The CEO News Desk features a message from David Graham, President and CEO of Scarborough Health Network, in Network News, our monthly e-newsletter. To receive Network News and other messages to the community in your inbox, subscribe today.

Celebrating Excellence in Education and Research at SHN

Scarborough is on the brink of something extraordinary. Anchored in our Education Strategy and our decades-long legacy as a leading community teaching hospital, we are elevating education at SHN, expanding opportunities, strengthening quality, and setting a new benchmark for excellence. At the same time, our research program is entering a new chapter of discovery, allowing SHN to emerge as a hub for integrated healthcare education research and discovery. We are connecting clinicians, learners, and partners to test ideas in practice, translate evidence into care, and measure impact across our hospitals and the communities we serve.

First and foremost, Congratulations to our 2025 Family Medicine resident graduates! These exceptional individuals have completed their training with distinction and many have already begun serving our communities. Their dedication, compassion, and resilience exemplify the best of SHN. We are expanding training capacity in Family Medicine, with a commitment to double the size of the residency program by 2030 as part of the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health initiative, strengthening access, continuity, and culturally responsive care. I also want to recognize our learner and faculty award recipients, whose leadership and academic excellence set the stage for the future. Your influence will shape our network for years to come.

The momentum is unmistakable. This year’s Scarborough Academy of Medicine (SAM) Summit captured that energy—bringing together partners around a shared vision for inclusive, community-driven medical education. The focus of the Summit was faculty development, allowing us to create and deliver formal programs to empower our clinicians toward our educational mission. Our growing reputation as a premier destination for training means we’re welcoming our largest and most diverse cohort of learners yet—future healthcare leaders who will redefine care in Scarborough and beyond.

This summer, Summer of Vibes lit up SHN. As part of our SHN Research Institute Student Experience (RISE) program, this first-of-its-kind initiative brought together students from across disciplines to tackle real-world healthcare challenges with fresh ideas and bold creativity. The theme was Vibe Coding, an AI driven approach that turns natural language into working healthcare software prototypes, enabling the student teams to generate code and iterate in hours instead of weeks. Over four months, they brainstormed, built, and tested solutions—supported by our clinicians, researchers, and innovators—culminating in Grand Demo Day, a showcase held at University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus. The result was the development of cutting-edge solutions that advance SHN’s clinical and education priorities, while helping students develop interest in a diversity of careers in healthcare.

Looking ahead, our RISE program will continue to mentor and inspire the next generation of healthcare researchers—giving students at every level hands-on opportunities to learn, discover, and make a real impact in our community.

Through these initiatives, we are embedding a culture of education at the very heart of SHN, bringing cutting-edge training, simulation, and faculty development directly into our hospitals and our community. In parallel, we are embedding a culture of research beginning with our earliest learners, allowing us to translate bold ideas into practice for the benefit of the people we serve. Every new program, every new cohort, and every new partnership moves us closer to a future where Scarborough is recognized nationally for exceptional care, research, and education. Together, we are building something remarkable.

David Graham
President and CEO
SHN