time professor of Emergency Medicine and is cross-appointed in the Department of Anesthesiology at Dalhousie University. He works clinically as an emergency physician at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax. He is the co-developer of Airway Interventions & Management in Emergencies (AIME). He is actively involved in airway management research and education, collaborating on local, national and international projects. He is the co-editor of a soon to be published second edition textbook titled Airway Management in Emergencies.

Dr. Tallon graduated from University of Toronto Medical School with honours; has a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Community Health from Dalhousie University;  Undergraduate BSc from the University of Waterloo, Ontario and Emergency Medicine specialty training (Royal College) at the University of Calgary.

He is an emergency medicine physician and was Medical Director of the province of Nova Scotia’s Provincial Trauma Program as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Health Science Centre’s trauma services, Nova Scotia’s only tertiary care adult hospital.  

He is currently appointed as full professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University with cross appointments as Professor in the Department of Surgery and in the Departments of Community Health and Epidemiology and Anaesthesia at Dalhousie University in Halifax.  He was a Ground EMS physician with EHS Nova Scotia as well as Medical Director of Air Medical Transport, Nova Scotia. He has also been a consultant to the IWK Poison Centre in Halifax since 1997.

He just completed his two year term as President of the Trauma Association of Canada (2012, April); he sits on the Physician Advisory Board for Accreditation Canada and is an active surveyor for Accreditation Canada.

His special research interests include injury control, injury prevention and trauma and EMS systems as well as health care accreditation and specific clinical research interests in resuscitative airway management and head injury. 

Dr. John Tallon assumed the position of the Vice President of Medical Programs for the Emergency and Health Services Commission British Columbia September 2011.  Since his arrival he has taken leadership of the medical oversight for BC Ambulance and all related departments.  He is currently privileged and working clinically (part-time) at Vancouver General Hospital.

Dr. Kirk MacQuarrie is an assistant professor in the Dalhousie University Departments of Anesthesia and Surgery. He is a full time clinical anesthesiologist at the QEII HSC and Site Chief of the Halifax Infirmary. He is Director of Crisis Management Training at the Atlantic Health Sciences Simulation Center. His interests are in airway management and education. He has written several chapters for two major airway textbooks. He has been involved with AIME since its inception.

Dr. Paul Linden, a graduate of the University of British Columbia, holds certification in emergency and sports medicine. He currently works at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, B.C., as an emergency physician and TCS Regional Trauma Director. Dr. Linden recently returned from a five year sojourn at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City in the United Arab Emirates, pursuing his interests in trauma, airway management and the development of local critical care courses including AIME, ATLS, ACLS, and PALS. Dr. Linden is Clinical Assistant Professor at University of British Columbia. 

Dr. Sam Campbell went to Med school in South Africa, did his emerg training at St Paul's in Vancouver. He is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Chief of Emergency Medicine, Charles V Keating Emergency and Trauma Centre in Halifax, a Trauma Team Leader; and On-line Medical consultant to the IWK/Maritime Poison Centre, EHS Nova Scotia Air Ambulance and Ground Ambulance services. His special interests are: The emergency management of Infectious and respiratory disease, continuous quality improvement and airway management.

Dr. Mark Vu is an anesthesiologist in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mark completed his anesthesia training in Halifax, Nova Scotia and a fellowship in trauma anesthesiology at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. He is an enthusiastic teacher (and student!) of airway management, and has enjoyed collaborating with colleagues all over the world. Mark's clinical and research interests also include prehospital care and resuscitation. He is the current Section Head of Trauma Anesthesiology at Vancouver General Hospital.

CDM Risky Business: Clinical Decision Making in Emergency Medicine

Dr. Ross Berringer graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1980. After completion of a rotating internship at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, he was a general practitioner in 100 Mile House from 1981-83. During the ensuing two years, he completed a residency in emergency medicine in Jacksonville, Florida. He holds a certificate of special competency in emergency medicine and is a diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine. From 1985 through 2006, he practised full time emergency medicine at St. Paul's Hospital achieving the rank of Clinical Associate Professor. In addition, he was the Medical Director for Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services and the Advanced Life Support Medical Advisor for the BC Ambulance Service. His research interests have been in pre-hospital care and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In May of 2006 he joined the CMPA as a Physician Risk Manager.

