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Hispanic Business Alliance
A KGH cardiologist has been recognized for his leadership in advancing training in novel techniques for treating cardiac arrhythmia to doctors across Canada and around the world.
One of Canada’s leading experts in cardiology, head of the Kingston General Hospital Heart Rhythm Service, and a Queen’s University professor, Dr. Adrian Baranchuk has been named one of the 10 most influential Hispanic Canadians by the Hispanic Business Alliance. The awards recognize community members who demonstrate influence in education, achievements, volunteerism and/or entrepreneurship.
“This is truly one of the greatest honours I have received in my life,” says Dr. Baranchuk, who is also a clinician-scientist with the KGH Research Institute. “To be recognized as a leader is humbling and unexpected. I came to Canada with virtually nothing but I’ve worked very hard to establish myself. Canada, and its health care system, have facilitated my integration into a new medical culture and have allowed me to develop into the professional that I am today.”
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. Baranchuk earned his MD from the University of Buenos Aires in 1990. After beginning to build his profile as a cardiologist-electrophysiologist, Dr. Baranchuk immigrated to Canada in 2003. In September 2003, Dr. Baranchuk was appointed as a clinical fellow in electrophysiology at McMaster University. He joined the division of cardiology at Queen’s in June of 2006.
In 2007, he created the Electrophysiology Training Program, a two-year program at Queen’s that teaches physicians from around the world new and sophisticated techniques to treat and cure cardiac arrhythmias. The program has attracted physicians from Canada, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Emirates, Pakistan, Turkey, Dominican Republic and Ireland.
Dr. Baranchuk also founded and led the Broadcasting ECG Rounds to South-eastern Ontario (BESO project) – a program that allows Ontario physicians and students to join weekly training sessions in electrocardiology at Queen’s. His last iBook called Electrocardiography in practice: What to do? was released in iTunes in June 2016. This free application, which has been downloaded more than 1,000 times, is designed to teach electrocardiography in an interactive way.
Through these teaching programs, Dr. Baranchuk has mentored more than 40 medical students, 40 internal medicine residents and many more cardiology residents, fellows and colleagues from Queen’s and overseas. His training and mentorship work has been recognized by a number of teaching awards.
Dr Baranchuk is currently the Vice President of the Inter American Society of Cardiology (IASC). He leads the IASC Academy which allows trainees from Latin America to attend courses and observerships in top centers of North America. Dr Baranchuk is the President Elect of the International Society of Electrocardiology and in this role, he engages colleagues and researchers from the region in educational and research activities.
Dr. Baranchuk says his life, both past and present, have driven him to his present successes. “I am obligated to give back because I am truly blessed in my life,” he says. “About 80 per cent of the people living in Latin America have no chance to pursue their dreams but I represent the 20 per cent that are lucky, that are blessed. This means I need to help others reach their dreams and goals. I am passionate about that.”
The award was presented by the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, on Dec. 15 in Toronto.
The OAS consists of the 35 independent states of the Americas, including Canada and the United States, and constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the Northern Hemisphere. Its four main pillars include democracy, human rights, security and development.
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