Please join us in congratulating Dr. Maxine Lewis on her appointment as the inaugural Joint Chief of Mental Health and Addictions of Niagara Health and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.

Dr. Lewis completed her Medical degree at the University of Wales, College of Medicine, U.K., and completed her Psychiatry residency training at the University of Leeds, U.K., where she gained her Masters in Clinical Psychiatry and dual specialist certification in adult and old-age psychiatry (Fellowship). Dr. Lewis has been a staff psychiatrist at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton since 2004 with clinical expertise in geriatric psychiatry, working with the Niagara Seniors Mental Health Outreach Team and the Seniors Mental Health Clinic in Hamilton.

Dr. Lewis has been the interim Chief of Psychiatry at St. Joseph’s Healthcare since April 2018. She has also worked in a number of related administrative roles with St. Joseph’s, including Head of Service of Seniors Mental Health and Head of Service of the Mood Disorders, Anxiety, and Youth Wellness Service. Dr. Lewis is an Associate Professor with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and is currently President of the AFP Psychiatry Associates.

As the Joint Chief of Mental Health and Addictions, Dr. Lewis will be responsible for building and leading a coordinated vision of care for patients in the Niagara and Hamilton area and will form one of the largest Mental Health and Addictions Programs in the country. This strategic initiative will have a single physician leadership structure to ensure that innovative models of care, rigorous quality improvement and improved access are at the forefront of our efforts to improve patient care across a large geographic area. In addition, the Joint Chief role will provide an opportunity for Niagara Health and St. Joseph’s to work more closely with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster to expand their academic mission. The integration of both institutions, serving a population of 1.2 million, will allow the shaping of mental health policy within the LHIN and Province.

Dr. Lewis will begin her new position on January 1, 2019.

Dr. David Russell, MD FRCPC
Interim Chief of Staff, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Dr. Johan Viljoen, MBChB MMED(O&G) FRCSC CPE, MBA
Interim Chief of Staff and Executive Vice-President Medical