2023 HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE
Michel Rathbone
Nominated For:
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
Dr. Rathbone has a lifelong interest in treating neurotrauma. To that end, he did a medical degree at the University of Liverpool, and a Ph.D. at McMaster University, studying the biochemical basis of regeneration. He extended this work as a faculty member in the Department of Neurosciences at McMaster, where he was a Principal Investigator in the Medical Research Council of Canada Group in Developmental Neurobiology. He then completed his clinical neurology training at Western University and was awarded a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, specializing in Neurology.
Dr. Rathbone has treated over 40,000 patients, over 7,000 of whom had neurological trauma. He has been instrumental in treating patients with acquired brain injury in Hamilton. He has consulted on the acquired brain injury inpatient service at the Regional Rehabilitation Centre for 12 years and trained the neurologist-hospitalist currently working on the inpatient service. He played a central role in developing the Integrated Interdisciplinary Adult Concussion Clinic at Hamilton Health Sciences with colleagues from other disciplines.
Dr. Rathbone works with each of his patients individually, tailoring treatment to the patient’s needs and wishes. Treatments then involve both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches.
In addition to his clinical neurology practice, Dr. Rathbone has continued his research and educational activities. He has published over 200 papers and abstracts and published three papers on concussions in major neurological journals in the last year. His research has been recognized internationally. For example, he was awarded the honour of Supremi Magistri, Universita Degli Studi “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti, Italy, for outstanding contributions to research and high academic example. Dr. Rathbone is currently investigating novel treatments for symptoms of acquired brain injury. His objective is to help the recovery of patients with ABI.
Dr. Rathbone has educated many students and residents who have become neurologists, several specializing in acquired brain injury.
His teaching has been recognized internationally, and he is an invited teacher in neurology and acquired brain injury in training programs of IPOKRaTES, the prestigious international medical education organization in Munich, Innsbruck (twice) and Berlin.