Dr. Art Slutsky appointed to the Order of Canada

By Ana Gajic

Dr. Art Slutsky

Dr. Art Slutsky, previous St. Michael’s Hospital vice-president of Research and a scientist in the Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, has been appointed to the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada is the country’s highest honour for lifetime achievement.

Through a series of ground-breaking studies, Dr. Slutsky has helped shape the science of critical care medicine and its delivery to patients.

“I am honoured to receive this appointment,” said Dr. Slutsky, who is also the previous director of the Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto.

“I have been lucky to work with talented teams at St. Michael’s and the University of Toronto. Together, we’ve changed patient care around the world. A career in health research allows you to impact not only the patients you care for as a physician, but potentially millions of others. This has been an incredible honour for me.”

The Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. It recognizes all sectors of Canadian society, honouring those who have enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country.

Dr. Slutsky’s research helped identify the mechanisms underlying ventilator-induced injury, and helped lead to the development of new therapies for patients with respiratory failure. The discovery of a new type of lung injury – which his team named biotrauma – produced a new field of scientific investigation for researchers around the world. Dr. Slutsky’s work has been published in more than 500 peer-reviewed articles and has been cited more than 70,000 times.

“I would like to congratulate Art on this well-deserved achievement,” said Dr. Tim Rutledge, president and CEO of the health network Unity Health Toronto, which includes St. Michael’s.

“In addition to his own professional success as a researcher, under his tenure as vice-president at St. Michael’s Hospital and Unity Health Toronto he markedly increased the profile of research and basic science for our organization. He has attracted world-class researchers to the hospital and fostered a culture of discovery and innovation that we are now famous for.”

In addition to his leadership at the hospital level, Dr. Slutsky is also known for his work of bringing critical care medicine together in Toronto as head of the Division of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Toronto. There, he is credited for creating the Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, which is acknowledged as one of the top academic critical care divisions in the world.

“Professor Slutsky has been a tremendous force for progress in medical science and health care in Canada,” said Dr. Trevor Young, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. “His contributions to the fields of respirology and critical care as a scientist, collaborator, educator and mentor are rightfully renowned, and as a research leader his impact has been transformative. His appointment to the Order of Canada is richly deserved.”

Dr. Slutsky has received a number of prestigious awards, including 2014 Health Researcher of the Year by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, American Thoracic Society Assembly on Critical Care Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Member of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and the University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Medal for 2014, which symbolizes the highest honour that the association can confer upon an engineering graduate.

About St. Michael’s Hospital

St. Michael’s Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding medical education to future health care professionals in more than 29 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, care of the homeless and global health are among the Hospital’s recognized areas of expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael’s Hospital are recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

About Unity Health Toronto

Unity Health Toronto, comprised of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Our health network serves patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education. For more information, visit www.unityhealth.to.