WB Foundation donates $1 million to establish Chair in Peripheral Vascular Surgery

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Tittley, Jacques edited.jpg” caption=”Dr. Jacques Tittley has been chosen as the inaugural holder of The Beamish Family Chair in Peripheral Vascular Surgery.”]

Dr. Jacques Tittley, clinical assistant professor and head of vascular surgery at McMaster University, has been chosen as the inaugural holder of The Beamish Family Chair in Peripheral Vascular Surgery.

The chair has been established with a $1 million donation by the WB Foundation, which is a foundation set up by Bob and Marilyn Beamish, their children and representatives of Woodbridge Corporation. The Foundation supports health care and medical research initiatives. The donation for the endowed chair is being matched by McMaster University.

In addition, the WB Foundation is giving $40,000 a year for travel scholarships for vascular surgeons, through the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation.

“Vascular surgery is a dynamic field,” said Tittley. “This endowed chair, and the travel scholarships, will ensure our all-star team in Hamilton remains at the top of its game.”

As chair, Dr. Tittley will promote the advancement of training and research in vascular surgery at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and at Hamilton Health Sciences. The travel scholarships, he said, will allow trainees to travel the world to keep up with the latest innovations, then share the new skills in Hamilton.

A clinician, Tittley teaches clerkship students, residents in the Vascular Surgery Residency Program and general surgical trainees. He is also head of the vascular surgery service at Hamilton Health Sciences.

“Hamiltonians are literally in good hands with Jacques at the helm,” said John Kelton, dean and vice-president, Faculty of Health Sciences, and dean, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University. “He's an exceptional and experienced teacher, researcher and clinician, and this chair will provide the opportunity for further advancement in both surgical innovations and care.”

“Under Dr. Tittley's leadership, Hamilton Health Sciences has become a provincial leader in vascular surgery,” said Brenda Flaherty, executive vice-president of clinical operations at Hamilton Health Sciences. “This new chair will ensure that he and other members of the vascular surgery team are able to pursue their vital academic and research initiatives while continuing to provide great patient care at Hamilton General.”

Tittley's current research projects include medical fitness to drive and to travel with aortic aneurismal disease, complex aortic reconstructions with profound hypothermic circulatory arrest, prognostic value of elevated troponin levels in the post operative vascular patient, and a cost analysis of blood salvage techniques in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

Tittley is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, in both surgery and vascular surgery. As well, he holds board certification from the American Board of Surgery in both general surgery and vascular surgery. He is the current examination board chair in vascular surgery for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeon of Canada. In 1993, Tittley was named “Surgical Teacher of the Year” by Hamilton Civic Hospital, now part of Hamilton Health Sciences.