When I first returned to Saskatoon after my IR fellowship, radiologists (primarily IRs though we now have some general radiologists doing them too) placed all PICCs. This was just the way it had always been.  Recently a technologist lead initiative for PICC placement at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon has resulted in a shift towards primarily tech inserted PICCs.  I wondered if there were perhaps some other sites across Canada thinking of transitioning to this model, so in the spirit of collaboration I decided to interview the techs involved. – Dr. Nicollette Sinclair

DISCLAIMER: Cole and Jacquie have been encouraged to use humour as much as possible given the excellent sense of humour of our reader(s).  When possible they will make fun of the interventional radiologists they work with, mostly implying that we are always busy doing non-work related things. This may or may not be true.

NS:  Give the reader(s) a brief introduction about who you are and what you do.

CF: My name is Cole Frandsen and I have been working as an IR Technologist at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon since 2011 upon completion of the Sask Polytech program. I am currently working on completing my Bachelor of Health Sciences degree through Thompson Rivers University. When not at the hospital I enjoy being out and travelling as much as possible; cycling, golf, skiing and being out with friends typically occupy the rest of my time.

JT: My name is Jacquie Turley, I’ve been working at SPH since completing the Sask Polytech program in 2012, working as a general tech while completing my undergrad at the University of Saskatchewan until 2015. Shortly after, I obtained a job in Interventional Radiology and have been there since 2016. I spent the majority of the pandemic completing the Masters in Healthcare Leadership program through Royal Roads University and plan to use these powers for good moving forward in the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA). Outside of work I enjoy time traveling, attending concerts, spending time with my pets, camping, cycling, and I have been recreationally lawn bowling for 7 years.

NS:  What was the driving force behind the shift from radiologist placed PICCs towards tech inserted PICCs?

CF: After attending the CAIR conference in Montreal in 2014 where I learned about technologist/nursing placed PICC lines I was motivated to pursue the process of implementing this into our practice in Saskatoon.  During our time at SPH we have seen the evolution of practice for the Interventional Radiologists, so we became more motivated to evolve our own practice as technologists as well.

Since implementation, we have had significant improvements in workflow and have consistently improved patient PICC access, not only resulting in secure IV access for inpatient treatments but also improving flow through the hospital and expediting discharge. We no longer have to wait for a  Radiologist to be available to perform these procedures, as they are typically busy doing one of the many more involved procedures that they are inundated with.

JT: I went to the CAIR conference in 2018 and did the ultrasound guided access workshop which was an excellent resource and demystified ultrasound for me. We were sick of waiting around for the radiologists who were either scrubbed in to other cases or “busy” in their offices but were actually making personal calls and online shopping/researching cricket tickets/acquiring commercial real estate. Between dictations they seemed to be getting really into Bitcoin (whatever that is).

NS: Bitcoin is a decentralized currency! Why is that so hard to understand???  Ok, Walk me through the steps of setting this program up.

CF: Myself and one of the IRs started out by contacting our provincial technologist regulatory body (SAMRT) to see if this would be something that could even be incorporated into our scope.

I was given a large amount of assistance from our Angiodynamics© rep Angela Tyler, who had previous experience assisting in the set up of similar programs. I discovered that technologist driven programs are much less common than nursing based programs. Angiodynamics© was able to provide us with our formal PICC line education modules, as well as the creation of a site specific training module with a thorough overview of the entire PICC insertion procedure that was created alongside our three interventional radiologists.

After many, many meetings with the various tiers of leadership, revisions and delays from a provincial health region amalgamation, we were successful in implementation approximately 3 years from initial start time. Dedication and motivation to succeed were our driving factors in keeping this dream on track, despite the desire to quit more than once.

JT: As far as I could tell, Cole attended 1000 meetings, responded to 32000 emails, thought about quitting 3-5 times and was road blocked by the legal department only thrice. Through sheer force of will he pushed it through all the bureaucracy and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

NS: What was the biggest challenge to overcome?

