After 12 years as CritiCall Ontario’s Provincial Medical Director, Dr. Desmond Bohn is set to retire.
Dr. Bohn first joined CritiCall Ontario in 2010 when his tenure as Chief of Critical Care Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto was coming to an end. Since then, he has played an invaluable role at CritiCall Ontario as a passionate leader and strong advocate for accessible, specialized patient care within Ontario. He represented CritiCall Ontario at many provincial tables and has played an ongoing and steadfast role in provincial neurosurgery discussions and strategies. He has forged many important relationships for CritiCall Ontario and developed many friendships along the way.
“Because we work with urgent and emergent patients, there is pressure to provide the most effective solution in the least amount of time to help patients get the resources they need. It’s always a great feeling when we learn that our services assisted a positive patient outcome, so I will miss the ability to do that every day,” said Dr. Bohn.
Isabel Hayward, Executive Director of CritiCall Ontario, says she will miss Dr. Bohn’s problem-solving skills in action. “Des is very passionate about healthcare and how CritiCall Ontario is a leader affecting change. I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing his unwavering dedication to support our stakeholders through many initiatives, such as reworking the Hub and Spoke distribution method as a solution for the GTA Neurosurgery Model. In this instance, Des continued to review data and remodel it to demonstrate an opportunity to improve access to Neurological Centres across the province. One day, we will name this process the ‘Bohn Model of Care!’” she said.
“I first met Des 17 years ago when I was a Call Agent and he was the consulting Intensivist for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at SickKids,” said Julie Gordon, Manager of CritiCall Ontario’s Call Centre. “Being on the other end of the call, I experienced first-hand Des’ commitment to his patients and passion for research and innovation. He has always advocated for patients above all else, and ensures the referring physician receives the consultation required to determine the best treatment plan for each individual,” said Julie. “It’s been a privilege working with Des, and it’s an honour to now celebrate his accomplishments. I keep telling him that he’ll miss talking to me every day, although I’m not convinced he believes that!” she joked.
“It’s been such a pleasure working with and getting to know Des over the last 12 years,” said Christine Moon, Manager of Communications and Client Relations at CritiCall Ontario. “He has a subtle yet very effective way of letting you know what he thinks and where he sees opportunity. He does this with such grace and kindness and occasionally takes you by surprise with his keen sense of humour. I will miss all of that and I will certainly miss Des,” she said.
Chris Long, Call Centre Educator, says he will miss collaborating with Des on case facilitation projects. “I always come out of our conversations with an increased knowledge of medicine and what it takes to care for every patient. In my eyes, he set the standard for what it takes to be a leader in his role as Provincial Medical Director,” said Chris.
In addition to his work with CritiCall Ontario staff and at provincial tables, Dr. Bohn also lead the team of Medical Associates who provide day-to-day support to CritiCall Ontario’s Call Centre. This team includes Dr. Hilary Whyte, Medical Director of Acute Care Transport Service (ACTS) at SickKids Toronto, and CritiCall Ontario Medical Associate, who says she has been fortunate to know Dr. Bohn on both a personal and professional level for over 40 years. “I’ve always admired and been in awe of Des ever since I first met him when I was an Associate Chief Resident at SickKids over 40 years ago. When Des took over as Chief of Critical Care Medicine, he demonstrated a hidden talent of being a brilliant administrator. A leader in evidence-based medicine, Des never let the opportunity to ask and answer a clinical question pass. He ran a tight ship, but with an open and honest rhetoric and developed an ethos within the PICU which has been admired and emulated by other hospital units,” said Hilary.
A long-time colleague of Dr. Bohn’s, Hilary says she has also benefitted from knowing Dr. Bohn on a personal level. “Des has been a dear friend to me, and we have shared many great memories together. I’ve always enjoyed regular invitations to his Boxing Day parties, where we never miss an opportunity to share a pint together!” said Hilary.
Excited to begin the next chapter of his life, Dr. Bohn says he is looking forward to traveling to Europe in June to take part in a rowing competition. “I’m part of a rowing group in Prince Edward County, so my team and I will be traveling to the Netherlands to participate in an international competition. Then I’ll be heading to England and Ireland to visit family, so I’m looking forward to spending quality time with loved ones that I haven’t seen in a while,” said Dr. Bohn.
Congratulations, Dr. Bohn, on a wonderful career, and thank you for your many years of dedication to CritiCall Ontario! We wish you good health and happiness as you embark on your next adventure!