ALLISTON, ON –Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) and the community’s Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee (PRRC) are happy to announce that Dr. James Lo has joined the hospital as a GP Anaesthetist.

Dr. Lo  received his BSc from the University of Toronto in 2002 and his MD from Queen’s University in 2006. He did part of his Rural Family Medicine residency in Alliston with Dr. Lester Affoo in 2007. Dr. Lo completed a fellowship in GP Anaesthesia in June and provided locum services at SMH this summer.

“I was first introduced to the community through the Rural Ontario Medical Program (ROMP) while I was still in training.  I had a great time learning from Dr. Affoo and meeting lots of friendly faces in Alliston,” said Dr. Lo crediting his recruitment to the community, physicians and staff at SMH.

“After my training, both Dr. Affoo and Dr. Jack Park encouraged me to consider Alliston as a place for practice, and I took their advice.  Since I started working at Stevenson Memorial Hospital, I have found that the staff are very friendly, even more so than I have remembered from a few years ago.  I am delighted to become part of this family, joining the hospital on a permanent basis.”

Gary Ryan, President and CEO of SMH noted that Dr. Lo’s skills support other physicians at the hospital, as they provide care to the community.

"We welcome Dr. Lo to our medical staff. Our anaesthetists provide an exceptional service to all of our patients who need anesthesia for surgical, obstetrical or other procedures and Dr. Lo is an excellent addition to a great team", said Ryan. 

Dr. Lo is also taking occasional shifts in the Emergency Department and the Ryan said that was welcome news. “There is a shortage of ER physicians across the province and so we are grateful that Dr. Lo has also agreed to assist in that department.”

“We are glad that Dr. Lo felt welcome when he did a rotation here,” said Remi Welch, Chair of the PRRC. “His comments will encourage the entire community to become part of the effort to bring more physicians to our area.  “We welcome him back into practice here and wish him well.”