Dr. Pat Croskerry is a Professor in Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. His clinical work is primarily in emergency medicine. In addition to his medical training, he holds a doctorate in Experimental Psychology with Fellowship training in Clinical Psychology. He has worked in the area of Patient Safety for the last 15 years. He is senior editor on a major text 'Patient Safety in Emergency Medicine' published in 2008. He implemented the first undergraduate course on medical error in Canada at Dalhousie University. The course was subsequently adapted for Residents and was offered in 2002. Both courses are now permanent fixtures in undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. In 2006 he received the Ruedy Award from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada for innovation in medical education. In 2008, he joined the teaching faculty for the Canadian Patient Safety Officer Course in Ottawa, and, in the same year, the teaching faculty of the Netherlands Emergency Medicine Fellowship Training Program at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. He is a past Associate Editor of the journal Academic Emergency Medicine, and currently a reviewer for several leading journals. In 2006, he was appointed to the Board of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI), in 2007 to Domain Co-Chair of the CPSI Safety Competencies initiative, and in 2008 to the CPSI Health System Innovation Advisory Committee. 

Dr. Merril Pauls, after completing medical school, family medicine, and emergency medicine training at the University of Manitoba, Merril obtained a Masters of Health Sciences (Bioethics) at the University of Toronto. From 1999 until 2004 Merril was a staff physician at the QE II HSC in Nova Scotia and assistant professor in the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Bioethics at Dalhousie University. In 2004, Merril returned to Manitoba where he is associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, an emergency physician at the Health Sciences Centre, and the Director of Ethics and the Humanities for the U of M Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Gordon Wallace, MD, FRCPC is Director of Education, Risk Management Services, CMPA. Prior to joining the Association in 2004, Dr. Wallace practiced Emergency Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital for 20 years. He continues to hold a position as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. As founder of the university's Medical Learning and Technology Office, his group was one of the first to provide extensive online learning resources to Canadian medical students. A recipient of numerous awards for excellence in teaching, he was recognized by his peers with an Award for Professionalism from the Alumni Association of the University of Ottawa. As Director of Education with CMPA, Dr. Wallace leads a staff of 23, including seven physicians. His team interacts with well over 20,000 CMPA members each year to coach them in medico-legal risk management and providing safer clinical care. Main initiatives launched under his direction include an expansion of the Education department, CMPA Education online, and collaborations with stakeholders to advance many patient safety initiatives. In particular, he worked with national groups to develop Canadian guidelines for the disclosure of adverse events to patients, and to frame training objectives for health professionals in patient safety.

Emergency Department Strategies for Teaching Any Time!

Dr. Jill McEwen is an Emergency Physician at the Vancouver General Hospital and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of BC.  A Vancouver native, she completed medical school at U of T, and an EM residency at Queen’s before returning to God’s country.  She has served as the EM Undergraduate Program Director for over 15 years, designing and implementing one of the first Canadian mandatory clerkships in EM.  She is now the UBC MDUP Vancouver-Fraser Regional Clerkship & Site Director, and is involved in many aspects of teaching, while slowly working towards a Masters in Medical Education at the University of Dundee.  She is the Chair of the CAEP Undergraduate Education Committee, and sits on the CAEP Board.  She has 4 grown children, 3 cats and a black Lab and enjoys running, skiing and boating in her spare time. 

Dr Rick Penciner is an Emergency Physician and the Director of Medical Education at North York General Hospital.  He is an Associate Professor and the Co-lead for Faculty and Professional Development in the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.  He is a graduate of University of Toronto Medical School and completed residency training in Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine in Toronto where he also completed the Education Scholar’s Program at the Centre for Faculty Development.  He is a former Program Director for Emergency Medicine Undergraduate Education at the University of Toronto.  Dr. Penciner has been involved in the spectrum of medical education from undergraduate, postgraduate to continuing education and professional development.  His current scholarly interests include large group teaching and interprofessional education.

