Southlake Regional Health Centre has appointed leading cardiologist Dr. Christopher Overgaard as its first chief of cardiac health.
In this new role, Overgaard will elevate the regional cardiac care program, which provides advanced care to thousands of patients from York Region to Muskoka, the Newmarket-based hospital stated in a news release today.
“It is an honour to help lead such an exceptional group of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals,” said Overgaard. “The cardiac care program at Southlake is an extremely strong and vibrant program that punches above its weight. Together, we will continue to make a difference in the field of cardiac health, while striving for excellence, innovation and compassion in everything we do.”
The physician has 17 years of experience in cardiac care, research and innovation, the hospital said. His practice focuses on complex coronary interventional cardiology, a medical specialty that uses small tubes known as catheters to provide life-saving care without open-heart surgery.
Overgaard has been the first in Canada to perform several procedures, some of which were done at Southlake. In 2017, he became the first doctor in the country to successfully transplant a TandemHeart cardiac-assist device in a high-risk heart-failure patient, the hospital added.
Since joining Southlake in 2019, Overgaard has served in a number of leadership roles, including as the medical director of the Chronic Total Occlusion and Coronary High Risk Indicated Procedures (CHIP) Program and director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Prior to joining Southlake, he held multiple medical leadership roles at University Health Network.
He is also a faculty member at the University of Toronto.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Overgaard has taken on this role to chart an exciting and new path forward for Southlake’s regional cardiac care program,” said Dr. Charmaine van Schaik, chief of staff at Southlake. “Dr. Overgaard’s commitment to excellence and innovation will strengthen Southlake’s position as a leader in cardiac care and research, ensuring patients receive life-saving care now and for generations to come.”
Southlake’s regional cardiac health department, which is the fourth-largest comprehensive heart program in Ontario, has more than 400 highly specialized staff offering a wide range of services, including cardiac surgery, minimally invasive procedures and heart-failure management. The program is known internationally, with many of Southlake’s physicians actively participating in groundbreaking research and being among the first to perform leading-edge procedures.
