Secrets of Becoming a Priority Patient: Keys to Becoming an Insider in the Health Care System [Paperback]

Dr. Ronald S. Baigrie attended medical school at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine. He then held the position of Chief Resident in the Internship Care Unit at the Winnipeg General Hospital, following which he completed a two-year post-graduate training program in the cardiovascular disease at the famed Thorax Centre – a heart specialty hospital – attached to Erasmus University in Ratterdam, the Netherlands. Further training was completed at Toronto General Hospital.

In succeeding years, he assumed the Directorship of the Coronary Intensive Care Unit at the Toronto General Hospital for six years. He then became Chief of Cardiology at the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto. While in Toronto, Dr. Baigrie held the academic appointment of Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Baigrie was a founding member of the Metro Toronto Cardiovascular Triage and Registry Program aimed at improving patient access to cardiovascular resources. He also chaired the CCU Directors’ Club for 10 years. In 1990, he was a founding member of the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario. The Cardiac Care Network of Ontario (CCN) is an advisory body of the Ontario Ministry of Health and long-term care dedicated to improving quality, efficiency, access and equity in the delivery of cardiac services in the province of Ontario. Among other positions, Dr. Baigrie sat on the Board of Trustees, and held the position of Vice President of the Medical Staff at the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. He also sat on the Board of Trustees at the Memorial Hospital in Sudbury, Ontario.

He is both founder of the “Art for Heart Billboard Poster Challenge”, a contest developed for grade 6 classes in both the public and separate school boards to promote the design of a unique annual poster promoting healthy living, as well as founder of the “Cardiologist in the Classroom” program. Dr. Baigrie speaks to grade 6 classes through the City of Greater Sudbury 3 times a month on heart disease and how to avoid it by pursuing a healthy lifestyle and avoiding unhealthy habits.

In 2000, Dr. Baigrie was elected to the Board of Directors of the Sudbury Metro Centre for a 3-year term. The Sudbury Metro Centre’s mission is to make downtown Sudbury the social, cultural, entertainment and financial center par excellence for the City of Greater Sudbury, as well as for all of Northeastern Ontario. In 2001, Dr. Baigrie served a one-year term with the Regional Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario Board of Directors as the Medical Advisor.

Dr. Ron Baigrie is currently practicing clinical Cardiology in the Sudbury Region. He directs the Sudbury Heart Centre, is an active staff cardiologist at the Sudbury Regional Hospital, and is involved with post-graduate nursing and medical education, clinical trial research, and a busy private practice in adult cardiovascular medicine. He is adjunct Professor of anthropology at Laurentian University. Dr. Baigrie also holds active staff positions at St.Joseph’s Hospital (Elliot Lake Ontario), St. Joseph’s Hospital (Blind River, Ontario), Espanola General Hospital (Espanola, Ontario), and New Liskeard District Hospital (New Liskeard, Ontario).

For the past few years Dr. Baigrie has been developing the Medical School for Patients, which is not only comprised of a web based learning program for the average person, but is also the publisher of his book “Secrets of Becoming a Priority Patient” and the associated “Personal Health System”.