CF: To be honest the whole process went quite smoothly, other than the time commitment and dedication of creating all of the documentation. The SAMRT and SHA management were supportive along our journey, provided we followed the appropriate process to keep everything legit. We had an immense amount of support from our interventional radiologists, who supported us every step of the way. They attended many meetings with myself and helped create and proctor our training until we were up and running.

JT: I can see other facilities having potential issues with support from their IR’s but luckily ours do whatever we tell them to do and supported this all the way through. Quite seriously though, the doctors have to be the ones fueling this from the start as it requires a lot of trust between them and the technologists. Plus the health authority listens to doctors for some reason, so that helps.

NS: What would you do differently?

CF: While I was persistent, I think a bit of a more assertive push would have gotten things off the ground a bit faster.

JT: I would have gotten in on the ground floor so I could claim more credit for the success of this project.

NS:  What do you think is next?

JT: I think this lays really good ground work with the SAMRT and the health authority to develop an advanced technologist program in our practice. This role would take on some of the simpler/low-risk IR procedures and administration/patient follow-up roles to free up the IRs for more real estate and cricket ticket acquisitions. With IR developing so quickly and taking on new procedures all the time, the technologists seeking job satisfaction are keen to expand their practice and help get patients timely care and maintain rapid access to procedures.

CF: I WILL be getting in on the ground floor of developing advanced practice in Saskatchewan and claiming my share of the credit for this project.

Thanks to both Cole and Jacquie for taking the time to answer my questions, if there are any techs out there reading this who want to get more info, feel free to email Cole at cole.frandsen@saskhealthauthority.ca. Now they both need to get back to work, there are PICCs to do!

Dr. Ruairi Meagher 

I heard a rumour of a new state of the art Siemens Angio suite in the works out east (wayyyyyy East, past Toronto!!) and wanted to get the details for everyone we know relies on the CAIR Express for their IR news.  I found my way to Dr. Ruairi Meagher (someone gave me his email), who was kind enough to answer some questions.

NS: Dr. Meagher, tell the readers a bit about yourself and your IR practice.

RM: I am an interventional radiologist practicing in Saint John New Brunswick currently in my 5^th year of practice. I did my IR fellowship at CHUM in Montreal and currently practice in a group of 5 IRs. We enjoy a very collaborative practice both amongst the IR’s as well as virtually all services across the hospital with a very broad practice scope.

NS: Tell us about your new Siemens ARTIS ICONO OR suite? When will you be up and running?

RM: Our biplane Artis Icono hybrid suite is one of two fully OR compatible angiosuites in the radiology department. It is a large footprint suite with the ability to host our surgical, anaesthesia and perfusion colleagues simultaneously. Siemens has really worked with us to provide as much functionality as possible packed into one suite and we are really excited to have it up and running. COVID permitting we should be operational 2022.

NS:  What hurdles did you overcome to plan such a room? How will the suite be used?

RM: Beyond the usual funding and space planning issues we all encounter with renovations, including moving our ultrasound department and finding a spot to move them,  we had to decide as a GROUP what functionality/equipment we wanted for the next 10 years eg. single plane, multimodality CT angiosuite, biplane, hybrid OR etc. Our biggest hurdle for the ARTIS ICONO biplane was beyond neuro intervention and advanced aortic branch cases could the unit still handle the high volume bread and butter IR we will throw at it every day. With our current volumes we can’t afford to have a room sit idle, or having physicians waiting for their preferred room to be available. We are planning on leveraging ICONO’s Case Flows to set up the room prior to patient or physician entering to facilitate each case for example  head position stroke and PE,  to radial position TACE, UFE, mesenteric to left side TAVR and TIPS,  to right side for splenic/portal to vascular access from head to toe. The floor mounted plane integrates with a highly mobile table to reach from head to toe and finger tip.

NS:  What types of cases and patient care challenges do you hope to solve?

