William Scott Beattie

Biography

Dr. Beattie completed a B.Sc (Biology Major) from the University of Waterloo, Ontario (1974) a PhD from McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario (1981). He obtained his M.D. from McMaster University (1982) and his FRCPC in anesthesia (1987). Dr. Beattie held a staff anesthesiologist position in the Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University from 1988-2000. He joined the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management at the Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network (2000) and holds the position of R. Fraser Elliott Chair in Cardiac Anesthesia. He was Deputy Anesthesiologist-in-Chief (2006-2011) and Director, Anesthesia Research (2004-2013). He holds the academic rank of Professor in the Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Beattie is a member of numerous editorial boards and international research committees. He has authored or co-authored over 140 peer-reviewed publications and holds multiple peer reviewed grants. He is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert in the area of perioperative outcomes research, cardio-vascular anesthesia, and research methodology. Dr. Beattie has also been invited to speak on these subjects at conferences and events globally.

Research Interest

Post-operative complications are frequent, occurring in as many as 20% of elective surgical patients. This startling reality is generalizable to any database, research network, or country. There is no evidence that complication rates have improved with the adoption of Evidence Based Medicine. The scope of this problem is unrecognized by the medical community, funding agencies, or the public at large. Postoperative mortality accounts for more deaths annually than the combined mortality, heart attack, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Raising the awareness of these issues, and improving patient safety is a primary goal of our research program that includes national and international initiatives. This year our collaborations will result in the establishment, of a Canadian National Anesthesia Incident Reporting System ( C.A.I.R.S) , in conjunction with the CAS.