Our Regional Experts
Want to learn more about the latest in cancer care in our community? The Central East Regional Cancer Program has a number of experts available to speak to you and your group about a variety of cancer and health care-related topics.
To arrange a speaker, contact our Communications Department at 905-576-8711, ext. 34317 or communications@lh.ca.
Patti Argier, Regional Psychosocial Oncology Lead
As our Regional Psychosocial Oncology Lead, Patti helps us define local and regional opportunities and strategies that focus on a whole-person approach to cancer care.
Patti participates with the Provincial group in the implementation of the Psychosocial Oncology standard of care.
She also helps us collaborate with psychosocial and palliative care teams in our region to identify priority areas of focus and address gaps.
Debbie Devitt, Regional Patient Education Lead
Debbie Devitt is the Regional Patient Education Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program and has been in the role of Patient Experience Lead at the Durham Regional Cancer Centre since 2013. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree and national certification in both oncology and palliative care. Debbie has certification from the Michener Institute in Plain Language for Patient/ Public Health Communication as well as a green belt in Lean Healthcare.
Debbie has been with Lakeridge Health since 1986. She was with the Palliative Care Program at the Durham Regional Cancer Centre/Lakeridge Health for over 20 years. For 11 of these years, Debbie was in a Consultant role with the Regional Palliative Care Program. In this role, Debbie organized and facilitated numerous courses and workshops in palliative and end of life care as well as organized two annual conferences. Debbie worked closely with the Regional Palliative Care Physician Lead to co-facilitate the Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative and End of Life Program (LEAP). She was involved in the development of an oncology course at Ontario Tech University and a palliative care certificate program at Durham College. Debbie continues to co-facilitate the oncology course at Ontario Tech. Read more about Debbie Devitt....
Dr. Medhat El-Mallah, Regional Radiation Therapy Lead
Dr. Julia Jones. Regional Surgical Oncology Lead
Dr. Jones is the Regional Surgical Oncology Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program. She is a general surgeon and a surgical oncologist with a special interest in breast and thyroid cancer. Dr. Jones has a BSc. From Queen’s University. She attended medical school and completed her general surgery training at University of Toronto (U of T) which included a Master of Science as part of the Clinical Investigator Program. She has completed fellowship training in Surgical Oncology at U of T which included training at the University of California in San Francisco.
Dr. Jones also shares her knowledge with surgical residents and other medical learners from Queen’s University where she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Clinical Teaching for the Department of Surgery. Read more about Dr. Julia Jones...
Dr. Hugh Kendall, Regional Colorectal Screening and Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy Lead
Dr. Hugh Kendall is the Regional Colorectal Screening/Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program. He is a general surgeon and president of the Durham EndoSurgery Centre in Ajax, where his practice focuses on consultation, colonoscopy and gastroscopy.
A graduate of McGill University Medical School, Dr. Kendall is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He completed his surgical residency in General Surgery at the University of Toronto and has worked at Toronto General Hospital, Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and Rouge Valley Health System, Ajax and Pickering Hospital.
Dr. Kendall has been interested and involved in creating system-wide quality management for Endoscopy providers and out-of-hospital facilities as both a front-line provider and peer assessor for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). He is a former co-chair of the CPSO’s Out of Hospital Facility Task Force, and a former premises inspector for its Out of Hospital Inspection Program. Today, Dr. Kendall co-chairs the CPSO Quality Assurance Committee. Read more about Dr. Hugh Kendall....
Darrilyn Lessels, Regional Nursing Lead
Dr. Joel Broomfield, Regional Indigenous Cancer Lead
Dr. Joel Broomfield is the Regional Indigenous Cancer Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program. Dr. Broomfield is a Radiation Oncologist with the Durham Regional Cancer Centre (DRCC) at Lakeridge Health. He received his Master of Science from the University of Western Ontario and his Doctor of Medicine and Radiation Oncology Residency Training at the University of Ottawa.
Dr. Broomfield completed a research fellowship in Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. Before joining DRCC, he was a Radiation Oncologist with the British Columbia Cancer Agency. Dr. Broomfield is also the very first Indigenous Radiation Oncologist in the world and we are thrilled that he is part of the DRCC/Central East Regional Cancer Program Team.
Dr. Nathan Roth, Regional Colposcopy/Cervical Screening Lead
Dr. Roth is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto and is completing a Law degree at Osgoode Hall in the fall of 2021. He is the past Medical Director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Scarborough Hospital Birchmount.
He is the Regional Colposcopy and Cervical Screening Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program and is the Chair of Section of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is the Medical Advisor overseeing Quality Assurance for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and acts as a reviewer, coach and mediator.
Dr. Rola Shaheen, Regional Breast and Cancer Imaging Lead
Dr. Rola Shaheen is the Regional Breast and Cancer Imaging Lead for the Central East Regional Cancer Program. Dr. Shaheen is the Chief of Radiology and Medical Director at Peterborough Regional Health Centre since 2015.
Dr. Shaheen received her MBBS degree from the University of Jordan and completed her residency training in Radiology at the University of Toronto. Dr. Shaheen is a fellowship trained women’s imaging/breast imager from Harvard University and is currently pursuing a Global MBA in Healthcare and Life Sciences from the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management.
Dr. Shaheen is passionate about multidisciplinary cancer care and multimodality imaging strategic planning with a focus on quality improvement. Dr. Shaheen was the Provincial Lead for the Mammography Quality Management Partnership between CCO and CPSO from 2016-2019. During this time, Dr. Shaheen was part of the team that developed informative provincial, regional and facility-level quality reports which included key performance indicators with targets and benchmarking to guide for continuous quality improvements. Read more about Dr. Shaheen
Dr. Rebecca Wray, Regional Primary Care Lead
Dr. Rebecca Wray is the Regional Primary Care Lead, Central East Regional Cancer Program (CE RCP). Dr. Wray obtained her Masters in Sociology at McGill University and a BScH Queens University in Life Sciences She completed her Doctor of Medicine at Queen’s University and then went on to complete her Family Medicine Residency at the University of Toronto (Mount Sinai Hospital). Dr. Wray continues her involvement with Queen’s University as a community preceptor for medical students and resident physicians.
In addition to a busy family practice in Port Perry, Dr. Wray is also a community palliative care physician, attending to patients in their homes as well as at Oak Ridges Hospice. She also provides primary care to Indigenous patients at the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation Health Centre. Dr. Wray sits on numerous boards and committees and is also the Primary Care Co-Lead for the Durham Ontario Health Team. She is passionate about health promotion and works tirelessly to improve the delivery of primary care services in the community.