Celebrating National Physician’s Day with our very own
Often on the frontlines, the team’s medical personnel are absolutely essential to the proper functioning of the Club. Their work often goes unnoticed, as people’s attention is mostly focused on the action taking place over the course of 90 minutes on the pitch. But the heroes on the pitch are only allowed to exist only because of the work done behind the scenes, in the shadows, that allows these athletes to perform at their best levels.
As the Club gets set to take on Columbus and hopefully continue its positive start to the season, we also celebrate National Physician’s Day here in Canada. Now more than ever, it is important to recognize the hard work and sacrifices of all medical personnel battling this virus on the frontlines.
Over the past year, our medical personnel have gone above and beyond to ensure the health and safety of everyone in and around the Club. The dedication they showed allowed our Club to follow protocol and get back to work. Introducing our heroes, and the ways they have coped with the pandemic.
Dr. J. Scott Delaney
Dr. Delaney has been with the Club since 2003.
While Dr. Delaney can normally be found patrolling the sidelines during games, this past year took him off the sidelines and put him in front of his computer. Dr. Delaney was instrumental in developing, writing, and reviewing COVID-19 protocols to ensure our safe return to the sport we love. His philosophy, which considers the safety and health of athletes as the most important factor when making decisions, helped guide him in this process. His work with the city of Montréal, province of Quebec, and federal government is what prompted our safe return.
Dr. Delaney also continued working in the emergency departments. The knowledge he gained during this time allowed him to develop an expertise in managing COVID-19 patients, making him extremely useful during the season.
Dr. Mark Burman
After several years of tending to the Club’s athletes, Dr. Mark Burman, orthopedic sports surgeon at the Montreal General Hospital, is not only dedicated to the team, but to public service as well. He works tirelessly to provide excellent care at multiple facilities and ensures each person is well taken care of no matter what the circumstances are.
Despite his busy schedule during these unprecedented times, he supports our orthopedic nurse in her clinical duties due to staff shortage and operates urgent cases at the hospital. He makes himself available on short notice and still finds the strength to manage and coach his daughter’s soccer team.
Dr. Sanjeet Singh Saluja
As you may already know, Dr. Saluja did the ultimate selfless act by choosing to shave his beard in order to continue practicing medicine during this pandemic. Watch below.
He has since then given back endlessly. After recently being promoted to associate chief of the ER department of the MUHC, it became clear that Dr. Saluja would be instrumental in dealing with this pandemic. As cases continued rising and emergency rooms became strained, he dedicated himself to the cause full-time.
Despite his lack of time, Dr. Saluja was able to update the triage department so as to accommodate people with COVID-19, while keeping everybody else safe.
Dr. Marie-Lyne Nault
2020 was a different year in many regards for many people, but for Dr. Nault, it was also the year she welcomed a new baby to the family. Practicing orthopedics during a pandemic is a challenge but doing it while pregnant is even stranger.
The big difference in her work was the introduction of telemedicine. Doing a physical examination through the phone or via a videoconference isn’t necessarily easy. However, working regularly with children, who seem less affected by COVID-19, means her clinical work is almost back to normal.
With the return of recreational sports on the horizon, Dr. Nault is worried of the effect a reduced and less intense training regimen over the past year will have had on the children. That being said, this didn’t stop her from signing up her four-year old daughter to his first year of soccer. A true soccer mom.
Dr. Emmanuelle Baron
All in all, this past year has been a positive experience for Dr. Baron. She had the opportunity to join the team at the Academy and reconnect with a sport she played throughout her childhood and teenage years.
The pandemic has made it possible to provide more efficient treatment with the advent of telemedicine and remote meetings, both of which have been beneficial to the proper functioning of the clinic.
Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, Dr. Baron and her team of doctors were able to finalize their project, which is now the medical and sporting centre located on the Longueil campus of the University of Sherbrooke, where they have been treating Academy players since February.
Dr. Robert Drummond
Dr. Drummond is a dedicated physician and a superb patient advocate, even more so during the pandemic. He has gone onto various media channels to remind patients not to ignore their symptoms, and to see a doctor immediately if they experience any.
Countless times he has put his own health and safety at risk by working on the front lines, all while continuing to teach residents, students and nurses.
