Renowned cardiac surgeon and top talent from Harvard to enhance care for Peel/Halton residents
April 25, 2019 (Mississauga, ON) – The former Surgical Director of Heart Transplant and Circulatory Support of the renowned Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts has joined Trillium Health Partners’ (THP) Regional Cardiac Health Program, one of the largest cardiac programs in the country. Dr. Steve Singh, a highly skilled cardiac surgeon, brings significant expertise in the treatment of patients with heart disease. He recently co-authored a ground-breaking study to successfully and safely transplant Hep-C infected hearts into transplant recipients, which appears in the April edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Dr. Singh’s experience with state-of-the-art technologies and research and his extensive knowledge of heart failure will energize THP’s program for the benefit of our community,” said Dr. Steven Tishler, Program Chief and Medical Director, THP. “We have an exceptional Regional Cardiac Health Program providing best-in-class care here in Mississauga. Even with our region’s growing and aging population, our treatments continue to improve our patient’s health and longevity.”
THP’s ability to attract a surgeon of Dr. Singh’s calibre underscores the hospital’s reputation for clinical excellence in cardiac care and showcases Mississauga as a city that is attracting best in class talent and ideas from around the world.
“The opportunity to come back to Canada to join one of the largest cardiac programs in the country was very attractive. THP’s cardiac team are top of their game in technical expertise, confidence and years of experience,” said Dr. Singh. “I am extremely pleased to help expand the program with a collaborative group in a fast-growing hospital that’s already one of the best in cardiac care. It is a really exciting time to be here.”
At BWH, Dr. Singh was also Surgical Lead for the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program. A native of the Greater Toronto Area, Dr. Singh completed his medical degree, Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology, and Cardiac Surgery Residency at the University of Toronto before completing a Clinical Fellowship in Cardiothoracic Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at the Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, California.
“Modern medicine has been so successful in treating heart disease that patients are surviving longer. But there are limits to those treatments and hearts become strained over time,” said Dr. Singh. “Unfortunately, heart disease is prevalent in this community. Our job as surgeons is to extend life but also enhance the quality of life for patients once heart disease has set in. Fortunately, technology is giving us therapeutic options that were not previously possible and I’m looking forward to the opportunities to help the community.”
Trillium Health Partners is one of the largest community-based hospital systems in Canada. Comprised of Credit Valley Hospital, the Mississauga Hospital and the Queensway Health Centre, Trillium Health Partners serves the growing and diverse populations of Mississauga, West Toronto and surrounding communities. Trillium Health Partners is a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto and is an associate member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network. Visit us online at thp.ca.
THP’s Regional Cardiac Health Program is responsible for the care of approximately two million residents from Peel, Halton and West Toronto, and from across the province. Over half the residents in the community live with at least one chronic condition and cardiovascular disease is one of the most common. The program coordinates care for 11,454 rehabilitation visits, 1,398 cardiac surgeries and 20,000 ambulatory visits per year. The demand for cardiac care continues to grow with the increasing population. In October, the Regional Cardiac Health Program’s Putting Patient’s At the Heart (PPATH) Program won Ontario’s most prestigious quality award, the 2018 Minister’s Medal, for its innovative approach to getting cardiac patients home sooner with better supports.