TORONTO - In a ceremony held today at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Mr. Chris Alexander, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence, presented Colonel Homer Tien, a Canadian military trauma surgeon, with the Canadian Forces Major Sir Frederick Banting Term Chair in Military Trauma Research.
“Our government is committed to providing the highest possible care for ill and injured members of the Canadian Forces,” said Mr. Alexander. “That commitment extends to supporting our leaders in the medical field. I am very proud that Colonel Tien's continuing work is being recognized, and that the he is being extended this important opportunity as the first Canadian Forces Chair in Military Trauma Research. I look forward to following the progress of his work over the years to come.”
Past Canadian Forces (CF) research into the management of blood flow and multiple trauma contributed to a 97 per cent survival rate for CF soldiers, sailors, airmen and airwomen who were evacuated to the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit in Kandahar with vital signs.
The CF has long embraced a collaborative care model, maintaining close relationships with the medical services of military partners and with civilian care providers such as Sunnybrook Hospital, to ensure that ill and injured CF personnel receive the best care possible.
“Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is committed to the health of military personnel and has worked with the Canadian Forces to ensure that ill and injured personnel receive high standard healthcare,” said Barry McLellan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “We are excited to continue our work with Dr. Tien and the Canadian Forces in a research capacity to share experiences in trauma medicine that will better serve the CF and civilian populations.”
Colonel Tien, who is also the Medical Director of the Tory Regional Trauma Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and an associate scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute, is one of the many world class healthcare professionals that belong to the CF’s healthcare team. In his role as Medical Director, he leads Canada’s largest trauma centre and is an integral member of the Trauma, Emergency and Critical Care program.
As a CF trauma surgeon, Colonel Tien has served in Bosnia with the Stabilization Force, in Kabul with the International Security Assistance Force, and has deployed multiple times to the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit (MMU) in Kandahar. He was the first CF trauma surgeon to serve at Role 3 MMU in January 2006, and was also the last to serve there in November 2011.
“The Canadian Forces are leaders in military health research and in trauma medicine,” said Commodore Hans Jung, Surgeon General. “Under the leadership of Colonel Tien, we will have the ability to further combine our efforts with other institutions in order to broaden our research capacity and to ensure better care for our military members and veterans.”
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and its affiliate the University of Toronto are further committed to military and veterans’ health research through their participation in the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research.
“Sunnybrook Research Institute and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre welcome this opportunity to enhance trauma care best practices and, ultimately, the health of Canadians,” said Dr. Michael Julius, Vice-President of Research at Sunnybrook Research Institute and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
In recognition of CF excellence in health research, the family of Major Frederick Banting has strongly supported the use of Major Banting’s name for this prestigious chair.
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