RM:  The most appealing advantage of this particular biplane is its dual spin time resolved multiphase CTA. In the right patient population we are hoping to skip the conventional diagnostic CT and have patients brought from ambulance to the angiosuite and undergo multiphase CTA, with the ability to do perfusion imaging in certain instances, while the team prepares for EVT. Eventually it may be possible to acquire dynaCT images from both planes simultaneously shortening imaging time and hopefully gaining added information with dual energy capabilities objectively distinguishing blood from contrast post procedure. I am also looking forward to 4 dimensional CTA in vascular malformation cases. We haven’t had a biplane up until now and are hoping to shorten aortic branch graft cases considerably.

NS:  How will patients benefit from this significant investment?

RM: Having a second large footprint hybrid angiosuite will allow for further collaboration in our hospital and maintain services during future maintenance and eventual renovations. Currently there is no finer imaging suite for stroke intervention and as the sole provider for acute stroke intervention in the province the patients win big time with the investment. The suite also offers increased opportunities for interventional oncology and continued collaboration with our surgical colleagues to offer the gamut of minimally invasive treatments.

NS:  What other technologies will be applied in the suite?

RM: Ultrasound will be a must. We are considering Siemens wireless probes to take advantage of the main imaging display and minimize footprint. Transesophageal echo for our TAVR and Dissection cases. Perfusionists are present during our cardiac valve cases with dedicated hook ups and monitors for them. Two PC’s with Third party HIS/RIS/PACS and advanced image processing are integrated into the Siemens control cockpit.  Patient monitoring both at the bedside and anaesthesia integrated into the main display. Third party table mounted injector. Large rail mounted display which can swing to either side of the patient as well as both ceiling mounted 24 inch monitors on a boom for the second operator. Closed circuit video camera for Procter led cases in these COVID times. We are using one of the large display inputs for chromecast /apple airplay as well as cellphone and micro blog paging integration as needed.

NS: What does the future hold for this suite?

RM: CASES! Lots of cases. We would be happy for people to stop in and check out the suite once operational — provided you have your vaccine. There will be a huge variety of work going through the room. The volume in our IR practice just keeps increasing. While we were not hit as hard as other parts of the country our case volume actually increased during COVID. We are fortunate to practice in a hospital that is large enough to do a wide variety or interesting work while being small enough people have to work at maintaining good working relationships. We have an open door policy, we are happy to work with anyone who is willing to work with us.

NS:  Anything else you would like to mention?

RM: Did you see Andre De Grasse win gold in the 200m? That was awesome!

*This content was created by CAIR editors on behalf of Siemens as a CAIR industry partners.  CAIR makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the content, and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this article. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the CAIR.

Dr. Sinclair and Dr. Woodley-Cook had the pleasure of speaking with one of their fellowship mentors, Professor John Kachura. Below are snippets from their interview, edited with minor revisions (with permission). 

(Teaser transcript below)

Dr. John Kachura completed his diagnostic imaging residency at the University of Toronto in 1994 and fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology at University Hospital and Boston City Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985.  He is a Professor in Medical Imaging at The University of Toronto and a Staff Radiologist in the Department of Medical Imaging at the Joint Department of Medical Imaging at UHN/Mt. Sinai in Toronto. Dr. Kachura is the vascular and interventional radiology Fellowship Supervisor at the Joint Department of Medical Imaging in Toronto and has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed papers. Dr. Kachura was the President of the Canadian Interventional Radiology Association (CAIR) between 2011 – 2013. His professional and research interests include but are not limited to interventional oncology and obstetrical interventions.

CAIR – Thank you for joining us. Tell us how you became Prof. John Kachura

JK – Well, I went to the University of Toronto medical school and graduated in 1989 (a long time ago). I was originally in the Internal Medicine program but my last elective in medical school was Radiology at the Wellesley Hospital, now defunct. I really enjoyed the breadth of material and the intricacies of radiology and I decided to switch. So, after a year of intense medical internship, I switched to Radiology at U of T. I finished my Radiology residency (at U of T) in 1994 and did a fellowship in Boston at Boston City Hospital University Medical Centre for a year and then came back to Toronto working on staff at the Wellesley Hospital for three years before leaving for UHN/Mt. Sinai, where I have been on staff since 1998.

