The Lung Association Welcomes Respirologist Dr. Shahbaz Sheikh to Saskatchewan!
"It is with great pleasure that the Lung Association family and our volunteer Board of Directors welcome respirologist, Dr. Shahbaz Sheikh to the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region," says Dr. Brian Graham who is the Association's President and CEO. "In order for Saskatchewan residents to have the best lung health care possible it is necessary to have adequate numbers of health care professionals who are well trained in respiratory care. We are fortunate that Dr. Sheikh and his family are making their home in Regina," adds Dr. Graham.
Dr. Shahbaz Sheikh, educated in Pakistan and Ireland, will be the first new respirologist in Regina in over ten years. He is one of the few respirologists to be trained in a new procedure for improved staging of lung cancer. "I am passionate about lung health and the opportunity to work in the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region," says Dr. Sheikh. "I look forward to meeting my colleagues from across Saskatchewan at the Respiratory Summit that is being hosted by the Lung Association in Saskatoon," he adds.
More Respirologists needed in Southern Saskatchewan
There are currently more than 4 times as many respirologists in Saskatoon as there are in Regina, mainly because of the academic respiratory division at the province's medical school. The Lung Association has been active in promoting the need for more lung specialists in Regina and, in collaboration with RQHR, commissioned an external report on respiratory care in the health region. The report emphasized recruitment. Yet another new respirologist is expected to join the Regina team early next year.
Including Dr. Sheikh, there are 21 respirologists in the province and the majority of them were either recruited with a Lung Association Professorship, trained with Lung Association funding or trained by the University of Saskatchewan Respirology Division which receives Lung Association support. The Lung Association convenes meetings of the Saskatchewan Respirology Summit which provides a forum for all respirologists in the province to meet and establish provincial best practices and plans for respiratory care.
About The Lung Association
Established in 1911, The Lung Association is celebrating 101 years of service to the people of Saskatchewan. We are Saskatchewan's oldest health charity. You have come to know and trust The Lung Association as the premier source for lung health in our province. All of our quality educational materials, programs, services and treatment guidelines are based on current evidence-based research. You will find The Lung Association active in communities across Saskatchewan conducting lung disease prevention and management programs that include asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, lung cancer and smoking cessation. The Lung Association also provides training for health care professionals, delivers health education in schools, facilitates patient support groups, and lobbies for clean air.
