On Feb. 1, 2021, Dr. Chris Simpson was appointed as Ontario Health’s Executive Vice-President, Medical. In this role, he provides medical leadership and clinical expertise to Ontario Health’s Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs Portfolio, and more broadly across Ontario Health. He defines, develops and evaluates programs and models of care consistent with Ontario Health’s mandate and priorities. He advises the CEO on current and emerging health system and medical matters and co-leads Ontario Health’s Clinical Advisory Committee.
Dr. Simpson’s achievements and previous roles are numerous and include founding the Heart Rhythm Program at Kingston General Hospital, establishing catheter ablation and implantable defibrillator programs, Professor and Head of Cardiology at Queen’s University, Medical Director of the Cardiac Programs at Kingston General Hospital/Hotel Dieu Hospital, Vice-Dean (Clinical) and Medical Director of the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization (SEAMO) in the Queen’s School of Medicine, Affiliate Scientist with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES-Queen’s), member of the Queen’s School of Policy Studies Health Policy Council, President of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), during which he championed seniors’ care and helped to guide the profession on the issues of medical aid in dying (MAID) and medical marijuana and was elected as President of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences also serving on their Board of Directors.
Dr. Simpson’s primary non-clinical professional interest is health policy – particularly access to care, seniors’ care, wait times and medical fitness to drive. He served as the chair of the Wait Time Alliance (WTA) – a federation of 17 medical specialty societies and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) – and is a past chair of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society’s (CCS) Standing Committee on Health Policy and Advocacy. He serves on the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario Board of Directors, is a past member of the CCS executive and a former governor of the American College of Cardiology. He served as the Canadian representative to the World Medical Association (WMA) between 2017-2019.