New Royal College president calls on medical specialists to become advocates
for change

OTTAWA, Oct. 19 /CNW/ - An Edmonton emergency room / preventive medicine physician and crusader for injury prevention has assumed the role of the 41^st president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

As president, Louis Hugo Francescutti, MD, PhD, MPH, FRCPC, FACPM, CCFP will lead the Royal College in ensuring that postgraduate medical education addresses societal health needs and in supporting its members in their lifelong learning.

"We must become vocal advocates for change," says Dr. Francescutti. "Postgraduate medical education needs to enable our future physicians to meet the increasingly complex health needs of Canadians. Given the rapid rise of technological advances, we have to ensure that practicing physicians have access to the resources they need to continue to learn throughout their careers so they can serve Canadians better."

Despite spending more than $180 billion last year on health care, wait times continue to remain at unacceptable high levels and the health of populations as a whole isn't improving as it should.  Recent polls show that health care is a top of mind issue for Canadians, surpassing the environment and the economy. Citing Senator Keon's report, A Healthy Productive Canada: A Determinant of Health Approach, Dr. Francescutti hopes to encourage Royal College members to leverage their expertise and play a more active role in the discussion about what needs to be done to improve the health status of Canadians.

"I believe this is an opportune time for physicians to provide leadership and become meaningfully engaged in the discussion about improving health care in Canada," he says.  

Dr. Francescutti has experience in a variety of health care settings countrywide, working as an emergency medical technician in the Canadian Arctic, a blood bank technologist at The Montreal General Hospital, and a researcher, clinician and educator in Edmonton Alta. He completed his MD and PhD at the University of Alberta, later followed by training at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where he obtained a Master of Public Health degree and a preventive medicine residency while pursuing studies in injury control and public health.

A renowned educator and physician, Dr. Francescutti has won numerous teaching and service awards during his career. In 2005, he was named one of Alberta's 100 most influential physicians of the past century by the Alberta Medical Association and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. 

Dr. Francescutti is also the founder of the Coalition for Cellphone-Free Driving, former director of the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research and founder of HEROES, a multimedia head and spinal cord injury prevention project for teenagers. He has lectured internationally and helped develop several award-winning injury control programs.

For more details about Dr. Francescutti, please see his biography at royalcollege.ca/about/bios/index.php.  

About the Royal College

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is a national, not-for-profit organization of more than 42,000 members in 87 countries. The Royal College contributes to improving the health of Canadians by setting the highest standards for specialty medical education. Dedicated to lifelong learning, the organization is a trusted partner in advancing sound health and public policy. To find out more, please visit: royalcollege.ca.

For further information:

Media contacts:

Krista Charbonneau, Senior Communications Specialist, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, 613-730-8177 ext 384, [e-mail]

Sandy Shearman, Communications Manager, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons,
613-730-8177 ext 464, [e-mail]