Happy National Physicians' Day and International Day of the Midwife 2025
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Professional Staff Features:
In celebration of National Physicians Day (May 1st) and International Day of the Midwife (May 5th), we sat down with BCHS professional staff members Dr. Kunal Kanani, Dr. Stephan Leucht, and Maryellen Boyes. They shared insights about their time at BCHS, unique experiences, and what it truly means to be a healthcare professional.
Dr. Kunal Kanani
What aspects of practicing at BCHS are you most proud of?
I am proud to provide safe, effective, modern medical services to patients in Brantford and surrounding areas. Another key aspect is ensuring pregnant women have choices and the support they need during this crucial time. This includes offering a variety of surgical and anesthetic services tailored to serve the community's unique needs.
Most importantly, the dedication of fellow healthcare staff, who work tirelessly to deliver optimal healthcare for a medically complex community despite limited resources. Their hard work is commendable.
What does being a physician mean to you?
It means leadership, expertise, skills, communication, professionalism, and, most importantly, caring.
What do you enjoy most about being a physician?
The most enjoyable part is using my trained skills and expertise to provide care to individuals and help them through their medical issues. I also enjoy working with a great group of surgeons, obstetricians, and nurses, all sharing the same goal.
What would you like to say to your fellow physicians and staff at BCHS?
Thank you for all you do to care for our community. I see how hard you work and the long hours of dedication and compassion you provide, even with limited staffing and resources. Your impact does not go unnoticed. Thank you for your incredible efforts and for making a difference every day.
Tell us something unique about you and your background/experience.
I've been a staff physician at the Brantford General Hospital for 23 years! My first medical elective was in Anesthesia, and I knew immediately it was the right path. Since then, I haven't looked back.
Dr. Stephan Leucht
What aspects of practicing at BCHS are you most proud of?
What makes me most proud of practicing at BCHS is our pediatric team. Over the last couple of years, our growth has been remarkable, allowing us to provide care to the Brantford community at a level that exceeds most other community hospitals I know.
Within our group of pediatricians, there is always time and trust to discuss any topic openly. Working with RNs who are always willing to go the extra mile when families are in need is wonderful.
We have the full support of our respiratory therapists in newborn resuscitation, the care of infants with bronchiolitis, and our pharmacists, who ensure all our orders make sense. Our dieticians help even the smallest babies get healthy. Everyone contributes to our ability to provide excellent care to children, and this collaborative effort makes me immensely proud.
What does being a physician mean to you?
Being a physician for 25 years has been a choice I have never regretted. It carries great responsibility but is also incredibly rewarding. To me, being a physician means not only diagnosing illnesses but also seeing the needs of the person in front of me, working to improve their health, and advocating for them whenever necessary.
What do you enjoy most about being a physician?
Working with children is the biggest joy in my professional life. It allows me to learn from them daily, help them recover when they are ill, and experience my inner child when appropriate. I also really enjoy the lifelong learning aspect of being a physician. I still encounter new situations and think about issues I never considered before.
What would you like to say to your fellow physicians and staff at BCHS?
It is a great pleasure working here at BCHS. Having previously worked only in university hospitals, it was a new experience to find that there are "no sharks in the tank." So far, I have experienced a lot of mutual respect and a willingness to help each other. Whenever I had a problem, there was always someone to help me. I am really grateful for the supportive working environment here at BGH.
Tell us something unique about you and your background/experience.
I was born in Charite, Berlin, where I completed my medical training and started my professional career. It was fascinating to experience the legacy of Rudolf Virchow, Robert Koch, and Emil von Behring in the old auditoriums. In 2009, I came to Canada by accident rather than intention, initially planning to stay for only one year.
However, I met my wife here and decided to stay. My two children were born in Toronto. I worked for six years at SickKids, then had to repeat my training in Kingston. Our family eventually moved to Hamilton to be closer to my in-laws. It was a fortunate coincidence as it allowed me to work at BCHS.
Maryellen Boyes
What aspects of practicing at BCHS are you most proud of?
This year, I took a step away from traditional midwifery and, with the support of my obstetrical and pediatric colleagues, launched a new program at BGH called the Beyond Birth Program. This initiative is designed to provide midwifery-led postpartum care and lactation support for those who had an obstetrician for their pregnancies and births.
It addresses gaps in care for residents of Brantford and the Brant community who do not have a local family doctor to see their newborn in those critical first few weeks after birth. It relieves some of the burden on pediatricians, allowing me to round on and discharge newborns well.
The Beyond Birth Program has grown to include caring for postpartum families who need more support, those seeking help with breastfeeding, and those experiencing mental health challenges related to the postpartum period. This has been an exciting new chapter in midwifery care, enabling midwives to use their expertise innovatively and offering a vital solution to some of the pressures the healthcare system faces.
What does being a midwife mean to you?
Being a midwife is not just a rewarding career; it's a calling. The model I practice under allows me to develop strong relationships with those who entrust me to care for them and their newborns during such a vulnerable time.
I feel very protective of the people in my care; I support and encourage them, I watch them watch them develop the confidence to trust their ability to care well for their babies.
What do you enjoy most about being a midwife?
The best part of being a midwife is supporting new parents in those first few weeks when everything feels upside down. Celebrating together as they transition from being anxious and unsure to confident and resilient is incredibly fulfilling.
What would you like to say to your fellow midwives and staff at BCHS?
I am honoured and privileged to work alongside midwives, nurses, and doctors who give so much of themselves in service to others. My colleagues are doing important work under sometimes very unforgiving circumstances. Yet, they keep showing up and giving their best for the sake of their clients. Now that I’m working in the hospital four days a week, I have a new appreciation and respect for the energy and effort that staff give all day and all night during their shifts. I have learned so much, especially from the postpartum nurses who have incredible experience and have been so generous in sharing their understanding with me.
Tell us something unique about you and your background/experience.
Midwifery is my second career, one I came to later in life. Before starting midwifery school, I worked at the Association of Ontario Midwives as their Executive Administrator. That role uniquely prepared me for working as a midwife, as I learned about risk management, quality assurance, government and labour negotiations, and policy development and implementation.
Having a 360-degree perspective on the profession has been very helpful, allowing me to understand how my clinical work impacts the supportive framework around midwifery and vice versa.
Thank you to all of our BCHS Professional Staff and Happy National Physicians’ Day and International Day of the Midwife. We would not be able to do what we do without you all.
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