Dr. Howard Bergman re-appointed Chair, Department of Family Medicine
We are pleased to announce the re-appointment of Dr. Howard Bergman as Chair of the Department of Family Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine, McGill University. Dr. Bergman has led the department through a period of expansion since 2012, including in its residency program, which is now the largest within the Faculty. Home to seven Family Medicine Units, which provide interdisciplinary comprehensive care to over 100,000 registered patients in diverse urban and rural communities, the department plays an important role in undergraduate medical education through the Longitudinal Family Medicine Experience, TCP and clerkship. Well-funded and well-recognized research programs are led by 14 PhD and 13 clinician scientists. A unique graduate studies and research program has grown from 6 MSc students in 2011 to its current cohort of 64 MSc, PhD and postgraduate students. More recently, the launch of pioneering distance and blended learning programs will expand access to the department’s Master’s and PhD programs to a wider range of students including practicing family physicians, in the province and across the globe.
An active member of the McGill community for many years, Dr. Bergman is a full Professor in three Faculty departments: Medicine, Family Medicine and Oncology, and is Chief of Family Medicine at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). He is also an Adjunct Professor at both the Université de Montréal and at Ben-Gurion University in Israel.
During the course of his career, Dr. Bergman has made tremendous contributions to both primary care and geriatric medicine. He was the first Dr. Joseph Kaufmann Chair in Geriatric Medicine from 2001 to 2015. He was the Director of the McGill Division of Geriatric Medicine in the Department of Medicine from 1993-2009. Dr. Bergman is recognized as the author of the recommendation on the creation of Family Medicine Groups (GMF) as a member of the “Clair Commission” in 2001 and is the author of the Quebec Alzheimer Plan tabled in 2009. From 2009 to 2011, Dr. Bergman served as Vice-President, Scientific Affairs of the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ).
He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as well as the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Among his many honours, Dr. Bergman was awarded the Dr. Ronald Cape Distinguished Service Award by the Canadian Geriatrics Society in 2009 and the College of Family Physicians of Canada Lifetime Achievement Award in Family Medicine Research. Dr. Bergman is internationally recognized for his research on integrated care, frailty and chronic disease with over 170 publications as well as numerous reports and book chapters.
As Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Bergman will continue to lead the strategic planning, as well as the education and research missions of the department, while mentoring faculty members. He will make recommendations to the Dean on recruitment, academic appointments, promotion and tenure, as well as oversee the allocation of the departmental budget. He will also represent the department as a member of the Faculty Leadership Commons and at the Clinical Chairs meetings.
Dr. Bergman will continue to provide inspired leadership and steady stewardship to manage the ongoing growth for the Department of Family Medicine at McGill.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Howard Bergman on this renewal and in wishing him ongoing success!
Dr. David Eidelman
Vice-Principal (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Dr. Mara Ludwig
Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs