For Dr. Aiden Moktassi, giving back to Etobicoke General Hospital (EGH) makes good sense. As both a supporter of Osler Foundation and a dedicated physician, Dr. Moktassi believes that the hospital is special.

“All of the radiologists at EGH, we live and breathe the hospital—it's not just a place where we go to work, it's part of our extended family,” says. Dr. Moktassi, Site Chief of Radiology. “And, of course, you always give back to your family. You step up and you support it. You try to make it stronger in every way you can.”

Dr. Moktassi has worked at larger hospitals, and finds he is a fan of the close-knit community environment at EGH. “What was missing for me was that day-to-day interaction with all the different clerical people, technologists and physicians that you get in a community hospital like EGH,” he says. “You sometimes don't get that at a huge centre.” He has worked at Osler for eight years as a General Radiologist with a specialty in musculoskeletal imaging.

As tough as it has been, the pandemic has actually brought the Diagnostic Imaging team closer. “We really had to come together and step up to the challenges,” says Dr. Moktassi. “EGH feels like its own village, and you don't have to ask people to step up—everybody just bands together as a small family.”

Inevitably, the demands of the pandemic have been tiring, but the team perseveres with patient care always top of mind. “Doing high quality work and providing the best care for our patients is what ultimately drives us,” Dr. Moktassi says. “And that's why I came to Etobicoke. It's the big impact I could have and the care I could provide to this community.”

Dr. Moktassi wants patients to know they have a strong community hospital right in their own backyard. “I think the most important thing that people should know is what a great hospital EGH is,” he says. “It is important to keep small teams and small community relationships and have this family atmosphere that drives the great care at EGH and that attracts top talent.”