Drs. Roy Purssell and John Tallon have been appointed Interim Co-Heads, Department of Emergency Medicine effective to December 31, 2022.
In their interim roles, Drs. Purssell and Tallon will provide leadership to faculty, staff and learners while we initiate a recruitment plan and search for a new Department Head.
Dear friends and colleagues,
It is a humbling honour and privilege to be asked to be interim leaders of the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine. The citizens of British Columbia are so grateful for the ongoing contributions of the front-line health care workers during this unprecedented global pandemic. Faculty and trainees in the Department of Emergency Medicine are putting health and life at risk in order to provide critically ill patients with the care that they need. We would like to thank our faculty, trainees, and staff for their incredible courage and dedication during such difficult times. We are so proud of how you continue to support each other and work together in such a calm, and collegial manner.
We would also like to thank you for your expertise and dedication to the creation of new knowledge. We are in the middle of two simultaneous public health emergencies; COVID-19 and the opioid overdose crisis. A huge amount of research is being completed rapidly to give us the information we need to optimize our patient care and public health interventions. Researchers in Emergency Medicine are playing a central role in this unprecedented research drive. In addition, COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated the transition to virtual care as a major component of health care. Innovators and leaders in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Emergency Medicine Network continue to provide key leadership in this transformation of the health care system.
Dr. Jim Christenson has accomplished a great deal as Department Head during his two terms. He oversaw a major expansion of post-graduate training in Emergency Medicine, the creation of the Emergency Medicine Network, and the transition of the Department of Emergency Medicine to a fully provincial academic department. These are only a few of his major accomplishments. We look forward to formally acknowledging and celebrating his achievements with you in the near future. We will focus on building on these successes and preparing the department for a new Department Head.
We are looking forward to working with all of the talented and dedicated faculty, staff, and trainees in the Department of Emergency Medicine as we move ahead. Please let us know what we can do to help you with your great work. We will need your advice, expertise and support. We are looking forward to working with you for the next two years until a new Department Head is chosen.
Sincerely,
John Tallon MD, MSc, FRCPC, CCPE
Clinical Professor and Co-Head, Department of Emergency Medicine
The University of British Columbia
Roy Purssell MD, FRCPC, ABEM, FACMT
Professor and Co-Head, Department of Emergency Medicine
The University of British Columbia