Emergency Department Targeted Ultrasound

Dr. Frank Ackermann, a graduate from the University of Toronto, is now full-time emergency physician at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital, British Columbia. He has an interest in emergency department ultrasonography, being also faculty of the FocusED Sonography course. During a sabbatical in 2009, Frank obtained ARDMS certification in Abdominal Sonography. He also works as a Critical Care Transport Advisor for Interior Health in B.C. Frank also loves to ski, bike and run, and when not at work or taking care of his 3 kids,  he can be found on the local trails in Kimberley, BC.

Dr. Guy Hebert is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa and is Head of the Emergency Department of the Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital. He has overseen the development of an Emergency Ultrasound initiative in Ottawa since 1997 and has been teaching ultrasound since that time with the development of one of the first Emergency Ultrasound courses in Canada. He continues his educational efforts locally by expanding ultrasound in the residency curriculums and nationally with CAEP.

Dr. Louise Rang is an attending emergency physician at Kingston General Hospital in Kingston, ON and an assistant professor at Queen's University. She completed a one year emergency ultrasound fellowship at Advocate Christ Medical Centre in Chicago in 2004. Louise has been involved with the EDTU course since its inception, and she has taught courses across the country. Additionally, Louise sits on the CEUS board and is involved with the CAEP emergency ultrasound interest group.

Dr. Mark Mensour is an Assistant Professor with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and ED Lead at the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN. His research interests include Procedural Sedation and Analgesia as well as Acute Myocardial Infarction management.  Nationally he is a course developer and speaker with CAEP’s EDTU team.  Provincially he is an ACLS advisor representing for the Heart and Stroke foundation of Ontario.  Most recently his interest in adult education has led him to the co-development of Evidence Based Resuscitation, a course for Emergency Health Care Practitioners.

Dr. Woo is an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa and an Emergency Physician and Trauma Team Leader at The Ottawa Hospital. After a year of sonography training he obtained his RDMS certification in 2008. He is currently the Director and Fellowship Program Director of Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography. He is actively involved in Clinical Sonography education and research.

Dr. Pierre Mikhail is an Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He is also the Chief of Emergency Medicine at Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare in Huntsville, ON, part of the Founding Faculty, FocusED Sonography and an ultrasound tech.

Dr. Urbain Ip is the Executive Medical Director, Operations for the Fraser Health Authority and an Emergency Medicine Physician at Surrey Memorial HospitalIn 1997, Dr. Ip oversaw the development of the ED Ultrasound Program at Surrey Memorial and has been a CAEP EDTU instructor since 2005. His research and special interests include Procedure Sedation and ED Ultrasound Education Methodology.

Ryan J. Henneberry, BSc, MD, CCFP(EM), RDMS is a full-time Emergency Physician from Halifax.  He practices at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, a tertiary care hospital affiliated with Dalhousie Medical School.  He is the current chair of the CAEP Point of Care Ultrasound Committee and a Speaker on the CAEP EDTU Roadshow.  He is the co-chair of the Emergency Department Ultrasound and Residency Training Committee at the QEII HSC.  He has previously taught at the EDE ultrasound course, and additionally, is a member of the CAEP Pocus Residency Training Committee.  Ryan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Dalhousie and is a member of the Dalhousie Medical School Admissions Committee.   He is been an examiner for the CFPC(EM) qualifying exam for five years and is the team physician for the Halifax Mooseheads Junior Hockey Club.

Dr Pageau began his medical training at the “free-range” McMaster medical school of the 1990’s and completed his emergency medicine training at the University of Western Ontario in 2002.  He then spent his early years at a busy community teaching hospital in the GTA, incorporating US into emergency clinical practice since 2003.  He obtained his CEUS independent practitioner status in 2008.  In addition to discovering the slopes and trails near his new hometown of Ottawa he plans to develop the advanced uses of EMUS at the University of Ottawa and beyond through education and research.