CAIR – Fascinating. Who is or was your mentor and why?

JK – During radiology residency, I enjoyed most of the things we learned but I was unsure in what area to subspecialize. My first rotation through interventional radiology was at Mt. Sinai Hospital during my R3 year with Dr. Murray Asch and Dr. Nasir Jaffer. In fact, Dr. Murray Asch was my first mentor. As soon as I started the rotation with Dr. Asch, I knew VIR was what I wanted to do.  In Boston, I had a couple of mentors: The Chair of Radiology and Radiologist-in-Chief at the time, Dr. Joseph T. Ferrucci II and the head of VIR at the time, Dr. Kent Yucel. Back in Toronto, I would consider Dr. CS Ho and the recently departed Dr. Ken Sniderman as well.

CAIR – What part of IR were you drawn to?

JK – I liked using my hands to do procedures. I was fairly good at basic procedures during my internship and it seemed satisfying to do something to help someone in the immediate term. Although I enjoyed the complexity of internal medicine, you had to deal with a lot of chronic conditions, for which there were no easy answers.

CAIR – Would you consider yourself a “vascular” or “body” IR (or both)?

JK – I would consider myself both. Early on in the stenting days, I would scrub in with the vascular surgeons to insert stent grafts. As interventional oncology progressed in the late 90s and early 2000s, I gravitated towards that and I tend to be involved with more interventional oncology than other areas such as peripheral vascular disease now but I like to do all procedures.

CAIR: Cool! I know this is a difficult question that you have probably never thought of, but how would you describe your favourite catheter?

JK – I like to teach my fellows that the 4F C2 glide catheter is the most versatile catheter known to peoplekind.

CAIR – Do you have a favourite CAIR city?

JK – The first host city was Niagara on the Lake, which produced a lot of memories, which I still remember. CAIR went back a couple of years later. The times there were great. I enjoyed Halifax and I enjoyed Calgary. As long as it’s not in Toronto, I’ll enjoy it.

CAIR – What’s your favourite song to sing at karaoke?

JK – Hidden content. Watch the video.

CAIR – What was your last publication?

JK – I was co-author with Dr. Mafeld of a letter to the editor in CVIR. I was very pleased that the words “Trump” and “fake news” were used. (The link can be found here).

CAIR – What is your favourite closure device?

JK – My first two favourite closure devices are this and this (shows us the 2nd and 3rd digits of his right hand). Hopefully on the fellow’s hand.

CAIR – What if there is operator fatigue?

JK – Then you have another hand. Or another fellow…

*For the remaining riveting questions, watch the full video, click on the image below*

Dr. Kenneth Sniderman being awarded the Medal of Bravery after saving a drowning stranger trapped beneath a boat.

The VIR community recently lost one of its pioneers and mentors, Dr. Kenneth Sniderman, who passed away in April 2021 following a battle with cancer. Below are two statements from Dr. Simons, who worked alongside Dr. Sniderman and Dr. Bernstein, a VIR fellow that trained under Dr. Sinderman.  

Dr. Martin E. Simons 

Dr. Ken Sniderman was a pioneer in Angiography and Interventional Radiology in Canada, and the rest of the world as well. 

He trained in Toronto, New York and Boston, and was on staff at NYU, publishing widely on angiography and angioplasty, with landmark papers on renal arteriography and angioplasty. 

He returned to Toronto and the Toronto General Hospital in 1985, and began his long and distinguished career at TGH, the Toronto Hospital and the University Health Network, (all the same place, just different names).  He published many papers here as well, particularly a landmark paper on iliac angioplasty. 

In his 35 years in Toronto, he trained innumerable fellows and residents, many with high profile positions all over the world. 

He was ahead of his time in many ways.  He became very sub specialized, at a time when this was unusual.  Most radiologists in that era did multiple modalities and organ systems. 

