Milton’s Dr. Brian Watada named Regional Family Physician of the Year

Dr. Brian Watada of Milton has been named a 2018 recipient of the Ontario College of Family Physicians Regional Family Physician of the Year Award.

Nominated by their peers, the award is presented annually to seven Ontario family doctors – one from each region of the province – who provide exemplary care to their patients and are passionately involved in activities that contribute to excellence in family medicine. Dr. Watada is the award recipient for Mississauga-Halton and Central West. He will be presented the award at the OCFP Awards Ceremony on November 14, 2018 in Toronto. A list of all awardees is posted on OCFP’s website.

“Dr. Watada has dedicated himself to lifelong learning and has been a magnificent educator to future generations of family doctors,” said Dr. Nick Cuberovic, Emergency Department Medical Director at the Milton District Hospital. “He provides selfless and exceptional care to his patients and practice populations, and I see him not only as a role model to our future generations, but also a role model to already experienced practitioners.”

 The announcement comes during Family Doctor Week in Canada, which runs from November 12-17, and is an opportunity to acknowledge the vital work family physicians do to help keep Ontarians healthy. This includes working in primary care, hospitals, home and community care, long-term care and public health, as well as in research and academia.

“No one needs to tell me how lucky I am to have him as my Doctor.”

A well-regarded family physician for over 20 years, Dr. Watada provides exceptional and skilled care to his patients and their families in his community practice, as well as in his roles as staff family medicine and emergency physician at Halton Healthcare’s Milton District Hospital and Investigating Coroner for North Halton. In asking any of his patients about him, they would describe him as “making you feel like you’re being attended to by a friend with real concern about your problems” with “compassion beyond compare”.

As a devoted lifelong learner and educator, Dr. Watada trains residents and students from the Rural Ontario Medical Program and is a peer assessor through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. After the hospital’s Program Director position was discontinued, he organized speaking rounds and course re-certification for hospital staff. On his own initiative, Dr. Watada also educates colleagues on the trends he sees as a Coroner – meeting with front-line workers and emergency department staff to inform them about Fentanyl overdose guidelines and with lab services to have Fentanyl added to their toxicology screening.

“Dr. Watada’s commitment to delivering compassionate care and sharing learnings so others can benefit has made him a beloved family physician in his community,” said Dr. Glenn Brown, OCFP President. “Whether through his own practice, in hospital or as a coroner, he has had a tremendous impact on his patients, peers and future generations of family doctors. It is a pleasure to acknowledge his contributions and achievements through this award.”