A lifelong passion to serve and a focus on family

When asked why he became a physician, Dr. Adam Dukelow’s face lights up. His answer is brief, but filled with meaning, “to serve people.” Read below to learn more about St. Joseph’s new Vice President Medical and Academic Affairs and his plans for the role. 

When did you first know you wanted to be a physician? 

“I knew for sure I wanted a career in medicine when I was 14. I started volunteering in the emergency department in the hospital where I grew up and found the experience very rewarding. Watching the team quickly and expertly care for people when they needed them most was amazing.”  

You’ve had a long and successful career as an emergency physician, why take on a leadership role?

“As a physician I can do a lot of great work helping individual patients, which is extremely important and always will be, but as a leader, I can influence and improve care and services on a large scale, impacting multiple patients.” 

Are you still working as an emergency physician?

“Yes, while I’m committed to my role as a physician leader, I think it’s important to keep working in the emergency department at London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Urgent Care Centre. It helps me keep connected with patients and teams on the frontline to see and experience firsthand the problems with the system.”  

What brought you to St. Joseph’s?

“I’ve been part of St. Joseph’s for many years, in different roles, as a clinician, a member of the board of directors and as the city-wide chair chief of emergency medicine. I’ve always appreciated the family atmosphere and team culture at St. Joseph’s. The way patients are cared for and how staff and leaders treat one another is very unique. I’ve always known St. Joseph’s as a great place to work and have enjoyed being part of this work family.”   

What opportunities do you see for St. Joseph’s moving forward?

“We have an exceptional physician team at St. Joseph’s. Individuals who are truly world class leaders in their fields. I think if we can continue to work together to create an environment for our physicians and professional staff where they feel part of the larger collective team and can see how that connection can be mutually beneficial, we can really make a lasting positive impact on health care in Canada and across the globe. I also see huge potential to expand our teaching mandate. We have so much knowledge within our walls, and I’m committed, along with our senior leadership team, to bringing more learners of all disciplines into our organization.” 

What are you focused on accomplishing in the next six months?

“We are currently going through a transition with the restructuring of some of our key support systems for physicians and teams, one of those being the medical affairs department. My role is to help navigate that transition, to capitalize on opportunities from these changes, to be an advocate for our patients and teams and to ensure the processes put in place are as efficient as possible. We will be sharing updates on this work as it progresses.”    

Dr. Adam Dukelow is the Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs at St. Joseph’s Health Care London. He is a collaborative thought leader, with a passion to serve his patients and community. Dr. Dukelow completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph and his medical degree from Western University. He also earned a master’s degree in health administration from the Insititute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. In his leisure time, Dr. Dukelow enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters and attending his daughters' dance competitions.