He was also ahead of his time in practicing patient centred care.  He was not afraid to embrace the clinical aspects of Interventional Radiology, long before it became the norm, and he set an example to all of us, on how we should treat and respect our patients 

His angiographic technique was superb.  Every angiogram Ken did was a work of art.  He was meticulous in his technique.  Many fellows remember the attention to detail that Ken brought to every case. 

Ken was a tireless worker, and loved teaching fellows. and residents.  He loved his career, and his passion for his work was contagious.  He was never afraid to learn new techniques as he came along, and adapted to all the changes that have occurred in Medicine since he began his career. 

He learned ultrasound and nonvascular interventional radiology, many years after starting practice, and excelled at this as well. 

For those of us in IR, the passing of Ken Sniderman, is like the end of an era.  Hopefully, his passion, enthusiasm and wisdom, will carry on through the many trainees he has nurtured over his career. 

He is missed by his colleagues at UHN/MSH, and by his family and friends.  Our condolences go out to Ken’s wife Franci and his three sons, Michael, Adam and Robert. 

Dr. Ondina Bernstein 

Ken was a fabulous teacher and colleague.  Countless interventional radiologists across Canada, and indeed the world, were fortunate enough to learn from his vast expertise, techniques, attention to detail and patient-centred approach. His enthusiasm for IR was always apparent, even when called for emergency cases during the dead of night! Ken will be missed but always remembered with fondness and great respect.  

This segment will feature a unique pearl learned by a junior VIR staff during residency or fellowship to share with our community. This pearl is written by Dr. Joel Woodley-Cook from Scarborough Health Network.

A Dr. Sniderman Nugget: How to Reduce Pain Associated with Local Anesthesia Injection 

It became clear early on in VIR fellowship that Dr. Sniderman had many passions in life. Two of these passions included teaching and patient care. He would literally sacrifice himself for both passions, whether it was during his Friday morning teaching rounds despite being in pain from a recent fractured hip or giving patients his personal mobile number and getting calls throughout the night regarding post-UFE pain management.

Dr. Sniderman bestowed many pearls upon his mentees, including the liberal use of roadmapping, vascular ultrasound tips, being careful (and typically avoiding altogether) of advancing a wire beyond a catheter^*, and teaching the Subway sandwich artist to hollow out the bun to reduce carb intake. Dr. Sniderman was a strong advocate for patient safety and comfort, and although he taught numerous techniques and tricks, one stands out as it highlights his empathy, prioritizing patient comfort, and improving the patient experience.

The following technique was taught by Dr. Sniderman after he read a 5 Things To Know About CMAJ article on how to reduce the pain of local anesthesia injection [1].

Below is a summary of these tricks on how to reduce the pain of local anesthesia injection:

1. Using a smaller diameter needle

• Encourages slow injection thereby reducing pain from volume expansion.

2. Warming the injection solution

• At the beginning of the day, Dr. Sniderman would warm his vials for the day.
• Resources vary, but a gel warmer, towel warmer, or warm water bath can be used.

3. Buffering lidocaine with sodium bicarbonate

• The burning sensation of lidocaine, an acid with a pH of 4.7, can be reduced with a 10:1 mix of 1% lidocaine:8.4% sodium bicarbonate.
• Prior to warming, Dr. Sniderman would add 5 mL of sodium bicarbonate to the 50 mL bottle of 1% lidocaine (with or without epinephrine).

4. The initial injection should be perpendicular to the skin

• Injections performed at 90^o intersect fewer dermal nerve endings, which tend to branch out.

5. Pause after initial subdermal injection

• The first injection should be a 0.2 – 0.5 mm subdermal injection, as opposed to intradermal, followed by a pause.

6. Maintain visible anesthetic ahead of the advancing needle tip

• This ensures anesthetizing downstream nerves prior to tip penetration.

^*I recall Dr. Sniderman’s analogy of the tip of a wire acting like a sword, which should be “unsheathed” from the catheter to prevent dissection instead of sticking the vessel wall with the pointy bit.

