TFS - Canada's International School

TFS 55 IMPROVING PATIENTS' LIVES THROUGH INNOVATION Among Dr. Chan's contributions is a new approach to treating chronic kidney disease. Dubbed "nocturnal hemodialysis," the treatment was developed in collaboration with leading nephrologist Andreas Pierratos during Dr. Chan's residency at Toronto General Hospital in the late '90s. Nocturnal hemodialysis consists of teaching patients how to use a hemodialysis machine at home and having them use the machine for eight hours while sleeping. It not only provides kidney disease patients with more freedom but also significantly improves health outcomes, even making it possible for women to carry pregnancies to full term. It is now available across Canada and in some parts of the US. Today, Dr. Chan is working hard on a new project, the UHN Connected Care program, which aims to provide patients leaving hospital with a suite of essential medical services accessible from home, with a launch date of June 2024. According to Dr. Chan, UHN Connected Care is essentially "a hospital without walls." Patients will receive access to a 24/7 phone line, calls from nurse practitioners, virtual pharmacy services and more. "It is really an extension of what we started with home dialysis," he explains. "Trying to provide the best care by providing the right care, at the right time, in the right place." A Leader in Healthcare Innovation Dr. Christopher Chan '89 wears many hats. He is a nephrologist, an educator, a researcher and a leader in many spheres of healthcare. Although his day-to-day tasks vary greatly, one thing remains constant: his dedication to improving the lives of patients around the world by rethinking how healthcare is delivered. Dr. Chan, who is also president of the International Society for Hemodialysis, holds a variety of leadership roles at Toronto's University Healthcare Network (UHN): he leads the Multi- Care Kidney Clinic as the Director of Nephrology and Professor of Medicine, oversees the economics of the entire Department of Medicine as Deputy Physician-in-Chief of Economics, and is the Medical Lead of UHN Connected Care, an innovative project that aims for a seamless transition from inpatient to outpatient services. "My work at the micro level can be summed up as pioneering innovative approaches to the treatment of chronic kidney disease by intensifying the dose of dialysis and changing how it is being delivered," he explains. "At the macro level, it is innovating care models and how clinical services are being delivered at the healthcare- system level." BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION Dr. Chan says it was the time he spent at TFS that gave him the drive and skills to become a leader in healthcare. "Everything starts off in the basement of education. The foundation needs to be built strongly to allow the building to actually grow," he says. "During my time at TFS I was very much empowered to become a leader." According to Dr. Chan, TFS' rigorous curriculum also taught him to be an independent thinker and a continuous worker and learner. As a TFS student, he was already passionate about chemistry and science. He sees his career as a natural extension of this interest. "In a very simplistic way, nephrology and dialysis are basically applied chemistry," he explains. "TFS supported my quest for knowledge and helped me discover how important it is to actually try to make an impact." For Dr. Chan, father of Nick '20 and Daniel '23, enrolling his children at TFS was a no-brainer. "In my mind, it was an expectation and a legacy," he says. "I trust the school to provide my children with all the opportunities that it can offer to allow them to really achieve their potential. And I hope that one day they will become TFS parents themselves." Everything starts off in the basement of education. e foundation needs to be built strongly to allow the building to actually grow."

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