¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ

Hourglass showing milestones

Historical Milestones

As we celebrate 50 years of Family Medicine at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ, we reflect on the pivotal milestones that have shaped our department's journey. This section highlights significant events, achievements, and advancements that have marked our growth and evolution in education, research, and patient care. Join us in honoring our history and the visionaries who paved the way for the future of Family Medicine.

1821Ìý

In a mutually beneficial arrangement, ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ College and the Montreal Medical Institution (MMI), a proprietary medical school established by four Montreal General Hospital (MGH) physicians, merged. The MMI became the College’s first faculty, and the MGH its teaching hospital.

1843ÌýHospital

The University Lying-in Hospital - established by ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ’s Faculty of Medicine (now the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences), hence its name, as a teaching hospital - offered poor, often unmarried or immigrant women, a safe place to give birth.

1893ÌýHospital

The imposing Royal Victoria Hospital, built on the southern slope of Mount Royal on land donated in 1887 by rail barons Lords Strathcona and Mount Stephen, opened its doors in 1893.

1904Children at hospital

The Children’s Memorial Hospital's (now the Montreal Children’s Hospital) leafy setting near Mount Royal was regarded as the perfect spot for its young patients, many of whom were suffering from respiratory diseases like tuberculosis, to recuperate.

1912Herzl Hospital in 1912

The Herzl dispensary opens

Launched in June 1912, the Herzl Dispensary—a forerunner of the Jewish General Hospital—provided vital healthcare services to Montreal’s growing Jewish community. More than five decades before socialized medicine was introduced in Canada, this small but well-equipped Dispensary—staffed by a team of unpaid, volunteer doctors—provided medical treatment and drugs to anyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay.

1924St Mary's Hospital in 1924

St Mary’s Hospital opens

From its beginning as a 45-bed institution formally established in the Shaughnessy House in downtown Montreal, (now the Canadian Centre for Architecture), St. Mary's has grown into a dynamic 271-bed hospital located on Lacombe Avenue in the Côte-des-Neiges district.

1934ÌýThree hospitals in Montreal in 1934

Despite falling in the middle of the Depression, 1934 was a particularly auspicious year for health care in Montreal, with the opening of three English-language hospitals.

1974ÌýDr. Mount in 1974

Royal Victoria Hospital palliative care service is established including Palliative Care ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ.

In 1973, Dr. Balfour Mount, a urologic-cancer surgeon, began to explore the needs of dying patients at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital. After a visit to St. Christopher’s Hospice (founded by Dame Cicely Saunders) in London, England, Dr. Mount began a similar service for the dying at Montreal’s Royal Victoria Hospital.

1974ÌýSeparator lineFamily Medicine Centre (U-FMG) affiliated with ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University

¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Centre at St. Mary’s Hospital.

The Family Medicine Centre (U-FMG) affiliated with ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University is one of the largest training centers in Canada. Practicing in the multi-ethnic community of Côte-des-Neiges, it has achieved prominence for its excellence in care and teaching.

1975ÌýSeparator lineDr. Palmer 1975

The creation of the Department of Family Medicine

Cardiologist Dr. Wilfred H. Palmer was the Physician-in-Chief of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and then became the founding Chair of the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Department of Family Medicine until 1981.

1981ÌýSeparator lineDr. Davis 1981

Dr. William Davis becomes the second Chair of the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Department of Family Medicine.

Dr. William Davis begins his mandate as second Chair of the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Department of Family Medicine until 1992. During his time as Chair, he helped inaugurate the Gatineau Family Medicine Unit (FMU).

1986ÌýSeparator lineFamily Medicine Unit (FMU) at CLSC Côte-des-Neiges

Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at CLSC Côte-des-Neiges

The CLSC de Côte-des-Neiges was established in 1975 and became a ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) in 1986. The first and only Maison de Naissance staffed exclusively with midwives was established under its jurisdiction. PRADA and CDAR, the only clinics in all of Quebec providing prise en charge care exclusively for refugees and asylum seekers in the Greater Montreal area, was also established within the CLSC.

1988ÌýSeparator lineA ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at Gatineau

A ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at Gatineau

The ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) in Gatineau was created in 1988. It began by sending two medical residents to complete their last six months of family medicine training there. A real core of ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University's Outaouais campus, the Gatineau U-FMG continues to evolve and develop.

1992ÌýSeparator lineDr. Louise Nasmith - headshot

Dr. Louise Nasmith becomes the third Chair of the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Department of Family Medicine.

Dr. Louise Nasmith obtained her medical degree from ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University in 1978 and her Certificant of the College of Family Physicians in 1982. In 1992 she was named Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ until 2002.