Reference:

1. Strazar R, Lalonde D. Minimizing injection pain in local anesthesia. CMAJ. 2012;184:2016.

William Osler Health System (Osler) is a multi-site hospital system serving 1.3 million people in one of the fastest-growing and most culturally-diverse regions in Ontario.

 With our new 2019-24 Corporate Strategic Plan, Going Beyond for Healthier Communities as our roadmap, we are shifting traditional thinking and re-imagining health care to help people live healthier lives, reduce chronic disease and improve access to care.

 At Osler, we are committed to providing safe, equitable, high-quality care in a fulfilling work environment that inspires our staff, physicians and volunteers to learn, innovate and grow. We are proud to be recognized, year after year, as one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

 Here you will work alongside a highly-committed and respected team that understands what it means to go beyond to meet the health care needs of our communities.

 DEPARTMENT/CAMPUS:

Angiography – Diagnostic Imaging, Etobicoke General Hospital

POSTING NUMBER: OSLER14810

HOURS: Currently Days, 8 hour shifts with participation in stand-by and call-in rotation for evenings/nights and weekends (Subject to change in accordance with operational requirements).

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Registered Nurse (RN) is a regulated health care professional who is accountable and responsible for providing quality patient focused nursing care to patients in the Diagnostic Imaging Unit. As part of the inter-professional health care team, the RN will practice according to the nursing practice expectations set by William Osler Health System, the regulatory practice standards of the College of Nurses and the legislative requirements set by the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA).

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Current registration, and in good standing, with the College of Nurses of Ontario
• Sound knowledge of nursing process, theory, and responsibilities to the nursing profession
• BCLS required
• Demonstrated excellent interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, conflict-resolution and decision-making skills required
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of an inter-professional team
• Demonstrated knowledge of patient and family-centered care
• Demonstrated experience with patient and family health teaching required
• Demonstrated leadership and facilitation skills required
• Demonstrated excellent customer service, organizational and critical-thinking skills required
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and professional development as it applies to the profession and related field
• Demonstrated ability to work in a stressful and fast paced environment
• Exemplary clinical practice within an inter-professional team to develop appropriate strategies for patient care
• Ability to prioritize patient care needs and make autonomous decisions
• Excellent physical assessment skills required
• Ability to promote a healthy work environment and practice excellent Client Safety guidelines
• Knowledge and understanding of the Occupational Health and Safety Act
• Must demonstrate Osler Values of Respect, Excellence, Accountability, Diversity, Innovation
• May be required to travel and work between all Osler campuses
• Excellent attendance, punctuality and work record

The Diagnostic Imaging Interventional Radiology RN is responsible for:

• Safe nursing practice in all aspects of the nursing process: Assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care
• Professional, patient-centred care to ensure patient safety and physiological and psychological well-being, associated with creating a therapeutic relationship and environment
• Providing care in a compassionate and caring manner within a diverse cultural environment.
• Practicing according to the infection control and prevention measures.
• Responding to emergency situations by recognizing changes in patient’s health status and consulting appropriately when necessary using Transfer of Accountability principles
• Providing health teaching to patients and families including thorough discharge instructions to ensure the continuity of care in the community

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience within the last 5 years in Diagnostic Imaging or Interventional Radiology preferred
• Experience within the last 5 years in Emergency, Critical Care or Operating Room an asset
• Cardiac Catheterization Lab or Endoscopy experience an asset
• ACLS certification required, or successful completion within one (1) year of hire
• Coronary Care I and II preferred
• Ideal candidate must be physically able and will be required to wear lead apron for extended periods of time

* In order to be considered for this position, you must include a current resume with your on-line application.

** Only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted **

Please apply online at www.williamoslerhs.ca

Osler values inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. We welcome and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. We are committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. (AODA). If you require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please notify Human Resources at human.resources@williamoslerhs.ca.

