Howard Bergman, Professor of Family Medicine, Medicine, and Oncology, was recently appointed to the newly-created position of Assistant Dean, International Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University. Dr. Bergman provides strategic oversight of the international and business development activities in the Faculty of Medicine. Reporting to the Vice-Principal (Health Affairs)/Dean of Medicine, he will develop and implement an International Affairs strategy to increase the Faculty’s visibility abroad and explore new collaborations with international partners. He represents the Faculty in meetings at McGill and with various faculties of medicine, institutions and agencies around the world.

Dr. Bergman is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). He is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

He was Chair of the Department of Family Medicine from 2012-2019. From 2009 to 2011, Dr. Bergman served as Vice-President, Scientific Affairs of the Fonds de la recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ), Quebec’s health research funding agency. From 1993-2009, he was Director of Geriatric Medicine at McGill University and in 2001-2002, was interim Physician-in-Chief and Chief of the Department of Medicine of the Jewish General Hospital.

Dr. Bergman created and leads the McGill Family Medicine Innovation in Learning Initiative as well as the Distance-Blended International Education Program for Family Medicine Teachers and Teacher-Leaders.

He chaired the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Panel of 6 experts for the Assessment of Evidence and Best Practices for the development of a Canadian Dementia Strategy, assembled at the request of Public Health Agency of Canada. The report Improving the quality of life and care of persons living with dementia

https://www.cahs-acss.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Report. pdf was published in January 2019.

He is a past president of the Canadian Geriatrics Society, which awarded him the Ronald Cape Distinguished Service Award; and a past chair of the Institute of Aging Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). In 2017, he was awarded honorary membership of the Canadian Medical Association.

He is internationally renowned for research which has influenced policy change in primary care, integrated care, aging, chronic disease and frailty, with more than 170 peer-reviewed publications. In 2015, he received the College of Family of Family Physicians of Canada Award for Lifetime Achievement in Family Medicine research.

In 2000, as a member of an independent Commission struck by the Quebec Government to propose health care reform, he authored the recommendation creating the medical home in Quebec – the Family Medicine Groups  (GMF). In 2009, at the request of the Quebec Minister of Health, he authored the Quebec Alzheimer Plan and is presently working on its implementation. He co-created The Canadian team for healthcare services/system improvement in dementia care.