Physician IT

Xwave sets up physician advisory board

TORONTO – xwave, a leading supplier of information systems for doctors’ offices, clinics and other healthcare providers, has established a Medical Advisory Board to provide input and develop strategies for the healthcare market.

The board’s eight members will, on a voluntary basis, provide advice and counsel for 12 months on a range of solutions that includes a clinical management system that xwave developed in partnership with GE Healthcare.

Adopted in Ontario, the system offers electronic medical record (EMR) and practice management (PM) software in a fully managed application service provider (ASP) environment.

“These physicians will bring to xwave significant medical expertise and hands-on experience, both of which are essential to keeping our healthcare solutions current and relevant,” said Dr. Guy Bisson (pictured), Chair and Medical Director, xwave. “Healthcare is undergoing great change, and as a team of practicing professionals who use information technology, this Medical Advisory Board will ensure our solutions remain on the forefront of change and can support it in a timely, meaningful way.”

The members of the Medical Advisory Board are:

• Dr. Guy Bisson – Chair and Medical Director of xwave. Dr. Bisson was a full professor of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Sherbrooke, teaching cardiology, nephrology and public health at both the pre-graduate and MD levels.

He was previously the University’s Director of Academic Computing at the faculty of medicine, and he was Director of Electronic Health Records (EHR) at the University hospital. He was also field director for the clinical data warehouse at the University’s Clinical Research Centre.

Dr. Bisson has served as a consultant in medical informatics and telematics for public and private-sector organizations in Québec. He is an advocate of integrated, patient-focused healthcare, supporting optimization of the clinical practice through technology; integration of clinical research/education/care at the point of care; and increasing the role of patients as active participants in the healthcare system.

• Dr. Brian Devin – Family physician at the Osgoode Village Health Centre in Osgoode, Ontario. This practice is divided between family medicine office practice and hospital duties, providing ER coverage, inpatient care and surgical assisting at Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Devin has served as a Medical Officer at the National Defence Medical Centre and a Battalion Medical Officer for the First Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR) in Petawawa. He has been Chief of Staff at Winchester since November 2006 and was previously Chief of ER and President of Medical Staff. He holds an MD from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from McMaster University, and completed his Family Medicine Residency at Queen’s University.

• Dr. Wendy Graham – Lead Physician, Blue Sky Family Health Team, North Bay, Ontario. Dr. Graham has been in full-time comprehensive family practice for over 20 years. She is a member of a number of provincial and national boards: the Anemia Institute of Research and Education; past member of the Canadian Council for integrated Health Care; past member of Ontario Medical Association Board of Directors; and, founding member of the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario.

She has been awarded the College of Family Physicians of Canada – Dr. Jean-Pierre Despins Award for 2004 and the Distinguished Service Award from the Ontario Medical Association for 2002. Dr. Graham spearheaded the first wave of the Family Health Team in Northern Ontario. She holds an Assistant Professorship at the University of Ottawa and acts as a preceptor for NOMEC and the new Northern Ontario Rural Medical School.

• Dr. Greg Higgins – Lead Physician, Prince Edward Family Health Team, Picton, Ontario. Dr. Higgins has been in private practice since 1991 and is lead physician at Picton Clinic FHN, President of Prince Edward FHT and IT lead. Although accepted for a Masters program in Computing Science, Dr. Higgins chose to obtain an MD from Queen’s University. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry.

• Dr. David Lenny – Family physician at the Centennial Medical Centre in Carleton Place, Ontario. Apart from a brief period in Levack, north of Sudbury, Dr. David Lenny has worked in general practice in Carleton Place for the last 29 years, and formed a Family Health Network three years ago. Dr. Lenny graduated from the University of Toronto and completed an Internship in New Zealand.

• Dr. Richard Trenholm – Physician at the Lakeview Family Health Network in Huntsville, Ontario. Dr. Trenholm practices family medicine with a special interest in obstetrics and emergency medicine. Dr. Trenholm graduated from Medicine at McMaster University after completing an Honours Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics at the University of Guelph and a Masters of Science in Kinesiology at McMaster. He subsequently completed a rural family medicine residency through the University of Ottawa’s Northeastern Ontario Family Medicine program in Sudbury.

• Dr. Richard Wiginton – Physician at the Brighton Family Health Team in Brighton, Ontario. Dr. Wiginton is a former lead physician and Chair of the Brighton FHT and FHN, and for four years was a Member and the Medical Director of the Board of the Brighton Health Services Centre. During his schooling he received numerous awards and scholarships; he has a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from Queen’s and obtained his MD and residency in Family Medicine at Queen’s University. Dr. Wiginton served in the reserves of the Canadian Armed Forces and worked for six summers in the Fort Henry Guard in Kingston, Ontario.

• Dr. Mark Wilkinson – Lead Physician at the Stratford Family Health Network in Stratford, Ontario, and a member of Active Staff, Department of Family Practice since 1983. Dr. Wilkinson is a member of the Ontario Medical Association, Perth County Medical Society, and the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons. He obtained his MD at the University of Western Ontario and completed a General Rotating Internship at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario.

xwave Healthcare earned Company of the Year at the 2006 Canadian Health Informatics Awards. It is one of the largest and longest-serving practices of its kind in Canada, with 250 consultants that include physicians, nurses, technical architects and project managers. Drawing from 30 years of experience, they develop technology that effectively connects providers with patients and promotes efficiency and reform across the entire continuum of care. Their solutions and services range from waitlist management and Telehealth to eReferral systems and complete outsourced infrastructure support.

About xwave
xwave, a division of Bell Aliant, is a full-service business-solutions provider that serves clients through systems integration, infrastructure services, and fulfillment. These areas offer clients a broad delivery capability: xwave plans, designs, builds and operates complete ICT solutions that meet business-process needs and are designed to deliver a measurable return on technology investments. With more than $355 million in revenues and 1,500 people, xwave is one of the largest business-solutions organizations in Canada, with locations in St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Summerside, Ottawa, Toronto, New England, Washington DC and Colorado. More information can be found at http://www.xwave.com.