While we thank all applicants, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Any information obtained during the course of recruitment will be used for employment recruitment purposes only, and not for any other purpose

Announcing the New President of the Canadian Association for Interventional Radiology (CAIR) and Welcoming New Board Officers

June 14, 2021 – The Canadian Association for Interventional Radiology (CAIR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tara Graham, who assumed the role at the board’s meeting on June 14th, 2021, as CAIR’s new Board President.

“We welcome Dr. Graham as our new Board President and look forward to her leadership as CAIR continues its post-pandemic evolution. Dr. Graham brings a wealth of experience, she is the current Chief of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at Trillium Health Partners and Lecturer at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine. She has served on the board since 2014 and is the Scientific Director of the Annual Meeting. Please join me and the rest of the board in welcoming Dr. Graham  to her new role!”- Dr. Amol Mujoomdar, CAIR Past President

The board also wants to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Dr. Amol Mujoomdar for his leadership and dedication as the previous President. Dr. Mujoomdar will continue to serve on the CAIR Executive in the role of Past President replacing Dr. Jason Wong who will transition into a Director position. Dr Alessandra Cassano-Bailey will be assuming the role of Vice President.

Acknowledging the benefits from the professional and personal contributions of dedicated and hard-working directors, the board extends a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Darren Klass for his long-standing service as he finishes his mandate as Board Treasurer and welcomes Dr. David Valenti as the new CAIR Board Secretary-Treasurer. Dr. Darren Klass will continue to serve with the CAIR board in a Director position.

“On behalf of the CAIR board, I want to thank Dr. Klass and Dr. Wong for their tireless energy, long-standing contributions, and support. They dedicated significant time and energy to help grow CAIR as a sustainable national organization representing the interventional radiology interests in Canada. We also want to congratulate and welcome the new Officers. We are grateful and excited to have this group of individuals bring their unique talents, expertise and perspectives to the work of the organization in order to further our vision.” – Dr. Tara Graham, CAIR President

“We are thrilled to have such talented and respected leaders on our board and we look forward to working with them as we continue to serve our members and the entire IR community while leading the vision of CAIR  with dedication and passion.” Luciana Nechita, CAIR Executive Director

The full CAIR board members and officers list is available here.

About the Canadian Association for Interventional Radiology (CAIR)

The Canadian Association for Interventional Radiology (CAIR) brings together a vast majority of Interventional Radiologists as well as other professionals of the field and works with patient groups and other allies to help increase accessibility for Canadians to patient friendly, effective, minimally invasive, image-guided treatments. For more information visit cairweb.ca.

Media Contact
info@cair.sociationdev.com

CAIR’s board of directors and staff are horrified and saddened by the act of hatred and Islamophobia that happened Sunday evening in London, Ontario. We stand in solidarity with the Muslim community and offer our love and compassion to all those affected by this devastating act of violence. We strongly condemn all forms of Islamophobia, hatred, and violence by extremist groups and individuals. We hold the victims of this tragedy close to our hearts, and our thoughts will remain with the family and friends of the deceased, and, of course, with the young boy who survived.

CAIR’s board of directors, staff, and the entire IR community stands with all Indigenous Communities, especially the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nations, in mourning the tragedy of the 215 children’s lives taken at the hands of the Canadian residential school system.

We are reminded that residential schools are not just part of our history – they continue to play an active role in our present, and action and education must be taken for all of Canada to realize that Every Child Matters.

Our heart goes out to the families and communities experiencing such unspeakable pain, as well as to the survivors of residential schools.

We know there is much harm to overcome and much to learn from Indigenous leaders and organizations if we are to ensure a very different future and we firmly believe all of us have a role to play in advancing meaningful truth and reconciliation.

Cultivating a fair, inclusive and welcoming work environment has become a priority for many institutions. Those who use overtly hostile, disparaging and threatening language and behaviors directed toward people based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and disabilities are now being held accountable in the workplace. However, a more subtle and insidious form of prejudice known as microaggressions can perpetuate the same biases and be equally harmful. Full article via Society of Interventional Radiology – IR Quarterly.