Dr. Richard Simons
Professor and Medical Director
Trauma Services
Congratulations to:
Dr. Richard Simons (General Surgery) who has received the Meritorious Achievement Award of the American College of Surgeon- Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) for his many significant contributions to trauma in general, to trauma systems development in Canada, and for his services as an ACS-COT region chief. Dr. Simons’ award was given during the spring meeting on March 20, 2014 in Philadelphia.
Dr. Simons is being recognised primarily for his work in trauma systems development in BC and Canada. No regional trauma systems existed in BC prior to his arrival in Vancouver in 1996 but, with the assistance of a committed team at VGH and later from representatives from around the province he was able to establish Ministry support for a province-wide, regionalised trauma system ensuring rapid access to care for injured patients throughout BC. BC’s regionalised trauma system is now one of the most highly developed in North America.
Dr. Simons (middle) receives his award
Later, his work with the Trauma Association of Canada (TAC) and later with Accreditation Canada, he was instrumental in developing national guidelines for trauma systems and performance guidelines for trauma centres through revisions to the accreditation process developed by TAC in the early 1990s. He has served on the TAC accreditation committee for 10 years. His focus has now shifted to supporting trauma systems development in the developing world, primarily Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. He is the past president of the Trauma Association of Canada and the recent RCPSC McLaughlin-Gallie visiting professor promoting trauma systems of care in Canada.
posted : 2014-March-24; revised March-28