Thomas Stelfox to begin the inaugural role of deputy dean with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry on Sept. 1

Tom Stelfox joins the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry as deputy dean

A proud alumnus of the University of Alberta MD program, Tom Stelfox joins the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry on Sept. 1, 2023, in the inaugural role of deputy dean. Stelfox brings his experience as a professor of critical care medicine and director of the O’Brien Institute for Public Health at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary to his new role. He also served as joint clinical and academic chair of the Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services. 

Stelfox did his internal medicine residency at the University of Toronto, earned a PhD in health-care policy at Harvard University and completed a critical care fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

With more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, over $25 million in funding and $80 million in network and training grants, Stelfox’s focus on the application of health-services research methods to improve the quality of health-care delivery to critically ill patients has made a substantial impact on health policy and patient care.

We contacted Stelfox to learn more about him and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role.

Please tell us about your new role as deputy dean and how it will support the faculty.

I am excited to support Dean Hemmelgarn’s leadership of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. This is important as Dean Hemmelgarn assumes the role of College Dean and Vice-Provost, College of Health Sciences, while retaining her role as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. My goal is to work closely with Dean Hemmelgarn, department chairs, vice-deans and members of the faculty to promote the health and wellness of all through excellence in education, discovery and clinical care to achieve the goals set out in the strategic plan Vision 2025.

Will you continue to practise medicine and pursue your research?

Absolutely. It is important to me that I continue to work to advance the care of critically ill patients through research, education and bedside care.

What are some of the first things you want to do this September?

Meet people and begin to learn about the faculty and the U of A. It has been over 25 years since I last attended the U of A. The faculty and university have grown and changed so much over the years. The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry has wonderful faculty, students and staff and I want to start meeting them to learn about the important work they are doing and how I can support them.

What do you want to achieve during your term as deputy dean?

The faculty has experienced tremendous change in recent years. I would like to help support them beyond these changes and achieve stable growth and innovation.

What’s the biggest opportunity you see for the faculty in the coming years?

Interdisciplinary collaboration to advance research and education. Many of today’s health challenges are complex and resistant to our current strategies. The College of Health Sciences provides an incredible opportunity for us to be bold and innovative and find new ways to solve problems. 

What are you most looking forward to in your new role, and what do you think will be the most challenging?

People are what make an institution, so getting to know the faculty community will be incredibly stimulating and rewarding. At the same time, it’s a large community with a lot of people, which makes it challenging.

What’s your most vivid memory of your time in the MD program?

Dr. Henry Pabst. I met the late Dr. Pabst during my first semester of medical school and had the good fortune to work with him over the next four years as a research student. He introduced me to the wonderful world of academic medicine — how we can learn from our patients, use research to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and translate those strategies into better care. 

What’s something that people might be surprised to learn about you?

I am a basketball fan. I never played basketball, but became a fan by watching my three daughters play. I look forward to cheering on the Pandas and Golden Bears.