OUR STORY

ABOUT BPAO

The Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario (BPAO) holds significant importance as the premier organization in Ontario supporting Black physicians and our community.  BPAO was established in response to the growing presence of Black physicians in the province and the need for targeted support and advocacy. Its formation in 2007 and subsequent incorporation as a not-for-profit in 2015 highlights the organization's commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by Black physicians and improving healthcare outcomes within Black communities in Ontario. Through its focus on support, advocacy, and community health initiatives, the BPAO plays a crucial role in promoting equity, anti-colonial practices, and accessibility in the healthcare sector.

The impact of organizations like the Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario (BPAO) in creating pathways for Black students to pursue careers in medicine is truly immeasurable. By addressing inequities and providing support, the BPAO has contributed to record highs of Black identifying medical learners entering medical schools not only in Ontario but across Canada. This achievement represents a significant step towards diversity and representation in the medical field, benefiting not just the Black community but society as a whole by fostering inclusivity and promoting healthcare equity.

We envision a province where Black Ontarians are equitably represented in the field of medicine and racialized health disparities are eliminated.

Board Members

  • Dr. Shambe Mutungi is an Obstetrician-Gynecologist, practicing in the Durham region. She was born in Uganda and at a young age immigrated to Toronto with her family. She has a very strong interest in Global Health and underserved populations. During her residency training at the University of Toronto, she completed a 2-year Certificate in Global Health Education. She also participated in women’s health overseas with a special interest in pelvic floor dysfunction and obstetrical fistulas.

    Shambe is passionate about decreasing the disparities in health within Black and immigrant populations as well as working from an educational standpoint to increase the number of Black applicants in medicine with a focus on obstetrics and gynecology. In 2023 she completed a Masters of Business Health Administration at the University of Toronto.

  • Husam Abdel-Qadir is a cardiologist at Women’s College Hospital and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network. He graduated from the University of Toronto’s medical school with the Silver Medal and completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the University of Toronto, followed by a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research at the Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation. His primary clinical and research focus is the cardiovascular health of people with cancer, particularly breast cancer.

    This research is supported by an early career Chair in Heart and Brain Health and a National New Investigator Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. He also leads a research program on the management and outcomes of people with atrial fibrillation. His work has been recognized by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Young Investigator Award and Atrial Fibrillation Research Award, European Society of Cardiology Young Investigator Award, and the Polanyi prize in Medicine/ Physiology. Dr. Abdel-Qadir is also a member of the Advisory Board to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario.

  • Dr. Ayodele Odutayo is an Adult Nephrologist. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree at UofT in 2013 and completed his Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Epidemiology from 2013-2017, both at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. His research focuses on clinical trials examining cardiovascular and kidney disease and is co-funded by the Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Research.

  • Raquiya Austin serves as in-house legal counsel to Ornge, a provincially funded not-for-profit organization which provides high quality air ambulance services and medical transport to people who are critically ill or injured.  Raquiya is passionate about understanding EDI and how EDI plays a role in our community.  She previously served as the inaugural EDI Co-Chairs within Ornge. Before entering the legal profession, Raquiya obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Law. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2016. Raquiya also holds an Honours BA in English Literature from York University.

    Raquiya is an avid community activist, having held several Board appointments with varying organizations across the GTA.

  • Mr. Evol Williams is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and holds Canadian Investment Manager (CIM) designations. Evol has an interest in Black community outreach and intends to use his area of expertise to advance the work of the BPAO.

  •  Dr. Andrew Thomas is a Family Physician who works in Durham Region. He is originally from Whitby, Ontario. He attended Howard University for medical school. Participating in mentorship and training opportunities through the BPAO motivated him to return to Canada to practice medicine. He served as a co-lead for the Black Health Vaccine Initiative (BHVI) clinic in Durham, and a co-lead for the SMART initiative.

  • Dr. Chantal Phillips is a first-year resident in the Family Medicine Stream of the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Program at the University of Ottawa. She recently received her Doctor of Medicine (MD) at the University of Toronto in June 2023, and completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Medical Science at Western University in 2018. She has a passion for community-focused health research and interventions, with experience leading and supporting projects focused on Toronto’s Black communities via her role as project manager for the Black Health Alliance over the past two years, including culturally relevant health communications during the pandemic and leading an innovative community research project that assessed the impact of COVID-19 on Toronto’s Black communities (“Perspectives on Health and Wellbeing in Black Communities in Toronto: Our Health, Our Way”).

    Dr. Phillips has become increasingly clinically and socially interested in Black adolescent/youth health and has co-created a longitudinal health promotion and primary care initiative via her Family Medicine program to increase access to primary care for marginalized youth and their families, including mental health assessments and counselling, for Black and racialized high school students in Ottawa. She aspires to work at the intersection of public health and primary care as a family doctor and leader of high-quality, innovative community programming.

  • Dr. Mojola Omole is a Breast Surgical Oncologist and General Surgeon. She is originally from Nigeria, and at the age of eight she immigrated to Canada. Her journey in medicine began at the University of Toronto, where she earned her medical degree before pursuing a residency in general surgery at McMaster University.

    As a global surgical oncologist and General Surgeon, Dr. Omole has brought her expertise to diverse communities in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Nicaragua. Currently, she works at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto while also lending her insights as a sought-after consultant for anti-Black racism and anti-oppression training. Additionally, Dr. Omole chairs the special issue in the CMAJ dedicated to addressing Anti-Black racism in medicine.

    In addition to her professional endeavors, Mojola hosts a bi-weekly podcast for the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Through CMAJ Podcasts, she explores the intersection of scientific advancements and social health issues, amplifying the voices of patients, clinicians, and advocates.

  • Dr. Chiebere O. Ogbuneke is a Family Physician. He completed his medical degree at Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Dr. Chiebere worked in Africa for a few years before moving to the UK for a Master’s degree in Public Health at Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.

    Dr. Ogbuneke is the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Coordinator for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s nine residency program. He is also a Co-founder and CEO of MyTeleMD, a Telemedicine company that provides a platform for physicians to provide medical care virtually. Dr. Ogbuneke’s main interests are on vaccine preventable diseases, vaccine safety and Virtual Health/ Telemedicine.

Dr. Miriam Rossi

Dr. Miriam Rossi played a key role as a co-founder of the ABHS and BPAO. Through her senior position as an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Medicine at U of T, Dr. Rossi was able to support the development of many BPAO initiatives coordinating access to spaces with influence, for us to have our voices heard.

As associate dean of student affairs, Professor Emeritus Miriam Rossi advised students on their academic, professional and personal lives. She also fought hard to address the underrepresentation of Black and Indigenous students in medicine.

In 1994, Rossi co-founded the Summer Mentorship Program, which gave high school student­­s a chance to explore a variety of fields in the health sciences. It was a unique opportunity for Black and Indigenous youth to get a taste of the medical field and learn from mentors who with shared lived experiences.

Beyond U of T, Rossi was also instrumental in improving access to care and quality of care for minority communities in Toronto. She was a major champion in establishing the TAIBU Community Health Centre, which provided care to Black communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Thank you to the courageous leadership of our founders, and we hope to follow in your fearless footsteps.

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