1997ÌýSeparator lineMUHC Hospital from a distance

Pressure on ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ's hospital network to consolidate administration and medical services resulted in a voluntary merger in 1997 to form the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University Health Centre (MUHC).

2002ÌýSeparator lineDr. Marting headshot

Dr. Martin Dawes becomes the fourth Chair of the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Department of Family Medicine.

Dr. Martin Dawes assumed the position of Chair of the Department of Family Medicine until 2010. Deeply committed to enhancing the Department’s research capacity, Dr. Dawes’ vision and leadership led to the creation of a research thesis-based Master’s program in Experimental Medicine (Family Medicine Option), the first of its kind in Canada.

2003ÌýSeparator lineMap of Quebec, with locations ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine serves

RUISSS ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ covers a large and varied territory of Quebec, stretching from Montreal to Nunavik in the far north.

2008ÌýSeparator line¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University campus view from a distance

A Master’s Program in Family Medicine

A research thesis-based Master’s program offered by the Department of Family Medicine was created in 2008. Today, the program embraces an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on community engagement.

2009ÌýSeparator lineVal D'or Hospital from a distance

A ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at Val d’Or

The Family Medicine Unit in Val d’Or opened its doors in 2009, after many years of work by several physicians who saw an exciting opportunity. It was receiving trainees from ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University for many years and so affiliation came naturally.

2009ÌýSeparator lineChateaugay hospital from a distance

A ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) in Chateaugay

Opened in 2009, the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Jardins-Roussillon Family Medicine Unit (FMU) is located near the Anna-Laberge Hospital in Châteauguay. It is part of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSS-MO).

2011ÌýSeparator lineDr. Bergman, headshot

Dr. Howard Bergman becomes the fifth Chair of the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Department of Family Medicine.

Dr. Howard Bergman took on the role of Chair of the Department of Family Medicine until 2019. Dr. Bergman was recognized for his research which has influenced policy change in primary care, aging and dementia.

2012ÌýSeparator lineCLSC Metro hospital from a distance

A ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at CLSC Metro.

In the heart of downtown Montreal, as part of the Guy-Concordia metro station, the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at CLSC Metro opened its doors in 2012. It services the territory of the west end of downtown Montreal and the City of Westmount.

2013ÌýSeparator line¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University campus view from a distance, Family medicine office

The Department moves from Pine Avenue to Côte-des-Neiges.

With the expansion of the Department came the move to relocate offices to Côte-des-Neiges, one of the most densely populated and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods in Canada.

2013ÌýSeparator lineQueen Elizabeth building from a distance

A ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Health Complex

The Queen Elizabeth Health Complex (QEHC) has been functioning as an important medical unit since 1894, when it first opened as the Montreal Homeopathic Hospital. In 1951 the hospital was renamed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and it continued to pioneer outstanding medical care.

2014 Separator lineA ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at CLSC Parc Extension

A ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Family Medicine Unit (FMU) at CLSC Parc Extension.

In the heart of vibrant and multicultural neighbourhood Parc-Extension, this Family Medicine Unit opened its doors in 2014. CLSC Parc-Extension services the territory of the East End of Ville Mont-Royal, North End of Mile-End and the heart of Parc-Extension.

2015ÌýSeparator line¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ University campus view from a distance

A PhD Program in Family Medicine and Primary Care

The PhD program offered by the Department of Family Medicine was created in 2015. Today, it is a research-intensive program that emphasizes interdisciplinary and collaborative learning opportunities.

2015ÌýSeparator lineMap of the Montreal integrated university health and social services centres

In February 2015, Quebec’s National Assembly adopted An Act to modify the organization and governance of the health and social services network. This law consolidated a majority of the health and social services at the core of a Réseau Territorial de Services (RTS) to either a Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CISSS) or Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS).

2019ÌýSeparator lineheadshot of Dr. Marion Dove

The sixth and current Chair of Family Medicine Dr. Marion Dove begins her mandate.

2020ÌýSeparator line¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ's new Campus Outaouais

In August 2020, ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ's new Campus Outaouais welcomed its first cohort. For the first time in ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ’s long history, the teaching program at one of its campuses is taking place exclusively in French.

2023ÌýSeparator lineGroup shot of staff and others

The Department of Family Medicine opens an Indigenous Space.

2023ÌýSeparator lineMedNam clinic location from a distance

A Family Medicine Unit University opens at MedNam clinic.

2024ÌýSeparator lineVadreuil location from a distance

A Family Medicine Unit opens at Vaudreuil.

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