#IamMGHresearch tells the stories of our researchers. Meet Dr. Jeff Powis, Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Control, and Infectious Diseases Physician at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH).
"In the mosaic of healthcare, my role as an Infectious Diseases Physician and the Medical Director of the Infection Prevention and Control Program at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) has been a journey of growth and impact.
My experiences in these roles have woven together, crafting a narrative that reflects my deep commitment to bettering the lives of the patients we are privileged to serve. The great thing about being involved in healthcare is that you have the capacity to know that the contributions you are making actually help people. You can help people through the care you deliver to individuals or by developing better policies, procedures and research. As a healthcare provider and an administrator, I can see both sides of this.
To me, the responsibilities of a physician include not only treating patients but also creating new knowledge that can improve care. If I can find new information and share it with other providers, it may help them with their patients. My interest in research was sparked as a child by fixing things that were broken around the house and by a fascination with trying to understand problems. This interest was solidified by participating in research experiences during my medical training. Research has been, and continues to be, a part of everything I do.
It brings me a lot of joy to see the impact of our team and I've had the privilege to meet and work with MGH. I am lucky to be surrounded by people who are motivated, intelligent and driven to get things done. After all, we can only achieve success if everyone shares a vision and collaborates.
I am really proud of the work that we did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid rapidly shifting systems, our teams at MGH thrived and generated new knowledge that illuminated the path forward. The pioneering work we did on COVID-19 testing led to the creation of take-home COVID-19 test kits and revolutionized how testing was done in East Toronto.
I am also excited about the work done at the Toronto Community Hep C Program (TCHCP), which helps hepatitis C patients who use drugs receive testing and care. This has been a longstanding partnership with South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC), starting way back in 2006. In a recently published study, we collaborated with SRCHC and the University Health Network demonstrating that embedding low-barrier rapid hepatitis C testing within a supervised consumption site significantly improved testing and treatment uptake for this virus in people who use drugs.
Like MGH, SRCHC is a member organization of East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP), the Ontario Health Team (OHT) serving East Toronto. Our teams at MGH frequently work together with member organizations of ETHP to improve care for local residents. As part of this partnership, I hold the role of Medical Director of Integrated Care at ETHP.
During the pandemic, there were times when we made very tough decisions that took a lot of courage to make and enabled our teams across ETHP to be at the forefront of providing care for some of our community’s most vulnerable. During the pandemic, we continued to do research and generate new knowledge. For example, we evaluated our local system response to the pandemic. We conducted a study to examine the maintenance of good hand hygiene practices over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in acute care hospitals in Ontario.
Recently, my research journey has evolved into organizing research agendas and teams at MGH. When aligned with the perspective of Dr. Kelly Smith, Interim Chief Scientific Officer at MGH; patient-oriented research principles; and the collaborative strength of our OHT, we now have the perfect opportunity to continue prioritizing and building on our important research work at MGH. This endeavor isn't just about the hospital; it encompasses our OHT and the vibrant community we're privileged to serve."