Dr. Shena Riff is an emergency physician at the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario.  She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa and is involved in clinical training of family medicine and emergency medicine residents. Since 2007 she has been involved in ultrasound training of residents at The Ottawa Hospital and since 2010 she has supervised ultrasound scanning for those striving for Independent Practitioner status through CAEP.  She is delighted to be a new addition to the CAEP EDTU Roadshow.

Infectious Disease Management in Emergency Medicine

Dr. Peter J. Zed is Clinical Coordinator in the Department of Pharmacy at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre and Pharmacotherapeutic Specialist in Emergency Medicine.  He is also an Associate Professor in both the Department of the Emergency Medicine & Faculty of Health Professions at Dalhousie University.  Prior to assuming his current position he practiced in Emergency Medicine at Vancouver General Hospital and was on Faculty at the University of British Columbia. In addition to his clinical practice in emergency medicine he is an active researcher and educator. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and research abstracts, and has been the recipient of several research and teaching awards. He speaks regularly and continues to perform research in many areas of pharmacotherapy and pharmacy practice. He also serves on numerous national committees and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Bruce Campana is an emergency physician at Vancouver General Hospital, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia. He completed medical school at McGill, and interned at St. Paul’s in Vancouver. He then did a year of locums, leaving a trail of death and suffering, which led to a residency in Emergency at Denver General Hospital. Since then, he has worked in Vancouver, California, and Saudi Arabia, where he flew in an airplane that had what appeared to be a solid gold toilet. He married better than his wife did, they have twin dwarf terrorists, and he enjoys public speaking because no one listens to him at home.

Dr. Rob Stenstrom a staff physician at St. Paul’s Hospital and is the Director of Research there as well as Co-Director of research for the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine. He completed a PhD in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at McGill University and his EM residency at the University of Ottawa.

Musculoskeletal Injuries for Adults and Children in the Emergency Department

Dr. Bruce Davidson is an emergency physician living in Saint John, New Brunswick.  He has been involved in teaching in the Dalhousie University program for several years, and actively involved in sports medicine coverage, and organization.  He has been a member of the Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine (CASM) for over a decade and its board for the last 3 years. He has been travelling nationally and internationally with various National teams to tournaments, World Cups, and major games for as long as he can remember.  His next major goal is to find happy employment, and travel to Rio, and Beijing for major games.

Dr. Scott Delaney practices emergency medicine and sport medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.  He has a fellowship in sport medicine and is the research director for the McGill University Health Centre Adult Emergency Department.  He is an associate professor at McGill University and is a team physician for the Montreal Alouettes, Montreal Impact, McGill Football, McGill Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams and Cirque du Soleil.  He is a member of the editorial board for the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine and his research interests include concussions and neck injuries in both the athletic and emergency department populations.

Dr. Monica Cermignani is an emergency physician at the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. Following her Royal College certification in Emergency Medicine, Monica completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine at McGill University and continues her sports practice at the McGill Sport Medicine Clinic. She developed and coordinates the McGill FRCP EM Residency Program’s new MSK rotation, for which she was awarded the Program’s Teacher of the Year award in 2006.  Monica is a Faculty Lecturer at McGill University and team doctor for the Montreal Impact and McGill Women's Ice Hockey Teams.

Dr. Bill Sevcik is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Alberta Hospital and the Stollery Children's Hospital, both of which are in Edmonton. In addition to his clinical work, he is an active Trauma Team Leader, PICU Transport Physician and Faculty of Medicine Educator.  Bill is also currently the Acting Site Chief for the University of Alberta Emergency Department, the CHIRPP Medical Director for the Stollery Children's Hospital and the Chairman of the Capital Health Pediatric Trauma Committee.  His research interests include pediatric trauma and injury prevention.

Dr. Shaun Visser, CCFP(EM) Emergency Physician Montfort Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario